Method and apparatus for processing a telephone call

• US 20010021948A1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Published: 09/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Khouri, Joseph F., Sinha, Gautam, Mack, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A system is provided for establishing a connection between a telephone agent and a computer user. A request is received from the user requesting a return call by an agent. The request is received through a web server and includes an identifier associated with the web page being viewed by the user. The identifier associated with the web page is transmitted to an agent that will contact the user. This allows the agent to view the web page that was being viewed by the user when the request was entered. A telephone connection is then established between the user and the agent. An agent can be selected based on the content of the web page being viewed by the user at the time the request for agent contact is entered. Additionally, for an incoming call, a web page can be generated that contains information about the incoming call. An identifier associated with the generated web page is transmitted to an agent that will answer the call. The agent then accesses the web page using the received identifier.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a connection with a user, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for agent contact from the user, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with a web page being viewed by the user;

transmitting the identifier associated with the web page to an agent that will contact the user; and

establishing a connection between the user and the agent.

2. The method of

claim 1

further including the step of displaying the identified web page to the agent.

3. The method of

claim 1

wherein the identifier associated with the web page identifies the web page being viewed by the user at the time of entering the request for agent contact.

4. The method of

claim 1

wherein the request is received through a web server.

5. The method of

claim 1

wherein the connection established between the user and the agent is a voice connection across a telephone network.

6. The method of

claim 1

wherein the identifier associated with the web page is the web page uniform resource locator (URL).

7. The method of

claim 1

wherein the step of transmitting the identifier associated with the web page to an agent further includes the step of selecting an agent to contact the user.

8. The method of

claim 7

wherein the agent is selected based on the content of the web page being viewed by the user at the time the request for agent contact is entered.

9. The method of

claim 1

wherein the method is implemented in a call processing environment.

10. A method for displaying information about a caller, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephone call;

identifying a telephone number associated with the received telephone call;

identifying information about the caller based on the identified telephone number;

generating a web page containing the identified information about the caller, wherein the web page has an associated identifier; and

transmitting the identifier associated with the web page to an agent that will answer the call.

11. The method of

claim 10

further including the step of displaying the identified web page to the agent.

12. The method of

claim 10

further including the step of establishing a connection between the caller and the agent.

13. The method of

claim 10

wherein the identifier associated with the web page is the web page uniform resource locator (URL).

14. The method of

claim 10

wherein the step of transmitting the identifier associated with the web page to an agent further includes selecting an agent to answer the call.

15. The method of

claim 14

wherein the agent is selected based on the identified information about the caller.

16. The method of

claim 10

wherein the method is implemented in a call processing environment.

17. An apparatus for establishing a connection with a user, the apparatus comprising:

a receiving mechanism configured to receive a request for agent contact from the user, wherein the received request includes an identifier associated with a web page being viewed by the user;

a communication mechanism configured to transmit the identifier associated with the web page to an agent that will contact the user; and

a connection device configured to establish a connection between the user and the agent.

18. The apparatus of

claim 17

further including a display mechanism configured to display the identified web page to the agent.

19. The apparatus of

claim 17

wherein the receiving mechanism is a web server.

20. The apparatus of

claim 17

wherein the connection device is further configured to select an agent to contact the user based on the content of the web page being viewed by the user at the time the request for agent contact is entered.

21. An apparatus for establishing a connection with a user, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for agent contact from the user, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with a web page being viewed by the user;

means for transmitting the identifier associated with the web page to an agent that will contact the user; and

means for establishing a connection between the user and the agent.

22. The apparatus of

claim 21

further including means for displaying the identified web page to the agent.

23. The apparatus of

claim 21

wherein the means for receiving is a web server.

24. The apparatus of

claim 21

wherein the means for establishing a connection selects an agent to contact the user based on the content of the web page being viewed by the user at the time the request for agent contact is entered.

25. A computer software product including a medium readable by a processor, the medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

receive a request for agent contact from the user, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with a web page being viewed by the user;

transmit the identifier associated with the web page to an agent that will contact the user; and

establish a connection between the user and the agent.

26. The computer software product of

claim 25

wherein the sequence of instructions which, when executed by the processor, further causes the processor to display the identified web page to the agent.

27. The computer software product of

claim 25

wherein the sequence of instructions which cause the processor to transmit the identifier associated with the web page to an agent selects an agent to contact the user.

28. The computer software product of

claim 27

wherein the agent is selected based on the content of the web page being viewed by the user at the time the request for agent contact is entered.