Web callback through multimedia devices

• US 7,027,585 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Dezonno, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/156,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20030223571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/900, 379/908
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for establishing a communication connection between a client of a website and an agent of the website. The method includes the steps of downloading a webpage from the website to the client, such webpage including an embedded agent access applet and a communication system port identifier of the agent, the communication port identifier of the agent being different than a communication port identifier of the web site, activating the agent access applet within the downloaded webpage and forming a communication connection between the client and the communication system port of the agent based upon operation of the activated applet.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a communication connection between a client of a website and an agent of the website, such method comprising the steps of:

downloading a webpage from the website to the client, such webpage including an embedded agent access applet and a communication system port identifier of the agent, said communication port identifier of the agent being different than a communication port identifier of the web site;

activating the agent access applet within the downloaded webpage; and

forming a communication connection between the client and the communication system port of the agent based upon operation of the activated applet and where the communication connection is formed entirely under control of programming information contained within the downloaded webpage.

2. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 1 wherein the communication system port identifier further comprises a telephone number.

3. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 1 wherein the communication system port identifier further comprises a universal resource locator.

4. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 1 further comprising establishing the communication connection between the client and an Internet gateway under a voice-over-Internet-protocol format and between the Internet gateway and the agent through the public switch telephone network.

5. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 1 further comprising downloading a session identifier to a contact center through the communication channel.

6. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 5 further comprising retrieving a webpage contact list of the client from a host of the website based upon the downloaded session identifier.

7. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 6 further comprising downloading a webpage contact list to the agent based upon the downloaded session identifier.

8. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 1 further comprising downloading session information from the client to the agent through the communication channel.

9. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 8 wherein the session information further comprises an identifier of a webpage downloaded by the client.

10. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 9 further comprising retrieving the identified webpage from a memory of the agent.

11. The method of establishing the communication connection as in claim 1 further comprising broadcasting the webpage to the client from a local cellular base station.

12. An apparatus for establishing a communication connection between a client of a website and an agent of the website, such apparatus comprising:

means for downloading a webpage from the website to the client, such webpage including an embedded agent access applet and a communication system port identifier of the agent, said communication port identifier of the agent being different than a communication port identifier of the web site;

means for activating the agent access applet within the downloaded webpage; and

means for forming a communication connection between the client and the communication system port of the agent based upon operation of the activated applet and where the communication connection is formed entirely under control of programming information contained within the downloaded webpage.

13. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 12 wherein the communication system port identifier further comprises a telephone number.

14. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 12 wherein the communication system port identifier further comprises a universal resource locator.

15. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 12 further comprising means for establishing the communication connection between the client and an Internet gateway under a voice-over-Internet-protocol format and between the Internet gateway and the agent through the public switch telephone network.

16. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 12 further comprising means for downloading a session identifier to a call center through the communication channel.

17. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 16 further comprising means for retrieving a webpage contact list of the client from a host of the website based upon the downloaded session identifier.

18. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 17 further comprising means for downloading a webpage contact list to the agent based upon the downloaded session identifier.

19. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 12 further comprising means for downloading session information from the client to the agent through the communication channel.

20. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 19 wherein the session information further comprises an identifier of a webpage downloaded by the client.

21. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 20 further comprising means for retrieving the identified webpage from a memory of the agent.

22. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 12 further comprising means for broadcasting the webpage to the client from a local cellular base station.

23. An apparatus for establishing a communication connection between a client of a website and an agent of the website, such apparatus comprising:

a webpage,

an agent access applet with a communication system port identifier of the agent embedded within the webpage, said communication port identifier of the agent being different than a communication port identifier of the web site;

a website adapted to download the webpage to the client;

a softkey on the webpage adapted to activate the agent access applet within the downloaded webpage; and

a communication connection formed between the client and the communication system port of the agent based upon operation of the activated applet and where the communication connection is formed entirely under control of programming information contained within the downloaded webpage.

24. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 23 wherein the communication system port identifier further comprises a telephone number.

25. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 23 wherein the communication system port identifier further comprises a universal resource locator.

26. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 23 wherein the communication connection further comprises a first portion formed between the client and an Internet gateway under a voice-over-Internet-protocol format and a second portion formed between the Internet gateway and the agent through the public switch telephone network.

27. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 23 further comprising a session identifier downloaded to a contact center through the communication channel.

28. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 27 further comprising a central processing unit within the contact center adapted to retrieve a webpage contact list of the client from a host of the website based upon the downloaded session identifier.

29. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 23 further comprising the host processor adapted to download a webpage contact list to the agent based upon the downloaded session identifier.

30. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 23 further comprising an integrated digital services user part adapted to download session information from the client to the agent through the communication channel.

31. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 30 wherein the session information further comprises an identifier of a webpage downloaded by the client.

32. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 31 further comprising a memory adapted to provide the identified webpage.

33. The apparatus for establishing the communication connection as in claim 23 further comprising a local cellular base station adapted to broadcast the webpage to the client.

34. A method of establishing a voice call connection between a call center and a client of the call center, such method comprising the steps of:

downloading a webpage including a VoIP applet from a website of the call center to the client, such webpage including a telephone number of the call center embedded within the downloaded webpage;

activating the VoIP applet within the downloaded webpage;

forming a VoIP voice connection between the client and a public switch telephone network gateway based upon operation of the activated applet; and

setting up a voice call between the gateway and call center using the downloaded telephone number of the call center and where the voice call is set up entirely under control of programming information contained within the downloaded webpage.

35. A method of establishing a voice call connection between a call center and a client of the call center, such method comprising the steps of:

downloading a webpage including a VoIP applet from a website of the call center to the client, such webpage including a telephone number of the call center embedded within the downloaded webpage;

activating the VoIP applet within the downloaded webpage; and

automatically setting up a voice call between a terminal of the client and call center based upon operation of the applet and the downloaded telephone number of the call center and where the voice call is set up entirely under control of programming information contained within the downloaded webpage.