Intelligent information routing system and method

• US 5,870,464 A
• Filed: 11/13/1996
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AnswerSoft, Inc. (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Subramanian, Srikanth, Brannick, Gary L., Hite, Thomas D., Lee, Gene W., Brewster, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/747,831
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/93.29, 379/211, 379/230, 379/229, 379/265, 379/309, 395/500, 395/685, 395/680
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• 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 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

An intelligent information router system comprising a telephony controller coupled to a private branch exchange through a link interface. The telephony controller may communicate with a handle manager and a script interpreter engine. The telephony controller may receive information from the link interface regarding telephone calls being placed to the private branch exchange. The telephony controller may initiate actions with the script interpreter engine that access information stored in a database through a database controller. In response to action of the script interpreter engine, the telephony controller may instruct the private branch exchange to route the call to an appropriate location within a company depending on the information received by the private branch exchange through automatic transmission of data or interaction with the calling party.

Claims

1. An apparatus for routing an external event, comprising:

a telephony controller in communication with a telephone switching station, the telephony controller, in response to an external event of the telephone switching station, operable to create or retrieve a handle for the external event, the handle comprising a script identifier;

an external data manager in communication with an external link, the external data manager, in response to an external event of the external link, operable to create or retrieve a handle for the external event, the handle comprising a script identifier;

a script interpreter engine in communication with the telephony controller and the external data manager, the script interpreter engine, in response to receiving a script identifier, operable to create or retrieve a script handle associated with the script identifier, retrieve from a script storage a script associated with the script handle, and to invoke the script to render an output event for the external event; and

a handle manager in communication with the telephony controller, the script interpreter engine, and the external data manager, the handle manager operable to store handles and script handles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a database system, the database system comprising:

a database controller in communication with the script interpreter engine and the handle manager, the database controller, in response to the output event, operable to access a database engine; and

the database engine operable to access a database storage to retrieve database information associated with the external event.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an agent station, the agent station comprising:

a communication link operable to receive the external event; and

a display operable to display the database information associated with the external event.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an administration station, the administration station comprising:

a router administrator operable to receive a simulator script;

a system simulator comprising;

a user interface operable to receive a simulator external event;

a simulator telephony controller in communication with the user interface, the simulator telephony controller, in response to an simulator external event for the user interface, operable to get a simulator handle associated with the simulator external event, the simulator handle comprising a simulator script identifier;

a simulator external data manager in communication with a simulator external link, the simulator external data manager, in response to a simulator external event from the simulator external link, operable to get a simulator handle associated with the simulator external event, the simulator handle comprising a simulator script identifier;

a simulator script interpreter engine in communication with the simulator telephony controller and the simulator external data manager, the simulator script interpreter engine, in response to receiving a simulator script identifier, operable to get a simulator script handle associated with the simulator script identifier, retrieve from a simulator script storage a simulator script associated with the simulator script handle, and to invoke the simulator script to render a simulator output event for said simulator external event;

a simulator handle manager in communication with the simulator telephony controller, the simulator script interpreter engine, and the simulator external data manager, the simulator handle manager operable to store simulator handles and simulator script handles; and

the router administrator operable to download the simulator script as a script to the script storage.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a database system, the database system comprising;

a database controller in communication with the script interpreter engine and the handle manager, the database controller, in response to the output event, operable to access a database engine;

the database engine operable to access a database storage to retrieve database information associated with the external event; and

the administration station further comprising a database administrator operable to receive information and to download the information to the database storage.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising an agent station, the agent station comprising:

a communication link operable to receive the external event; and

a display operable to display the database information associated with the external event.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a network comprising;

a network interface in communication with the script interpretation engine and the handle manager; and

a link coupled to the agent station, the administration station, and the network interface, the link operable to communicate between the agent station, the administration station, and the network interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a time utility operable to commence and monitor time-based events;

a string parse utility operable to preform string searches and to parse data; and

an input/output utility operable to access the script storage.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the external event further comprising a telephony communication.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, the output event further comprising a telephony route select.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, the external event further comprising a stock price.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, the output event further comprising a buy/sell command.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, the script identifier further comprising a script file name.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the script handle comprising a reference count indicating a status of the script; and

the handle manager operable to delete from the script storage a script having a script handle with a predefined reference count.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the script handle comprising a reference count;

the script interpreter engine operable to adjust the reference count of the script handle to indicate a status of the script; and

the handle manager operable to delete from the script storage a script having a script handle with a predefined reference count.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the script handle comprising a reference count indicating a status of the script;

the script interpreter engine, in response to receiving a script identifier, operable to increment the reference count of the script handle associated with the script identifier;

the script interpreter engine, in response to invoking the script, operable to decrement the reference count of the script handle associated with the script; and

the handle manager operable to delete from the script storage a script having a script handle with a predefined reference count.

