Universal agent log-in using a sip registrar

• US 20060023864A1
• Filed: 07/27/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krahn, Kirk
• Granted Patent: US 7,532,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.40
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• 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 registering an agent of an automatic contact distribution system for receiving calls. The method includes the steps of providing a file containing a file identifier and a plurality of contact addresses within a registration server where each contact address identifies a communication port through which the agent may be contacted under a respective communication protocol, the presence server receiving a SIP REGISTRATION message from the agent where the SIP REGISTRATION message contains the identifier of the file, but not the file itself and the registration server simultaneously registering the agent with the plurality of contact addresses under each of the respective communication protocols in response to the SIP REGISTRATION message.

Claims

1. A method of registering an agent of an automatic contact distribution system for receiving calls, such method comprising the steps of:

providing a file containing a file identifier and a plurality of contact addresses within a registration server where each contact address identifies a communication port through which the agent may be contacted under a respective communication protocol;

the presence server receiving a SIP REGISTRATION message from the agent where the SIP REGISTRATION message contains the identifier of the file, but not the file itself; and

the registration server simultaneously registering the agent with the plurality of contact addresses under each of the respective communication protocols in response to the SIP REGISTRATION message.

2. The method of registering the agent as in claim 1 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises an e-mail address.

3. The method of registering the agent as in claim 1 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises an instant messaging address.

4. The method of registering the agent as in claim 1 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises a telephone number.

5. The method of registering the agent as in claim 1 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises a cellphone number.

6. The method of registering the agent as in claim 1 further comprising automatically generating the SIP REGISTRATION message upon activation of a terminal of the agent and entry of the agent'"'"'s name and personal identification number.

7. The method of registering the agent as in claim 6 further comprising encoding a personal identification number into the automatically generated SIP REGISTER message.

8. The method of registering the agent as in claim 6 further comprising encoding a context identifier into the automatically generated SIP REGISTER message.

9. The method of registering the agent as in claim 8 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is traveling.

10. The method of registering the agent as in claim 8 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is at work.

11. The method of registering the agent as in claim 8 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is at home.

12. The method of registering the agent as in claim 11 wherein the file further comprises a plurality of files.

13. The method of registering the agent as in claim 12 wherein each file of the plurality of files further comprises a plurality of contact addresses where each contact address identifies a communication port through which the agent may be contacted under a respective communication protocol

14. The method of registering the agent as in claim 13 further comprising matching the personal identification number of the agent with indicia of identity within each file of the plurality of files and registering the agent'"'"'s presence at each of the plurality of contact addresses of any matched file.

15. An apparatus for registering an agent of an automatic contact distribution system for receiving calls, such apparatus comprising:

a file containing a file identifier and a plurality of contact addresses within a registration server where each contact address identifies a communication port through which the agent may be contacted under a respective communication protocol;

means within the presence server for receiving a SIP REGISTRATION message from the agent where the SIP REGISTRATION message contains the identifier of the file, but not the file itself; and

means within the registration server for simultaneously registering the agent with the plurality of contact addresses under each of the respective communication protocols in response to the SIP REGISTRATION message.

16. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 15 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises an e-mail address.

17. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 15 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises an instant messaging address.

18. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 15 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises a telephone number.

19. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 15 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises a cellphone number.

20. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 15 further comprising means for automatically generating the SIP REGISTRATION message upon activation of a terminal of the agent and entry of a name of the agent and a personal identification number of the agent.

21. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 20 further comprising means for encoding a personal identification number into the automatically generated SIP REGISTER message.

22. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 20 further comprising means for encoding a context identifier into the automatically generated SIP REGISTER message.

23. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 22 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is traveling.

24. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 22 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is at work.

25. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 22 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is at home.

26. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 25 wherein the file further comprises a plurality of files.

27. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 26 wherein each file of the plurality of files further comprises a plurality of contact addresses where each contact address identifies a communication port through which the agent may be contacted under a respective communication protocol

28. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 27 further comprising means for matching the personal identification number of the agent with indicia of identity within each file of the plurality of files and registering the agent'"'"'s presence at each of the plurality of contact addresses of any matched file.

29. An apparatus for registering an agent of an automatic contact distribution system for receiving calls, such apparatus comprising:

a file containing a file identifier and a plurality of contact addresses within a registration server where each contact address identifies a communication port through which the agent may be contacted under a respective communication protocol;

a SIP REGISTRATION message transferred from a terminal of the agent to a presence server;

the presence server that receives the SIP REGISTRATION message from the agent where the SIP REGISTRATION message contains the identifier of the file, but not the file itself; and

a log-in processor within the registration server that simultaneously registers the agent with the plurality of contact addresses under each of the respective communication protocols in response to the SIP REGISTRATION message.

30. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 29 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises an e-mail address.

31. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 29 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises an instant messaging address.

32. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 29 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises a telephone number.

33. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 29 wherein a contact address of the plurality of contact addresses further comprises a cellphone number.

34. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 29 further comprising an agent log-in processor that automatically generates the SIP REGISTRATION message upon activation of a terminal of the agent and entry of a name of the agent.

35. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 34 wherein the SIP REGISTRATION message further comprising a personal identification number encoded into the automatically generated SIP REGISTER message.

36. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 34 wherein the SIP REGISTRATION message further comprising a context identifier encoded into the automatically generated SIP REGISTER message.

37. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 36 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is traveling.

38. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 36 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is at work.

39. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 36 wherein the context identifier further comprises an indication that the agent is at home.

40. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 39 wherein the file further comprises a plurality of files.

41. The apparatus for registering the agent as in claim 40 wherein each file of the plurality of files further comprises a plurality of contact addresses where each contact address identifies a communication port through which the agent may be contacted under a respective communication protocol

42. A method of registering an agent of an automatic contact distribution system for receiving calls, such method comprising the steps of:

the agent of the automatic contact distribution system permanently storing a plurality of portal addresses in a registration server where each portal address identifies a communication port through which the agent may be contacted under a respective communication protocol;

the agent sending a SIP REGISTRATION message to the registration server;

the registration server simultaneously registering the agent'"'"'s presence at each of the plurality of portal addresses under each of the respective communication protocols in response to the SIP REGISTRATION message.