ACD with packet data based agent interconnect

• US 6,678,266 B1
• Filed: 01/19/2000
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronic Commerce Corporation (Rockwell International Corporation)
• Inventors: Hollatz, Michael C., Werve, Timothy P., Williams, Laird C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phunkulh, Bob A.
• Application Number:
  US09/487,835
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 379/93.01, 379/93.14, 379/219, 379/220, 379/227, 379/258, 379/260, 379/265, 379/308, 379/309, 709/238, 709/242
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a voice path between a customer call connection received from a public switched telephone network at a switch of an automatic call distributor and an agent of the automatic call distributor at a remote location from the automatic call distributor and also a data connection between a terminal of the agent and a host of the automatic call distributor. The method includes the steps of setting up a dedicated telephone connection through the public switched telephone network between the automatic call distributor and agent at the remote location and establishing a voice internet protocol communication link between the automatic call distributor and agent through the dedicated connection for exchange of voice information between the customer and agent. The method further includes the step of establishing a data link between a database application of the host and a database application of the terminal of the agent through the dedicated connection.

Claims

1. A method of providing a voice path between a customer call connection received from a public switched telephone network at a switch of an automatic call distributor and an agent of the automatic call distributor at a remote location from the automatic call distributor and also a data path between a terminal of the agent and a host of the automatic call distributor, such method comprising the steps of:

setting up a dedicated telephone connection through the public switched telephone network between the automatic call distributor and agent at the remote location;

establishing a Voice over Internet Protocol communication link between the automatic call distributor and agent through the dedicated connection for exchange of voice information between the customer and agent; and

establishing a data link between a database application of the host and a database application of the terminal of the agent through the dedicated connection, wherein the data link and Voice over Internet Protocol communications link are coextensive with the dedicated connection.

2. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 1 further comprising providing a voice application within the automatic call distributor which operates between the customer call and the dedicated connection and which converts between voice information of the customer call at the switch and Voice over Internet Protocol of the dedicated connection.

3. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 1 further comprising providing a voice application within the terminal of the agent which operates between the dedicated connection and an audio speaker and microphone of the agent and which converts between Voice over Internet Protocol and dedicated connection and audible information of the agent.

4. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 3 further comprising establishing a call connection between the voice application of the automatic call distributor and the customer through a call switch of the automatic call distributor.

5. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 4 further comprising receiving a call from the customer at a first port of a switch of the automatic call distributor along with an ANI and DNIS number of the call from the public switched telephone network.

6. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 5 further comprising determining which agent should handle the call based upon the ANI and DNIS numbers.

7. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 6 further comprising retrieving a telephone number of the agent from a lookup table.

8. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 6 further comprising transferring the telephone number of the agent to a modem of the automatic call distributor.

9. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 8 further comprising transferring the telephone number of the agent from the modem of the automatic call distributor to the public switched telephone network for setup of the dedicated call connection between the modem of the automatic call distributor and modem of the terminal of the agent.

10. The method of providing a voice and data path as in claim 1 wherein the step of establishing the data link between a database application of the automatic call distributor and a database application of the terminal of the agent further comprises transferring an identifier of the host and call to a controller of the dedicated connection and an identifier of the call and a modem of the automatic call distributor supporting the dedicated connection to the host.

11. Apparatus for providing an voice path between a customer call received from a public switched telephone network at a switch of an automatic call distributor and an agent of the automatic call distributor at a remote location from the automatic call distributor and also a data path between a terminal of the agent and a host of the automatic call distributor, such apparatus comprising:

means for setting up a dedicated telephone connection between the automatic call distributor and agent;

means for establishing a voice over internet protocol communication link between the automatic call distributor and agent through the dedicated connection for exchange of voice information between the customer and agent; and

means for establishing a data link between a database application of the automatic call distributor and a database application of the terminal of the agent through the dedicated connection, wherein the data link and voice over internet protocol communications link are coextensive with the dedicated connection.

12. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 11 further comprising means for providing voice internet protocol processing which operates between the switch and dedicated connection and which converts between voice information of the customer call and voice internet protocol of the agent through the dedicated connection.

13. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 12 further comprising means for providing voice internet protocol processing within the terminal which operates between the dedicated connection and the agent and which converts voice information of the agent to voice internet protocol information of the dedicated connection.

14. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 13 further comprising means for establishing a call connection between the means for providing voice internet protocol processing of the automatic call distributor and the customer through a call switch of the automatic call distributor.

15. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 14 further comprising means for receiving a call from the customer at a first port of a switch of the automatic call distributor along with an ANI and DNIS number of the call from the public switched telephone network.

16. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 15 further comprising means for determining which agent should handle the call based upon the ANI and DNIS numbers.

17. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 16 further comprising means for retrieving a telephone number of the agent from a lookup table.

18. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 17 further comprising means for transferring the telephone number of the agent to a modem of the automatic call distributor.

19. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 18 further comprising means for transferring the telephone number of the agent from the modem of the automatic call distributor to the public switched telephone network for setup of the dedicated call connection between the modem of the automatic call distributor and modem of the terminal of the agent.

20. The apparatus for providing a voice and data path as in claim 11 wherein the means for establishing the data link between a database application of the automatic call distributor and a database application of the terminal of the agent further comprises means for transferring an identifier of the host and call to a controller of the automatic call distributor and an identifier of the call and a modem of the automatic call distributor supporting the dedicated connection to the host.

