Supervisor intercept for teleagent voice over internet protocol communications

• US 20070019618A1
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Sundara, Balaji
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,557 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0858 One way delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2236 Quality of speech transmission monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

A system for transferring a call from one teleagent to another in response to a loss of voice quality in a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) communication system. Network parameters that affect voice quality over broadband connections are detected manually or automatically and an alert is generated. In response to the alert, a supervisor can transfer the call in progress to a second agent so that a better communication link can be provided and voice quality restored. Such transfer can be seamless to the caller. In different embodiments, transfer, or intercept, can occur manually or automatically (e.g., without supervisor intervention).

Claims

1. A method for transferring a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call from a caller using a voice input device, wherein the call is transferred from a first agent to a second agent, the method comprising:

providing an indication of a characteristic of the call while the call is in progress with the first agent;

receiving a signal indicating that the call is to be transferred, wherein the signal is received while the call is in progress with the first agent; and

transferring the call to the second agent in response to the received signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is generated automatically by a process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a characteristic of the call includes a loss of signal transmission quality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a signal includes:

receiving a signal from a user-activated control.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a signal includes:

receiving a signal from a device that monitors signal quality of the call; and

receiving a signal from a process that monitors signal quality of the call.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least a portion of the call simultaneously to two or more agents.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively probing routers in a network to determine parameters of the network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring jitter at a router closest to a telephone being used by the caller.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a signal characteristic at a device used by the caller.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a signal characterstic at a device used by the teleagent.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a parameter of network traffic when voice traffic is present.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating synthetic voice traffic to determine a parameter of the network traffic.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

maintaining a historical database of parameters together with an indication of whether the parameters were determined from voice traffic or synthetic voice traffic.

14. A method for transferring a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone call between a caller and a first agent, wherein the call is transferred from the first agent to a second agent, the method comprising:

providing an alert to a supervisor while the call is in progress with the first agent;

receiving a signal from a user input device operated by the supervisor to designate the second agent; and

transferring the call to the second agent in response to the received signal.

15. An apparatus for transferring a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call from a caller using a voice input device, wherein the call is transferred from a first agent to a second agent, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a machine readable medium including instructions executable by the processor for providing an indication of a characteristic of the call while the call is in progress with the first agent;

receiving a signal indicating that the call is to be transferred, wherein the signal is received while the call is in progress with the first agent; and

transferring the call to the second agent in response to the received signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the signal is generated automatically by a process.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a characteristic of the call includes a loss of signal transmission quality.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising one or more instructions for

receiving a signal from a user-activated control.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising one or more instructions for

receiving a signal from a device that monitors signal quality of the call;

and

receiving a signal from a process that monitors signal quality of the call.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing at least a portion of the call simultaneously to two or more agents.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising one or more instructions for

selectively probing routers in a network to determine parameters of the network.

22. An apparatus for transferring a voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call from a caller using a voice input device, wherein the call is transferred from a first agent to a second agent, the apparatus comprising:

means for providing an indication of a characteristic of the call while the call is in progress with the first agent;

means for receiving a signal indicating that the call is to be transferred, wherein the signal is received while the call is in progress with the first agent; and

means for transferring the call to the second agent in response to the received signal.