JPH0551216B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides customer information displayed on a display device,
A line connection system for multiple telephones that centrally connects and disconnects the telephone lines of multiple telephones used in systems equipped with multiple display devices, especially for database telephone systems that perform marketing etc. in combination with telephones. Regarding.

(Prior Art) In recent years, with the remarkable development of computer-based information processing technology, telephone equipment, and communication lines, as well as the liberalization of public telephone lines, various systems that combine telephones and computers have appeared.

One of these is telephone marketing or database marketing systems that use telephones as a sales strategy.

This involves conducting sales activities over the phone based on detailed information about each customer, focusing on customers with whom we have already done business many times, and using the wealth of information that only customers can obtain. Based on this data, the aim is to approach each person personally and conduct sales activities with high profit margins.

Telephone systems are being used as an electronic medium for this direct marketing. The reason why this telephone is attracting attention as a new marketing medium is (1) Among existing media, the telephone is the most personal one.
It is the only medium that allows one-on-one communication.

(2) In a two-way conversation, there is feedback from the other party, and it is possible to respond to the other party's reactions on the spot, and to be able to test different offers and creative strategies at any time.

(3) The cost of telemarketing is extremely low compared to the cost of door-to-door sales, which is possible through one-on-one communication.

(4) Well-organized and managed operators are able to achieve high productivity, etc. The abundant data accumulated on the computer is then utilized for sales strategies etc. using a telephone.This system includes a display device that displays the computer data to one operator, and the other party who is shown the data. Telephones for conversation are configured as a set.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) Conventionally, as a telemarketing system,
Many systems use a computer, and the computer 1
Sales activities were carried out using a small system consisting of one machine and one telephone.

However, with the progress of liberalization in the telecommunications industry, sales strategies to sell various services and products have been developed, competition has become more intense, and as the number of customers has expanded, a large system that can connect many telephones has become necessary. It's here.

However, conventional personal computer systems cannot handle this, and in the case of office computers, large computers, etc., there have been few examples of such applications, so the number of input/output ports that control telephone lines is limited. Because only a maximum of eight lines could be connected, for example, it was not possible to adequately respond to new sales strategies.

Furthermore, when it comes to connections, large-sized computers or office computers and telephones have different communication protocols, synchronization methods, etc., so they are not compatible with each other and cannot be directly connected.

Therefore, it was necessary to connect a minicomputer between the large computer and the telephone to convert communication protocols and match synchronization methods. However, this is expensive and poses problems in terms of delivery time, installation space, etc.

The present invention was developed in view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art.By introducing a controller that controls multiple telephone lines, the present invention avoids the restriction on the number of communication line ports of a host computer, and allows a large number of telephone lines to be connected. The purpose is to provide a line connection system for multiple telephones that can be used even in conventional existing systems.

(Means for Solving the Problems) An object of the present invention is to provide a telephone having a communication connection circuit capable of automatically dialing and disconnecting calls, and personal information including a plurality of customer telephone numbers stored in a computer in advance. A database telephone system comprising a plurality of sets including a display device that individually outputs the data,
A computer having a plurality of display devices is connected to the input side of the switching device, and a plurality of telephones are connected to the output side, and the switching device selects one of the plurality of telephones based on the telephone base number transmitted from the computer. a line control device for switching to any one of the telephones, and causing the switched telephone to perform automatic dialing based on the telephone number of the connection destination transmitted from the computer; Based on a telephone connection instruction for a specific customer selected from the plurality of customers displayed on the screen, the telephone number of the connection destination stored in the computer and the telephone number associated with the arbitrary display device are switched. This is achieved by a line connection system for multiple telephones, which is characterized by having telephone information output means for outputting to the device.

(Example) Next, an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram of the entire system, Figure 2 is an image diagram of the main parts of the present invention, and Figure 3 is
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing of the entire system, FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a switching device, FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the switching device, and FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a telephone terminal used in this embodiment.

First, the overall scope of the invention and application examples will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 3.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a computer, and externally connected devices 2 are a magnetic tape, 3 is a printing device, 4 is a diskette device, and 5 is a magnetic drum for storing customer data.

6 is a switching device 7a, 7 for connecting and disconnecting lines of multiple telephone terminals, which is a main part of the present invention;
b shows a Japanese workstation consisting of a display device and a console. This Japanese language workstation 7 is paired with a telephone terminal 8 described below and can be operated by one operator. A plurality of Japanese language workstations 7 are connected to the computer 1, and the Data can now be freely retrieved, modified, and displayed.

The input side of the switching device 6 is connected using one communication control line of the computer 1, and the output side thereof has a circuit to which a plurality of telephone terminals 8 can be connected. A number of telephone terminals 8 corresponding to the number of telephone terminals 8 are connected.

