Negotiated routing in telephony systems

• US 7,231,032 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miloslavsky, Alec, Nevman, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US11/388,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20060210047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 379/207.02, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/221.06, 379/221.09, 379/225, 379/230, 379/233, 379/265.01, 379/266.04, 379/268, 379/269, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/220.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• 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 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

A telephone call distribution system for determining destination for an incoming telephone call in a telephony network including a service control point (SCP) operates with a plurality of workstations each comprising a telephone coupled to the telephony network and a proximate computer station having a video display unit (PC/VDU), the PC/VDO connected to the SCP via a wide area network (WAN), and a personal router associated with each PC/VDU. The SCP broadcasts data pertaining to the incoming telephone call and a request for a destination to individual ones of the PC/VDUs via the WAN, and the personal routers negotiate a destination based on individual routing rules and the data pertaining to the call. At least one of the individual routers responds to the SCP with a destination for the call. In some instances the workstations are associated with a call center, and the call center may be CTI-enhanced. Individual routers in this instance may be executed on a server on a local area network connecting workstations at the call center, the server providing individual routers to workstations in a client-server relationship.

Claims

1. A method for routing, comprising:

(a) sending information about an event to be routed to two or more potential routing destinations from a routing point;

(b) processing the information from the routing point by at least one of the potential routing destinations, and sending a response to the routing point;

(c) processing responses at the routing point and selecting one of the potential destinations for the event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (b), processing by potential destinations comprises negotiation between at least two potential destinations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (b) wherein at least a part of the processing is according to pre-set criteria.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the pre-set criteria are editable.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein processing by potential destinations comprises negotiation between at least two potential destinations.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein at least part of the processing is by pre-set criteria.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the pre-set criteria are accessible and editable.

5. A routing system, comprising:

a routing point receiving an event to be routed, and enabled to send information about the event to two or more potential routing destinations; and

two or more potential routing destinations enabled to process the information from the routing point, and to respond to the routing point;

wherein at least one of the potential routing destinations receives information about the event, processes the information and responds to the routing point, which selects one of the potential destinations for the event according to the response or responses.