Contact control using state machine

• US 20050238162A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Dezonno, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,068,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6018 Subscriber or terminal logon/logoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• 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 processing a call with a client within an automatic contact distributor system. The method includes the step of providing a user agent application within a terminal of an agent of the automatic contact distributor system that functions as an interface for exchanging SIP commands and providing an agent state machine within the terminal of the agent that controls a plurality of call states of a connection of the call between the client and the agent where the agent state machine is different than the user agent application. The method further includes the steps of receiving a SIP INVITE by the user agent application from an automatic contact distributor of the automatic contact distribution system transferring the call from the automatic contact distributor to the agent and depicting a state of the plurality of states of the call on a display of the terminal based upon a logical state of the state machine.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call with a client within an automatic contact distributor system, such method comprising the step of:

providing a user agent application within a terminal of an agent of the automatic contact distributor system that functions as an interface for exchanging SIP commands;

providing an agent state machine within the terminal of the agent that controls a plurality of call states of a connection of the call between the client and the agent where the agent state machine is different than the user agent application;

receiving a SIP INVITE by the user agent application from an automatic contact distributor of the automatic contact distribution system transferring the call from the automatic contact distributor to the agent; and

depicting a state of the plurality of states of the call on a display of the terminal based upon a logical state of the state machine.

2. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprising controlling the state machine using a plurality of softkeys disposed on the display of the terminal.

3. The method of processing the call as in claim 2 further comprising providing an server state machine within the automatic call distributor that tracks a state of the agent state machine.

4. The method of processing the call as in claim 3 wherein the state machine further comprises a call appearance controller.

5. The method of processing the call as in claim 4 wherein the call appearance controller within the state machine further comprises a first and second state with regard to the call wherein the call appearance controller assumes a second state when the call is connected and the first state when the call is terminated.

6. The method of processing the call as in claim 5 further comprising providing a call appearance display element on a screen of the terminal of the agent that assumes a green color when the call appearance controller is in the second state.

7. The method of processing the call as in claim 5 further comprising providing a call termination softkey that causes the call appearance controller to assume the first state.

8. The method of processing the call as in claim 7 further comprising the agent state machine sending a call termination message to the server state machine when agent state machine enters the first state by activation of the call termination softkey.

9. The method of processing the call as in claim 5 further comprising the call appearance controller assuming a third state called a hold state.

10. The method of processing the call as in claim 9 further comprising providing a hold softkey that causes the call appearance controller to assume the third state.

11. The method of processing the call as in claim 10 further comprising disconnecting an audio interface between the terminal of the agent and the agent when the call appearance controller is in the third state.

12. The method of processing the call as in claim 10 wherein the call appearance element further comprises a red color when the call appearance controller is in the third state.

13. The method of processing the call as in claim 12 further comprising reconnecting the call and returning the agent state machine from the third state to the second state when the call appearance display element is activated.

14. The method of processing the call as in claim 9 wherein the call appearance control further comprises a fourth state called a CONFERENCE CALL set-up state.

15. The method of processing the call as in claim 14 further comprising providing a CONFERENCE CALL setup softkey for selecting the fourth state.

16. The method of processing the call as in claim 15 further comprising providing a interactive window for receiving identifying information from the agent of any third party to be added to a contact connection with the call and agent.

17. The method of processing the call as in claim 16 wherein the call appearance display element depicting the CONFERENCE CALL state for the call further comprises a flashing red color.

18. The method of processing the call as in claim 16 wherein the call appearance control further comprises a fifth state called a CONFERENCE state.

19. The method of processing the call as in claim 18 further comprising providing a CONFERENCE softkey for selecting the fifth state.

20. The method of processing the call as in claim 19 wherein the call appearance display element depicting the CONFERENCE CALL state for the call further comprises a flashing green color.

21. The method of processing the call as in claim 14 wherein the call appearance control further comprises a sixth state called a TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE set-up state for the call.

22. The method of processing the call as in claim 21 further comprising providing a text TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE CALL setup softkey for selecting the sixth state.

23. The method of processing the call as in claim 22 further comprising providing a interactive window for the agent to enter identifying information of any third party to be added to a contact connection between the client and agent.

24. The method of processing the call as in claim 23 wherein the call appearance display element depicting the TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE CALL set-up state for the call further comprises a flashing yellow color.

25. The method of processing the call as in claim 24 wherein the call appearance control further comprises a seventh state called a TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE state.

26. The method of processing the call as in claim 25 further comprising providing a TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE softkey for selecting the seventh state.

27. The method of processing the call as in claim 26 wherein the call appearance display element depicting the TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE CALL state for the call further comprises a constant yellow color.

28. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprising displaying an icon representing each participant to the call on the terminal of the agent.

29. The method of processing the call as in claim 28 providing a call release control softkey that allows selection of a participant to the call and disconnection of the selected participant when the call release softkey is activated.

30. The method of processing the call as in claim 29 further comprising automatically assigning another call with a client to the agent upon detection of activation of the call release control by the automatic call distributor.

31. The method of processing the call as in claim 2 further comprising detecting disconnection of a headset of the agent and placing the call on hold.

32. The method of processing the call as in claim 2 further comprising detecting activation of the call release control and sending notification of the activation to the ACD state machine.

