Detecting false answer supervision

Abstract

A method and corresponding apparatus are provided to detect false answer supervision by determining false answer supervision as either as a function of a number of completed calls of short duration or as a function of a distribution of differences between timestamps of alert signals and timestamps of connect signals used to complete calls, detecting false answer supervision based on the indicator of false answer supervision determined by either functions separately or in combination, and affecting a decision in response to the detecting.

1 . A method executed by a false answer supervision detector, which is communicatively coupled to a network that has at least one route provided for completing calls by customers, for detecting false answer supervision, the method comprising:
 determining for each route an indicator of false answer supervision as either: i) a function of a number of completed calls of short duration and a number of hangups or ii) a function of a distribution of differences between timestamps of alert signals and timestamps of connect signals used to complete calls;   detecting false answer supervision for a subject route based on the indicator of false answer supervision so determined by either functions separately or in combination; and   affecting a decision about the subject route in response to the detecting.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1   wherein determining includes determining the indicator of false answer supervision as a ratio of the number of completed calls of short duration to the number of hangups; and   wherein false answer supervision is detected, in an event, the ratio of the number of completed calls of short duration to the number of hangups is greater than a threshold value.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 excluding from a number of completed calls, a number of completed calls of long duration to yield the number of completed calls of short duration; and 
 excluding from a number of attempted calls, the number of completed calls to yield the number of hangups. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein excluding the number of completed calls of long duration includes excluding completed calls with durations greater than a time of 15 seconds. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3   wherein excluding the number of completed calls of long duration includes varying the number of completed calls of long duration that are excluded by excluding completed calls with durations greater than a time of variable length; and   wherein detecting includes varying a sensitivity for detecting false answer supervision in response to varying the number of completed calls of long duration that are excluded from the number of completed calls.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1   wherein determining includes decomposing the distribution into a portion of the distribution and a remaining portion of the distribution, the indicator of false answer supervision being a ratio of the portion of the distribution to the remaining portion of the distribution; and   wherein false answer supervision is detected, in an event, the ratio of the portion of the distribution to the remaining portion of the distribution is greater than a threshold value.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein decomposing includes decomposing the distribution into a portion of the distribution of differences less than or equal to a time of one second and a remaining portion of the distribution of differences greater than the time of one second. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6   wherein decomposing includes varying the portion of the distribution and the remaining portion of the distribution by decomposing the distribution into a portion of the distribution of differences less than or equal to a time of variable length and a remaining portion of the distribution of differences greater than the time of variable length; and   wherein detecting includes varying a sensitivity for detecting false answer supervision in response to varying the portion of the distribution and the remaining portion of the distribution.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein affecting the decision about the subject route includes removing the subject route from being provided for completing calls in response to detecting false answer supervision. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein affecting the decision about the subject route includes reducing a number of calls to be completed by the subject route. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the subject route is provided by a provider and at least one downstream provider, each provides a portion of the subject route;
 wherein determining includes determining for a portion of the subject route between the provider and the at least one downstream provider an indicator of false answer supervision as either: i) a function of a number of completed calls of short duration and a number of hangups or ii) a function of a distribution of differences between timestamps of alert signals and timestamps of connect signals used to complete calls; 
 wherein detecting includes detecting a false answer supervision portion of the subject route based on: i) the indicator of false answer supervision for the portion of the subject route between the provider and the at least one downstream provider so determined by either functions separately or in combination, and ii) a result of detecting false answer supervision for an other portion that continues downstream from the at least one downstream provider; and 
 wherein affecting includes removing the false answer supervision portion from the subject route. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein determining includes directing the provider to determine at the provider, the indicator of false answer supervision for the portion of the subject route between the provider and the at least one downstream provider, the provider is directed to determine the indicator of false answer supervision as either: i) a function of a number of completed calls of short duration and a number of hangups or ii) a function of a distribution of differences between timestamps of alert signals and timestamps of connect signals used to complete calls. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising directing the downstream provider to determine at the downstream provider, an other indicator of false answer supervision in substantially the same manner as the provider, the other indicator of false answer supervision is determined for the other portion of the subject route that continues downstream from the at least one downstream provider; and
 wherein detecting includes detecting the false answer supervision portion of the subject route based on: i) the indicator of false answer supervision for the portion between the provider and the at least one downstream provider, and ii) the other indicator of false answer supervision for the other portion that continues downstream from the at least one downstream provider. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 identifying a false answer supervision provider of the false answer supervision portion, downstream of the false answer supervision provider false answer supervision is not detected, the false answer supervision provider is a root cause of false answer supervision for the subject route; and 
 removing the false answer supervision provider from the subject route. 
 
     
     
         15 . A false answer supervision detector, which is communicatively coupled to a network that has at least one route provided for completing calls by customers, for detecting false answer supervision, the detector comprising:
 a determining unit to determine for each route an indicator of false answer supervision as either: i) a function of a number of completed calls of short duration and a number of hangups or ii) a function of a distribution of differences between timestamps of alert signals and timestamps of connect signals used to complete calls;   a detecting unit communicatively coupled to the determining unit to detect false answer supervision for a subject route based on the indicator of false answer supervision so determined by either functions separately or in combination; and   an affecting unit communicatively coupled to detecting unit to affect a decision about the subject route in response to the detecting.   
     
