Multimedia managing and prioritized queuing system integrated with intelligent routing capability

• US 6,263,066 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gisby, Douglas, Cronin, Paul, Bondarenko, Oleg, Miloslavsky, Alec, Neyman, Igor, Shtivelman, Yuri
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US09/096,729
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/93.24, 379/100.08, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/88.16, 370/352, 370/412, 370/444, 709/201, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/266.06
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• 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 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• 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 3/5231 : with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 : Call distribution algorithms
• 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 3/5238 : with waiting time or load prediction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 : for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5315 : where the non-audio components are still images or video still image mailbox systems H04N1/324, intermediate storage of video signals for videophones H04N7/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 : where the data service is an electronic mail service
• 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: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/126 : Interworking of session control protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 : Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13053 : Priority levels
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 : Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1315 : Call waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13179 : Fax, still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13248 : Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1328 : Call transfer, e.g. in PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 : Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 : Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors

Abstract

A queueing system in a call center is adapted to queue voice mails as well as live telephone calls. In a preferred embodiment the calls include both connection-oriented switched telephony (COST) calls and Data Network Telephony (DNT) calls. Callers are enabled to leave voice mail as an alternative to waiting, and records of the voice mails are queued, preferably in the same queue processing the live calls. In some embodiments the call center is enabled to process e-mails, video mails and facsimile messages as well as live calls and voice mail messages, and all types of multimedia communication can be queued in the same queue according to prestored routing rules and priority rules.

Claims

1. In a multimedia call center having a switching apparatus for receiving and switching media requests including connection-oriented, switched telephony (COST) telephone calls, and Internet protocol network telephony (IPNT) calls to telephony apparatus at connected agent stations, a queuing system comprising;

an interactive voice response (IVR) system advising a COST caller, or an IPNT caller of expected wait time in queue and enabling the caller to leave a callback request; and

a queue controller;

wherein a call back request from either the COST or IPNT call is queued at the same point in the queue the call would be if originally placed in queue when the call was initially received, before interaction with the IVR or server, a call back is placed such that connection with the caller is achieved by the time the call back request reaches the head of queue, and after establishing a live call with the original caller via the call-back the queuing system places the resulting live call at or near the head of the queue for quick distribution to an appropriate agent.

2. The queuing system of claim 1 wherein the queued call back request and the routing of the resulting live call take place at a time less than the average queue waiting time advised by the call response system.

3. The queuing system of claim 1 wherein the voice mail messages are converted and stored as digital audio data, and are distributed to computers at agent'"'"'s stations via a local area network connecting computer equipment at agent'"'"'s stations.

4. The queuing system of claim 1 wherein the call center queues records representing live calls in the same queue processing voice mail messages, and wherein voice mail messages and the live calls are distributed to agent'"'"'s equipment on a basis of one or both of availability of agents to deal with the voice mail messages and skill sets of agents.

5. The queuing system of claim 1 further comprising systems for receiving and storing e-mails, video-mails and facsimile messages, and wherein the queue controller queues records of e-mails, video-mails and facsimile messages, as well as voice mail messages left by callers, and distributes the messages to agents at the connected agent stations as the records representing the messages reach head-of-queue.

6. The queuing system of claim 5 wherein the call center queues records representing live COST and IPNT calls in the same queue processing emails, video mails, facsimile messages, and voice mail messages, and wherein live calls are distributed to agent'"'"'s equipment on a basis of one or both of availability of agents to deal with the messages and skill sets of agents.

7. A multimedia call center comprising:

a switching apparatus receiving connection-oriented, switched telephony (COST) telephone calls, and a server interacting with Internet protocol network telephony (IPNT) calls, and switching said calls to telephony apparatus at connected agent stations;

an interactive voice response (IVR) unit interacting with the COST calls and the server interacts with the IPNT calls to the call center, including advising callers of expected wait time in queue and allowing callers to leave call back requests; and

a queuing system queuing call back requests at the same point in the queue the call would be if originally placed in the queue when initially received, and before the call back request reaches the head of the queue the call back is placed to enable connection with the caller by the time the call back request reaches the head of the queue and the resulting live COST or IPNT call is placed at or near the head of the queue for immediate routing to an available agent.

8. The call center of claim 7 wherein the queued call back request and the routing of the resulting live call take place at a time less than the average queue waiting time advised by the IVR, or the server.

9. The call center of claim 7 wherein the voice mail messages are converted and stored as digital audio data, and are distributed to computers at agent'"'"'s stations via a local area network connecting computer equipment at agent'"'"'s stations.

10. The call center of claim 8 wherein the call center queues records representing live COST and DNT calls in the same queue processing voice mail messages, and wherein live calls and voice mail messages are distributed to agent'"'"'s equipment on a basis of one or both of availability of agents to deal with the live calls and voice mail messages and skill sets of agents.

11. The call center of claim 7 further comprising systems for receiving and storing e-mails, video-mails and facsimile messages, and wherein the queue controller queues records of e-mails, video-mails and facsimile messages, as well as voice mail messages left by callers, and distributes the messages to agents at the connected agent stations as the records representing the messages reach head-of-queue.

12. The call center of claim 11 wherein the call center queues records representing live COST and IPNT calls in the same queue processing e-mails, video mails, facsimile messages, and voice mail messages, and wherein live calls are distributed to agent'"'"'s equipment on a basis of one or both of availability of agents to deal with the messages and skill sets of agents.

13. A method for distributing multimedia communications, including connection-oriented, switched telephony (COST) telephone calls, and Internet protocol network telephony (IPNT) calls in a call center, the communications including call back requests, comprising steps of,

(a) enabling a caller of a COST call or IPNT call to leave a call back request optionally as an alternative to waiting a predetermined time in a live-call queue for an agent;

(b) queuing a record of the call back request alternatively to a live call in the same position in the queue the live call would have been if originally queued;

(c) placing a call back as a result of the call back request before the call back request reaches the head of the queue such that connection with the caller is achieved by the time the call back request reaches head of queue; and

(e) placing a live call resulting from the call back at or near the head of the queue for immediate routing to an available agent.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the call center receives one or more of video mail, e-mail, and facsimile messages, as well as voice mail messages, and wherein, in the queuing step records of one or more of the video mail, e-mail, and facsimile messages are queued in the same queue processing voice mail messages.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein, in step (b) records of live COST and IPNT calls are queued in the same queue processing voice mail messages.