Integrated customer web station for web based call management
First Claim
1. A web-based call manager webstation system for controlling and monitoring customer'"'"'s telecommunication network routing configurations via an integrated interface, the system comprising:
- a client browser application located at a client workstation for enabling interactive web-based communications with the call manager webstation system and providing the integrated interface, wherein a secure server supports a secure socket connection enabling encrypted communications between the client browser application and the secure server; and
a configuring device, launched via the client browser, for enabling a customer to monitor, define, and manipulate call routing parameters, the configuring device further formatting customer defined parameters into client message transactions and communicating the client message transactions to the secure server over the secure socket connection, wherein a routing engine maintains call routing rules and interfaces with a plurality of network control elements for directing call routing and receiving data statistics, the routing engine further using the rules, the data statistics, and the customer defined parameters in determining where to route calls, wherein the customer is enabled to control call routing and to test the routing rules via the web-based integrated interface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Web-based call routing management workstation application which allows authorized customers to control toll free routing and monitor call center status. An architecture including one or more web servers located in a firewalled demilitarized zone (DMZ) as communications medium between the customer workstations at the customer sites and the enterprise back-end applications providing the call routing management services, provides a secure infrastructure for accessing the enterprise applications via the otherwise insecure public Internet. The present invention enables creation and management of call by call routing rules by a customer with a workstation having an Internet access and a supported Web browser. The customized rules may be tested and/or debugged via the Web-enabled workstation, using a debugger/tester which runs the routing rules under a simulated environment. In addition, customers may provision hierarchies for their business; create, modify or delete agent pools; manipulate capacity tables; and define quota schemes, value lists and schedule tables, all at the customer site via the Web-enabled workstation. The present invention also enables the customers to view near real-time displays of call center ACD statistics and peg counts based on routing rules, as well as, run provisioning and statistical reports on provisioning and statistical data and also to extract the data for further analysis. Additionally, the present invention supports foreign language and branding features on a graphical user interface. An infrastructure is provided which enables secure initiation, acquisition, and presentation of the call manager functionalities to customers from any computer workstation having a web browser and located anywhere in the world.
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Citations
73 Claims
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1. A web-based call manager webstation system for controlling and monitoring customer'"'"'s telecommunication network routing configurations via an integrated interface, the system comprising:
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a client browser application located at a client workstation for enabling interactive web-based communications with the call manager webstation system and providing the integrated interface, wherein a secure server supports a secure socket connection enabling encrypted communications between the client browser application and the secure server; and
a configuring device, launched via the client browser, for enabling a customer to monitor, define, and manipulate call routing parameters, the configuring device further formatting customer defined parameters into client message transactions and communicating the client message transactions to the secure server over the secure socket connection, wherein a routing engine maintains call routing rules and interfaces with a plurality of network control elements for directing call routing and receiving data statistics, the routing engine further using the rules, the data statistics, and the customer defined parameters in determining where to route calls, wherein the customer is enabled to control call routing and to test the routing rules via the web-based integrated interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
a session manager for maintaining session information associated with the customer session, the session information including a session timestamp representing a time of receipt of a previous communication transaction associated with the customer session, wherein the session manager updates the session timestamp with a current time when the secure server receives a current communication transaction from the configuring device.
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5. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the secure server further includes a device for monitoring the session timestamp, and wherein if a time difference between a current monitoring time and the session timestamp exceeds a predefined value, the device for monitoring clears the session information associated with the customer session, whereby the customer session is no longer deemed valid.
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6. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further enables the customer to view, define, and manipulate call routing parameters which are applied on a call by call basis.
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7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further enables the customer to write call routing rules via the configuring device, and the configuring device further communicates the rules to the routing engine for use during the call routing.
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8. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the call routing rules are applied on a call by call basis.
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9. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the system further enables the customer to test a rules set comprising the rules written by the customer by simulating call scenarios in which to test a rules set logic.
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10. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the configuring device further enables the customer to define call context parameters for simulating the call scenarios, wherein the customer is enabled to control the simulated call scenarios in which to test the rules set.
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11. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the call context parameters include called-number, ANI, CED, carrier, data and time of a simulated call.
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12. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the call context parameters which may be defined by the customer further include call destinations affecting load balancing.
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13. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the call context parameters which may be defined by the customer further include quotas affecting load balancing.
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14. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the system further enables the customer to step through the simulation one line at a time.
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15. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the system further enables the customer to run through an entire call simulation without stopping when testing the rules set.
