IP ACD using buffer server

• US 20050188110A1
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Hollatz, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 8,028,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for routing a call within an automatic contact distributor. The method includes the steps of transferring control of the call to a buffer server, setting up a call connection between an agent of the automatic call distributor and a client of the automatic call distributor through the buffer server, re-addressing SIP messages received by the buffer server from the agent and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the client and re-addressing SIP messages received from the client and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the agent.

Claims

1. A method of routing a SIP call within an automatic contact distributor, such method comprising the steps of:

transferring control of the SIP call to a buffer server;

setting up a call connection between an agent of the automatic call distributor and a client of the automatic call distributor through the buffer server;

re-addressing SIP messages received by the buffer server from the agent and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the client; and

re-addressing SIP messages received from the client and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the agent.

2. The method of routing the SIP call as in claim 1 further comprising receiving a SIP INVITE from the client by the automatic contact distributor requesting a communication session with an agent of the automatic contact distributor.

3. The method of routing the SIP call as in claim 2 further comprising determining a call type from the SIP Invite.

4. The method of routing the SIP call as in claim 3 further comprising selecting the agent based upon the determined call type.

5. The method of routing the SIP call as in claim 4 wherein the step of transferring control of the call further comprises forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server along with an identifier of the selected agent.

6. The method of routing the SIP call as in claim 5 wherein the step of transferring control of the call further comprises entering the SIP INVITE into a routing table within the buffer server along with an identifier of the selected agent.

7. The method of routing the SIP call as in claim 5 wherein the step of forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises appending the identifier to a universal resource identifier of the buffer server within the SIP INVITE.

8. The method of routing the SIP call as in claim 5 wherein the step of forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises encoding the SIP INVITE as an instant message.

9. The method of routing the SIP call as in claim 5 wherein the step of forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises encoding the SIP INVITE for forwarding using a tunneling protocol.

10. An apparatus for routing a SIP call within an automatic contact distributor, such apparatus comprising:

means for transferring control of the SIP call to a buffer server;

means for setting up a call connection between an agent of the automatic call distributor and a client of the automatic call distributor through the buffer server;

means for re-addressing SIP messages received by the buffer server from the agent and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the client; and

means for re-addressing SIP messages received from the client and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the agent.

11. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 10 further comprising means for receiving a SIP INVITE from the client by the automatic contact distributor requesting a communication session with an agent of the automatic contact distributor.

12. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 11 further comprising means for determining a call type from the SIP INVITE.

13. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 12 further comprising means for selecting the agent based upon the determined call type.

14. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 13 wherein the means for transferring control of the call further comprises means for forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server along with an identifier of the selected agent.

15. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 14 wherein the means for transferring control of the call further comprises means for entering the SIP INVITE into a routing table within the buffer server along with an identifier of the selected agent.

16. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 14 wherein the means for forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises means for appending the identifier to a universal resource identifier of the buffer server within the SIP INVITE.

17. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 14 wherein the means for forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises means for encoding the SIP INVITE as an instant message.

18. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 14 wherein the means for forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises means for encoding the SIP INVITE for forwarding using a tunneling protocol.

19. An apparatus for routing a SIP call within an automatic contact distributor, such apparatus comprising:

a proxy server adapted to transfer control of the SIP call to a buffer server;

a buffer server adapted to set up a call connection between an agent of the automatic call distributor and a client of the automatic call distributor;

a connection processor adapted to re-addressing SIP messages received by the buffer server from the agent and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the client and to re-addressing SIP messages received from the client and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the agent.

20. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 19 further comprising a user agent within the automatic contact distributor adapted to receive a SIP INVITE from the client requesting a communication session with an agent of the automatic contact distributor.

21. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 20 further comprising a call type processor adapted to determine a call type from the SIP INVITE.

22. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 21 further comprising an agent selection application adapted to select the agent based upon the determined call type.

23. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 20 wherein the buffer server further comprises a routing table for re-addressing the SIP messages that are transferred between the agent and the client.

24. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 21 wherein the proxy server further comprises an Internet connection that allows the proxy server to forward the SIP INVITE to the buffer server along with an identifier of the selected agent.

25. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 24 wherein the SIP INVITE forwarded to the buffer server further comprises an identifier of the selected agent appended to a universal resource identifier of the buffer server.

26. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 21 wherein the SIP INVITE forwarded to the buffer server further comprises an instant message.

27. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in claim 21 wherein the SIP INVITE forwarded to the buffer server further comprises a message encoded using a tunneling protocol.