17. An apparatus for routing a telephone communication, comprising:

a telephony controller in communication with a telephone switching station, the telephony controller, in response to a route request of the telephone switching station, operable to create or retrieve a handle for the route request, the handle comprising a script identifier;

a script interpreter engine in communication with the telephony controller, the script interpreter engine, in response to receiving a script identifier, operable to create or retrieve a script handle for the script identifier, retrieve from a script storage a script associated with the script handle, and to invoke the script to render an output event for the telephony communication; and

a handle manager in communication with the telephony controller and the script interpreter engine, the handle manager operable to store handles and script handles.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a database system, the database system comprising:

a database controller in communication with the script interpreter engine and the handle manager, the database controller, in response to the output event, operable to access a database engine; and

the database engine operable to access a database storage to retrieve database information associated with the telephony communication.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising an agent station, the agent station comprising:

a communication link operable to receive the telephony communication; and

a display operable to display the database information associated with the telephony communication.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising an administration station, the administration station comprising:

a router administrator operable to receive a simulator script;

a system simulator comprising;

a user interface operable to receive a simulator telephony communication;

a simulator telephony controller in communication with the user interface, the simulator telephony controller, in response to an simulator telephony communication from the user interface, operable to get a simulator handle associated with the simulator telephony communication, the simulator handle comprising a simulator script identifier;

a simulator script interpreter engine in communication with the simulator telephony controller and the simulator script interpreter engine, in response to receiving a simulator script identifier, operable to get a simulator script handle associated with the simulator script identifier, retrieve from a simulator script storage a simulator script associated with the simulator script handle, and to invoke the simulator script to render a simulator output event for said simulator telephony communication;

a simulator handle manager in communication with the simulator telephony controller and the simulator script interpreter engine, the simulator handle manager operable to store simulator handles and simulator script handles; and

the router administrator operable to download the simulator script as a script to the script storage.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

a database system, the database system comprising;

a database controller in communication with the script interpreter engine and the handle manager, the database controller, in response to the output event, operable to access a database engine;

the database engine operable to access a database storage to retrieve database information associated with the telephony communication; and

the administration station further comprising a database administrator operable to receive information and to download the information to the database storage.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an agent station, the agent station comprising:

a communication link operable to receive the telephony communication; and

a display operable to display the database information associated with the telephony communication.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

a network comprising;

a network interface in communication with the script interpretation engine and the handle manager; and

a link coupled to the agent station, the administration station, and the network interface, the link operable to communicate between the agent station, the administration station, and the network interface.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a time utility operable to commence and monitor time-based events;

a string parse utility operable to preform string searches and to parse data; and

an input/output utility operable to access the script storage.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, the output event further comprising a telephony route select.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, the script identifier further comprising a script file name.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

the script handle comprising a reference count indicating a status of the script; and

the handle manager operable to delete from the script storage a script having a script handle with a predefined reference count.

28. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

the script handle comprising a reference count;

the script interpreter engine operable to adjust the reference count of the script handle to indicate a status of the script; and

the handle manager operable to delete from the script storage a script having a script handle with a predefined reference count.

29. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

the script handle comprising a reference count indicating a status of the script;

the script interpreter engine, in response to receiving script identifier, operable to increment the reference count of the script handle associated with the script identifier;

the script interpreter engine, in response to invoking the script, operable to decrement the reference count of the script handle associated with the script; and

the handle manager operable to delete from the script storage a script having a script handle with a predefined reference count.

30. A method of routing a telephone communication, comprising the steps of:

receiving a route request;

creating or retrieving a telephony handle for the route request;

using the telephony handle, determining a script identifier for the route request; and

invoking a script associated with the script identifier to render an output event for the telephone communication.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

creating or retrieving a script handle for the script identifier; and

using the script handle to invoke the script.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the output event comprises a telephony route select.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the output event comprises a request for database records.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the script identifier comprises a script file name.

35. A method of routing an external event, comprising the steps of:

receiving an external event;

creating or retrieving a handle for the external event;

using the handle, determining a script identifier for the external event; and

invoking a script associated with the script identifier to render an output event for the external event.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

creating or retrieving a script handle for the script identifier; and

using the script handle to invoke the script.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the external event comprises a telephony communication.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the output event comprises a telephony route select.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the external event comprises a stock price.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the output event comprises a buy/sell command.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the output event comprises a request for database records.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the script identifier comprises a script file name.