Multimedia telecommunication automatic call distribution system

• US 6,046,762 A
• Filed: 04/01/1997
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CosmoCom, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: CosmoCom, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Dellutri, Stephen, Sonesh, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Application Number:
  US08/825,635
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14-17, 379/93.12, 379/93.15, 379/93.17, 379/201, 379/203, 379/210, 379/265-267, 379/93.25, 379/142, 379/202, 370/261
• US Class Current: 348/14.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• 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 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0006 where voice calls cross both networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A multimedia telecommunication automatic call distribution center which allows access to the call center via a plurality of access means, including telephone and data networks to provide simultaneous voice, data, and video access, and ensures effective transparent spreading of agents over different geographical locations. The automatic call distribution center of the present invention uses a multimedia automatic call distribution server acting as connection manager for data network callers and provides for automatic caller identification.

Claims

1. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center for providing access to calls collectively having multimedia content, the center comprising:

a plurality of networks for carrying calls to said multimedia telecommunication call distribution center, said plurality of networks including at least one data network;

a plurality of calls accessing said multimedia telecommunication call distribution center via said plurality of networks;

a multimedia automatic call distribution server that distributes said calls to a plurality of multimedia call operators;

a plurality of multimedia call operator computing means for processing said calls; and

caller identification means for identifying said calls wherein said caller identification means comprises

network identification means for identification of at least one caller location via network protocols, and for identification of a caller format of at least one caller, wherein said caller format comprises a voice identification means for identifying analogue voice signals that have been digitized, data identification means for identifying message data, and an image identification means for identifying video data.

2. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of networks comprises telephone networks.

3. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of networks comprises data networks.

4. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of networks comprises data and telephone networks.

5. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 1, whereby said call operators are capable of responding to said calls without the use of a telephone set.

6. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia access further comprises receiving, queuing, storing, processing, connecting and responding to said calls.

7. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 6, said calls collectively having multimedia content further comprising:

calls having digital and analog voice data; and

calls having video data.

8. A multimedia telecommunication distribution center according to claim 7, wherein said digital and analog voice multimedia data is converted to digital data network format for connection to said multimedia call operators.

9. A multimedia telecommunication distribution center according to claim 1, said multimedia automatic call distribution server further comprising:

first connecting means for connecting said server to said data and telephone networks;

second connecting means for connecting said calls to said multimedia call operators; and

queuing means for queuing said calls.

10. A multimedia telecommunication distribution center according to claim 1, wherein said multimedia call operators are geographically distributed.

11. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 1, said plurality of multimedia call operator computing means further comprising:

first linking means for linking said operator computing means to said plurality of networks;

second linking means for linking said operator computing means to a telephone headset or speaker and microphone; and

third linking means for linking said operator computing means to a camera.

12. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 1, the center further comprising:

storing means for storing messages said messages collectively having multimedia content;

queuing means for queuing said messages;

forwarding means for forwarding said messages to said call operators;

addressing means for addressing said messages to intended parties; and

retrieving means for retrieving said messages by said intended parties.

13. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 12, said multimedia automatic call distribution server further comprising:

intelligent queuing means for queuing calls and messages based on call priority and service request information; and

intelligent forwarding means for forwarding said calls and messages to groups of said call operators based on call priority and service request information.

14. A multimedia telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 13, wherein a caller in a queue has access to multimedia information.

15. A plurality of multimedia telecommunication call distribution centers connected by means of data networks for receiving, queuing, storing, processing, and connecting a plurality of calls which collectively contain multimedia content, each of said plurality of call centers respectively comprising:

a plurality of networks for carrying calls to said multimedia telecommunication call distribution center, said plurality of networks including at least one data network;

a multimedia automatic call distribution server that distributes said calls to a plurality of multimedia call operators; and

a plurality of multimedia call operator computing means for processing said calls;

caller identification means for identifying said calls wherein said caller identification means comprises network identification means for identification of at least one caller location via network protocols, and for identification of a caller format of at least one caller, wherein said caller format comprises a voice identification means for identifying analogue voice signals that have been digitized, data identification means for identifying message data, and an image identification means for identifying video data; and

wherein said plurality of call centers comprises;

transfer means for transferring said calls from one of said multimedia telecommunication call distribution centers to at least one other of said centers;

rerouting means for rerouting said calls from one of said multimedia call distribution centers to at least one other of said centers;

first connecting means for connecting said calls directly to said multimedia call operators; and

second connecting means for connecting the plurality of centers to each other for exchange of data and status information among said plurality of centers.

17. A telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 15, wherein said at least one network comprises at least one telephone network.

16. A telecommunication call distribution center including at least one network for carrying calls to said telecommunication call distribution center, wherein said at least one of said network includes a data network, said center comprising:

a plurality of calls accessing said telecommunication call distribution center via said at least one network;

an automatic call distribution server that distributes said calls to a plurality of call operators; and

a plurality of call operator computing means for processing said calls without the use of a telephone set; and

caller identification means for identifying said calls wherein said caller identification means comprises

network identification means for identification of at least one caller location via network protocols, and for identification of a caller format of at least one caller, wherein said caller format comprises a voice identification means for identifying analogue voice signals that have been digitized, data identification means for identifying message data, and an image identification means for identifying video data.

18. A telecommunication call distribution center according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of calls collectively comprise multimedia data.

19. A telecommunication call distribution center, according to claim 16 wherein said plurality of calls are respectively multimedia calls.