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16. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the configuring device further enables the customer to select to view status information associated with a call being simulated during the simulation.
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17. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the status information view includes a destination status view.
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18. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the status information view includes a destination details view.
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19. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the status information view includes a call detail records view.
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20. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call routing parameters which may be viewed via the configuring device include agent pool statistics, and wherein the customer is enabled to perform load-balancing based on the agent pool statistics.
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21. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the agent pool statistics include average call handling time.
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22. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the agent pool statistics include a number of agents.
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23. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the agent pool statistics include a number of calls routed to each destination.
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24. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call routing parameters which may be viewed and modified include agent pool capacity tables, wherein the customer is enabled to provide default staffing allocation for use by a load balancing algorithm performing load balancing.
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25. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call routing parameters which may be viewed and modified include termination destination identifiers.
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26. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the termination destination identifiers include a single call termination into a single telephone instrument.
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27. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the termination destination identifiers include a line termination into a private branch exchange (PBX).
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28. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the termination destination identifiers include a single call termination into an ACD.
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29. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the termination destination identifiers include a group of destination identifiers terminating into an ACD.
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30. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call routing parameters which may be monitored and modified include distribution protocols for selecting destination identifiers for routing calls.
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31. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the distribution protocols include a round-robin protocol.
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32. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the distribution protocols include a direct protocol in which routing calls are based on a percentage allotted to each destination identifier.
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33. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call routing parameters which may be viewed and modified include rule routing quotas associated with destinations.
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34. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call routing parameters which may be monitored and modified include value lists which are used to determine one or more characteristic(s) of an incoming call, wherein rules are executed based on the one or more characteristic(s).
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35. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call routing parameters which may be monitored and modified include parameters affecting authentication and entitlements to the system.
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36. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the parameters affecting authentication and entitlements include business hierarchies representing corporations and account groups.
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37. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the parameters affecting authentication and entitlements include user identifiers.
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38. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 35, wherein the parameters affecting authentication and entitlements include data access privileges.
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39. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the system further enables the customer to view near real-time displays of peg counts based on routing rules, the plurality of transaction requests including a request to monitor the peg counts, and the information includes current peg counts retrieved and forwarded to the customer by the customer via the configuring device.
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40. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 39, wherein the information including current peg counts are continuously retrieved and forwarded to the configuring device, the configuring device further updating the information continuously as the information is received.
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41. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the system further enables the customer to view near real-time displays of call center ACD statistics, the plurality of transaction request including a request to monitor the call center ACD statistics, and the information includes current call center ACD statistics retrieved and forwarded to the customer via the configuring device.
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42. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 41, wherein the information including current call center ACD statistics are continuously retrieved and forwarded to the configuring device, the configuring device further updating the information continuously as the information is received.
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43. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuring device further enables the customer to run provisioning reports.
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44. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuring device further enables the customer to run statistical reports.
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45. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuring device further enables the customer to extract data from the routing engine and the plurality of network control elements for presentation to the customer.
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46. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further enables the customer to display status of the web-based call manager webstation system via the configuring device.
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47. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further presents alarms related to running of the web-based call manager webstation system via the configuring device.
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48. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further enables the customer via the configuring device to administer host systems including the routing engine.
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49. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further enables the customer via the configuring device to administer host systems including gateway systems connecting the routing engine to the plurality of network control elements.
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50. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuring device further includes a branding device for branding presentation views in a specific context.
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51. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuring device further includes a translation device for supporting multiple languages, wherein texts are displayed by the configuring device in a language of a geographic locale.
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52. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the agent pool statistics include one selected from a group consisting of:
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a number of calls abandoned during a reporting interval;
a number of calls answered during a reporting interval;
a number of calls completed during a reporting interval;
a number of agents currently handling active calls;
a number of agents currently performing after-call activities;
a number of agents logged in to the ACD but who are not currently available to handle calls due to an auxiliary work;
a number of agents available including those currently handling active calls;
a number of agents currently logged in to the ACD including those agents in auxiliary work state;
a number of calls currently in queue waiting for an available agent;
a percentage of calls abandoned during a reporting interval;
a number of seconds the oldest call in queue has been waiting;
an average time to handle a call including talk time and after-call work time;
an average time the calls wait in queue for the available agents;
an average time in queue for the calls which were abandoned; and
a ratio of a number of calls to a number of agents working on calls.
