Apparatus and method for computer telephony integration
First Claim
1. A computer telephony integration method comprising:
- establishing an agent desktop;
embedding a web-based browser in the agent desktop;
integrating a web-based application with the browser;
establishing a workflow automation model comprising a plurality of events, a plurality of respective rules for the events, and a plurality of respective actions for the rules, wherein each of the rules is expressed as one or more relations on computer telephony integration (“
CTI”
) data, and wherein at least one of the actions is an HTTP action having a request data field;
upon occurrence of one of the events in the workflow automation model, evaluating a respective one of the rules;
upon valid evaluation of the evaluated rule, executing the HTTP action with the browser to obtain requested data in accordance with the request data field; and
providing the requested data to the web-based application.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An agent at a contact center uses a soft phone embedded in the agent'"'"'s desktop to converse with a customer, to set the agent'"'"'s Automatic Call Distribution (“ACD”) state, and to control the phone'"'"'s call control state. Computer Telephony Integration (“CTI”) technology is used in many ways at the contact center, including for accessing CTI data and executing CTI methods. CTI data can include information about the calling number, called number, caller entered digits, and the queue the call came from. CTI methods can include call control operations such as answering a call, making a call, and transferring a call. In addition, CTI methods can also include ACD specific operations, such as setting an agent'"'"'s state and querying the state of a queue of customers. A web browser is also embedded in the agent'"'"'s desktop, and one or more web-based applications are integrated into the web browser. These applications may be web-based enterprise applications or other web-based applications such as available over the internet. A new type of workflow action called an Hypertext Transfer Protocol Action or “HTTP Action” is used for integrating the CTI data with the web browser.
37 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer telephony integration method comprising:
-
establishing an agent desktop;
embedding a web-based browser in the agent desktop;
integrating a web-based application with the browser;
establishing a workflow automation model comprising a plurality of events, a plurality of respective rules for the events, and a plurality of respective actions for the rules, wherein each of the rules is expressed as one or more relations on computer telephony integration (“
CTI”
) data, and wherein at least one of the actions is an HTTP action having a request data field;
upon occurrence of one of the events in the workflow automation model, evaluating a respective one of the rules;
upon valid evaluation of the evaluated rule, executing the HTTP action with the browser to obtain requested data in accordance with the request data field; and
providing the requested data to the web-based application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A contact center system comprising:
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an internet connection;
a computer telephony integration (“
CTI”
) server; and
a client computer coupled to the internet connection and having associated therewith computer instructions for;
establishing an agent desktop on the client computer;
embedding a web-based browser in the agent desktop;
integrating a web-based application with the browser;
establishing a workflow automation model comprising a plurality of events, a plurality of respective rules for the events, and a plurality of respective actions for the rules, wherein each of the rules is expressed as one or more relations on computer telephony integration (“
CTI”
) data, and wherein at least one of the actions is an HTTP action having a request data field;
upon occurrence of one of the events in the workflow automation model, populating a respective one of the rules with CTI data from the CTI server, and evaluating the populated rule;
upon valid evaluation of the evaluated rule, executing the HTTP action with the browser to obtain requested data via the internet connection in accordance with the request data field; and
providing the requested data to the web-based application integrated in the browser. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A computer readable medium having computer program instructions stored thereon, comprising:
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instructions for establishing an agent desktop;
instructions for embedding a web-based browser in the agent desktop;
instructions for integrating a web-based application with the browser;
instructions for establishing a workflow automation model comprising a plurality of events, a plurality of respective rules for the events, and a plurality of respective actions for the rules, wherein each of the rules is expressed as one or more relations on computer telephony integration (“
CTI”
) data, and wherein at least one of the actions is an HTTP action having a request data field;
instructions for, upon occurrence of one of the events in the workflow automation model, evaluating a respective one of the rules;
instructions for, upon valid evaluation of the evaluated rule, executing the HTTP action with the browser to obtain requested data in accordance with the request data field; and
instructions for providing the requested data to the web-based application. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification