System and method for establishing a real-time agent pool between computer systems
First Claim
1. A system for the real-time exchange of information between a computer user and an agent associated with a selected data source of a plurality of data sources over a common access data link, said system comprising:
- means for maintaining an agent pool associated with the selected data source, wherein the agent pool comprises one or more agents;
means for logging agents into the agent pool;
means for logging agents out of the agent pool;
means under selective control of the computer user for exchanging data between the user and the selected one of the plurality of data sources;
means for communicating from the user to the selected data source that the user desires to establish a bi-directional data link from the user to the agent for the exchange of data between the user and the agent; and
means responsive to receipt of a communicated desire for a bi-directional data link for establishing such a link from the user to an agent selected as a function of the particular data source currently selected by the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for establishing a data connection between a computer and a live agent selected from an agent pool. A computer user uses the computer to connect via a network with an information server. While browsing information on the server, the customer can request to speak with an unspecified live agent. An agent queuing manager receives the customer'"'"'s request and selects an appropriate live agent from a continuously updated pool of available agents. Then, the agent queuing manager establishes a data connection between the live agent and the customer. The data connection is preferably an audio connection, although a real time text "chat" mode is also available. The agent queuing manager maintains the agent pool by monitoring when agents log in and out of agent terminals, as well as when the agents are engaged with a computer user.
195 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for the real-time exchange of information between a computer user and an agent associated with a selected data source of a plurality of data sources over a common access data link, said system comprising:
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means for maintaining an agent pool associated with the selected data source, wherein the agent pool comprises one or more agents; means for logging agents into the agent pool; means for logging agents out of the agent pool; means under selective control of the computer user for exchanging data between the user and the selected one of the plurality of data sources; means for communicating from the user to the selected data source that the user desires to establish a bi-directional data link from the user to the agent for the exchange of data between the user and the agent; and means responsive to receipt of a communicated desire for a bi-directional data link for establishing such a link from the user to an agent selected as a function of the particular data source currently selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of communicating between a PC user and an available agent selected from among a plurality of different agent pools, each such agent pool associated with a particular data source, the method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a data exchange relationship from the user to a selected data source over a data link, wherein said data link provides common access for said user, said selected data source, and said available agent; receiving over said data link, from the selected data source, a menu of choices, one of the choices being a bi-directional data exchange; selecting an available agent from said agent pool associated with the selected data source in response to the selection by the user of the menu choice indicating a bi-direction data exchange, said selection by the user being received by said selected data source over said data link; wherein said step of selecting includes determining if the agent from the agent pool associated with the selected data source is available, and selecting the agent from the agent pool associated with the selected data source if the agent is determined to be available; wherein if it is determined that no agent is immediately available, presenting alternative choices to the user regarding said selection of the menu choice indicating bi-direction data exchange. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for establishing real-time communication between a computer user and an agent via the Internet, comprising:
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means for presenting the user with an option to communicate with an unspecified agent via a computer; means, responsive to the selection of the option, for selecting the unspecified agent from an agent pool comprising a plurality of agents; wherein the means for selecting comprises means for maintaining the agent pool, means for determining available agents in the agent pool, and means for choosing the agent from the available agents; means for establishing a real-time data communications link via the Internet between the selected agent and the computer user, wherein said real-time data communications link provides common access for said user, a selected data source, and said selected agent. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system for real-time exchange of audio communications between a computer user and an unspecified agent of a plurality of agents associated with a selected data source of a plurality of data sources assessable over a computer network, said system comprising:
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means for logging an agent of plurality of agents onto and off of the system; means for associating an agent logged onto the system with a data source of the plurality of data sources accessible over the computer network; means for maintaining an agent pool of agents currently logged onto the system and associated with selected data sources of the plurality of data sources; means for adding agents to the agent pool substantially concurrent with the agents logging onto the system; means for removing agents from the agent pool substantially concurrent with the agents logging off of the system; means for determining agents of the agent pool available for audio communication with the computer user; means under selective control of the computer user for exchanging data between the user and the selected data source of the plurality of data sources; means for communicating from the user to the selected data source that the user desires to establish a bi-directional audio communication link between the user and the unspecified agent; and means responsive to receipt of the communicated desire for a bi-directional audio communication link for establishing such a link between the user and an available agent of the agent pool associated with the particular data source currently selected by the user.
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Specification