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53. The web-based call manager webstation system as claimed in claim 52, wherein the agent pool statistics includes any combination of the group thereof.
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54. A method for controlling customer'"'"'s call routing configurations via a web-based integrated interface at a customer workstation having a client browser application for enabling interactive web-based communications between the customer and the integrated interface, the method comprising:
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managing a client session over a secure socket connection to enable encrypted communications between the client browser application and a secure server;
maintaining call routing rules for use in directing call routing via one or more network control elements;
collecting data statistics from the network control elements; and
communicating customer-defined call routing parameters associated with the call routing rules, wherein the call routing rules, the data statistics, and the customer defined call routing parameters are used by the network control elements to determine where to route calls, and the customer is enabled at the customer workstation to control call routing of individual calls and to test the routing rules. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
downloading the data statistics to the customer workstation via the secure server; and
presenting the data statistics to the customer;
wherein the customer is enabled to monitor status of the network control elements at the customer workstation.
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56. The method according to claim 55, wherein the data statistics include call center ACD statistics, and the customer is enabled to monitor a status of one or more call center(s).
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57. The method according to claim 56, wherein the method of presenting the data statistics further includes continuously updating the data statistics with current data at the customer workstation, and the customer is enabled to monitor the status of the one or more call center(s) in near real time.
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58. The method according to claim 55, wherein the method of presenting further includes displaying the data statistics in a graphical format.
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59. The method according to claim 54, wherein the method further includes:
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enabling the customer to write call routing rules; and
communicating the call routing rules via the secure server;
using the call routing rules for the call routing of individual calls.
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60. The method according to claim 59, wherein the method further includes:
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simulating call scenarios; and
running the call routing rules in the simulated call scenarios for testing, wherein the customer is enabled to test the call routing rules.
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61. The method according to claim 60, wherein the step of simulating further includes:
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accepting from the customer workstation, customer-defined call context parameters which are used to simulate the call scenarios;
communicating the customer-defined call context parameters via the secure server; and
using the customer-defined call context parameters in simulating the call scenarios, wherein, the customer is enabled to control a simulation of the call scenarios in which to test the call routing rules.
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62. The method according to claim 60, wherein the step of running the call routing rules further includes:
stopping after each line, wherein the customer is enabled to debug the call routing rules line by line.
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63. The method according to claim 62, wherein the step of running the call routing rules further includes:
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presenting data statistics from the network control elements after the step of stopping, wherein the customer is enabled to monitor status information during the testing.
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64. The method according to claim 54, wherein the step of managing a client session further includes:
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maintaining session information associated with the client session;
including a timestamp in the session information for representing a time of receiving of a previous communication transaction associated with the client session;
receiving a current communication transaction from the customer workstation;
updating the timestamp with a time of receipt of the current communication transaction.
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65. The method according to claim 64, wherein the step of managing a client session further comprises:
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monitoring the timestamp;
comparing current monitoring time with the timestamp; and
clearing the session information having the timestamp, if a time difference between the current monitoring time and the timestamp exceeds a predefined value.
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66. The method according to claim 54, wherein the method further includes:
translating texts presented to the customer into a language used in a geographic locale where the customer workstation is located.
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67. The method according to claim 54, wherein the method further includes:
branding presentation views communicated to the customer at the customer workstation to denote customer-specific context.
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68. A web-based call manager webstation system for controlling and monitoring customer'"'"'s telecommunication network routing configurations, the system comprising:
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a client browser application located at a client workstation for enabling interactive web-based communications, wherein a secure server manages one or more customer session(s) over the Internet and supports a secure socket connection enabling encrypted communications between the client browser application and the secure server;
configuring device launched via the client browser, for enabling a customer to monitor, define, and manipulate call routing parameters, the configuring device further formatting customer defined parameters into client message transactions and communicating the client message transactions to the secure server over the secure socket connection, wherein a routing engine maintains call routing rules and interfaces with a plurality of network control elements for directing call routing and receiving data statistics, the routing engine further using the rules, the data statistics, and the customer defined parameters in determining where to route calls, wherein the customer is enabled to control call routing and to test the routing rules via the client browser application. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A web-based system for providing call management of a call center, the system comprising:
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a client browser application configured to permit a user to monitor, define, and manipulate call routing parameters associated with a call into the call center, the client browser application receiving data statistics associated with the call center and supporting testing of routing rules that are written by the user, wherein the call is routed based on the user defined parameters, the data statistics, and the routing rules.
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Specification