Transfer of an internet chat session between servers

• US 7,181,492 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cim Ltd. (F. Walther Electrics Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Concerto Software Incorporated (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wen, Sam, Birnbaum, Bradley S., Warner, Charles L. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/981,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.13, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1038 Load balancing arrangements to avoid a single path through a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A customer is transferred from a first Internet chat session on a first server to a second Internet chat session on a second server without the customer having to take any action whatsoever. The second server may be the same server as the first server or may be different from the first server and may be physically located in another city, state, country, or continent. When the need arises to transfer a customer chat to another agent (who may be on another server) the agent requests a transfer and a list of available chat sessions is provided (300) to the agent. If the agent requests a transfer of the customer to one of those available chat sessions then a determination (310) is made as to whether the proposed transfer is permitted. If the transfer is permitted and initiated by the agent, the agent'"'"'s computer sends all the transfer information as well as a transfer command to the customers browser. The command sent activates a mini-application residing on the customer'"'"'s browser that seamlessly connects the customer to a new URL for a second chat session. Further, when the transfer is initiated, all or a portion of the information, including documentation, from the first chat session is simultaneously transferred to the second chat session.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a transfer of a communication between a first device of an agent and a second device of a customer, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a first textual communication session between the first device and the second device;

receiving a request from the first device of said agent to transfer said second device of said customer to a second communication session wherein the second communication session involves textual communication;

causing a warm transfer page to be created for said second communication session;

causing said warm transfer page to be sent to said second device; and

causing a requested connection of said second device to said warm transfer page to be accepted wherein;

prior to said step of causing a warm transfer page to be created, said method further comprises the steps of;

causing a determination as to whether said request is authorized;

when said request is authorized, causing a list of allowed communication sessions to be determined;

causing said list of allowed communication sessions and an authorization code to be provided to said first device, receiving a selection of an allowed communication session for said second communication session, and causing an identification code for said second communications session to be sent to said second device; and

causing a log-in of said second device at said warm transfer page using said identification code.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of causing said warm transfer page to be created comprises causing said warm transfer page to include an embedded refresh.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of causing said warm transfer page to be created comprises causing said warm transfer page to include a destination address.

4. The method of claim 1 and, prior to said step of causing said requested connection to be accepted, further comprising the step of causing an application file to be sent to said second device for causing said second device to request said connection.

5. A method of facilitating a transfer of a communication between a first device of an agent and said second device of a customer, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a first textual communication session between the first device and the second device;

receiving a request to transfer said second device of the customer to a second communication session wherein the second communication session involves textual communication;

causing said second communication session to be established and

said second device to be connected to said second communication session wherein;

prior to said step of causing a second communication session to be created, said method further comprises the steps of;

causing a determination as to whether said request is authorized;

when said request is authorized, causing a list of allowed communication sessions to be determined;

causing said list of allowed communication sessions and an authorization code to be provided to said first device, receiving a selection of an allowed communication session for said second communication session, and causing a destination address and an identification code for said second communications session to be sent to said second device; and

causing a log-in of said second device at said destination address using said identification code.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of causing said second device to be connected to said second communication session comprises:

causing a destination address for said second communication session to be determined; and

causing said second device to be directed to said destination address.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of causing said second device to be connected to said second communication session comprises the steps of:

causing a destination address for said second communication session to be determined; and

causing an Internet browser program of said second device to be updated with said destination address.

8. A method of operating a destination device to facilitate a communication between a first device of an agent and a second device of a customer using an intermediate device, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a first textual communication session between the first device and the second device;

receiving first communication session information from said intermediate device;

causing a second communication session to be created wherein the second communication session involves textual communication;

causing said second device to be connected to said destination device via said second communication session;

causing said first communication session information to be associated with said second communication session;

causing said second communication session to be terminated without disconnecting said second device of said customer from said destination device;

when a third device of a second agent becomes available for connection to said second device, causing a third communication session to be created wherein the third communication session involves textual communication; and

causing said second device and said third device to be connected via said third communication session wherein;

prior to said step of causing a second communication session to be created, said method further comprises the steps of;

causing a determination as to whether a transfer request is authorized;

when said request is authorized, causing a list of allowed communication sessions to be determined;

causing said list of allowed communication sessions and an authorization code to be provided to said first device, receiving a selection of an allowed communication session for said second communication session, and causing a destination address and an identification code of said third device for said second communications session to be sent to said second device; and

causing a login of said second device at said destination address using said identification code of said third device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of causing said second device and said third device to be connected via said third communication session comprises causing an instruction to be created which causes said second device to request to be connected to said third communication session, connecting said third device to said third communication session, and connecting said second device to said second communication session.

10. A method of transferring a communication between a first device of a agent and a second device of a customer, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a first textual communication session between the first device and the second device;

receiving a request from the first device of the agent to transfer said second device to a second communication session wherein the second communication session involves textual communication;

causing a second communication session to be created; and

causing a connection of said second device to said second communication session to be accepted wherein;

prior to said step of causing a second communication session to be created, said method further comprises the steps of;

causing a determination as to whether said request is authorized;

when said request is authorized, causing a list of allowed communication sessions to be determined;

causing said list of allowed communication sessions and an authorization code to be provided to said first device, receiving a selection of an allowed communication session for said second communication session, and causing first communication session information to be accepted; and

after said step of causing a second communication session to be created, said method further comprises the steps of;

causing a transfer page for said second communication session to be created, causing said transfer page to be sent to said second device, and wherein said step of causing a connection of said second device to said second communication session to be accepted comprises causing a connection of said second device to said transfer page to be accepted.

11. A method of facilitating a transfer of a communication between a first device of an agent and said second device of a customer, said method comprising the steps of:

establishing a first textual communication session between the first device and the second device;

causing a list of allowed destinations to be provided to said first device of said agent;

receiving a selection of a destination from said first device;

causing a request for transfer of said first device and first communication session information to be sent to said destination;

causing a list of allowed communication sessions of said destination to be provided to said first device;

receiving a selected communication session from said list of allowed communications sessions from said first device;

causing first session communication information to be provided to said destination;

causing a second communication session to be created at said destination wherein the second communication session involves textual communication; and

causing a destination address and an identification code for said second communications session to be sent to said second device; and

causing a log-in of said second device at said destination address using said identification code.