Instant message contact router

• US 20060089971A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Wilensky, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party service or three-way call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for processing an instant message within a system having a plurality agents for handling the instant message. The method includes the step of a buffer sever detecting an arrival of the instant message. The method also includes the steps of sending the instant message to one of a plurality of messages queues associated with the buffer server pending availability of one of the plurality of agents to handle the instant message and automatically generating and sending a status message to a source of the instant message while the message is in the message queue based upon the status of the instant message in the message queue.

Claims

1. A method of processing an instant message within a system having a plurality agents for handling the instant message, such method comprising the steps of:

a buffer sever detecting an arrival of the instant message;

sending the instant message to one of a plurality of messages queues associated with the buffer server pending availability of one of the plurality of agents to handle the instant message; and

automatically generating and sending a status message to a source of the instant message while the message is in the message queue based upon the status of the instant message in the message queue.

2. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 1 further comprising determining a message type from a content of the detected instant message;

3. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 2 wherein the step of determining the message type further comprises recovering a destination universal resource indicator of the instant message.

4. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 2 wherein the step of determining the message type further comprises matching the recovered destination universal resource indicator with one of a plurality of predetermined universal resource indicators.

5. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 2 wherein the step of determining the message type further comprises recovering a source universal resource indicator of the instant message.

6. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 2 further comprising selecting one of the plurality of agents to handle the instant message based upon the determined message type and transferring the instant message to the selected agent of the plurality of agents.

7. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 1 further comprising defining the status message as being an indicator of a number of messages in the queue ahead of the instant message.

8. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 1 further comprising defining the status message as being a time estimate before the message will be distributed to an agent.

9. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 1 further comprising forwarding the status message from a reporting processor through the buffer server to the source of the instant message.

10. The method of processing the instant message as in claim 9 wherein the step of forwarding further comprises converting a source and destination URL OR URI for the forwarded message received by the buffer server to match that of the buffer server and source of the instant message, respectively.

11. An apparatus for processing an instant message, such apparatus comprising:

means within a buffer server for detecting an arrival of the instant message;

means for determining a message type from a content of the detected instant message;

means within the buffer server for sending the instant message to a message queue based upon the determined message type; and

mean for automatically generating and sending a status message to a source of the instant message based upon the status of the instant message in the message queue.

12. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 11 wherein the means for determining the message type further comprises means for recovering a destination universal resource indicator of the instant message.

13. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 12 wherein the means for determining the message type further comprises means for matching the recovered destination universal resource indicator with one of a plurality of predetermined universal resource indicators.

14. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 12 wherein the means for determining the message type further comprises means for recovering a source universal resource indicator of the instant message.

15. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 11 further comprising means for forwarding the status message from a reporting processor to the source of the instant message through the buffer server

16. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 15 wherein the means for forwarding further comprises means within the buffer server for converting a source and destination URL OR URI of the forwarded message to match that of the buffer server and source of the instant message, respectively.

17. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 11 further comprising means for selecting one of a plurality of agents to handle the instant message.

18. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 17 further comprising means for transferring the instant message to the selected agent of the plurality of agents.

19. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 11 further comprising defining the status message as being an indicator of a number of messages in the queue ahead of the instant message.

20. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 11 further comprising defining the status message as being a time estimate before the message will be distributed to an agent.

21. An apparatus for processing an instant message, such apparatus comprising:

a buffer server that detects an arrival of the instant message;

a host that determines a message type from a content of the detected instant message;

a message queue that receives the instant message based upon the determined message type; and

a reporting processor that automatically generates and sending a status message to a source of the instant message based upon the status of the instant message in the message queue.

22. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 21 further comprising an agent selection application that selects one of the plurality of agents to handle the instant message.

23. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 21 further comprising defining the status message as being an indicator of a number of messages in the queue ahead of the instant message.

24. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 21 further comprising defining the status message as being a time estimate before the message will be distributed to an agent.

25. The apparatus for processing the instant message as in claim 21 further comprising a translation processor within the buffer server that forwards the status message from a reporting processor to the source of the instant message by converting a source and destination URL OR URI for the forwarded message to match that of the buffer server and source of the instant message, respectively.