     
         16 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 15   wherein the determining unit determines the indicator of false answer supervision as a ratio of the number of completed calls of short duration to the number of hangups; and   wherein false answer supervision is detected, in an event, the ratio of the number of completed calls of short duration to the number of hangups is greater than a threshold value.   
     
     
         17 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a first excluding unit communicatively coupled to the determining unit to exclude from a number of completed calls, a number of completed calls of long duration to yield the number of completed calls of short duration; and 
 a second excluding unit communicatively coupled to the determining unit to exclude from a number of attempted calls, the number of completed calls to yield the number of hangups. 
 
     
     
         18 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 17  wherein the first excluding unit excludes completed calls with durations greater than a time of 15 seconds. 
     
     
         19 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 16   wherein the first excluding unit varies the number of completed calls of long duration that are excluded by excluding completed calls with durations greater than a time of variable length; and   wherein the detecting unit varies a sensitivity for detecting false answer supervision in response to varying the number of completed calls of long duration that are excluded from the number of completed calls.   
     
     
         20 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 15   wherein the determining unit decomposes the distribution into a portion of the distribution and a remaining portion of the distribution, the indicator of false answer supervision being a ratio of the portion of the distribution to the remaining portion of the distribution; and   wherein false answer supervision is detected, in an event, the ratio of the portion of the distribution to the remaining portion of the distribution is greater than a threshold value.   
     
     
         21 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 20 . 16  wherein decomposing unit decomposes the distribution into a portion of the distribution of differences less than or equal to a time of one second and a remaining portion of the distribution of differences greater than the time of one second. 
     
     
         22 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 20   wherein the decomposing unit varies the portion of the distribution and the remaining portion of the distribution by decomposing the distribution into a portion of the distribution of differences less than or equal to a time of variable length and a remaining portion of the distribution of differences greater than the time of variable length; and   wherein the detecting unit varies a sensitivity for detecting false answer supervision in response to varying the portion of the distribution and the remaining portion of the distribution.   
     
     
         23 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 15  wherein the affecting unit removes the subject route from being provided for completing calls in response to detecting false answer supervision. 
     
     
         24 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 15  wherein the affecting unit reduces a number of calls to be completed by the subject route. 
     
     
         25 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 15  wherein the subject route is provided by a provider and at least one downstream provider, each provides a portion of the subject route;
 wherein the determining unit determines for a portion of the subject route between the provider and the at least one downstream provider an indicator of false answer supervision as either: i) a function of a number of completed calls of short duration and a number of hangups or ii) a function of a distribution of differences between timestamps of alert signals and timestamps of connect signals used to complete calls; 
 wherein the detecting unit detects a false answer supervision portion of the subject route based on: i) the indicator of false answer supervision for the portion of the subject route between the provider and the at least one downstream provider so determined by either functions separately or in combination, and ii) a result of detecting false answer supervision for an other portion that continues downstream from the at least one downstream provider; and 
 wherein the affecting unit removes the false answer supervision portion from the subject route. 
 
     
     
         26 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 25  wherein the determining unit directs the provider to determine at the provider, the indicator of false answer supervision for the portion of the subject route between the provider and the at least one downstream provider, the provider is directed to determine the indicator of false answer supervision as either: i) a function of a number of completed calls of short duration and a number of hangups or ii) a function of a distribution of differences between timestamps of alert signals and timestamps of connect signals used to complete calls. 
     
     
         27 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 26  further comprising an other directing unit to direct the downstream provider to determine at the downstream provider, an other indicator of false answer supervision in substantially the same manner as the provider, the other indicator of false answer supervision is determined for the other portion of the subject route that continues downstream from the at least one downstream provider; and
 wherein the detecting unit includes detects the false answer supervision portion of the subject route based on: i) the indicator of false answer supervision for the portion between the provider and the at least one downstream provider, and ii) the other indicator of false answer supervision for the other portion that continues downstream from the at least one downstream provider. 
 
     
     
         28 . The false answer supervision detector of  claim 25  further comprising:
 an identifying unit communicatively coupled to the detecting unit to identify a false answer supervision provider of the false answer supervision portion, downstream of the false answer supervision provider false answer supervision is not detected, the false answer supervision provider is a root cause of false answer supervision for the subject route; and 
 a removing unit communicatively coupled to the identifying unit to remove the false answer supervision provider from the subject route. 
 
     
     
         29 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:
 determine for each route an indicator of false answer supervision as either: i) a function of a number of completed calls of short duration and a number of hangups or ii) a function of a distribution of differences between timestamps of alert signals and timestamps of connect signals used to complete calls;   detect false answer supervision for a subject route based on the indicator of false answer supervision so determined by either functions separately or in combination; and   affect a decision about the subject route in response to the detecting.