Method and system for establishing voice communications using a computer network

• US 6,282,284 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Dezonno, Anthony J., Quayle, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US09/399,528
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/93.03, 379/9.15, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/100, 379/201, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/900
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• 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: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13152 Callback
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A method and system (100) establishes voice communications between a computer operator (102) and an agent (104) of a business over a computer network, such as the Internet (108). Using an operator computer (106), the computer operator (102) views advertisements of the business'"'"' products or services on the Internet (108) via customized home pages (200). When the operator (102) wishes to order a product or ask additional questions about a product, the operator (102) activates a “call me” button (210). A return call screen (300) is then presented to the operator (102) with areas to insert a name (302), a telephone number (304) and a time to call (306). This information is packetized in a call request which is transmitted over the Internet (108) to a telephone switching system (112) associated with the business. The telephone switching system (112) subsequently dials the telephone number (304) at the time to call (306). When the operator (102) answers an operator telephone (120), the telephone switching system (112) connects the operator (102) with the agent (104) via an agent telephone (118). The telephone switching system (112) may be comprised of a telephone computer (114) and an automatic call distributor (116).

Claims

1. A method for establishing voice communications between a computer user and an agent, the method comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a first Web page, the first Web page displaying a “

call me”

button when the first Web page is accessed by the computer user;

b) generating a call request in response to activation of the “

call me”

button by the computer user;

c) transmitting the call request to a computer system associated with the agent; and

d) automatically establishing voice communications between the agent and the computer user in response to the call request.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the voice communications between the agent and the computer user are established over a public switched telephone network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system associated with the agent comprises a telephone switching system having a telephone computer and an automatic call distributor.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a name and a telephone number associated with the computer user are kept on a computer file and wherein the step of generating a call request comprises the step of automatically entering the name and the telephone number associated with the computer user from the file.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of generating a call request further comprises prompting the computer user to enter a telephone number.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the step of establishing a first web page further comprises establishing a second Web page, the second Web page having a form for entering a telephone number;

and the step of prompting the computer user to enter the telephone number further comprises transferring the computer user from the first Web page to the second Web page in response to activation of the “

call me”

button by the computer user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of generating a call request comprises prompting the computer user to enter a time to call the computer user; and

the step of automatically establishing voice communications between the agent and the computer user comprises the step of automatically establishing voice communications at the time to call entered by the computer user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of generating a call request comprises prompting the computer user to enter a telephone number; and

the step of automatically establishing voice communications between the agent and the computer user comprises automatically dialing the telephone number entered by the computer user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of generating a call request comprises prompting the computer user to enter a telephone number and a time to call the computer user; and

the step of automatically establishing voice communications between the agent and the computer user comprises automatically dialing the telephone number entered by the computer user at the time to call entered by the computer user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of establishing a first web page further comprises establishing a second Web page, the second Web page having a form for entering a telephone number and a time to call;

the step of generating a call request further comprises transferring the computer user from the first Web page to the second Web page in response to activation of the “

call me”

button by the computer user; and

the step of automatically establishing voice communications between the agent and the computer user further comprises automatically dialing the telephone number entered by the computer user at the time to call entered by the computer user.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of automatically establishing voice communications between the agent and the computer user in response to the call request further comprises:

a) determining the number of a web page from which the call request was generated; and

b) routing the voice communication to an agent associated with the web page.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the step of generating a call request comprises generating a call request including a telephone number associated with the computer user and a number of a web page; and

the step of establishing voice communications between the agent and the computer user in response to the call request further comprises;

a) selecting an agent having knowledge relating to information on the Web page;

b) generating a dial request command in response to the call request;

c) calling the telephone number in the call request;

d) detecting when the computer user answers the call; and

e) routing the call to the selected agent based on the number of the Web page in the call request.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein the step of selecting an agent comprises selecting a plurality of agents and wherein the step of routing the call to the selected agent comprises routing the call to a single agent of the plurality of selected agents.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the step of generating a call request further comprises prompting the computer user to enter a time to call the computer user; and

the step of calling the telephone number in the call request comprises calling the telephone number in the call request at the time to call in the call request.

