Common gateway to call control systems

• US 6,711,249 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tellme Networks Incorporated ([24]7.ai, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weissman, Terry R., Everingham, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US09/780,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20020146108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 379/221.06, 379/265.02, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/201.05, 709/310, 709/311, 709/317, 709/320
• US Class Current: 379/221.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for supporting intelligent call routing (ICR) systems multiple vendors, in a vendor neutral fashion using a computer is described. One embodiment has a voice program send a call routing request using an HTTP format to a call routing program. The call routing program decodes the HTTP request and identifies the appropriate vendor-specific communication format and communications method for talking to the ICR system specified in the HTTP request. The call routing program sends the request and receives the answers from the ICR system in the vendor specific formats. The call routing program provides the ICR system response back to the voice program in a vendor neutral fashion. This approach allows voice programs to easily be written that work with multiple ICR systems and allow component reuse of call routing code amongst programs that end up working with multiple systems.

Claims

1. A method of supporting intelligent call routing (ICR) systems of at least a first vendor in a vendor neutral fashion using a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a call routing function in a vendor neutral format from a program, the request identifying at least a first ICR system to receive the request;

preparing the request in a vendor specific format for transmission to the at least a first ICR system, the vendor specific format selected according to the format used by the at least a first ICR system;

transmitting the request in the vendor specific format to the at least a first ICR system over a network;

responsive to receiving a response over the network from the at least a first ICR system, converting the response into a vendor neutral format; and

relaying the response in the vendor neutral format to the program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the program is a Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) program, the vendor neutral format comprises a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request and wherein the first ICR system is identified by the HTTP request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vendor specific format is not an HTTP request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a dedicated connection to the at least a first ICR system and the transmitting further comprises establishing a communication channel across the dedicated connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a virtual connection to the at least a first ICR system and the transmitting further comprises establishing a communication channel across the virtual connection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining data specifying the vendor specific format and the network for handling requests to the first ICR system and providing one or more programs for communicating in the vendor specific format of the network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the program is a VoiceXML program and wherein the relaying comprises generating one or more predetermined events and setting one or more variables in the execution context of the VoiceXML program according to the response.

8. The method of claim 7, the one or more predetermined events comprises a transfer event and wherein the one or more variables includes a transfer number variable.

9. An apparatus for supporting intelligent call routing (ICR) systems of at least a first vendor in a vendor neutral fashion using a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request for a call routing function in a vendor neutral format from a program, the request identifying at least a first ICR system to receive the request;

means for preparing the request in a vendor specific format for transmission to the at least a first ICR system, the vendor specific format selected according to the format used by the at least a first ICR system;

means for transmitting the request in the vendor specific format to the at least a first ICR system over a network;

means for converting the response into a vendor neutral format responsive to receiving a response over the network from the at least a first ICR system; and

means for relaying the response in the vendor neutral format to the program.

10. An electromagnetic waveform comprising a computer program for supporting intelligent call routing (ICR) systems of at least a first vendor in a vendor neutral fashion using a computer system, the computer program comprising:

a first set of instructions for receiving a request for a call routing function in a vendor neutral format from a program, the request identifying at least a first ICR system to receive the request;

a second set of instructions for preparing the request in a vendor specific format for transmission to the at least a first ICR system, the vendor specific format selected according to the format used by the at least a first ICR system;

a third set of instructions for transmitting the request in the vendor specific format to the at least a first ICR system over a network;

a fourth set of instructions for converting the response into a vendor neutral format responsive to receiving a response over the network from the at least a first ICR system; and

a fifth set of instructions for relaying the response in the vendor neutral format to the program.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the third set of instructions further comprises a set of instructions for interfacing with a vendor provided programming library.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the third set of instructions further comprises a set of instructions for interfacing with a vendor provided application.