Correlating information between internet and call center environments

• US 20020035647A1
• Filed: 11/28/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oleh George Danyluk, Ronald V. Grippo, Sanford Samuel Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Sanford Samuel, Danyluk, Oleh George, Grippo, Ronald V.
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,495 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/312
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13152 Callback
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

Coordination of information at the network-based level between call centers connectable over a telecommunications network, such as the telephone network, and a packet network, such as the Internet, creates improved integration of and bonding between a customer'"'"'s interaction with a Web site and with a call center. Information about the customer and the customer'"'"'s Web interaction are delivered to the call center agent along with the call, leading to increased productivity and efficiency in call handling as well as improved call routing.

Calls may be routed to existing call centers based upon information from the Web experience, and information from the user'"'"'s Web interaction is shared with the call center. Web interaction information is passed to existing call centers using known call center external control methods, such as DNIS signaling. Information about the Web experience may also be “whispered” to the call center agent, and an agent may “push” Web pages for review by the customer. As a result, customer acquisition and sales tools more powerful than a mere click-to-callback tool can be made available with a combined marketing approach using the Web and call centers.

Claims

1. A method of causing a call to be placed to a call center associated with a subscriber in response to an act done by a user linked in an interactive communication session with a packet network, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving over the packet network information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session;

b. transforming the received information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center, said call being routable by the call center in accordance with the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session; and

c. initiating placement of a call to the call center in accordance with the transformed information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the packet network comprises at least one of the Internet and an intranet.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interactive communication session comprises Web browsing.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of receiving information over the packet network includes receiving information transmitted over the packet network using a uniform resource locator (URL).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transforming the information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center includes the step of using a database containing at least one entry for information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session and at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center comprises a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transforming the received information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center comprises transforming the received information into a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of initiating placement of a call to the call center in accordance with the transformed information comprises instructing a telecommunications switch coupled to the telecommunications network to place a call to a communications number corresponding to the DNIS code.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

a. the packet network comprises at least one of the Internet and an intranet;

b. the interactive communication session comprises Web browsing;

c. the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session;

d. the step of receiving information over the packet network includes receiving information transmitted over the packet network using a uniform resource locator (URL);

e. the step of transforming the received information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center comprises transforming the received information into a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code using a database containing at least one entry for information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session and at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center; and

f. the step of initiating placement of a call to the call center in accordance with the transformed information comprises instructing a telecommunications switch coupled to the telecommunications network to place a call to a communications number corresponding to the DNIS code.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the signal received from the call center comprises at least one dual tone multiple frequency (DTMF) code.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the displayable page corresponds to a page displayable using a Web browser.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the packet network comprises at least one of the Internet and an intranet.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the interactive communication session comprises Web browsing.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of receiving information over the packet network includes receiving information transmitted over the packet network using a uniform resource locator (URL).

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of communicating the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session to the call center over a telecommunications network includes the step of transforming the information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center, said call being routable by the call center in accordance with the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the step of the step of transforming the information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center includes the step of using a database containing at least one entry for information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session and at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center comprises a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the step of transforming the received information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center comprises transforming the received information into a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code.

25. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of bonding a telecommunications session between the user and the call center together with the interactive communication session includes bridging a telecommunications connection to the user together with a telecommunications connection to the call center associated with the subscriber to establish a telecommunications connection between the user and the call center while the packet network remains linked in the interactive communications session with the user.

26. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of sending a communication to the user over the packet network.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the step of sending a communication to the user over the packet network includes sending a page displayable to the user on a display device.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the displayable page corresponds to a page displayable using a Web browser.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein the step of sending a communication to the user over the packet network is performed in response to a signal from the call center.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the signal from the call center comprises at least one dual tone multiple frequency (DTMF) code.

31. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of communicating the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session to the call center over a telecommunications network includes the step of sending audio signals representing the information to the call center.

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the step of sending audio signals representing the information to the call center comprises:

a. transforming the information into audible sounds; and

b. playing the audible sounds over a telecommunications connection established with the call center.

33. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of communicating the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes verifying the authority of the call center to receive the information.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the processing unit comprises:

a. a computer;

b. a database; and

c. at least one of;

(1) a database server;

(2) a call manager server; and

(3) a page presentation server.

36. The system according to claim 34, wherein the telecommunications unit comprises a telecommunications switch and a voice response unit.

37. The system according to claim 34, wherein the packet network comprises at least one of the Internet and an intranet.

38. The system according to claim 34, wherein the interactive communication session comprises Web browsing.

12. A method of sending, in response to a signal from a call center, a communication over a packet network to a user linked in an interactive communication session with the packet network, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving the signal from the call center over a telecommunications network;

b. determining from the received signal at least one page, displayable to the user on a display device, to send to the user;

c. sending the displayable page to the user over the packet network.

15. A method of correlating information between a call center associated with a subscriber and a packet network linked in an interactive communication session with a user, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving over the packet network information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session;

b. communicating the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session to the call center over a telecommunications network; and

c. bonding a telecommunications session between the user and the call center together with the interactive communication session.

34. A system for correlating information between a call center associated with a subscriber and a packet network linked in an interactive communication session with a user, comprising:

a. a telecommunications unit coupled to a telecommunications network; and

b. a processing unit coupled to the packet network and to the telecommunications unit, wherein the processing unit is programmed to carry out the steps of controlling the correlation of information between the call center and the packet network, which steps include;

(1) receiving over the packet network information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session;

(2) instructing the telecommunications unit to communicate the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session to the call center over a telecommunications network; and

(3) initiating the bonding of a telecommunications session between the user and the call center together with the interactive communication session.