Method for serving IP users by graphically-based interaction to agents of a call center

• US 6,826,194 B1
• Filed: 01/20/1999
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tadiran Telecom (TTL), Limited Prtnership
• Original Assignee: Tadiran Telecom Business Systems Ltd. (Tiv Taam Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Vered, Nimrod Itzhak, Ganani, Nir
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US09/233,818
• Time in Patent Office: 2,141 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/493, 370/494-495, 370/223, 370/202, 370/351, 370/401, 370/465, 370/468, 379/266.1, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/93.09, 379/210.01, 709/202-203, 709/224, 709/204-205, 709/206, 707/5, 707/4, 707/10, 705/14, 705/26, 345/705
• US Class Current: 370/449
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks

Abstract

Method and apparatus for connecting Internet or IP users to agents of a call center, which may be linked to an Internet web site. Visual information about quality of service, available agents, and history of previous connections, is transferred to the IP user via the IP network prior to voice call establishment, and a voice call is established according to inputs from the IP user which are responsive to the transferred information. An IP user who accesses a web site is identified and initiates a session with the serving call-center. Agent status information is stored at the call-center database. Information about the status and skills of each agent, which is stored at a database, is sent over the IP network and displayed on the screen of the IP user. A first selection menu is displayed on the screen and the IP user is requested to select between waiting for a preferred agent or sending voice or text messages. Available agents are displayed on the first menu, as well as their queuing time. If the IP user selects to wait, a second selection menu is displayed, thereby offering the IP user to continue to queue, or to queue for another agent, or to leave a voice message which may be delivered to the agent via voice mail. The IP user may send a text message which is displayed on the agent'"'"'s display. After making all the desired selections and knowing the queuing time, a Voice-over-IP call between the IP user and the call-center may be established. The details of the connection between each IP user and his preferred agent during the current session are stored in a database.

Claims

1. A method for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer service representative, comprising:

transferring to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, real-time visual information including at least one of;

details of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details;

displaying visual information about said details of previous connections when an access to the call center by an IP user is determined;

receiving inputs from at least one of the IP users which are responsive to said information,

allowing said IP user to select an agent for connection, or to leave a message for an agent; and

establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said received inputs,

wherein the availability of each agent is obtained by polling the agents.

2. A method for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer service representative, comprising:

transferring to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, real-time visual information including at least one of;

details of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details;

displaying visual information about said details of previous connections when an access to the call center by an IP user is determined;

receiving inputs from at least one of the IP users which are responsive to said information;

allowing said IP user to select an agent for connection, or to leave a message for an agent; and

establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said received inputs;

wherein the display of visual information to said IP user, comprises performing the followings steps;

a) displaying a first selection menu on the screen display of said IP user, said first selection menu introducing the skills, availability, queuing time for each available agent/group of agents and details of previous connections with each agent, and offering said IP user to select, and wait to, a preferred available agent/group of agents, or to leave a message to a preferred agent/group of agents;

b) while waiting in the queue for a preferred agent/group of agents, displaying at least a second selection menu on the screen display of said IP user, said at least second selection menu offering said IP user a plurality of selectable choices.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said at least second selection menu further allows said IP user to select and wait for another available agent/group of agents, or to leave a text message to said preferred agent/group of agents, or to quit waiting while leaving a message to said preferred agent/group of agents.

4. A method for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer service representative, comprising:

transferring to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, real-time visual information including at least one of;

details of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details;

displaying visual information about said details of previous connections when an access to the call center by an IP user is determined;

receiving inputs from at least one of the IP users which are responsive to said information;

allowing said IP user to select an agent for connection, or to leave a message for an agent; and

establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said received inputs while displaying details of said IP user to said human agent, or delivering a message to said agent or to another agent, in response to said IP user selection;

wherein establishing the call between an IP user and an agent comprises performing the following steps;

a) establishing a data connection between the IP user and the call-center;

b) generating and storing a unique user ID for each first time IP user or verifying the user ID of each previously connected IP user;

c) receiving a selection of an available agent from the IP user;

d) placing a request related to said IP user in a queue for said selected agent; and

e) starting a VOIP call between said IP user and said selected available agent or an agent from said group of agents, as soon as said selected agent or group of agents becomes available, if said request related to said IP user still remains in the queue.

