Calling center employing unified control system

• US 5,479,487 A
• Filed: 02/11/1993
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership A Nevada Limited Partnership Composed of As Its SOLE General Partner Intervoice GP Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Hammond, Daniel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Application Number:
  US08/016,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/265, 379/266, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/96
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/622 Circuit arrangements therefor

Abstract

An integrated telephone call handling system and method are disclosed. The system comprises a unified software control for controlling a call between the system and a party, the unified control capable of transferring the call among functional partitions within the system, the functional partitions providing mechanized communication via the network and capable of directing communications between the party and a selected one of the functional partitions. The unified control includes a unified script language to allow unified scripting of a call from inception to termination, including scripting of interaction between the party and an agent.

Claims

1. An integrated telephone call handling system adapted to be coupled to (1) a telephone network to enable said system to communicate via said network, (2) an agent workstation to enable an agent to communicate with said system and (3) an agent telephone to enable said agent to communicate with a party via said system and said network, said system comprising:

unified control means for controlling a call between said system and said party, said unified control means capable of (1) transferring said call among functional partitions within said system, said functional partitions providing mechanized communication via said network and (2) directing communications between said party and a selected one of said functional partitions, wherein said unified control means includes a unified script language operable to generate a voice script from inception to termination of said call, said voice script including a first script for directing interaction between said party and said system and a second script for directing interaction between said system and said agent.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for presenting information intended for delivery to a particular party to said particular party.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said means for presenting information intended for delivery to a particular party forms a portion of a mail system.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for presenting information to a party in a manner determined by said party.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said means for presenting information to a party in a manner determined by said party forms a portion of an interactive voice response system.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for presenting information to a party in a predetermined manner.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for presenting information to a party in a predetermined manner forms a portion of an audio text system.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a dialer to thereby allow said system to place outbound calls to a third party.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said dialer is a predictive dialer.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for controlling an external PBX.

11. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said unified control means resides within a common memory and is under control of a common processor, said unified control means capable of controlling said mechanized communication.

12. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said system is adapted to interact with a host computer to thereby allow said system to retrieve data from a database within said host computer, said data employable in said communication with said party.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein said system ms capable of displaying portions of said data to said agent,

14. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein said system is capable of transmitting portions of said data to said party.

15. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said system is coupled to said network via a telephone line.

16. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

means for creating a single record containing data gathered during said call; and

means for storing data pertaining to said call in said single record throughout a duration of said call, said data gathered from said functional partitions within said system to thereby eliminate a need to gather a particular datum multiple times during said call.

17. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said agent workstation is capable of displaying portions of said record to said agent.

18. An integrated telephone call handling system, comprising:

a telephone line coupling said system with a telephone network to thereby allow communication between said system and parties via said network;

a plurality of functional partitions within a common memory and under control of a common processor, said functional partitions capable of providing mechanized communication with said parties via said system and said network, said communication comprising data selected from the group consisting of;

voice, text and image data;

a plurality of agent workstations and agent telephones coupled to said system, said workstations and telephones capable of providing communication between agents and said parties via said system and said network;

a unified controller within said system for controlling calls between said system and said parties, said unified controller (1) capable of transferring said calls among said functional partitions and agent workstations and telephones, (2) capable of directing communications between said parties and said functional partitions and (3) capable of directing communications between said system and said agent workstations and agent telephones, said unified controller including a unified script language operable to generate a voice script from inception to termination of said call, said voice script including a first script for directing interaction between said party and said functional partitions and a second script for directing interaction between said system and said agent.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 further comprising means for presenting information intended for delivery to a particular party to said particular party.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 wherein said means for presenting information intended for delivery to a particular party forms a portion of a mail system.

21. The system as recited in claim 18 further comprising means for presenting information to a party in a manner determined by said party.

22. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein said means for presenting information to a party in a manner determined by said party forms a portion of an interactive voice response system.

23. The system as recited in claim 18 further comprising means for presenting information to a party in a predetermined manner.

24. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said means for presenting information to a party in a predetermined manner forms a portion of an audio text system.

25. The system as recited in claim 18 further comprising a dialer to thereby allow said system to place outbound calls to said third parties.

26. The system as recited in claim 25 wherein said dialer is a predictive dialer.

27. The system as recited in claim 18 further comprising means for means for controlling an external PBX.

28. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein said system is adapted to interact with a host computer to thereby allow said system to retrieve data from a database within said host computer, said data employable in said communication with said parties.

29. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein said system is capable of displaying portions of said data to said agents.

30. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein said system is capable of transmitting portions of said data to said parties.

31. The system as recited in claim 18 further comprising:

means for creating a single record containing data gathered during a particular call; and

means for storing data pertaining to said call in said single record throughout a duration of said call, said data gathered from said functional partitions within said system to thereby eliminate a need to gather a particular datum multiple times during said call.

32. The system as recited in claim 18 wherein said agent workstation is capable of displaying portions of said record to said agent.

33. In a communications system having (1) an agent telephone and an agent workstation for enabling an agent to communicate with inquiring parties, (2) a database of information pertaining to accounts of said parties and (3) call completion capability for connecting calls to a plurality of different functional partitions within said system, said functional partitions including automated data response for obtaining information from a selected one of said accounts, a control unit for answering calls from said inquiring parties and for directing any of said calls to a selected one of said functional partitions comprising:

automated voice means including a first script controlling interactive communications with one of said parties to determine which functional partition is required and a second script for controlling interactive communications with said agent;

means for establishing a connection between a first functional partition and said one of said parties;

means for transferring to said first functional partition any data obtained with respect to said one of said parties;

means for continuing to monitor established communication connections to permit modification of said connection with said first functional partition when said one of said parties desires connection to a second functional partition; and

means for transferring to said second functional partition said any data obtained with respect to said one of said parties.

34. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein said first functional partition is a data response and wherein said second functional partition is said agent, said system further including means, associated with said agent, for providing elected account information to said agent when said agent becomes connected to said one of said parties and wherein said automated voice means includes means for providing a preselected portion of said one of said parties'"'"' account data to said agent concurrent with said transferring to said agent, said preselected portion including a portion of said any data obtained with respect to said one of said parties.

35. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein said monitoring means further includes means for modifying a connection to a functional partition at a direction of said one of said parties.

36. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein said monitoring means further includes means for modifying a connection to a functional partition at a direction of any one of said functional partitions.

37. The system as recited in claim 33 further comprising:

means for creating a single record containing data gathered during a single call session; and

means for storing data pertaining to said single call session in said single record throughout a duration of said call, said data gathered from said plurality of functional partitions within said system to thereby eliminate a need to gather a particular datum multiple times during said single call.

38. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein said database stores voice data.

39. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein said database stores text data.

40. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein said database stores image data.

41. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein said record contains information gathered from a caller.

42. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein said record contains information gathered from said functional partitions.

43. The system as recited in claim 33 further comprising means for cross-referencing single records to one another to thereby create a meta-record.