Contact identifier for message types

• US 20040114573A1
• Filed: 12/16/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hollatz, Mike, Peters, Mike, Wesen, Dave, Dezonno, Anthony, Saleh, Nayel, James, Eric, Funck, David, Hodson, Jeff, Beckstrom, Robert, Sheridan, Mike, Mosquera, Dave, Bonifazi, Carlo, Moser, Mary Ellen
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/56 Packet switching systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for routing a plurality of different types of Internet messages within a host to a plurality of agents. The method includes the steps of determining the message type of each of the plurality of different types of Internet messages and inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types. The method further includes the steps of routing the packets to an Internet message distributor and distributing the messages within the Internet message distributor to the plurality of agents based upon the inserted message type identifier.

Claims

1. A method of routing a plurality of different types of Internet messages within a host to a plurality of agents, such method comprising the steps of:

determining the message type of each of the plurality of different types of Internet messages;

inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types;

routing the packets to an Internet message distributor; and

distributing the messages within the Internet message distributor to the plurality of agents based upon the inserted message type identifier.

2. The method of routing messages as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) message.

3. The method of routing messages as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a facsimile transmission message.

4. The method of routing messages as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a video message.

5. The method of routing messages as in claim 1 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises e-mail.

6. The method of for routing messages as in claim 1 further comprising providing a respective server within the host for each of the plurality of different types of messages.

7. The method of routing messages as in claim 1 wherein the step of inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types further comprises encapsulating the message type indentifier and a packet of each message of each message type into a larger packet.

8. The method of routing messages as in claim 1 wherein the step of encapsulating the message type indentifier and a packet of each message of each message type into a larger packet further comprises using Generic Routing Encapsulation.

9. The method of routing messages as in claim 1 wherein the step of inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types further comprises including a prefix identifying a particular transmission format.

10. The method of routing messages as in claim 1 wherein the step of inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types further comprises including a suffix identifying a message type under the particular transmission format.

11. An apparatus for routing a plurality of different types of Internet messages within a host to a plurality of agents, such apparatus comprising:

means for determining the message type of each of the plurality of different types of Internet messages;

means for inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types;

means for routing the packets to an Internet message distributor; and

means for distributing the messages within the Internet message distributor to the plurality of agents based upon the inserted message type identifier.

12. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) message.

13. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a facsimile transmission message.

14. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a video message.

15. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises e-mail.

16. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 further comprising means for providing a respective server within the host for each of the plurality of different types of messages.

17. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 wherein the means for inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types further comprises means for encapsulating the message type indentifier and a packet of each message of each message type into a larger packet.

18. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 wherein the means for encapsulating the message type identifier and a packet of each message of each message type into a larger packet further comprises means for using Generic Routing Encapsulation.

19. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 wherein the means for inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types further comprises means for including a prefix identifying a particular transmission format.

20. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 11 wherein the means for inserting a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types further comprises means for including a suffix identifying a message type under the particular transmission format.

21. An apparatus for routing a plurality of different types of Internet messages within a host to a plurality of agents, such apparatus comprising:

a packet processor adapted to insert a message type identifier into a packet of each message type of the plurality of different message types; and

the Internet message distributor adapted to distribute the messages within the Internet message distributor to the plurality of agents based upon the inserted message type identifier.

22. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 21 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) message.

23. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 21 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a facsimile transmission message.

24. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 21 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises a video message.

25. The apparatus for routing messages as in claim 21 wherein the plurality of different types of Internet messages further comprises e-mail.

26. A method of routing a plurality of different types of Internet messages in an Internet message center, such method comprising the steps of:

providing a respective server for each type message of the plurality of different types of messages;

routing each type of message to the respective server of the message;

inserting a message type identifier into a packet of the message;

routing the packets to a message distributor of the plurality of different types of messages; and

distributing the messages within the message distributor based upon the message identifier.