Desktop telephony application program for a call center agent

• US 6,782,087 B1
• Filed: 09/19/1997
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Atkinson, Wesley, McDuff, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, BING Q
• Application Number:
  US08/934,167
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 379/216, 379/355, 379/356, 379/354, 379/210.01, 379/218.01, 379/93.23, 379/93.17, 379/142.17, 379/265.02, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

A desktop telephony application program enables a call center agent to handle calls. The application program may be interfaced with an answering service. The answering service acts as an application program interface (API) to a computer/telephony interface server and a call distributor. The application program produces a user interface that enables the agent to indicate when the agent is going on break and the type of break that the agent is taking. Additional functional elements are provided in the user interface to enable the agent to update status information regarding the current state of the agent. The application program may also provide phone books that hold phone numbers grouped by different logical grouping criteria.

Claims

1. In a computer system having a display device and an interface to telephony resources for placing outbound calls, a method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

providing a plurality of phone books in the computer system having therein telephone number used for placing outbound calls, wherein the plurality of phone books are at least one of a personal phone books, a yellow pages phone book and a call backs phone book;

providing for at least one scheduled calling time to be associated with at least one of the telephone numbers;

providing an interface on the display by which an agent may input the scheduled calling time associated with the at least one telephone number; and

providing an option for postponing a call back time on the display when the scheduled calling time arrives, wherein the agent can select to perform the call back in a predetermined number of minutes from the scheduled calling time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying a prompt on the display when the schedule calling time arrives, whereby the agent is prompted to call the telephone number with which the scheduled calling time is associated.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

providing on the display at the time the prompt is displayed, an interface by which the agent may cause the telephony resources to place an outbound call to the telephone number with which the scheduled calling time is associated.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the prompt is a reminder window.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying status information associated with the outbound call.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising allowing at least one of editing and deleting of information associated with the telephone numbers.

7. A computer system having a display device and an interface to telephony resources for placing outbound calls comprising:

mean for providing a plurality of phone books in the computer system having therein telephone number used for placing outbound calls, wherein outbound calls wherein the plurality of phone books are at least one of a personal phone book, a yellow pages phone book and a call backs phone book;

means for providing for at least one scheduled calling time to be associated with at least one of the telephone numbers;

means for providing an interface on the display by which an agent may input the scheduled calling time associated with the at least one telephone number; and

means for providing an option for postponing a call back time on the display when the scheduled calling time arrives, wherein the agent can select to perform the call back in a predetermined number of minutes from the scheduled calling time.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising means for displaying a prompt on the display when the scheduled calling time arrives, whereby the agent is prompted to call the telephone number with which the scheduled calling time is associated.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for providing on the display at the time the prompt is displayed an interface by which the agent may cause the telephone resources to place an outbound call to the telephone with which the scheduled calling time is associated.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the prompt is a reminder window.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for displaying status information associated with the outbound call.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for allowing at least one of editing and deleting of information associated with the telephone numbers.

13. A computer system having a display device and an interface to telephony resources for placing outbound calls comprising:

a plurality of phone books in the computer system having therein telephone numbers used for placing outbound calls, wherein the plurality of phone books are at least one of a personal phone book, a yellow pages phone book and a call backs phone book;

a scheduled calling time association interface that provides for at least one scheduled calling time to be associated with at least one of the telephone numbers;

an interface on the display by which an agent may input the scheduled calling time associated with the at least one telephone number; and

a postponing interface that provides an option for postponing a call back time on the display when the scheduled calling time arrives, wherein the agent can select to perform the call back in a predetermined number of minutes from the scheduled calling time.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a prompt displayed on the display when the scheduled calling time arrives, whereby the agent is prompted to call the telephone number with which the scheduled calling time is associated.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising an outbound call interface by which the agent may cause the telephone resources to place an outbound call to the telephone with which the scheduled calling time is associated.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the prompt is a reminder window.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a status information portion of the display associated with the outbound call.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising an edit interface that allows at least one of editing and deleting of information associated with the telephone numbers.