Networked contact center user interface approach

• US 10,298,767 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Salame, Mansour, Southwick, Richard, Fernandez, William James, Townsend, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Salomon, Phenuel S
• Application Number:
  US15/384,072
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/256 comprising a service specific user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

This document is directed to, among other things, communication systems involving networked contact center interfaces. One example method includes presenting a frame on a user interface to present information in a selectable format. Another example method includes using a circuit device to detect selection of a frame as displayed and causing display of further graphical information in an un-selectable format.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a circuit device, including logic circuitry, configured and arranged to;

facilitate communicative coupling of a customer in a networked contact center and an agent of a tenant, wherein the customer is a customer of the tenant and the customer is associated with a communication directed to the tenant;

access information from the networked contact center, the information associated with the communication from the customer and defined by the customer in a viewable frame including a toggle switch that is defined according to a selectable area, the selectable area being selectable via user-input and configured and arranged to display graphical information for identifying a function of the communication;

transmit information associated with the communication to the networked contact center to facilitate access to data of the tenant via the agent, based on a displayed graphical user interface including the viewable frame;

in response to the selectable area being selected, transmit to the networked contact center further graphical information for display in the selectable area within the frame, the further graphical information depicting a status of the communication with the agent; and

transmit a response to the customer via the networked contact center, from the data of the agent, wherein the response is associated with the communication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tenant includes:

a server configured and arranged to function corresponding to the functions of the networked contact center.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the server facilitates communication with the networked contact center.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the server is configured and arranged to execute the function to establish the communication between the customer and the agent, wherein the communication includes at least one of a voice communication, a chat communication and an email communication.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit device is configured and arranged to facilitate communicative coupling of a second customer of the tenant and a second agent of the tenant, the second customer associated with a different communication directed to the tenant.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the tenant includes:

a server configured and arranged to communicate with the agent and the second agent corresponding to the functions of the networked contact center.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the server facilitates communication with the networked contact center.

8. A method comprising:

operating a circuit device, including logic circuitry, configured and arranged to;

facilitate communicative coupling of a customer in a networked contact center and an agent of a tenant, wherein the customer is a customer of the tenant and the customer is associated with a communication directed to the tenant;

access a platform among a plurality of platforms in the networked contact center, the plurality of platforms associated with the tenant;

access information from the networked contact center via the platform, the information associated with the communication from the customer and defined by the customer in a viewable frame including a toggle switch that is defined according to a selectable area, the selectable area being selectable via user-input and configured and arranged to display graphical information for identifying a function of the communication;

transmit information associated with the communication to the platform to facilitate access to data of the tenant via the agent, based on a displayed graphical user interface including the viewable frame;

in response to the selectable area being selected, transmit to the platform further graphical information for display in the selectable area within the frame, the further graphical information depicting a status of the communication with the agent; and

transmit a response to the customer via the platform, from the data of the agent, wherein the response is associated with the communication.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the circuit device includes a tenant server configured and arranged to function corresponding to the functions of the networked contact center, the tenant server configured and arranged to direct incoming calls from customers to a particular platform among the plurality of platforms.

10. The method of claim 9, including operating the tenant server to direct incoming calls from customers to a different platform among the plurality of platforms when the particular platform is unavailable.

11. The method of claim 10, including operating the tenant server to direct incoming calls from customers to the particular platform when the particular platform is available.

12. The method of claim 9, including operating the tenant server to function corresponding to the functions of the networked contact center, the tenant server configured and arranged to direct incoming calls from customers to a particular platform among the plurality of platforms.

13. The method of claim 9, including operating the tenant server to facilitate communicative coupling of the customer and the agent via the plurality of platforms.

14. The method of claim 13, including operating the tenant server to facilitate communicative coupling of a second customer of the tenant and a second agent of the tenant via the plurality of platforms.

15. The method of claim 9, including operating the tenant server to facilitate communicative coupling of a second customer of the tenant and a second agent of the tenant via the plurality of platforms.

16. The method of claim 15, including operating the tenant server to direct incoming calls from the customer and the second customer to a different platform among the plurality of platforms when the particular platform is unavailable.

17. The method of claim 16, including operating the tenant server to direct incoming calls from the customer and the second customer to the particular platform when the particular platform is available.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a networked contact center including communications circuits, configured to facilitate incoming calls from customers to a plurality of tenants of the networked contact center; and

a circuit device, including logic circuitry, configured and arranged to;

display a toggle switch that is defined according to a selectable area within a viewable frame, which is selectable via user-input and configured and arranged to display graphical information for identifying a function that is responsive to a selection of the selectable area;

determine one of the plurality of tenants to which a communication of the networked contact center is directed and a platform within the networked contact center associated with the tenant, based on an identifier associated with the communication;

in response to the selectable area being selected, display further graphical information in the selectable area within the frame, the further graphical information depicting a status of the communication of the networked contact center; and

in response to determining the one of the plurality of tenants to which the communication of the networked contact center is directed, retrieve a response to provide to one of the customers from data of the tenant via the platform.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the circuit device is further configured and arranged to:

in response to determining the one of the plurality of tenants to which the communication is directed, retrieving from a database identification of the platform and a data storage location associated with the tenant based on the identifier; and

retrieve the data for the response to the customer from the data storage location.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the circuit device is further configured and arranged to:

reject initiation of the communication using the platform based on resources of the platform; and

in response to rejecting initiation of the communication, initiate the communication using a different platform within the networked contact center that is associated with the tenant.