Location-based bridging in call centers

• US 20040202306A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Seligmann, Doree Duncan, Matula, Valentine C., Sammon, Michael J., Brotman, Lynne Shapiro, Jean, Yves D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,072 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 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

A call center apparatus for automatically bridging a mobile user (e.g., a supervisor, etc.) into an existing conversation between a telephone operator and a caller is disclosed. The illustrative embodiments bridge the mobile user into the conversation of the closest telephone operator for which the mobile user has bridging authority.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of communications devices, wherein each of said communications devices enables a respective conversation;

a communications terminal, wherein said communications terminal;

is within transmission range of said plurality of communications devices, and

is allowed to bridge into authorized conversations, wherein said authorized conversations are enabled by a subset D of said communications devices; and

a bridging device for bridging said communications terminal into one of said authorized conversations enabled by one of said communications devices;

wherein said bridging device comprises;

a first transceiver for communicating with said one communications device, and

a second transceiver for communicating with said communications terminal; and

wherein said one communications device is at least as close to said communications terminal as any other communications device in said subset D.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communications terminal communicates wirelessly with said bridging device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said communications devices is located at a respective fixed position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said communications devices is associated with a local user, and wherein each of said conversations is between a respective one of said local users and a respective remote user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communications terminal has a manual control for at least one of:

activating said bridging, and

deactivating said bridging.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is in a call center.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of communications devices, wherein each of said communications devices enables a respective conversation;

a communications terminal, wherein said communications terminal;

is within transmission range of said plurality of communications devices, and

is allowed to bridge into authorized conversations, wherein said authorized conversations are enabled by a subset D of said communications devices; and

a bridging device for establishing a bridging communications path between said communications terminal and a first one of said communications devices in said subset D;

wherein said bridging device comprises;

a first transceiver for communicating with said first communications device, and

a second transceiver for communicating with said communications terminal; and

wherein said first communications device is at least as close to said communications terminal as any other communications device in said subset D; and

wherein said bridging communications path comprises;

a first logical channel between said first communications device and said bridging device,

a second logical channel between said bridging device and a second one of said communications devices, and

a link between said second communications device and said communications terminal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said second communications device is at least as close to said communications terminal as any other of said communications devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said communications terminal communicates wirelessly with said bridging device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said communications devices is located at a respective fixed position.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said communications devices is associated with a local user, and wherein each of said conversations is between a respective one of said local users and a respective remote user.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said communications terminal has a manual control for at least one of:

activating said bridging, and

deactivating said bridging.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said apparatus is in a call center.

14. An apparatus comprising a bridging device, said bridging device comprising:

at least one first transmitter-receiver pair;

at least one second transmitter-receiver pair;

a switch fabric for connecting said first pairs to said second pairs; and

a processor;

wherein each of said first pairs

sends signals to a respective one of a plurality of communications devices, and

receives signals from said respective communications device; and

wherein each of said second pairs

sends signals to a respective one of a plurality of communications terminals, and

receives signals from said respective communications terminal; and

wherein each of said communications devices enables a respective conversation; and

wherein each of said communications terminals

is within transmission range of said plurality of communications devices, and

is allowed to bridge into a respective plurality of authorized conversations; and

wherein said authorized conversations are enabled by a subset D of said communications devices; and

wherein said processor configures said switch fabric to bridge at least one of said communications terminals into a respective one of said authorized conversations enabled by one of said communications devices; and

wherein said one communications device is at least as close to said communications terminal as any other communications device in said subset D.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said bridging device communicates wirelessly with said communications terminals.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each of said communications devices is located at a respective fixed position.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each of said second pairs

sends signals to said respective communications terminal via a second respective one of said communications devices;

and

receives signals from said respective communications terminal via said second respective communications device.

18. The apparatus of claims 17 wherein said second respective communications device is at least as close to said respective communications terminal as any other of said communications devices.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein each of said communications devices is associated with a local user, and wherein each of said conversations is between a respective one of said local users and a respective remote user.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said apparatus is in a call center.