Method of multi-media transaction processing

• US 6,449,356 B1
• Filed: 05/26/1998
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Semiconductor Systems Inc. (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dezonno, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/084,815
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/88.13, 379/34, 379/93.17, 379/201, 379/203, 379/210, 379/267, 379/93.25, 379/212, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/269, 379/308, 379/309, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.05, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/265.12, 379/265.13, 379/266.02
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• 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 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 method and apparatus are provided for processing multi-media telecommunication transactions by a call processing center. The method includes the steps of detecting a call of the multi-media telecommunication transactions by a host computer of the call processing center and transferring a transaction request from the host to a call processor for assignment of an agent to the call. The method further includes the steps of transferring an identifier of the assigned agent from the call processor to the host and transferring the call received from the host to the assigned agent.

Claims

1. A method of processing multi-media telecommunication transactions by a call processing center, such method comprising the steps of:

detecting a call of the multi-media telecommunication transactions by a host computer of the call processing center;

determining a type of the detected call and assigning a tracking classification based upon the determined call type;

transferring a transaction request including the tracking classification from the host to a call processor for assignment of an agent to the call based, in part, upon the tracking classification;

transferring an identifier of the assigned agent from the call processor to the host; and

transferring the call to the assigned agent.

2. The method of processing multi-media telecommunications transactions as in claim 1 further comprising receiving and switching calls of the multi-media transactions received under a voice format by the call processor to respective agents of the plurality of agents.

3. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 2 wherein the step of processing multi-media transactions further comprises receiving identifying information of a source of the multi-media transaction from a telecommunication network.

4. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 3 wherein the step of receiving identifying information of the source of the multi-media transaction further comprises transferring the received identifying information of each caller from the call processor to the host.

5. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 4 wherein the step of transferring the received identifying information of each caller from the call processor to the host further comprises searching a database of the host and transferring customer information identified by the identifying information to a terminal of the respective agent.

6. The method of processing multi-media telecommunication transactions as in claim 1 further comprising tracking call-related and non-call related activity of the assigned agent within the call processor based upon the tracking classification of the call type.

7. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 6 further comprising delaying call delivery based upon call type.

8. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting receipt of a call of the multi-media transactions by the host further comprises sensing the call as being a facsimile transmission and storing a content of the facsimile transmission as a call received under a data format in a database of the host.

9. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting receipt of a call by the host of the call processing center further comprises sensing an Internet transmission from a connected telecommunication network and storing a content of the Internet transmission as a call received under a data format in a database of the host.

10. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 1 wherein the step of transferring a transaction request from the host to the call processor for assignment of an agent to the call further comprises requesting an outbound call to a call processing application.

11. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 10 wherein the step of requesting an outbound call to a call processing application further comprises simulating completion of the outbound call to the non-existent number.

12. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 11 wherein the step of simulating completion of the outbound call to the call processing application further comprises transferring a call status message to the host including the identity of the assigned agent and requested outbound call.

13. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 12 wherein the step of transferring a call status message to the host further comprises retrieving a terminal identifier of the assigned agent.

14. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 13 wherein the step of transferring the call received under the data format from the host to the assigned agent further comprises transferring a summary of the call from the host to the identified terminal of the assigned agent.

15. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 1 further comprising maintaining a queue of calls by the call processor for the multi-media transactions received under voice and data format for the plurality of agents.

16. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 15 wherein the step of maintaining a queue of calls further comprises assigning a call of the queued calls to a first available agent of the plurality of agents.

17. The method of processing multi-media transactions as in claim 16 further comprising delaying transmission of the identifier of an assigned agent to the host until the transferred transaction request from the host to the call processor reaches a front of the queue.

18. Apparatus for processing multi-media telecommunication transactions by a call processing center, such apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a call of the multi-media telecommunication transactions by a host computer of the call processing center;

means for determining a type of the detected call and assigning a tracking classification based upon the determined call type;

means for transferring a transaction request including the tracking classification from the host to the call processor for assignment of an agent to the call received under the data format based, in part, upon the tracking classification;

means for transferring an identifier of the assigned agent to the host; and

means for transferring the call to the assigned agent.

19. The apparatus for processing multi-media telecommunications transactions as in claim 18 further comprising means for receiving and switching calls of the multi-media transactions received under a voice format by the call processor to respective agents of the plurality of agents.

20. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 19 wherein the means for processing multi-media transactions further comprises means for receiving identifying information of a source of the multi-media transaction from a telecommunication network.

21. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 20 wherein the means for receiving identifying information of the source of the multi-media transaction further comprises means for transferring the received identifying information of each caller from the call processor to the host.

22. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 21 wherein the means for transferring the received identifying information of each caller from the call processor to the host further comprises means for searching a database of the host and transferring customer information identified by the identifying information to a terminal of the respective agent.

23. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 18 further comprising means for tracking call-related and non-call-related agent activity within the call processor based upon the tracking classification of the call type.

24. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 18 further comprising means for delaying call delivery based upon call type.

25. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 18 wherein the means for detecting receipt of a call of the multi-media transactions under by the host further comprises means for sensing the call as being a facsimile transmission and storing a content of the facsimile transmission as a call received under a data format in a database of the host.

26. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 18 wherein the means for detecting receipt of a call by the host of the call processing center further comprises means for sensing an Internet transmission from a connected telecommunication network and storing a content of the Internet transmission as a call received under a data format in a database of the host.

27. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 18 wherein the means for transferring a transaction request from the host to the call processor for assignment of an agent to the call further comprises means for requesting an outbound call to a call processing application.

28. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 27 wherein the means for requesting an outbound call to call processing application further comprises means for simulating completion of the outbound call to the call processing application.

29. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 28 wherein the means for simulating completion of the outbound call to the call processing application further comprises means for transferring a call status message to the host including the identity of the assigned agent and requested outbound call.

30. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 29 wherein the means for transferring a call status message to the host further comprises means for retrieving a terminal identifier of the assigned agent.

31. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 30 wherein the means for transferring the call received under the data format from the host to the assigned agent further comprises means for transferring a summary of the call from the host to the identified terminal of the assigned agent.

32. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 18 further comprising means for maintaining a queue of calls by the call processor for the multi-media transactions received under voice and data format for the plurality of agents.

33. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 32 wherein the means for maintaining a queue of calls further comprises means for assigning a call of the queued calls to a first available agent of the plurality of agents.

34. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 33 further comprising means for delaying transmission of the identifier of an assigned agent to the host until the transferred transaction request from the host to the call processor reaches a front of the queue.

35. Apparatus for processing multi-media telecommunication transactions by a call processing center, such apparatus comprising:

a call detector which detects a call of the multi-media telecommunication transactions by a host computer of the call processing center;

the host processor that determines a type of the detected call and assigns a tracking classification to the call based upon the determined call type;

a service processor which transfers a transaction request including the tracking classification of the determined call type from the host to the call processor for assignment of an agent to the call based, in part, upon the tracking classification;

an agent processor which transfers an identifier of the assigned agent to the host; and

a delivery processor which transfers the call to the assigned agent.

36. The apparatus for processing multi-media telecommunications transactions as in claim 35 further comprising a call processor of the call processing center which processes and assigns calls of the multi-media transactions received under a voice format to respective agents of the plurality of agents.

37. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 36 wherein the call processor and call detector which process multi-media transactions further each comprise a network buffer which receives identifying information of a source of the multi-media transaction from a telecommunication network.

38. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 37 wherein the network buffer of the call processor which receives identifying information of the source of the multi-media transaction further comprises a transfer processor which transfers the received identifying information of each caller from the call processor to the host.

39. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 38 wherein the transfer processor which transfers the received identifying information of each caller from the call processor to the host further comprises a search processor which searches a database of the host and transfers customer information identified by the identifying information to a terminal of the respective agent.

40. The apparatus for processing multi-media telecommunication transactions as in claim 35 further comprises a tracking processor which tracks call-related and non-call-related activity of the assigned agent based upon the tracking classification of the call type.

41. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 40 further comprising a delay controller which delays call delivery based upon call type.

42. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 35 wherein the call detector which detects receipt of a call of the multi-media transactions by the host further comprises a data analyzing processor which senses the call as being a facsimile transmission and stores a content of the facsimile transmission as a call received under a data format in a database of the host.

43. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 35 wherein the call detector which detects receipt of a call further comprises an internet processor which senses an Internet transmission from a connected telecommunication network and stores a content of the Internet transmission as a call received under a data format in a database of the host.

44. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 35 wherein the service processor which transfers a transaction request from the host to the call processor for assignment of an agent to the call further comprises call request processor which requests an outbound call to a call processing application.

45. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 44 wherein the call request processor which requests an outbound call to a call processing application further comprises a call completion simulation processor which simulates completion of the outbound call to the call processing application.

46. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 45 wherein the simulation completion processor which simulates completion of the outbound call to the call processing application further comprises a call status processor which transfers a call status message to the host including the identity of the assigned agent and requested outbound call.

47. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 46 wherein the call status processor which transfers a call status message to the host further comprises terminal identifier processor which retrieves a terminal identifier of the assigned agent.

48. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 47 wherein the delivery processor which transfers the call received under the data format from the host to the assigned agent further comprises a local area network which transfers a summary of the call from the host to the identified terminal of the assigned agent.

49. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 35 further comprising an activity processor which maintains a queue of calls by the call processor for the multi-media transactions received under voice and data format for the plurality of agents.

50. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 49 wherein the activity processor which maintains a queue of calls further comprises a selection processor which assigns a call of the queued calls to a first available agent of the plurality of agents.

51. The apparatus for processing multi-media transactions as in claim 50 further comprising a queue counter which delays transmission of the identifier of an assigned agent to the host until the transferred transaction request from the host to the call processor reaches a front of the queue.