Enterprise contact server with enhanced routing features

• US 6,687,241 B1
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Goss, Raymond G.
• Primary Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/317,561
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352-356, 379/309, 379/93.12, 379/265, 379/266, 709/203, 709/219, 709/248
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

The present invention is an Enterprise Contact Server that enables customers to submit call-back requests to agents located at any one of a plurality of call centers via the Internet, or virtually any other communications technology available. A call-back to the customer can be placed via any communications technology available. In its preferred embodiment, the Enterprise Contact Server first selects from skill level tables and agent status tables a qualified agent to whom a call-back request can be routed. The Enterprise Contact Server then enables the call-back request to be submitted by a customer directly from an HTML page on a Web site, and have that same HTML page be presented to the selected qualified agent located at one of the plurality of call-back contact centers. The agent can then place a telephone call to the number provided by the customer who submitted the call-back request, and at the same time, establish a TCP/IP communications session with the customer. This TCP/IP session can proceed between the agent'"'"'s Web browser and the customer'"'"'s Web browser, and the visible actions performed by the agent are transferred to the customer and displayed on the customer'"'"'s browser. The TCP/IP session proceeds simultaneous with the telephone call between the agent and the customer.

Claims

1. In a communications network, a system for establishing and maintaining communications between a customer and a business having a plurality of call centers over a plurality of communications media, said system comprising:

(a) a first means for establishing a first communications link between a customer and a company web server;

(b) a second means for tracking available resources at each of said plurality of call centers, said resources including a call center agent having a particular skill set and availability status, said second means further selecting a call center having a qualified agent available to communicate with said customer;

(c) a third means for establishing a second communications link between said selected call center and said customer, the second communications link being established at a time specified by said customer; and

(d) a premises contact server located at each of said plurality of call centers having means for managing and synchronizing simultaneous IP communications between said web server and said selected call center, and between said web server and said customer,

wherein said agent at said selected call center and said customer may each view said first communications link while communicating with each other over said second communications link, and

wherein each said premises contact server further includes means for communicating call center event messages including resource availability status to said second means.

2. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first communications link is an IP communications link.

3. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third means includes a telephony automatic call director and a telephony server.

4. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said premises contact server communicates with said automatic call director through said telephony server.

5. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said IP communications link includes a link which enables a customer to request a call back if an agent is not available.

6. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said third means enables communication with said customer with a communications protocol selected from the group of broadband telephony, TCP/IP, SMTP, chat, internet telephony or internet video.

7. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system includes a data base server to authenticate a customers entitlements at said call center.

8. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said second means includes a data base server to match the qualifications of a call center agent to a customers call back request.

9. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system further includes a data base server for providing access to data relating to services provided by the business to the customer.

10. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said system further includes first and second linked web servers separated by a security means, with said first web server communicating with said agent, and said second web server communicating with said customer, said second web server providing at least one Java applet to said customer over said IP communications link.

11. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second means further selects a qualified agent for communication with said customer.

12. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 1, further including means for generating a status query message to a selected call center to ascertain availability of call center agents having desired skill set, said contact server of said selected call center generating a response to indicate presence of a qualified call agent.

13. In a communications network, a system as claimed in claim 12, further including means for selecting another one of said plurality of call centers if a qualified agent is not available at said selected call center.

14. In a communications network, a method for establishing and maintaining communications between a customer and one of a plurality of call centers over a plurality of communications media, said method comprising:

establishing a html communications link between a customer and a company web server which enables the customer to request a call back;

determining resource availability at each one of said plurality of call centers for said customer, and selecting a call center having a qualified agent available to communicate with said customer;

authenticating said customer'"'"'s entitlement at said selected call center;

establishing a second communications link between said selected call center and said customer at a time specified by said customer; and

managing and synchronizing simultaneous html communications between;

(i) said web server and said selected call center, and

(ii) said web server and said customer,

wherein said agent may communicate with said customer over said second communications link while each views said simultaneous html communications links.

15. In a communications network, a method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said step of establishing said second communications link includes establishing a telephony link with said customer.

