SIP ACD multi-tenant mechanism that facilitates multiple levels of partitions or tenants

• US 20060251236A1
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Hollatz, Mike, Peters, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,764,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• 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 routing a SIP INVITE by a contact distributor that provides contact distribution services to a plurality of independent contact distribution services tenants. The method includes the steps of routing the SIP INVITE to a SIP proxy server of the contact distributor, the SIP proxy server identifying a tenant associated with the SIP INVITE of the plurality of independent contact distribution services tenants and the SIP proxy server routing the SIP INVITE to a resource of the contact distributor based upon the identified tenant.

Claims

1. A method of routing a SIP INVITE by a contact distributor that provides contact distribution services to a plurality of independent contact distribution services tenants, such method comprising the steps of:

routing the SIP INVITE to a SIP proxy server of the contact distributor;

the SIP proxy server identifying a tenant associated with the SIP INVITE of the plurality of independent contact distribution services tenants; and

the SIP proxy server routing the SIP INVITE to a resource of the contact distributor based upon the identified tenant.

2. The method of routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the tenant further comprises matching a field of the SIP INVITE with a content of a lookup table.

3. The method of routing a contact as in claim 2 wherein each tenant of the plurality of tenants further comprises a different communication system address.

4. The method of routing a contact as in claim 3 wherein the step of identifying the tenant further comprises comparing an addressee field of the SIP INVITE with a group of addresses assigned to the tenant and determining that the addressee field of the SIP INVITE is included within the group.

5. The method of routing a contact as in claim 1 wherein the step of routing the SIP INVITE to the resource of the contact distributor further comprises routing the SIP INVITE to an agent of the contact distributor.

6. The method of routing a contact as in claim 1 wherein the step of routing the SIP INVITE to the resource of the contact distributor further comprises routing the SIP INVITE to an automatic voice response unit of the contact distributor.

7. The method of routing a contact as in claim 1 wherein the step of routing the SIP INVITE to a resource of the contact distributor further comprises routing the SIP INVITE to a sub-tenant proxy server of the contact server user.

8. The method of routing a contact as in claim 7 further comprising determining a contact type within the sub-tenant server.

9. The method of routing a contact as in claim 8 wherein the step of determining a contact type within the sub-tenant server further comprises matching a field of a SIP INVITE with an entry of a sub-tenant lookup table.

10. The method of routing a contact as in claim 8 wherein the step of matching a field of a SIP INVITE with an entry of a sub-tenant lookup table further comprises matching a addressee field of the SIP INVITE with entries of the sub-tenant lookup table.

11. The method of routing a contact as in claim 8 wherein the step of matching a field of a SIP INVITE with an entry of a sub-tenant lookup table further comprises matching a source field of the SIP INVITE with entries of the sub-tenant lookup table.

12. An apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE within a contact distributor that provides contact distribution services to a plurality of independent contact distribution services tenants, such apparatus comprising:

means for routing the SIP INVITE to a SIP proxy server of the contact distributor;

means within the SIP proxy server for identifying a tenant associated with the SIP INVITE of the plurality of independent contact distribution services tenants; and

means within the SIP proxy server for routing the SIP INVITE to a resource of the contact distributor based upon the identified tenant.

13. The apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 12 wherein the means for identifying the tenant further comprises means for matching a field of the SIP INVITE with a content of a lookup table.

14. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 13 wherein each tenant of the plurality of tenants further comprises a different communication system address.

15. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 14 wherein the means for identifying the tenant further comprises means for comparing an addressee field of the SIP INVITE with a group of addresses assigned to the tenant and determining that the addressee field of the SIP INVITE is included within the group.

16. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 12 wherein means for of routing the SIP INVITE to the resource of the contact distributor further comprises means for routing the SIP INVITE to an agent of the contact distributor.

17. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 12 wherein the means for routing the SIP INVITE to the resource of the contact distributor further comprises means for routing the SIP INVITE to an automatic voice response unit of the contact distributor.

18. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 12 wherein the means for routing the SIP INVITE to a resource of the contact distributor further comprises means for routing the SIP INVITE to a sub-tenant proxy server of the contact server user.

19. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 18 further comprising means for determining a contact type within the sub-tenant server.

20. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 19 wherein the means for determining a contact type within the sub-tenant server further comprises means for matching a field of a SIP INVITE with an entry of a sub-tenant lookup table.

21. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 19 wherein the means for matching a field of a SIP INVITE with an entry of a sub-tenant lookup table further comprises means for matching a addressee field of the SIP INVITE with entries of the sub-tenant lookup table.

22. The apparatus for routing a contact as in claim 19 wherein the means for matching a field of a SIP INVITE with an entry of a sub-tenant lookup table further comprises means for matching a source field of the SIP INVITE with entries of the sub-tenant lookup table.

23. An apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE within a contact distributor that provides contact distribution services to a plurality of independent contact distribution services tenants, such apparatus comprising:

a SIP proxy server that identifies a tenant associated with the SIP INVITE of the plurality of independent contact distribution services tenants; and

a lookup table within the SIP proxy server for routing the SIP INVITE to a resource of the contact distributor based upon the identified tenant.

24. The apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 23 wherein the lookup table further comprises a first entry having a first field with an address of record that contains a communication system address associated with the tenant.

25. The apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 24 wherein the first entry further comprises a second field with a Universal Resource Indicator of a destination for the SIP INVITE.

26. The apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 25 wherein the destination Universal Resource Indicator of first entry further comprises a second entry within the lookup table.

27. The apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 24 wherein the second entry further comprises a first field with a call type identifier that matches a characteristic of the SIP INVITE.

28. The apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 24 wherein the second entry further comprises a second field with a Universal Resource Indicator of a User Agent of the resource.

29. The apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 24 wherein the User Agent further comprises an application within a terminal of an agent of the contact distributor.

30. The apparatus for routing a SIP INVITE as in claim 24 wherein the User Agent further comprises an application within an Interactive Voice Response unit of the contact distributor.

31. A method of routing a contact within a contact services provider that provides contact services to a plurality of contact service users, such method comprising the steps of:

routing the contact to a SIP proxy server;

detecting a type of the contact that is to be directed to the contact to a contact service user of the plurality of contact service users within the proxy server based upon a content of the contact; and

routing the contact based upon the detected type of contact.