21. Apparatus for providing an end-to-end voice path between an agent at a first remote location and a customer at a second remote location through an automatic call distributor and a public switched telephone network and also a data path between a terminal of the agent and a host of the automatic call distributor also through the public switched telephone network, such apparatus comprising:

means for providing a dedicated telephone connection between the automatic call distributor and agent;

first means for converting between a voice signal and a voice over internet protocol located within the automatic call distributor and coupled between the call connection with the customer and the dedicated call connection with the agent;

second means for converting between a voice signal and a voice internet protocol located within the terminal of the agent and coupled between the dedicated call connection and a a speaker of the agent;

means for providing a shared data link over the dedicated call connection with a first portion of the shared data link exchanging data between the first and second means for converting and a second portion of the shared data link exchanging data between the host of the automatic call distributor and a database application of the terminal of the agent and wherein the shared data link is coextensive with the dedicated telephone connection.

22. Apparatus for providing an voice path between a customer call received from a public switched telephone network at a switch of an automatic call distributor and an agent of the automatic call distributor at a remote location from the automatic call distributor and also a data path between a terminal of the agent and a host of the automatic call distributor, such apparatus comprising:

means for setting up a dedicated telephone connection between the automatic call distributor and agent;

means for establishing a voice over internet protocol communication link between the automatic call distributor and agent through the dedicated connection for exchange of voice information between the customer and agent; and

means for establishing a data link between a database application of the automatic call distributor and a database application of the terminal of the agent through the dedicated connection, wherein the data link and voice over internet protocol communications link are coextensive with the dedicated connection.

23. Apparatus for providing an voice and data path between an agent at a remote location and an automatic call distributor, the voice path being used to service a call from a customer received from the public switched telephone network by the automatic call distributor and the data path being used to provide the agent with records of the customer from a database of the automatic call distributor, such apparatus comprising:

a dedicated telephone connection between the automatic call distributor and agent at the remote location;

a voice over internet protocol application disposed between the customer call at the switch and the dedicated connection;

a voice over internet protocol application disposed between the agent and the dedicated connection;

a database application within a host of the automatic call distributor coupled to the dedicated connection; and

a database application within a data processor of the agent coupled to the dedicated connection, wherein the voice over internet protocol applications and database applications are each mutually coupled through a data link that is coextensive with the dedicated connection.

24. The apparatus as in claim 23 further comprising a processor coupled between the dedicated connection and agent which processes the voice internet application and database application of the agent.

25. The apparatus as in claim 24 further comprising a modem coupled between the processor of the agent and the dedicated connection.

26. The apparatus as in claim 23 further comprising a voice internet processor coupled between the customer call at the switch and the dedicated connection which processes the voice internet application of the automatic call distributor.

27. The apparatus as in claim 26 further comprising a host processor coupled between the database at the switch and the dedicated connection which processes the database application of the automatic call distributor.

28. The apparatus as in claim 24 further comprising a modem coupled between the processor of the of the automatic call distributor and the dedicated connection.

29. The apparatus as in claim 28 further comprising a local area network coupling the voice internet protocol processor and host processor to the modem of the automatic call distributor.

30. A method of routing a call between a customer of an automatic call distributor and a remotely located agent of the automatic call distributor, such method comprising the steps of:

setting up a dedicated telephone connection between the automatic call distributor and a VOIP application of the remotely located agent;

providing a VOIP gateway within the automatic call distributor between the dedicated connection and a first port of a switch of the automatic call distributor;

connecting a call with the customer at a second port of the switch to the first port of the switch; and

exchanging VOIP information of the agent and customer between the VOIP gateway and VOIP application, but only through the dedicated telephone connection.

31. The method of routing a call as in claim 30 further comprising tearing down the call connection at a conclusion of a conversation between the agent and the customer.

32. The method of routing a call as in claim 30 further comprising determining that the dedicated telephone connection should be set up based upon a call loading of the automatic call distributor.

33. The method of routing a call as in claim 30 wherein the step of setting up a dedicated connection further comprises transferring a telephone number of the agent to an associated public switched telephone network.

34. The method of routing a call as in claim 33 wherein the step of transferring a telephone number of the agent to the public switched telephone network further comprising transferring the telephone number of the agent to a modem of the automatic call distributor.

35. The method of routing a call as in claim 34 wherein the step of providing a VOIP gateway between the dedicated connection and a first port of a switch of the automatic call distributor further comprises transferring a local area identifier of the VOIP gate of the automatic call distributor to a controller of the modem of the automatic call distributor and an identifier of the modem of the automatic call distributor to the VOIP gate of the automatic call distributor.

36. The method of routing a call as in claim 30 further comprising concurrently forming a data connection over the dedicated connection between a host of the automatic call distributor and a terminal of the agent.

37. The method of routing a call as in claim 36 wherein the step of forming the data connection further comprises transferring an identifier of the host and call to a controller of the dedicated connection and an identifier of the call and a modem of the automatic call distributor supporting the dedicated connection to the host.

38. The method of routing a call as in claim 30 further comprising selecting an agent to handle the customer call from a plurality of agents available within the automatic call distributor.

39. A The method of routing a call as in claim 38 wherein the step of selecting an agent further comprises receiving ANI and DNIS information from the public switched telephone network along with the call from the customer.

40. The method of routing a call as in claim 39 wherein the step of selecting an agent further comprises selecting the remotely located agent from the plurality of agents available to the automatic call distribution system based upon one of the ANI and DNIS information.

41. The method of routing a call as in claim 40 further comprising transferring a screen pop to the remotely located agent through the data connection.

42. The method of routing a call as in claim 41 wherein the screen pop further comprising a customer file identified using the ANI information.

43. The method of routing a call as in claim 30 further comprising defining the VOIP gateway as a voice over Internet Protocol application which converts between a relatively continuous voice information of the customer call at the switch and voice internet protocol of the dedicated connection.

44. The method of routing a call as in claim 30 further comprising providing a voice application within the terminal of the remotely located agent which operates between the dedicated connection and an audio speaker and microphone of the agent and which converts between voice internet protocol of the dedicated connection and audible information of the agent.