METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTEGRATING CALL CENTER AND EXISTING TELEPHONY INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20100067683A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goode, Karl G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/220.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42314 in private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42331 Direct inward dialling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/123 where the packet-switched network is an Internet Protocol Multimedia System-type network

Abstract

A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code is provided for routing a call which includes receiving a call request at a first server, the call request including header data identifying a requesting extension and an invited extension, the invited extension associated with a second server. The header data identifying an invited extension is then replaced with proxy data for the invited extension, and the call request (including header data identifying the requesting extension and the proxy data for the invited extension) is forwarded to a second server.

Claims

1. A communications server associated with a first call center, comprising:

a communication device to receive call request messages from a plurality of call stations;

a processor coupled to the communication device; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

for each of the call request messages, identify header data identifying a requesting extension and an invited extension, the invited extension associated with a second communication server at a second call center;

replace said header data identifying a requesting extension with proxy data for said requesting extension; and

forward, to said second communication server, said call request including said header data identifying the invited extension and said proxy data for said requesting extension.

2. The communication server of claim 1, further storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to:

establish a connection between said requesting extension and said invited extension.

3. The communication server of claim 1, wherein said communication server is a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) server.

4. The communication server of claim 1, wherein said second communication server is a private branch exchange (PBX).

5. The communication server of claim 4, wherein said PBX is coupled to a VOIP adapter, and wherein said connection is between said VOIP adapter and said first communications server.

6. The communication server of claim 1, wherein said call request messages are Session Initiation Protocol (“

SIP”

) messages.

7. The communication server of claim 1, wherein the replacement of said header data identifying a requesting extension with proxy data for said requesting extension is performed at a VOIP server associated with said requesting extension.

8. The communication server of claim 7, wherein said proxy data for said requesting extension is an address of a VOIP adapter associated with said second communication server.

9. The communication server of claim 1, further storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to:

identify said call request message as a type of message for which a replacement header is required.

10. The communication server of claim 9, further storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to:

determine said proxy data for said requesting extension by performing a look up of said requesting extension.

11. The communication server of claim 1, wherein said requesting extension is associated with an insurance sales representative and said invited extension is associated with an insurance underwriter.

12. A method for routing call data within a network, comprising:

receiving a call request at a first server, the call request including header data identifying a requesting extension and an invited extension, the invited extension associated with a second server;

replacing said header data identifying a requesting extension with proxy data for said requesting extension; and

forwarding said call request including header data identifying the invited extension and said proxy data for said requesting extension to a second server.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

establishing a connection between said requesting extension and said invited extension.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said first server is a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) server.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said second server is a private branch exchange (PBX).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said PBX is coupled to a VOIP adapter, and wherein said connection is between said VOIP adapter and said first server.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said call request is a Session Initiation Protocol (“

SIP”

) message.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein said replacing said header data identifying a requesting extension with proxy data for said requesting extension is performed at a VOIP server associated with said requesting extension.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said proxy data for said requesting extension is an address of a VOIP adapter associated with said second server.

20. An insurance call center system, comprising:

a first call center having a first communications server in communication with a plurality of agent stations;

a second call center having a second communications server in communication with a plurality of administrator stations;

operating the first communications server to

receive a call request message from one of said agent stations, the call request message having header data identifying a requesting extension and an invited extension, the requesting extension associated with one of said agent stations and the invited extension associated with one of said administrator stations;

replace said header data identifying a requesting extension with proxy data for said requesting extension; and

forward, to said second communication server, said call request including said header data identifying the invited extension and said proxy data for said requesting extension.