Contact center data integration with enterprise applications

• US 6,961,419 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2002
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Shambaugh, Craig R., Peters, Michael, Saleh, Nayel, James, Eric, Dezonno, Anthony J., Funck, David, Power, Mark J., Bloom, Joseph, Hodson, Jeffrey D., Mosquera, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/114,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20030185381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.12, 379/212.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/900
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for processing a call with a client detected by a call center to an agent of the call center. The method includes the step of providing a call object for the call, collecting attributes of the call within the call object, associating an agent object with the call object and displaying client data to an agent of the call center based upon a view process of the associated agent object.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call with a client by a call center having an agent, such method comprising the step of:

providing a call object for the call adapted to allow control of the call from any connected computing platform;

collecting attributes of the call within the call object;

associating an agent object with the call object; and

displaying client data to an agent of the call center based upon a view process of the associated agent object.

2. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 wherein the step of collecting the attributes of the call further comprises delivering the call detected by the call center to a call handling application.

3. The method of processing the call as in claim 2 wherein the step of collecting the attributes of the call further comprises receiving call associated information by the call handling application from an associated public switch telephone network.

4. The method of processing the call as in claim 3 wherein the step of collecting the attributes of the call further comprises coupling the call to a voice response unit.

5. The method of processing the call as in claim 4 further comprising coupling the call object to a routing object.

6. The method of processing the call as in claim 5 further comprising transferring the attributes of the call object to the routing object.

7. The method of processing the call as in claim 6 wherein the step of transferring the attributes of the call object to the routing object further comprises retrieving a file of the client from a client database.

8. The method of processing a call as in claim 7 wherein the step of retrieving the file of the client from a client database further comprises storing the client file in the call object.

9. The method of processing the call as in claim 8 further comprising selecting the agent by the routing object based upon the collected attributes of the call object and the retrieved file of the client.

10. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprising connecting a voice channel between the agent and client through a public switch telephone network.

11. The method of processing the call as in claim 1 further comprising connecting exchanging messages between the agent and client through an Internet connection.

12. An apparatus for processing a call with a client by a call center having an agent, such apparatus comprising:

means for providing a call object for the call adapted to control the call from any connected computing platform;

means for collecting attributes of the call within the call object;

means for associating an agent object with the call object; and

means for displaying client data to an agent of the call center based upon a view process of the associated agent object.

13. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 12 wherein the means for collecting the attributes of the call further comprises means for delivering the call detected by the call center to a call handling application.

14. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 13 wherein the means for collecting the attributes of the call further comprises means for receiving call associated information by the call handling application from an associated public switch telephone network.

15. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 14 wherein the means for collecting the attributes of the call further comprises means for coupling the call to a voice response unit.

16. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 15 further comprising means for coupling the call object to a routing object.

17. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 16 further comprising means for transferring the attributes of the call object to the routing object.

18. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 17 wherein the means for transferring the attributes of the call object to the routing object further comprises means for retrieving a file of the client from a client database.

19. The apparatus for processing a call as in claim 18 wherein the means for retrieving the file of the client from a client database further comprises means for storing the client file in the call object.

20. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 19 further comprising means for selecting the agent by the routing object based upon the collected attributes of the call object and the retrieved file of the client.

21. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 12 further comprising means for connecting a voice channel between the agent and client through a public switch telephone network.

22. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 12 further comprising means for connecting exchanging messages between the agent and client through an Internet connection.

23. An apparatus for processing a call with a client by a call center having an agent, such apparatus comprising:

a call object adapted to collect attributes of the call and to control the call from any connected computing platform; and

an agent object associated with the call object and adapted to display client data to an agent of the call center based upon a view process of the associated agent object.

24. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 23 wherein the call object further comprises a procedural processing application adapted to associate the call object with the agent object.

25. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 23 wherein the call object further comprises a data field adapted to receive call associated information by the call handling application from an associated public switch telephone network.

26. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 23 wherein the call object further comprises a voice response unit adapted to collect call attributes.

27. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 23 further comprising a voice channel coupled between the agent and client through a public switch telephone network.

28. The apparatus for processing the call as in claim 23 further comprising an Internet connection adapted to exchange messages between the agent and client.