Apparatus and methods for routing electronic mail in a processing center

• US 6,981,020 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2000
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miloslavsky, Alec, Neyman, Igor, Torba, Dmitry A., Deryugin, Vladimir N., Turovsky, Oleg, Goecke, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, DUNG C
• Application Number:
  US09/565,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/205, 709/207, 709/229, 37926501- 05, 379/265.09, 37926511- 14, 379/265
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/10 Adding special bits or symbols to the coded information, e.g. parity check, casting out 9's or 11's
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1008 in individual solid state devices G06F11/1004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2215 to test error correction or detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1833 by adding special lists or symbols to the coded information G11B20/1806, G11B20/1866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• 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 3/51 : Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 : with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 : Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 : in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 : Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 : interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 : with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 : Call distribution algorithms
• 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 3/5307 : for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 : Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0003 : Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0006 : where voice calls cross both networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0009 : where voice calls remain entirely in the telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 : Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 : Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 : Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 : Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 : Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 : Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/62 : for connecting to private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 370/901 : Wide area network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 : Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

An Internet Protocol Network Telephony call center having a plurality of agents for serving clients also processes e-mails addresses to the call center, but not to specific agents. An e-mail server receives and routes the e-mail, and includes a router and a database storing skill set information regarding agents. The router extracts information from the e-mails, matches key words in the extracted information with key words from the skill sets, and routes the e-mails to appropriate agents having the necessary skills to respond to the service requirements in the e-mails.

Claims

1. A system for routing an electronic mail (e-mail) to one of a plurality of support persons in a processing center, the system comprising:

an e-mail server adapted to receive said e-mail from a sender;

a router; and

a database accessible to the router and storing data regarding real-time availability of said support persons based upon real-time monitoring of the activities of said support persons, comprising one or more of telephone, facsimile, e-mail and data processing activities;

wherein said router selects said one of said plurality of support persons by consulting the database for said availability data and sends said e-mail to the selected support person.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a statistics server (stat-server) recording activities of said processing center, and wherein routing performed by said router further uses said recorded activity in said stat-server.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein routing of e-mails to selected support persons is load-balanced based on recorded activity stored in said stat-server.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein an overload threshold is set for number of e-mails to be routed, and senders of e-mails are notified of a possible delay when the threshold is exceeded.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said database further stores information on senders of e-mails, and routing performed by said router further uses said stored information on senders of e-mails.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said database stores information about prior relationships of support persons and e-mail senders, and said router uses said relationship information in routing decisions.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein a time limit for response to an e-mail by said support persons is set, and wherein e-mails not answered within said time limit are rerouted to other available support persons.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an information extractor adapted to extract information from said e-mail, and wherein said information extractor comprises plural and selectable extraction algorithms.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein one of the extraction algorithms includes a parser, and wherein said one of the extraction algorithms uses the parser to search for keywords in said e-mail.

10. A method for routing electronic mails (e-mails) in a processing center having a plurality of support persons, comprising steps of:

(a) receiving e-mails at an e-mail server in the processing center;

(b) checking a database for real-time availability of said support persons to which e-mails may be routed, the database storing data regarding real-time availability of said support persons based upon real-time monitoring of the activities of said support persons comprising one or more of telephone, facsimile, email and data processing activities;

(c) selecting a specific support person to receive a specific e-mail based on results of the checking step (b); and

(d) sending said e-mail to the specific support person selected.