Call tracking using SIP presence mechanism

• US 20060045255A1
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hollatz, Mike, Peters, Mike, Hodson, Jeff, Steinlicht, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• 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 processing a call within an automatic contact distributor between a caller of the call and the automatic contact distributor. The method includes the steps of assigning a call identifier to the call when it arrives at the automatic contact distributor and transferring a call registration message from a resource of the automatic contact distributor to a tracking server of the automatic call distributor to register a presence of the call at the resource using the assigned call identifier.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call within an automatic contact distributor between a caller of the call and the automatic contact distributor, such method comprising the steps of:

assigning a call identifier to the call when it arrives at the automatic contact distributor; and

transferring a SIP REGISTER message from a resource of the automatic contact distributor to a tracking server of the automatic call distributor to register a presence of the call at the resource using the assigned call identifier.

2. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprising defining the call as a Session Initiation Protocol presentity.

3. The method of processing the call as in claim 2 wherein the step of registering the call further comprises sending a SIP registration message that includes the assigned call identifier to the SIP presentity.

4. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprising transferring the registration message to the tracking server when the call first arrives at the resource.

5. The method of processing the call as in claim 4 further comprising transferring a further registration to the tracking server upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

6. The method of processing the call as in claim 5 wherein the predetermined event further comprises detection of information provided by a caller of the call.

7. The method of processing the call as in claim 5 wherein the predetermined event further comprises termination of the call.

8. The method of processing the call as in claim 5 wherein the predetermined event further comprises passage of a predetermined time period.

9. The method of processing the call as in claim 5 further comprising appending a descriptor or descriptors of the predetermined event to the registration message.

10. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprising transferring the registration message from the tracking server to a router of the automatic call distributor.

11. Apparatus for processing a call within an automatic contact distributor between a caller of the call and the automatic contact distributor, such comprising:

means for assigning a call identifier to the call when it arrives at the automatic contact distributor; and

means for transferring a call registration message from a resource of the automatic contact distributor to a tracking server of the automatic call distributor to register a presence of the call at the resource using the assigned call identifier.

12. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 11 further comprising defining the tracking server as a Session Initiation Protocol presentity.

13. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 12 wherein the means for registering the call further comprises sending a SIP registration message that includes the assigned call identifier to the SIP presentity.

14. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 11 further comprising means for transferring the registration message to the tracking server when the call first arrives at the resource.

15. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 14 further comprising means for transferring a further registration to the tracking server upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

16. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 15 wherein the predetermined event further comprises detection of information provided by a caller of the call.

17. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 15 wherein the predetermined event further comprises termination of the call.

18. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 15 wherein the predetermined event further comprises passage of a predetermined time period.

19. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 15 further comprising means for appending a descriptor or descriptors of the predetermined event to the registration message.

20. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 11 further comprising means for transferring the registration message from the tracking server to a router of the automatic call distributor.

21. Apparatus for processing a call within an automatic contact distributor between a caller of the call and the automatic contact distributor, such comprising:

a router of the automatic contact distributor adapted to assign a call identifier to the call when it arrives at the automatic contact distributor; and

a tracking server of the automatic contact distributor adapted to receive a call registration message from a resource of the automatic contact distributor to register a presence of the call at the resource using the assigned call identifier.

22. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 21 further comprising defining the tracking server as a Session Initiation Protocol presentity.

23. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 22 wherein the means for registering the call further comprises sending a SIP registration message that includes the assigned call identifier to the SIP presentity.

24. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 21 further comprising a user agent adapted to transfer the registration message to the tracking server when the call first arrives at the resource.

25. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 24 further comprising a resource server adapted to transfer a further registration to the tracking server upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

26. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 25 wherein the predetermined event further comprises detection of information provided by a caller of the call.

27. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 25 wherein the predetermined event further comprises termination of the call.

28. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 25 wherein the predetermined event further comprises passage of a predetermined time period.

29. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 25 further comprising an encoder adapted to append a descriptor or descriptors of the predetermined event to the registration message.

30. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 21 further comprising a notification processor adapted to transfer the registration message from the tracking server to a router of the automatic call distributor.

31. A method of processing a call within a communication system between a caller of the call and a plurality of resources of the communication system, such method comprising the steps of:

assigning a call identifier to the call when it arrives at the communication system; and

transferring a call registration message from a resource of the plurality of resources of the communication server to a presentity server of the communication system to register a presence of the call at the resource using the assigned call identifier.

32. The method of processing the call as in claim 31 further comprising defining the call as a Session Initiation Protocol presentity.

33. The method of processing the call as in claim 32 wherein the step of registering the call further comprises sending a SIP registration message that includes the assigned call identifier to the presence server.

34. The method of processing the call as in claim 31 further comprising transferring the registration message to the presence server when the call first arrives at the resource.

35. The method of processing the call as in claim 34 further comprising transferring a further registration to the presence server upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

36. The method of processing the call as in claim 35 wherein the predetermined event further comprises detection of information provided by a caller of the call.

37. The method of processing the call as in claim 35 wherein the predetermined event further comprises termination of the call.

38. The method of processing the call as in claim 35 wherein the predetermined event further comprises passage of a predetermined time period.

39. The method of processing the call as in claim 35 further comprising appending a descriptor or descriptors of the predetermined event to the registration message.

40. The method of processing the call as in claim 31 further comprising transferring the registration message from the tracking server to a router of the automatic call distributor.