Call and data correspondence in a call-in center employing virtual restructuring for computer telephony integrated functionality

• US 6,480,600 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barskyy, Myhailo, Bondarenko, Oleg, Karpenko, Pavel, Miloslavsky, Alec, Petrov, Andrei, Neyman, Igor, Issayev, Valeriy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/949,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 379/219, 379/230, 379/242, 379/258, 379/260, 379/262, 379/265, 379/266, 379/268, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/220, 379/243, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/201.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.05, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/266.07, 379/220.01, 379/221.09, 379/908, 379/900, 370/389, 370/401, 370/408
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• 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 3/42331 Direct inward dialling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• 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 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1328 : Call transfer, e.g. in PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A call center having agent stations comprising telephones connected to computer stations by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge has data pertaining to callers stored in a database on a local area network (LAN) to which the computer stations are also connected. Origination data for incoming calls, both conventional calls to the telephones and computer-simulated calls to the computer platforms, is used as a key to extract data pertaining to calls from the database for display on video display units (VDUs) of the computer workstations where the calls are terminated. In some cases, data is only extracted and displayed for calls from previously listed origination points.

Claims

1. An Internet Protocol call-in center, comprising:

a plurality of agent stations, individual ones of the agent stations having a computer platform including a video display unit (VDU);

a local area network (LAN) connecting at least some of the computer platforms at the agent stations; and

a first computer processor connected on the LAN, having an Internet connection enabled to receive Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) telephone calls from callers, and having access to a database;

wherein the computer platform retrieves origination data for an incoming IPNT call, and uses the origination data to correlate the caller with further data retrieved from the database for display on the VDU, and wherein the first computer processor services calls from specific Service Control Points (SCPs) and blocks display of data at agent station VDUs for any call not identified as originating at one of the specific SCPs.

2. The Internet Protocol call-in center of claim 1 wherein one or more of the computer platforms are personal computers (PCs).

3. The Internet Protocol call-in center of claim 1 wherein the computer platforms report the origination data to the first processor, and the first processor correlates the caller with further data retrieved from the database for display on the VDU.

4. An Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) call-routing system, comprising:

an Internet Protocol call-in center comprising a plurality of agent stations, individual ones of the agent stations having a computer platform including a video display unit (VDU), a telephone and a computer platform connected by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge, with a plurality of the computer workstations connected to one another, to a first processor, and to a database on a local area network (LAN); and

a network-level IPNT call-routing center comprising a processor adapted to route IPNT telephone calls to the computer platforms at the agent stations;

wherein the computer workstation retrieves origination data for incoming calls, reports the origination data to the first processor, wherein the first processor uses the origination data to correlate a caller with further data retrieved from the database for display on the VDU, and wherein the first computer processor services calls from specific Service Control Points (SCPs) and blocks display of data at agent station VDUs for any call not identified as originating at one of the specific SCPs.

5. The telephone call-routing system of claim 4 wherein one or more of the computer workstations are personal computers (PCs).