16. In a communications network, a method as claimed in claim 14, further including the step of enabling the customer to request a call back from an agent if an agent is not available.

17. In a communications network, a method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said step of establishing a second communication link enables communication with said customer with a communications protocol selected from the group of broadband telephony, TCP/IP, SMTP, chat, internet telephony or internet video.

18. In a communications network, a method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said step of selecting said call center having qualified agent available further includes the step of matching the qualifications of a call center agent to a customers call back request.

19. In a communications network, a method as claimed in claim 14, further including the step of providing customer and agent access to data relating to services provided by the company to the customer.

20. In a communications network, a method as claimed in claim 19, further including the step of providing access to data relating to trouble tickets on services provided by the company to the customer.

21. In a communications network, a method as claimed in claim 14, further including the step of synchronizing first and second web servers with fixed IP addresses to provide security for company data, with said first web server communicating with said agent, and said second web server communicating with said customer.

22. In a communications network, a method as claimed in claim 21, further including the step of communicating at least one Java applet from said second web server to said customer over said IP communications link.

23. In a communications network, a system for distributing inbound telephone call events received at a telecommunications network switch over a public switched telephone network to one of a plurality of call centers owned by a business enterprise, each said event having a first set of call data associated therewith, said system comprising:

(a) a means for routing said call to a voice response unit capable of obtaining information from the caller;

(b) a means for tracking available resources at each of said plurality of call centers, said resources including one or more call center agents each having a particular skill set and availability status, said tracking means further selecting one of a call center and call center agent based on said information from the caller, and communicating a second set of call data relating to said selected call center to said voice response means;

(c) an automatic call distributor means associated with each of said plurality of call centers for routing calls for transmission over said public switched telephone network, said voice response unit routing said call to a first said automatic call distributor means for forwarding said call over said public switched telephone network to a second automatic call distributor means associated with said selected call center, said voice response unit additionally routing said second set of call data to said selected call center;

(d) a premises contact server means located at said selected call center for receiving said first set of call data from said second automatic call distributor means and said second set of call data from said voice response unit and managing distribution of said call to an agent at said selected call center while sending said second set of data to a workstation associated with said agent,

whereby said agent at said selected call center and said customer communicate with each other over said public switched telephone network, while said agent has updated data available to him at said workstation.

24. In a communications network, a system for distributing inbound telephone call events as claimed in claim 23, wherein said second set of call data is routed to said selected call center over one of a local area network and wide area network.

25. In a communications network, a system for distributing inbound telephone call events as claimed in claim 23, wherein said routing means includes a data access point for determining a destination for said call based on said first set of data.

26. In a communications network, a system for distributing inbound telephone call events as claimed in claim 23, wherein said first set of data includes data relating to an automatic number identifier.

27. In a communications network, a system for distributing inbound telephone call events as claimed in claim 25, wherein said second set of data includes data for routing the call to a particular destination.

28. In a communications network, a system for distributing inbound telephone call events as claimed in claim 25, wherein said second set of data includes data pertaining to a caller requesting a particular service.

29. In a communications network, a system for distributing inbound telephone call events as claimed in claim 23, wherein each said call center includes a telephony server means to facilitate routing of calls from said automatic call distributor to said premises contact server means.

30. In a communications network having a plurality of call centers for receiving service requests from customers, a method for continuing communication between a customer and one of said plurality of call centers on a call back basis, said call back communications enabled over a plurality of communications media, said method comprising:

establishing a html communications link between a customer and a company web server which enables the customer to request a call back;

determining resource availability at each of said plurality of call centers for said customer and selecting a call center having an available qualified agent;

identifying an agent at said call center available for call back communication with said customer;

triggering said customer call back request by running a Java applet embedded in an html communication received by the customer;

establishing a second communications link between said call center and said customer at a time specified by said customer;

managing and synchronizing simultaneous html communications between;

(i) said web server and said selected call center, and

(ii) said web server and said customer,

wherein said agent may communicate with said customer over said second communications link while each views said simultaneous html communications links.