33. The method of processing the call as in claim 32 where the step of detecting disconnection further comprises sending a re-INVITE to the client.

34. The method of processing the call as in claim 33 where the step of detecting disconnection further comprises activating a ringer within a terminal of the agent.

35. The method of processing the call as in claim 33 where the step of activating the ringer further comprises sending a predefined ringer cadence to notify the agent of the disconnect.

36. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprises determining a call type of the call and activating a ringer on the terminal of the agent with a predetermined cadence determined by the determined call type.

37. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprises detecting disconnection of a USB cable on the terminal of the agent and activating a ringer on the terminal of the agent with a predetermined cadence.

38. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprises detecting disconnection of a sound card within the terminal of the agent and activating a ringer on the terminal of the agent with a predetermined cadence.

39. An apparatus for processing a call with a client within an automatic contact distributor system, such apparatus comprising:

a user agent application within a terminal of an agent of the automatic contact distributor system that functions as an interface for exchanging SIP commands;

an agent state machine that controls a plurality of call states of a connection of the call between the client and the agent where the means for controlling is different than the user agent application;

a user agent application that receives a SIP INVITE by the user agent application from an automatic contact distributor of the automatic contact distribution system transferring the call from the automatic contact distributor to the agent; and

a user interface that depicts a state of the plurality of states of the call on a display of the terminal based upon a logical state of the state machine.

40. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 39 further comprising a plurality of softkeys disposed on the display of the terminal for controlling the call states of the means for controlling.

41. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 40 further comprising providing a server state machine within the automatic call distributor that tracks a state of the means for controlling.

42. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 41 wherein the state machine further comprises a call appearance controller.

43. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 42 wherein the call appearance controller within the state machine further comprises a first and second state with regard to the call wherein the call appearance controller assumes a second state when the call is connected and the first state when the call is terminated.

44. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 43 further comprising a call appearance display element disposed on a screen of the terminal of the agent that assumes a green color when the call appearance controller is in the second state.

45. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 43 further comprising a call termination softkey disposed on the terminal of the agent that causes the call appearance controller to assume the first state.

46. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 45 further comprising the agent state machine sending a call termination message to the server state machine when agent state machine enters the first state by activation of the call termination softkey.

47. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 43 further comprising the call appearance controller being adapted to assume a third state called a hold state.

49. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 47 further comprising providing a hold softkey that causes the call appearance controller to assume the third state.

50. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 49 further comprising disconnecting an audio interface between the terminal of the agent and the agent when the call appearance controller is in the third state.

51. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 49 wherein the call appearance element further comprises a red color when the call appearance controller is in the third state.

52. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 51 further comprising the agent state machine being adapted to reconnect the call and return from the third state to the second state when the call appearance display element is activated.

53. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 47 wherein the call appearance control further comprises a fourth state called a CONFERENCE CALL set-up state.

54. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 52 further comprising a CONFERENCE CALL setup softkey disposed on the terminal for selecting the fourth state.

55. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 53 further comprising an interactive window disposed on the terminal for receiving identifying information from the agent of any third party to be added to a contact connection with the call and agent.

56. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 54 wherein the call appearance display element depicting the CONFERENCE CALL state for the call further comprises a flashing red color.

57. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 54 wherein the call appearance control further comprises a fifth state called a CONFERENCE state.

58. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 57 further comprising providing a CONFERENCE softkey on the terminal for selecting the fifth state.

59. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 58 wherein the call appearance display element depicting the CONFERENCE CALL state for the call further comprises a flashing green color.

60. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 53 wherein the call appearance control further comprises a sixth state called a TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE set-up state for the call.

61. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 60 further comprising a TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE CALL setup softkey disposed on the terminal for selecting the sixth state.

62. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 61 further comprising providing a interactive window for the agent to enter identifying information of any third party to be added to a contact connection between the client and agent.

63. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 62 wherein the call appearance display element depicting the TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE CALL set-up state for the call further comprises a flashing yellow color.

64. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 63 wherein the call appearance control further comprises a seventh state called a TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE state.

65. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 64 further comprising providing a TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE softkey for selecting the seventh state.

66. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 65 wherein the call appearance display element depicting the TEXT MESSAGING CONFERENCE CALL state for the call further comprises a constant yellow color.

67. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 39 further comprising an icon representing each participant to the call disposed on the terminal of the agent.

68. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 67 further comprising a call release control softkey disposed on the terminal that allows selection of a participant to the call and disconnection of the selected participant when the call release softkey is activated.

69. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 41 further comprising detecting disconnection of a headset of the agent and placing the call on hold.

70. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 69 further comprising detecting activation of the call release control and sending notification of the activation to the ACD state machine.

71. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 70 further comprising automatically assigning another call with a client to the agent upon detection of activation of the call release control by the automatic call distributor.

72. A method of interfacing an agent of an automatic call distributor with the automatic call distributor and clients of the automatic call distributor, such method comprising the step of:

providing a user agent for exchanging SIP commands with the automatic call distributor and clients of the automatic call distributor;

receiving a SIP INVITE from the automatic call distributor transferring a call from a client of the automatic call distributor to the agent;

providing a graphical user interface for use by the agent in controlling the call under SIP.