Apparatus and methods for routing electronic mail in a processing center

• US 20020169834A1
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alec Miloslavsky, Dmitry A. Torba, Igor Neyman, Jason Goecke, Oleg Turovsky, Vladimir N. Deryugin
• Original Assignee: Alec Miloslavsky, Dmitry A. Torba, Igor Neyman, Jason Goecke, Oleg Turovsky, Vladimir N. Deryugin
• Inventors: Miloslavsky, Alec, Neyman, Igor, Torba, Dmitry A., Deryugin, Vladimir N., Turovsky, Oleg, Goecke, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/10 Adding special bits or symbols to the coded information, e.g. parity check, casting out 9's or 11's
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1008 in individual solid state devices G06F11/1004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2215 to test error correction or detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1833 by adding special lists or symbols to the coded information G11B20/1806, G11B20/1866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 : PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 : Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 : with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 : Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 : in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• 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 3/523 : with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 : Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 : Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 : Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 : for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 : Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 : Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0006 : where voice calls cross both networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0009 : where voice calls remain entirely in the telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 : Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• 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: H04N 7/148 : Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 : Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 : Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 : Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 : Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 : for connecting to private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/901 : Wide area network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 : Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

An Internet Protocol Network Telephony call center having a plurality of agents for serving clients also processes e-mails addresses to the call center, but not to specific agents. An e-mail server receives and routes the e-mail, and includes a router and a database storing skill set information regarding agents. The router extracts information from the e-mails, matches key words in the extracted information with key words from the skill sets, and routes the e-mails to appropriate agents having the necessary skills to respond to the service requirements in the e-mails.

Claims

1. A system for routing an electronic mail (e-mail) to one of a plurality of agents in an Internet Protocol Network Telephony call center, each of said agents having a specific skill set from a variety of possible skill sets, the system comprising:

an e-mail server adapted to receive said e-mail from a sender;

an information extractor for extracting information from said e-mail;

a router; and

a database accessible to the router and storing skill sets of said agents;

wherein the router selects the one of a plurality of agents by matching stored information about the specific skill sets with portions of extracted information from said e-mail.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a statistics server (stat-server) recording activities of said call center, and wherein said routing performed by said router further uses said recorded activity in said stat-server.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein routing of e-mails to selected agents is load-balanced based on recorded activity stored in said stat-server.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein an overload threshold is set for number of e-mails to be routed, and senders of e-mails are notified of a possible delay when the threshold is exceeded.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said database further stores information on senders of e-mails, and routing performed by said router further uses said stored information on senders of e-mails.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said database stores information about prior relationships of agents and e-mail senders, and said router uses said relationship information in making routing decisions.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein a time limit for response to e-mails by said agents is set, and wherein e-mails not answered within said time limit are rerouted to other agents.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said information extractor comprises plural and selectable extraction algorithms.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein one of the extraction algorithms includes a parser, and wherein said one of the extraction algorithms uses the parser to search for keywords in said e-mail.

10. A method for routing electronic mails (e-mails) in an Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call center having a plurality of agents, comprising steps of:

(a) receiving e-mails at an e-mail server in the call center;

(b) extracting information from the e-mails;

(c) matching extracted information with skill sets of agents; and

(d) selecting a specific agent to receive a specific e-mail based on results of the matching step (c).