Method and apparatus for implementing call processing in packet telephony networks

• US 20040120502A1
• Filed: 12/24/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Strathmeyer, Carl R., Finnie, Donald K., Mercer, Hugh P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,372,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• 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 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• 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 7/0003 Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks

Abstract

Various method and apparatus are provided to perform call routing, queuing and other call processing in packet telephony networks.

Claims

1. An automatic call distributor (ACD) system to perform call processing for packet telephony calls, the ACD system comprising:

a call control subsystem to handle call control on behalf of one or more other subsystems or endpoints; and

,

an ACD application coupled to the call control subsystem, the ACD application to control or coordinate call processing for packet telephony calls.

2. The ACD system of claim 1 wherein the ACD application comprises an ACD application to generate standard language media processing scripts to control the generation of media or other call processing for calls.

3. The ACD system of claim 1 and further comprising a media subsystem coupled to the ACD application to generate media.

4. The ACD system of claim 3 wherein the media subsystem comprises a media server to generate media according to instructions in a media processing script provided by the ACD application.

5. The ACD system of claim 1 wherein the ACD application is coupled to the call control subsystem via a standards based communications interface.

6. The ACD system of claim 5 wherein the standards based communications interface comprises a computer-telephony integration (CTI) link.

7. The ACD system of claim 1 wherein the call control subsystem may also register telephone addresses on behalf of one or more virtual endpoints.

8. The ACD system of claim 7 wherein the call control subsystem comprises a call control proxy server to register telephone addresses with a softswitch on behalf of one or more virtual endpoints.

9. An automatic call distributor (ACD) system to perform call processing for packet telephony calls, the ACD system comprising:

an ACD application to control or coordinate call processing for packet telephony calls;

a call control subsystem to handle one or more call control functions based on instructions from the ACD application;

a media subsystem to generate media for calls in accordance with instructions from the ACD application.

10. The ACD system of claim 9 wherein the ACD application comprises an ACD application to generate one or more standard language media processing scripts.

11. The ACD system of claim 10 wherein the media subsystem comprises a media subsystem to generate media in accordance with a standard language media processing script received from the ACD application.

12. The ACD system of claim 10 wherein the standard language media processing scripts may each include one or more instructions to generate or apply media including one or more of audio, speech, video, graphics, and web pages.

13. The ACD system of claim 9 wherein the ACD application comprises an ACD application to dynamically generate standard language media processing scripts based on current call status, and/or information related to the call or caller.

14. An apparatus comprising an automatic call distributor (ACD) application, the ACD application to control or coordinate call processing for packet telephony calls, the ACD application to dynamically generate a standard language media processing script, the script being used by another device or subsystem to apply media processing to a call or caller.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the ACD application may communicate with a call control subsystem and a media subsystem via one or more standards-based communication techniques.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the standards-based communication techniques may include one or more of a standards-based CTI link, one or more standard protocols and standard language media processing scripts.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 and further comprising a call control subsystem to handle one or more call control functions based on instructions from the ACD application.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 and further comprising a call control subsystem to register telephone addresses for one or more virtual endpoints.

19. An apparatus comprising an automatic call distributor (ACD) application to control or coordinate call processing for packet telephony calls, a call control subsystem to handle one or more call control functions based on instructions from the ACD application and a media subsystem to generate media to calls based on instructions from the ACD application, the ACD application communicating with the call control subsystem and the media subsystem via one or more standards-based communication techniques.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the standards-based communication techniques may include a standards-based CTI link, one or more standard protocols and standard language media processing scripts.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the ACD application comprises an ACD application to dynamically generate a media processing script that may be used by the media subsystem to apply media to a call.

22. An automatic call distributor (ACD) application to control or coordinate call routing and queuing for packet telephony calls, the ACD application receiving call status information from at least one of a call control subsystem and an agent endpoint, the ACD application controlling the call control subsystem to route one or more calls, the ACD application to generate a media processing script that identifies media to be applied to a call.

23. The ACD application of claim 22 wherein the media processing script generated by the ACD application comprises a standard language media processing script that is provided to a media subsystem or other node or subsystem to generate or apply media to a call according to instructions in the media processing script.

24. An ACD application to control or coordinate routing, queuing and other call processing of packet telephony calls, the ACD application to receive information relating to a call from a first subsystem, the ACD application to dynamically generate a standard language media processing script based on the information.

25. The ACD application of claim 24 wherein the ACD application comprises an ACD application to receive notice of a received call setup request for a call from the first subsystem.

26. The ACD application of claim 24 wherein the ACD application comprises an ACD application to receive notice of a received call setup request for a call from the first subsystem, the first subsystem comprising a call control proxy server.

27. The ACD application of claim 24 wherein the ACD application may provide the generated standard language media processing script to a media subsystem to apply media to the call.

28. A media subsystem to generate media to a packet telephony call in accordance with a standard language media processing script, the media subsystem receiving the standard language media processing script from another subsystem and generating media in accordance with the script, the media being communicated across a network to a caller or calling node.

29. The media subsystem of claim 28 wherein the media subsystem may generate media in accordance with the standard language media processing script, the media being one or more of audio, speech, video, graphics, and web pages.