The telephone terminal 8 has a configuration as shown in FIG. 6, with a modem 15,
It combines an NCU (Network Control Unit) and a telephone, and by using the public telephone line 10 and switching the internal switch 11, voice conversations (switch, 11a side) or simple data transmission (switch, 11b side).

A headset 9, which corresponds to a telephone receiver, is connected to the NCU that controls the network with the public telephone line 10, so that the operator can have a conversation with the customer without operating the telephone receiver. .

In addition, some of them are designed so that the voice of the other party can be monitored through the speaker 12.

Further, dialing operations on the telephone can be performed automatically by receiving a call instruction for a telephone number from the switching device 6. The auto dial 14 controls communication with the switching device 6, and displays transmission information (usually various types). The telephone line is connected and disconnected based on the commands specified by the telephone line.

Next, 16 is a host computer, and in large-scale systems, it is a distributed processing type to improve system efficiency. In that case, necessary data is transferred from the host computer 16 to the computer 1 side through a communication line etc. It's being transmitted.

Figure 2 is an image of the Telefon data system as seen from the operator's side.The operator, while viewing customer information on the Japanese workstation,
Through the headset 9 of the telephone terminal 8 installed nearby, you can negotiate with the other party on the display screen, input the negotiation results etc. to the Japanese workstation 7, and process data updates, transaction occurrences, etc. It is something to do.

The plurality of telephone terminals 8 are each connected to a switching device 6, and the input side of the switching device 6 is connected to the computer 1 through a single line, thereby reducing the load of telephone connection processing on the computer 1 side and The number has expanded.

Next, an example of the application of the present invention in the system configuration described above will be explained based on the processing flowchart of FIG. 3.

The computer 1 creates a customer file according to a certain format based on customer data input from the host computer 16 or the magnetic tape device 2, etc. (step (hereinafter abbreviated) S1).

This customer file is then sorted by person in charge (operator) (S2).

This is to allocate the load in an appropriate manner based on the skill, experience, ability, etc. of the operator. Furthermore, the customer files assigned to each person in charge are rearranged in order of call priority in order to ensure that work progress is fruitful. (S3) The customer files assigned to each person in charge can be displayed on the screen one after another by entering their password on any Japanese workstation 7 set on the desk. (S4) Then, based on the customer's personal data displayed on the screen of the Japanese workstation 7, the operator first selects the home, office, or other telephone destination displayed on the screen, and then calls the computer 1. , gives instructions for the telephone connection destination (S5).

Based on the operator's input of the telephone connection destination instruction, the computer 1 determines the specified telephone number from the customer data displayed on the screen.
The information about the telephone set N and the call/disconnection instruction is converted into a fixed transmission format and outputted to the switching device 6 (S6). Based on the reception of this data, the switching device 6 switches the switch to the designated operator's telephone side (S7), and transmits the call information while communicating the previously received connection destination telephone number with the telephone terminal 8. (S8).

Then, when the customer's phone is connected,
The operator sells the product while looking at the screen,
Alternatively, debt collection negotiations are conducted over the phone (S9).

The negotiation results are input into the Japanese workstation 7, and the data is updated, changed, etc. (S9).
If the telephone is not connected, the other party's telephone number is changed and the same process as described above is performed (S5 to S9).

Also, if the other party is on a business trip, etc., and you know the phone number of the business trip destination, enter that phone number in the "Others" section of the screen, register the new phone number on computer 1, and make a call to that location. You can also hang it.

When the negotiation is completed, the user inputs the "cut key" on the Japanese language workstation 7 and outputs a call disconnection request to the computer 1. The computer 1 switches the call command from the above-mentioned transmission information to a disconnection command and transmits it to the switching device 6.

Upon receiving this disconnection command, the switching device 6 outputs a disconnection request to the telephone set and disconnects the line (S10).

As described above, personal negotiations are conducted over the telephone with the customers who are sequentially displayed on the screen of the Japanese workstation 7 (S11).

Next, the configuration of the switching device 6 and its control flowchart will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 20 denotes a communication control interface for controlling communication with the computer 1, and performs data transmission in accordance with communication procedures and codes with the computer 1.

In the present invention, a periodic communication method (BSC procedure:
Binary Synchronous Communications: EBCDIC code (extension 2
It communicates using evolved decimal code).

In addition, in order to improve communication performance, the present invention uses a CPU (Central Processing Unit) dedicated to communication control, and is configured to minimize waiting time for telephone connection requests from the computer 1 side. We respond quickly to requests from customers.

The communication information with the computer 1 includes the status information on the switching device 6 side in response to a telephone connection/disconnection operation request, the telephone number of the connection destination for the call/disconnection command, which is an instruction request from the computer 1 side as described above, and the corresponding telephone number. It consists of a telephone stand N.

21 is a control device, which is also composed of one CPU, and the communication control interface 20 is
Connected by data bus line.

