Computer telephony integration hotelling method and system

• US 6,577,726 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Jay, Henry D., Huang, Kuang-Yang, Malden, Matthew S., Annadata, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/541,379
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265-1-2, 379/266-1-2, 379/309, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/207-1-2, 379/207.11, 379/207.12, 379/207.13, 379/211.02, 379/142-1-1, 370/270
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

A method and system for enabling a CTI user to log in at any work station in a network and utilize the system with the correct teleset, and also to transfer a CTI transaction or interaction to another CTI user.

Claims

1. A method of using a computer telephony integration system comprising a plurality of CTI-enabled telesets connected to an ACD or telephony switch, the ACD or telephony switch being connected to a CTI middleware server;

and a plurality of workstations connected to the server, said method comprising identifying a teleset to the server as a hotelling enabled teleset by transmitting a unique ID to the server wherein said identifying comprises;

receiving a hostname;

determining whether said hostname is included in a set of system configuration associations;

recognizing a teleset associated with said hostname as being a hotelling enabled teleset if said hostname is determined to be included in said set of system configuration associations; and

recognizing a teleset associated with said hostname as not being a hotelling enabled teleset if said host name is determined to not be included in said set of system configuration associations.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising logging into the system with a user ID from any workstation and thereafter utilize computer telephony integration with a hotelling enabled teleset.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising transferring a call including the workstation screen information associated with the call to another user at another workstation.

4. The method of claim 3 where the other workstation is hotelling enabled.

5. The method of claim 3 where the other workstation is not hotelling enabled.

6. A computer telephony method of transferring from a first agent at a first location to a second agent at a second location, comprising:

identifying, based on a username of the second agent, a hostname associated with the second location;

determining, based on said hostname, whether the second location is hotelling enabled; and

if the second location is determined to be hotelling enabled, then transferring call data to a workstation at the second location wherein said determining comprises determining whether said hostname is referenced in a set of system configuration associations.

7. The computer telephony method of claim 6, wherein said set of system configuration associations is a system configuration table.

8. A computer telephony system for transferring from a first agent at a first location to a second agent at a second location, comprising:

means for identifying, based on a username of the second agent, a hostname associated with the second location;

means for determining, based on said hostname, whether the second location is hotelling enabled; and

means for transferring call data to a workstation at the second location if the second location is determined to be hotelling enabled wherein said means for determining comprises means for determining whether said hostname is referenced in a set of system configuration associations.

9. The computer telephony system of claim 8, wherein said set of system configuration associations is a system configuration table.