Creating and using an adaptable multiple-contact transaction object

• US 6,314,089 B1
• Filed: 04/17/1997
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inventions, Inc.
• Inventors: Szlam, Aleksander, Owen, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US08/840,906
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/255, 370/256, 370/270, 370/351, 370/389, 370/400, 370/401, 370/364, 370/352, 379/265, 379/220, 379/266, 379/90.1, 379/142, 379/88.25, 379/201, 379/88.22, 379/210, 395/200.31, 395/702, 709/204, 709/238
• US Class Current: 370/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet

Abstract

An object is dynamically created which contains all of the information relating to connections established during a transaction. This object also contains information and/or pointers to information which was used in a communication during the transaction. The object further contains tests for triggering events. When a triggering event occurs the connections are automatically re-established so that a further communication relating to a transaction may be accomplished with excellent efficiency and without any duplication of effort by an agent (including an electronic agent or device) to locate information which was located during the previous communication. The test is administered by a business process mediator, which invokes a business task mediator, which may invoke multiple lesser task mediators, each of which may invoke additional lesser task mediators. Task mediators perform functions ranging from a lower level function, such as detecting a dial tone, to a higher level function, such as connecting a customer to an agent and providing all relevant customer information to the agent. The calling of a higher level task mediator automatically invokes the calling of the lesser, lower level task mediators necessary to accomplish the specified task. Thus, the various task mediators automatically reconstruct the connections necessary to accomplish the further communications. The communications may be by telephone, conventional mail, facsimile, electronic mail, internet, wireless, satellite, cable TV, radio, or other means and may involve audio, video, text, facsimile or electronic mail documents, pictures, spreadsheets, etc.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a second communication between a first point and an information source after a first communication has been established between said first point and a second point, comprising the steps of:

identifying an information source providing data accessed by said first point during said first communication, said information source being one of a plurality of information sources;

identifying a data connection broker between said first point and said information source used for transferring data accessed during said first communication, said data connection broker being one of a plurality of data connection brokers;

creating a Composite Call Object for said first communication by recording information concerning said first communication, said information comprising an identiey for said second point, an identity for said information source and an identity for said data connection broker; and

after said first communication between said first point and said second point has been terminated;

terminating said communication between said first point and said information source;

establishing said second communication between said first point and said second point; and

connecting said first point to said information source through said data connection broker using information contained in said Composite Call Object to identify said second point, said information source, and said data connection broker.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said step of creating said Composite Call Object comprises identifying data accessed by said first point and further recording, as said information, an address for said data; and

said step of connecting said first point to said information source comprises retrieving said data from said information source and presenting said data to said first point.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

identifying a connection broker between said first point and said second point;

said step of creating said Composite Call Object further comprises recording, as said information, an identity for said connection broker between said first point and said second point; and

said step of establishing said second communication comprises reading said information to identify said first point, reading said information to identify said second point, reading said information to identify said connection broker between said first point and said second point, and causing said connection broker to establish a communications path between said first point and said second point.

4. A method for using a first communication among a first point, a second point, and a third point to establish a second communication between said second point and said third point, comprising the steps of:

creating a Composite Call Object for said first communication by recording information concerning said first communication, said information comprising an identity for said second point;

monitoring for a command from said first point to establish a new connection between said third point and at least one of said first point and said second point;

identifying a new communications route used to establish said new connection between said third point and said at least one of said first point and said second point, said new communications route being one of a plurality of communications routes and updating said Composite Call Object to record said new connection and said new communications route;

after said first connection and said new connection have been terminated;

establishing said second communication between said second point and said third point by using information about said new connection contained in said Composite Call Object to identify said second point, said new communications route, and establishing said second communication using said new communications route.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

said step of creating said Composite Call Object comprises identifying data accessed by said first point during said first communication and recording, as said information, an address for said data; and

said step of establishing said second communication comprises using said information contained in said Composite Call Object to retrieve said data accessed by said first point, and presenting said data to said third point.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

said step of creating said Composite Call Object comprises identifying an information source providing data accessed by said first point during said first communication, said information source being one of a plurality of information sources, and recording, as said information, an identity for said information source; and

said step of establishing said second communication further comprises connecting said third point to said information source.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein:

said step of creating said Composite Call Object comprises identifying data accessed by said first point, identifying an information source providing said data, said information source being one of a plurality of information sources, identifying a data connection broker between said first point and said information source, said data connection broker being one of a plurality of data connection brokers, recording, as said information, an address for said data, an identity for said information source, and an identity for said data connection broker; and

said step of establishing said second communication comprises connecting said third point to said information source through said data connection broker and retrieving said data from said information source and presenting said data to said third point.

