APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR COORDINATING INTERNET PROTOCOL TELEPHONE AND DATA COMMUNICATIONS
First Claim
1. A system for conducting multimedia communication between a host and a client, comprising:
- a host presentation server connected to a wide area network (WAN) wherein clients may connect by computer and interact with a digital presentation provided by the presentation server; and
a computerized Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call-placing and switching system;
wherein, initiated by customer interaction with the digital presentation, the presentation server provides data to the IPNT all-placing and switching system identifying the customer and requesting establishment of an IPNT call between the customer and an agent of the host.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephony call center system comprises an Internet connection adapted for receiving data from a WEB server, the data originating from the computer platform of a person browsing the Internet, including data identifying the browsing person, such as a telephone number, an IP address or the like, and indicating to the WEB server a desire of the browsing person to communicate with an agent at the call center. The communication desired may be (a) a request for an agent at the call center to receive a call from the browsing person, or (b) a request for a call to be placed to the browsing person from the call center. In both (a) and (b) the practical result is a telephone conference between the browsing person and an agent at the call center. In the first instance (a), in response to the data from the WEB server to the call center, the call center provides to the WEB server, for transfer to the browsing person via the Internet, necessary data for the browsing person to place an Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call to the browsing person, utilizing Internet Telephony software at the browsing person'"'"'s PC. The call center selects an agent, and initiates a watch for an arriving IPNT call from the browsing person. On arrival of the call, the call is routed to the selected agent. In the other instance (b), in response to the data, the call center enters the browsing person'"'"'s information, determines the appropriate IP address, and places an IPNT call to the browsing person. When the call placed from the center is answered, it is switched to a selected agent.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A system for conducting multimedia communication between a host and a client, comprising:
-
a host presentation server connected to a wide area network (WAN) wherein clients may connect by computer and interact with a digital presentation provided by the presentation server; and
a computerized Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call-placing and switching system;
wherein, initiated by customer interaction with the digital presentation, the presentation server provides data to the IPNT all-placing and switching system identifying the customer and requesting establishment of an IPNT call between the customer and an agent of the host. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A telephony call center comprising:
-
a computerized Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call-placing and switching system connected to a wide area network (WAN) and adapted to receive data identifying a customer accompanied by IPNT call requests; and
a plurality of agent stations connected to the call-placing and switching system, each having a computer including a video display unit (PC/VDU);
wherein, upon receiving the data identifying a customer and an accompanying IPNT telephony request, the computerized telephony switching system selects an agent to interact with the client, completes the IPNT call, and switches the completed IPNT call to PC/VDU at the agent station assigned to the selected agent. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A presentation server hosted on a wide network (WAN), comprising:
-
a transmission engine adapted to transmit a stored interactive digital presentation on the wide area network to a client on demand; and
control routines adapted to accept a request from the client for establishing an Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call and to provide the request and an address for the client to a connected call-placing and switching system. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. In a system comprising a presentation server connected to a wide area network (WAN) and adapted to present a hosted interactive digital presentation to a client also connected to the wide area network, a method for providing an Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call between the client and an agent representing the host of the digital presentation, the method comprising steps of:
-
(a) upon an input to the interactive digital presentation by the client, sending data identifying the client and requesting the IPNT call to a computerized telephony call-placing and switching system connected to a plurality of agent stations each having a computer with a video display unit (PC/VDU);
(b) selecting one of the plurality of agents to interface with the client on the IPNT call;
(c) establishing the IPNT call with the client; and
(d) routing the established call to the selected agent. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
-
Specification