5. A method for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer service representative, comprising:

transferring to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, real-time visual information including at least one of;

details of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details;

displaying visual information about said details of previous connections when an access to the call center by an IP user is determined;

receiving inputs from at least one of the IP users which are responsive to said information;

allowing said IP user to select an agent for connection, or to leave a message for an agent; and

establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said received inputs;

wherein transferring details of previous connections comprises performing the following steps;

a) for each established call between said IP user and a selected agent, storing a user ID and details of said selected agent in a corresponding database in said call-center;

b) retrieving said stored details of said selected agent from said corresponding database in said call-center, displaying said details and skills of previously connected agents to said IP user, and allowing said IP user to select a previously connected agent, prior to any call establishment between said IP user and said call-center; and

c) retrieving said stored user ID from said corresponding database in said call-center, and displaying the user ID to each agent, prior to any call establishment between said IP user and said call-center.

6. A method for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer service representative, comprising:

transferring to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, real-time visual information including at least one of;

details of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details;

receiving inputs from at least one of the IP users which are responsive to said information; and

establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said received inputs, comprising;

a) providing a connection to a plurality of IP users, at least one IP user being connected to an IP network via a suitable computer having a visual display screen;

b) providing a call-center, said call-center having a plurality of agents for serving incoming calls from said IP users, and a first and second databases for storing and retrieving information;

c) providing at least one web site, said web site being accessible to said plurality of IP users via said IP network, and linked to said call-center via a suitable IP link;

d) allowing access to the web site by at least one IP user;

e) establishing a data connection between said IP user and said call-center;

f) identifying previously connected IP users by their corresponding user ID or generating a unique user ID for each user whenever the IP user is a first time user;

g) continuously storing information related to a status of each agent in said first database;

h) in case when the IP user is a first time user, performing the followings steps;

h.1) generating and storing a unique user ID;

h.2) displaying a first selection menu on each IP user display screen, said first selection menu containing information about all agents and their corresponding queuing time, retrieved from said first database or obtained by polling said agents, and allowing said IP user the capability of selecting a preferred agent and waiting in queue for said preferred agent, or sending a message to said preferred agent;

h.3) receiving the preferred agent selection from the IP user;

h.4) establishing a Voice-over-IP session between the IP user and the call-center;

h.5) displaying a second selection menu on the IP user display screen while waiting in queue for said preferred agent, said second selection menu allowing said IP user to leave a message to said preferred agent or to talk to another agent or to terminate said call;

h.6) connecting the IP user to the queue associated with said preferred agent or recording a voice or text message for method for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer service representative, comprising;

transferring to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, real-time visual information including at least one of;

details of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details;

receiving inputs from at least one of the IP users which are responsive to said information; and

establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said preferred agent, according to the selection of step h.5) above; and

h.7) storing the details of the connection between each IP user and his preferred agent for the current session in said second database.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the IP user is a previously connected user who wishes to be served by an agent to whom said IP user was previously connected, comprising performing the following steps:

h-I) displaying information about previous connections with agents and a first selection menu on each IP user display screen, said first selection menu allowing said IP user a capability to select a preferred agent to whom said IP user was previously connected;

h-II) receiving information about the selection of said preferred agent from the IP user;

h-III) establishing a Voice-over-IP session between the IP user and the call-center;

h.IV) displaying the queuing time to said preferred agent and a second selection menu on the IP user display screen, said second selection menu offering said IP user to stay in the queue for said preferred connected agent, to queue for another agent or group of agents, or to leave a message;

h.V) connecting the IP user to said preferred agent when available, or displaying the queuing time to said preferred agent and said second selection menu on the IP user display screen; and

h.VI) storing the details of the connection between each IP user and the preferred agent for the current session in said second database.

10. A method according to claim 6, wherein the IP user and the IP network are an Internet user and the Internet, respectively.

11. A method according to claim 6, wherein the IP user and the IP network are an Internet user and an Internet, respectively, said Intranet being linked to the Internet.