15. A method for establishing voice communications between a computer user and an agent, the computer user being associated with a user computer, the method comprising:

a) establishing a first Web page and a second Web page, the first Web page displaying a “

call me”

button when the first Web page is accessed by the computer user, the second Web page having a form for entering a telephone number and a time to call a computer user;

b) transferring the computer user from the first Web page to the second Web page in response to activation of the “

call me”

button by the computer user;

c) calling the computer user by automatically dialing a telephone number entered on the second Web page at a time to call entered in the second Web page; and

d) connecting the called computer user to an agent.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of connecting the called computer user to an agent further comprises the steps of:

a) determining the number of the first Web page; and

b) routing the voice communication to an agent associated with the first Web page.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

generating a call request including the telephone number and the time to call entered on the second Web page, and a number of the first Web page; and

transmitting the call request to a telephone switching system; and

wherein the step of connecting called computer user to an agent further comprises;

a) selecting an agent having knowledge relating to information on the Web page;

b) detecting when the computer user answers the call; and

c) routing the call to the selected agent based on the number of the Web page in the call request.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the step of selecting an agent comprises selecting a plurality of agents and wherein the step of routing the call to the selected agent comprises routing the call to a single agent of the plurality of selected agents.

19. A system for establishing voice communications between a computer user and an agent, comprising:

a) a Web server, connected to a computer network, the Web server configured to display a first Web page having a “

call me”

button when accessed by the computer user, and to generate a call request upon activation of the “

call me”

button by the computer user; and

b) a call switching system connected to the computer network and to a voice communication path, the call switching system configured to receive call requests from the Web server and to establish voice communication between the computer user and the agent in response to the call request.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the Web server is further configured to display a second Web page when the “

call me”

button is accessed by the computer user, the second Web page having a form for entering a telephone number and a time to call the computer user.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the call routing system is connected to a plurality of agents.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the call switching system comprises a telephone switching system having a telephone computer connected to an automatic call distributor.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.

24. A system for establishing voice communications between a computer user and an agent, comprising:

a) a Web server, connected to the Internet, the Web server configured to display a Web page having a “

call me”

button and to generate a call request upon activation of the “

call me”

button; and

b) a telephone switching system, having

1) a telephone computer connected to the Internet, the telephone computer configured to receive call requests from the Web server and to generate call commands in response to the call requests; and

2) an automatic call distributor, responsive to the call commands generated by the telephone computer, connected to a plurality of agents and to a telephone network.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the automatic call distributor further comprises an automatic dialer responsive to the call commands generated by the telephone computer, and an answer detector responsive to the computer user answering a telephone dialed by the automatic dialer.

26. A system for establishing voice communications between a computer user and an agent, comprising:

a) first means, connected to a computer network, for displaying a Web page having a “

call me”

button and for generating a call request upon activation of the “

call me”

button;

b) second means, connected to the computer network, for receiving call requests from the first means and for generating call commands in response to the call requests; and

c) third means, connected to the second means, a voice communication path, and an agent, for routing calls from the voice communication path to the agent in response to call commands from the second means.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the third means is connected to a plurality of agents.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein computer network comprises the Internet and the voice communication path comprises a telephone network.

29. A system for establishing voice communications between a computer user and an agent, comprising:

a) first means, connected to the Internet, for displaying a Web page having a “

call me”

button and for generating a call request including the telephone number of the computer user and a number of the Web page upon activation of the “

call me”

button;

b) second means, connected to the Internet, for receiving call requests from the first means and for generating call commands in response to the call requests; and

c) third means, connected to the second means, a telephone network, and a plurality of agents, for routing calls from the telephone network to an agent of the plurality of agents in response to call commands from the second means;

said third means further comprising;

1) fourth means for calling the telephone number in the call request;

2) fifth means for detecting when the computer user answers the call;

3) sixth means for associating an agent with the Web page; and

for routing the call to the associated agent based on the number of the Web page in the call request.