30. An apparatus comprising logic or software to receive a standard language media processing script from a subsystem via a network, the apparatus to locally generate media to a caller or call party in accordance with instructions in the media processing script.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the apparatus may detect caller inputs or signals and forward the caller inputs or signals to the subsystem.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the media processing script may include one or more instructions that cause the apparatus to retrieve or obtain a second standard language media processing script, the apparatus to locally generate additional media based on the second media processing script.

33. An apparatus coupled to an ACD application, a media subsystem, and a first subsystem, the apparatus to register telephone addresses with the first subsystem on behalf of virtual endpoints or other subsystems, the apparatus to provide call information to the ACD application regarding packet telephony calls or call requests, and the apparatus to control at least some call routing functions based on instructions from the ACD application.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the apparatus comprises a call control proxy server.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the first subsystem comprises a softswitch.

36. A method of processing for packet telephony calls, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a call or call request;

dynamically generating a media processing script based on the information;

sending the media processing script to a media subsystem;

the media subsystem generating or applying media to the call in accordance with instructions in the media processing script.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the media processing script is a standard language media processing script and wherein the information regarding the call or call request is provided by a call control subsystem via a standards-based communication technique.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the standards-based communication technique may be one or more of a standards-based CTI link and a standard protocol.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the media subsystem generating or applying media comprises the media subsystem generating or applying media to the call in accordance with instructions in the media processing script, the media comprising one or more of audio, speech, video, graphics, and web pages.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein media processing script also includes one or more instructions that cause the media subsystem to retrieve a second media processing script, the media subsystem using the second media processing script to generate or apply additional media to the call, both said first and second media processing scripts comprising standard language media processing scripts.

41. A method of processing packet telephony calls comprising:

registering one or more call addresses for a virtual endpoint or for one or more subsystems;

receiving a call setup request;

resolving a call address in the setup request to a second address based on said registering;

sending the call setup request to the second address.

42. The method of claim 41 and further comprising:

notifying an ACD application of receipt of the call setup request;

establishing a call for the received call setup request with a media subsystem;

generating a standard language media processing script;

sending the standard language media processing script to the media subsystem;

the media subsystem applying or generating media to the call in accordance with one or more instructions in the media processing script.

43. A method of processing packet telephony calls comprising:

registering one or more call addresses for a virtual endpoint of an ACD system;

receiving a call setup request;

resolving a call address in the setup request to a second address based on said registering;

sending the call setup request to the second address;

receiving instructions from an ACD application for the call;

processing the call based on the instructions.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said processing comprises performing one or more of the following based on the instructions for the call:

routing the call to an endpoint;

placing the call in a queue; and

applying media to the call.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the applying media to the call comprises:

the ACD application dynamically generating a standard language media processing script;

routing or establishing the call to a media subsystem;

sending the media processing script to the media subsystem; and

the media subsystem applying or generating media to the call based on the media processing script.

46. A method of processing packet telephony calls comprising:

receiving a call setup request via a standard protocol;

notifying an ACD application of the call setup request via a standards-based communication technique;

the ACD application dynamically generating a standard language media processing script for the call;

retrieving the media processing script from the ACD application; and

applying or generating media to the call according to the media processing script.

47. The method of claim 46 and further comprising:

detecting a predetermined event;

routing the call from the media system to another endpoint upon detecting the predetermined event.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein the predetermined event may be one or more from the group including:

receiving a predetermined input or response from a caller, an agent becoming available to process the call, or other change in call status or a request from a caller.

49. A method of processing packet telephony calls comprising:

receiving a call or call setup request at a call control subsystem;

receiving instructions from an ACD application;

processing the call based on the instructions;

detecting caller input or responses from the call;

sending the caller input or responses to the ACD application;

receiving additional instructions from the ACD application;

performing additional processing on the call based on the additional instructions.

50. A method of processing packet telephony calls comprising:

receiving a call or call setup request at a call control subsystem;

an ACD application providing media processing instructions;

applying media to the call based on the media processing instructions;

detecting caller input or responses from the call;

sending the caller input or responses to the ACD application;

the ACD application providing additional media processing instructions; and

performing additional processing on the call based on the additional instructions.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein the media processing instructions are generated by the ACD application and provided as a standard language media processing script.

52. A method of processing packet telephony calls comprising:

receiving a call or call setup request;

an ACD application generating media processing instructions;

sending the media processing instructions over a network to a calling node; and

the calling node locally applying or generating media based on the media processing instructions.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the media processing instructions are generated by the ACD application and are provided as a standard language media processing script to the calling node.

54. The method of claim 52 and further comprising:

the calling node detecting caller input or responses;

sending the caller input or responses over the network to the ACD application;

the ACD application providing additional media processing instructions to the calling node based on the input or responses; and

the calling node locally applying or generating additional media based on the additional media processing instructions.

55. The method of claim 52 and further comprising:

the calling node detecting caller input or responses;

sending the caller input or responses over the network to the ACD application;

the ACD application controlling call routing or other call processing functions for the call based on the caller input or responses.

56. A method comprsing:

receiving a request from a calling node;

generating a standard language media processing script in response to the request;

providing the media processing script over a network to the calling node; and

the calling node locally generating media based on the media processing script.