8. A method for using a first communication among a first point, a second point, and a third point to establish a second communication between said second point and said third point, comprising the steps of:

identifying an information source providing data accessed by said first point, said information source being one of a plurality of information sources;

identifying a data connection broker between said first point and said information source, said data connection broker being one of a plurality of data connection brokers,

creating a Composite Call Object for said first communication by recording information concerning said first communication, said information comprising an identity for said second point, an identity for said information source, and an identity for said data connection broker;

monitoring for a command from said first point to establish a new connection between said third point and at least one of said first point and said second point;

identifying a new communications route and a communications broker used to establish said new connection between said third point and said at least one of said first point and said second point, said new communications route being one of a plurality of communications routes and updating said Composite Call Object to record said new connection, said new communications route, and said identity of said data communications broker for said new communications route; and

after said first connection and said new connection have been terminated;

establishing said second communication between said second point and said third point by using information about said new connection contained in said Composite Call Object to identify said second point, said new communications route, and said communications broker, and using said new communications route to connect said third point to said information source through said connection broker identified for said new communications route.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of establishing said second communication comprises:

reading said information from said Composite Call Object to identify said second point;

reading said information from said Composite Call Object to identify said third point;

reading said information from said Composite Call Object to identify said connection broker; and

causing said connection broker for said new communications route to establish a communications path between said second point and said third point.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of establishing said second communication further comprises:

reading said information from said Composite Call Object to identify said information source which provided said data accessed by said first point;

reading said information from said Composite Call Object to identify said data connection broker which provided said connection between said first point and said information source; and

causing said data connection broker to establish a data communications path between said third point and said information source.

11. A method for using a first communication among a first point, a second point, and a third point to establish a second communication between said second point and said third point, comprising the steps of:

determining an identity for said third point;

determining an identity for a connection broker between said first point and said second point, said connection broker being one of a plurality of connection brokers; and

creating a Composite Call Object for said first communication by recording information concerning said first communication, said information comprising said identity for said first point, an identity for said second point, and said identity for said connection broker;

monitoring for a command from said first point to establish a new connection between said third point and at least one of said first point and said second point;

identifying a new communications route used to establish said new connection between said third point and said at least one of said first point and said second point, said new communications route being one of a plurality of communications routes;

updating said Composite Call Object to record said new connection and said new communications route;

after said first connection and said new connection have been terminated;

establishing said second communication between said second point and said third point by using information about said new connection contained in said Composite Call Object to identify said second point and said new communications route, and establishing said second communication using said new communications route.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of creating said Composite Call Object further comprises:

identifying data accessed by said third point; and

recording, as said information, an address for said data.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of creating said Composite Call Object further comprises:

identifying an information source providing data accessed by said third point, said information source being one of a plurality of information sources; and

recording, as said information, an identity for said information source.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of creating said Composite Call Object further comprises:

identifying an information source providing data accessed by said third point, said information source being one of a plurality of information sources;

identifying a data connection broker between said third point and said information source, said data connection broker being one of a plurality of data connection brokers;

recording, as said information, an identity for said information source; and

recording, as said information, an identity for said data connection broker.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of creating said Composite Call Object further comprises:

identifying data accessed by said third point;

identifying an information source providing said data, said information source being one of a plurality of information sources;

identifying a data connection broker between said third point and said information source, said data connection broker being one of a plurality of data connection brokers;

recording, as said information, an address for said data;

recording, as said information, an identity for said information source; and

recording, as said information, an identity for said data connection broker.

16. A system for establishing a plurality of communications, comprising in combination:

a first plurality of agent stations for allowing a plurality of agents to conduct oral communications with a plurality of persons, and to see information and to input information, each said agent station having an address;

a plurality of hosts, each host of said plurality of hosts containing a plurality of account records, each said host having an address, and each said account record having an address;

a plurality of communications brokers, each of said communications brokers being for establishing communications links among said agent stations and said hosts, each of said communications brokers having an address; and

at least one of said agent stations comprising a memory for storing a plurality of Composite Call Objects, each Composite Call Object comprising an address of a first said agent station connected to a first said host via a first said communications broker, an address for said first host, an address for a said account record in said first host, and an address for said first communications broker which links said agent station to said host.

17. A system for establishing a plurality of communications, comprising in combination:

a first plurality of agent stations for allowing a plurality of agents to conduct oral communications with a plurality of persons, and to see information and to input information, each said agent station having an address;

a plurality of hosts, each host of said plurality of hosts containing a plurality of account records, each said host having an address, and each said account record having an address;

a plurality of communications brokers, each of said communications brokers being for establishing communications links among said agent stations and said hosts, each of said communications brokers having an address; and

at least one of said hosts comprising a memory for storing a plurality of Composite Call Objects, each Composite Call Object comprising an address of a first said agent station connected to a first said host via a first said communications broker, an address for said first host, an address for a said account record in said first host, and an address for said first communications broker which links said agent station to said host.