System for routing electronic mails

• US 6,473,787 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2001
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miloslavsky, Alec
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn, Kimberly D
• Application Number:
  US09/753,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20010001150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 707/1, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/306 Route determination based on the nature of the carried application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• 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 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0054 where the data service is an electronic mail service
• 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

Abstract

A system for routing electronic mails to one of a plurality of support persons in a processing center is disclosed. Each person has a skill set that is suitable for responding to a certain type of e-mails. The system comprises an e-mail server for receiving the e-mail from a sender, an information extractor for extracting relevant information from the e-mail, and a router for routing the e-mail. The system contains a database for storing information related to all persons who can answer e-mails. The system also contains a server for storing the history of all activities in the system. The router can make routing decisions and perform load-balancing and alert functions based on the information stored in the database and the server. The router may also use queues and variable times may be set for actions to be taken on electronic mails.

Claims

1. A method for processing and routing incoming electronic messages to available destinations comprising:

(a) receiving an incoming e-mail message;

(b) selecting a first destination queue to store the message;

(c) starting a first timing function when placing the message in said first queue, the timing function defining a time for initiating a reply to said message;

(d) in response to a failure to initiate said reply within said time, stopping the timing function; and

(e) routing said message to a second queue.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said time for initiating a reply may be varied.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step for starting a second timing function when said message is moved to said second queue.

6. The medium of claim 1 further comprising a step for starting a second timing function when said message is moved to said second queue.

4. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, said set of instructions, which when executed, perform the steps comprising:

(a) selecting a first queue to store an incoming message;

(b) starting a first timing function when placing the message in said first queue, the timing function defining a time for initiating a reply to said message;

(c) in response to a failure to initiate a reply to said message within said time, stopping the timing function; and

(d) routing said message to a second queue.

5. The medium of claim 4 wherein said time for an initiated reply to said message may be varied.

8. A method for processing electronic messages, said method comprising:

(a) receiving an electronic message in a mail system;

(b) routing said message by processing with a processor by a set of rules;

(c) sending said message to a first queue as a result of routing in step (b); and

(d) starting a timing function upon sending said message to said first queue, the timing function defining a time within which a reply to said message is required.

7. The medium of claim 8 further comprising steps for further routing of said message during the duration of the time for an action to be taken.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein time for the required reply may be varied.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising a step for sending said message to a second queue in the event said reply is not made in the defined time for said reply to be made.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising a step for starting a second timing function when said message is sent to said second queue.