The control device 21 also includes each telephone terminal 8.
Each device has a storage device 24 that stores telephone connection/disconnection request information and status information indicating the result of communication with the telephone terminal, and the control device 21
A data path and an address bus line are connected to the storage device 24, so that the information in the storage device 24 can be freely read, stored, changed, added, etc. under the control of the control device 21.

Further, a telephone line selection circuit 23 is connected to the output side of the control device 21 to switch the connection with a plurality of telephone terminals 8, and the output signal from the connected telephone terminal N from the control device 21 selects the corresponding one. A switch is made to the telephone terminal 8 that is connected.

Further, the control device 21 has a line control device 22 connected to its output side that performs signal transmission control conforming to the communication procedure and code with the telephone terminal 8. Based on this information, telephone connection/disconnection instruction information is sent and received.

In the present invention, since the telephone terminal 8 is made in accordance with the international standard recommendations CCITT and V25bis, this command can be used to automatically dial using an ASCII code using an asynchronous communication method (start-stop synchronization). etc. are controlled. 25 is a communication control interface with the telephone terminal 8, which is an appropriate hardware circuit that is matched with the telephone terminal 8.

And on the output side, each telephone terminal 8
are connected to each other by a connecting cable 27. Next, the control operation will be explained with reference to FIG.

The switching device 6 switches the computer 1 from the switching device 6 at regular intervals (every 0.5 seconds in the present invention).
An inquiry is made by normal polling control as to whether there is a command to disconnect the telephone call (S20).
This is controlled by a CPU dedicated to communication. If there is a call/disconnection request, the data is received (S21), and when the reception is completed, the data (call/disconnection command, destination phone number,
The corresponding telephone set N) is temporarily stored, an interrupt is made to the CPU dedicated to control described above, and the information is stored in the corresponding telephone set N storage area (S23) of the storage device 24 on the control device 21 side (S24).

If there is no control queue for the telephone terminal 8, the connection is switched to the telephone terminal 8 side based on the received data, and the telephone number is sent to the telephone terminal 8 side.

The data transmission procedure to the telephone terminal 8 is performed according to the communication procedure, code, and command described above (S27).

Then, the communication result with the telephone terminal 8 is monitored (S28), and the status is determined to be normal (S29) or abnormal (S30).
If so, the message is created and sent to the computer 1 side with the telephone base N of the telephone terminal 8 attached thereto.

The operator uses the voice from the headset (receiver) to proceed with the next operation, such as disconnecting the telephone if it is busy (S26).

As described above, in the present invention, the switching device 6 is constructed using two microcomputers, but it may also be constructed using wire logic that operates in a similar manner.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention uses a switching device that can control multiple telephone terminals as a control means for telephone terminals, thereby allowing the computer to control the number of input/output ports without being restricted by the number of input/output ports of the computer. The number of telephone lines that can be called/disconnected based on instructions can be increased, and it can be easily adapted to a large-scale system.

Moreover, large computers and telephone terminals cannot be directly connected because their communication methods (synchronous/asynchronous) and communication codes (EBCDIC/ASCII) are different, but a switching device performs protocol conversion between the two. Can be easily connected. In addition, since the telephone connection control process is a distributed processing type that is performed on the switching device side, it is possible to reduce the load on the computer, and by introducing a switching device into an existing system, it can easily be adapted to large-scale systems. It also has the advantage of being able to

Further, since the present invention automatically dials the telephone, the burden on the operator is reduced, and
It is possible to prevent the occurrence of incorrect dialing. In addition, the use of a head set frees up both hands, significantly improving work efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the entire system, Fig. 2 is an image diagram of the main parts of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the processing concept of the entire system, Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the switching device, and Fig. 5 is a diagram of the equipment of the main parts of the present invention. A control flowchart of the switching device, FIG. 6 shows a configuration diagram of a telephone terminal used in this embodiment. 1... Computer, 5... Magnetic drum, 6...
...Switching device, 7...Japanese work station,
8...Telephone terminal, 10...Public phone line,
21...control device, 23...telephone line selection machine, 2
4...Storage device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A telephone set with a communication connection circuit capable of automatic dialing and disconnection, and a display device that individually outputs personal information including the telephone numbers of multiple customers stored in advance in a computer are used as a set to connect multiple customers. A database telephone system consisting of the above set includes a computer having a plurality of display devices on the input side of the switching device,
A plurality of telephones are connected to the output side, and the switching device switches to any one of the plurality of telephones based on the telephone base number transmitted from the computer, and selects the connection destination transmitted from the computer. further includes a line control device that causes the switched telephone to make an automatic dial call based on the telephone number of the computer; A plurality of telephone information output means for outputting a telephone number of a connection destination stored in the computer and a telephone set number to be combined with the arbitrary display device to a switching device based on a connection instruction. Telephone line connection system.