7. A received inputs, comprising:

a) providing a connection to a plurality of IP users, at least one IP user being connected to an IP network via a suitable computer having a visual display screen;

b) providing a call-center, said call-center having a plurality of agents for serving incoming calls from said IP users, and a first and second databases for storing and retrieving information;

c) providing at least one web site, said web site being accessible to said plurality of IP users via said IP network, and linked to said call-center via a suitable IP link;

d) allowing access to the web site by at least one IP user;

e) establishing a data connection between said IP user and said call-center;

f) identifying previously connected IP users by their corresponding user ID or generating a unique user ID for each user whenever the IP user is a first time user;

g) continuously storing information related to a status of each agent in said first database;

h) in case when the IP user is a previously connected user, performing the following steps;

h.1) verifying the user ID;

h.2) displaying information about previous connections with agents;

h.3) displaying information about all agents and a first selection menu on each IP user display screen, said first selection menu containing information about all agents and their corresponding queuing time, retrieved from said first database or obtained by polling said agents, and allowing said IP user the capability for selecting a preferred agent and waiting in queue for said preferred agent, or sending a message to said preferred agent;

h.4) receiving the preferred agent selection from the IP user;

h.5) establishing a Voice-over-IP session between the IP user and the call-center;

h.6) regularly retrieving information about said preferred agent from said first database and displaying the updated queuing time to said preferred agent and a second selection menu on the IP user display screen, said second selection menu allowing said IP user to queue or to leave a voice message to said preferred agent;

h.7) connecting the IP user to the queue for said preferred agent or recording a voice or text message for said preferred agent, according to the selection of step h.6) above; and

h.8) storing the detail of the connection between each IP user and his preferred agent for the current session in said second database.

9. A method for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer service representative, comprising:

transferring to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, real-time visual information including at least one of;

details of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details,

receiving inputs from at least one of the IP users which are responsive to said information; and

establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said received inputs;

wherein the IP user wishes to be served by a preferred agent who is not currently logged into the call-center, comprising performing the followings steps;

a) sending a voice or text message to said preferred agent, said message being stored and retrieved later on by said preferred agent; and

b) selecting another agent from a first selection menu in the event that said IP user is willing to be served by any available agent.

12. Apparatus for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer services representatives, comprising:

circuitry for the transfer to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, of real time visual information including at least one of;

the history of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details;

and for receiving, from the at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, inputs which are responsive to said information; and

circuitry for establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said received inputs, comprising;

a) a database, linked to a web site and to each agent of said call-center for storing information about each IP user, being connected to said call center, details of said connections and skills of each agent/group of agents;

b) a software, embedded into said call-center, being capable of updating and retrieving information from said database, and displaying information on the screen displays of said IP users and said agents, prior to call establishment;

c) circuitry for identifying each IP user;

d) circuitry for displaying visual information on said IP user screen display;

e) circuitry for delivering and storing message to each agent;

f) circuitry for establishing a call between said IP user and a selected agent; and

g) circuitry for storing and updating information in said database.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an additional database, linked to said web site and to each agent of said call-center for storing and updating information about the availability of each agent.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

i) plurality of IP user stations having a visual display screen, at least one IP user station being suitable to connect to an IP network;

ii) a call-center, said call-center having a plurality of agent stations for serving incoming calls from said IP users, and a first and second databases for storing and retrieving information; and

iii) at least one web site, said web site being accessible to said plurality of IP user stations via said IP network, and linked to said call-center via a suitable IP link.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the web site comprises:

h) circuitry for identifying previously connected IP users; and

i) circuitry for generating a unique user ID for each user whenever the IP user is a first time user.

17. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein calls are distributed between agents by a PBX having ACD features.

18. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the voice messages are sent to agents via voice mail.

19. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the message is a text message displayed on the agent'"'"'s screen.

20. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the IP user is an Internet user connected via the Internet.

21. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the IP user is an Internet user connected via an Intranet, said Intranet being linked to the Internet.

16. Apparatus for connecting IP users to human agents of a call-center, the human agents being customer services representatives, comprising:

circuitry for the transfer to at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, of real time visual information including at least one of;

the history of previous connections between that at least one of the IP users and the human agents;

current quality of service;

available resources; and

agents'"'"' details;

and for receiving, from the at least one of the IP users, prior to call establishment, inputs which are responsive to said information; and

circuitry for establishing a call between the at least one of the IP users and a human agent according to said received inputs;

wherein the call-center comprises;

a) a first database for storing information about each agent status;

b) a second database for storing information about previous connections between each IP user and agents;

c) an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD), the outputs of said ACD being telephonically connected to a plurality of local agents, the input of said ACD being telephonically connected to a plurality of IP users via a web site of an IP network and a gateway, said gateway being connected to said second database;

d) a control circuit for controlling information storage/retrieval in/from said first and second databases;

e) a gateway for protocol conversion from IP to a standard telephonic protocol; and

f) circuitry for recording a voice message for each agent.