Virtualized computer telephony integrated link for enhanced functionality in call centers

• US 6,434,231 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• 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: Karpenko, Pavel, Barskyy, Myhailo, Bondarenko, Oleg, Miloslavsky, Alec, Petrov, Andrei, Neyman, Igor, Issayev, Valeriy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/478,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 379/34, 379/38, 379/201, 379/207, 379/258, 379/260, 379/262, 379/265, 379/266, 379/268, 379/309, 379/214, 379/93.05, 379/93.07, 379/93.09, 379/93.21, 379/93.24, 379/93.35, 379/201.01, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/265-1-2, 379/266.1, 379/900, 379/908, 379/210.01
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/408 Customer-specific call routing plans
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/323 for the arrangements providing the connection (test connection, test call, call simulation)
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42127 Systems providing several special services or facilities from groups H04M3/42008 - H04M3/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• 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 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• 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

Abstract

A telephony call center has agent workstations having telephones connected to station-side ports of a telephone switching apparatus adapted to receive and switch conventional telephone calls to the telephones, and also computer platforms connected on a local area network (LAN). A processor also connected on the LAN has a wide area network (WAN) port and is adapted to receive and distribute computer-simulated telephone calls from the WAN to computer platforms at the agent stations. At individual agent stations the telephone and computer platform is connected by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge. Status of calls of both types at agent workstations is communicated to a network-level router by the processor having a WAN connection, which may also receive computer-simulated calls. The router may then make routing decisions based on agent status relative to both kinds of calls.

Claims

1. An agent station for a call-in center, comprising:

a computer platform having a first communication port and a local area network (LAN) adapter, receiving and interacting with computer simulated telephone calls;

a telephone having a telephone line port and a second communication port; and

a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge connecting the second port of the telephone with the computer platform;

wherein the computer platform monitors transactions and status of the connected telephone via the TAPI-compliant bridge, reports the transaction and status on a LAN via the LAN adapter, and the agent utilizes the TAPI-connected telephone to interact with computer-simulated telephone calls.

2. The agent station of claim 1 wherein the computer workstation is a multimedia personal computer (PC) having a video display unit (VDU).