Content provider entity for communication session

• US 7,334,017 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilcock, Lawrence, Low, Colin Andrew, Hawkes, Rycharde Jeffery
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US09/977,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20020055974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709/235, 709227-229, 709/249, 712/28, 712/31, 340/855.5, 370/352, 370/238, 370/389, 345/327, 725/39, 725 93- 94, 386/46, 714/749, 455/436
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• 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 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• 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

Abstract

A content-provider entity provides content to media channels established in respect of a network communication session. The content-provider entity has a transport subsystem for establishing media channel connections to a session transport mechanism in accordance with channel type and connection details received by the entity. The content-provider entity also has a media subsystem providing a respective media handler of appropriate type for each media channel connection established by the transport subsystem. Each media handler is responsible for delivering media content of its associated type from a media source to the corresponding channel connection. A delivery controller of the media subsystem controls the selection and delivery of media content through the media handlers in dependence on context data supplied to the content-provider entity.

Claims

1. An automaton for providing media content to media channels of a network communication session, the automaton comprising:

a manager system configured to;

join the automaton to an existing network communication session between an endpoint entity and a contact center responsive to receipt of an invitation to join the existing network communication session, and

receive;

(a) context data about the existing network communication session and (b) channel information about one or more media channels of the existing network communication session, wherein the channel information includes media type carried by the media channels and channel connection details;

a transport system configured to establish, based on the received channel information, one or more media channel connections from the automaton to a session transport mechanism associated with the existing network communication session;

a media content handler configured to deliver media content of a particular media type to the established one or more media channel connections based on the received channel information; and

a delivery controller configured to control the selection and delivery of media content by the media content handler responsive to the received context data.

2. An automaton as in claim 1, the manager system further configured to cause the automaton to leave the existing network communication session upon an other endpoint entity at the contact center joining the existing network communication session.

3. An automaton as in claim 1, the manager system further configured to join the automaton to the existing network communication session if an other endpoint entity at the contact center has not joined the existing network communication session.

4. An automaton as in claim 1, the manager system further configured to join the automaton to the existing network communication session if an other endpoint entity at the contact center and connected to the existing network communication session has left the existing network communication session.

5. An automaton as in claim 1, further comprising a content library providing media sources of different media type for use by the media content handler.

6. An automaton as in claim 1, wherein the context data comprises an indication of a target subject, the delivery controller using the target subject indication to determine at least an initial content for delivery on at least one of the one or more media channel connections.

7. An automaton as in claim 1, wherein the context data comprises the identity of a party at the endpoint entity joined to the existing network communication session, the delivery controller using the identity to query a database about the party, the delivery controller using the query results to determine at least an initial content for delivery on at least one of the one or more media channel connections.

8. An automaton as in claim 1, the delivery controller further configured to cause media content to be simultaneously delivered across multiple media channel connections of the existing network communication session.

9. An automaton as in claim 1, wherein the delivered media content is non-interactive with respect to the endpoint entity joined to the established communication session, and the delivery controller is further configured to periodically cause new content to be delivered on the one or more media channel connections.

10. An automaton as in claim 1, wherein the delivered media content comprises active components enabling a party at the endpoint entity joined to the existing network communication session to provide input regarding future content to be delivered, the input being received by the automaton and used by the delivery controller to control subsequent media content delivered by the media content handler.

11. In combination, an automaton as in claim 1, and a service system for setting up a network communication session with an associated transport mechanism allowing the exchange of data, via multiple data transfer channels for different media types, between endpoint entities joined to the session;

the service system, in setting up a network communication session, creating a service-session functional entity for controlling the joining of endpoint entities to the network communication session in accordance with a predetermined service behavior, and the service-session functional entity being responsible for joining the automaton to the network communication session as required by said service behavior, the joining of the automaton to the network communication session comprising sending of the context data and the channel information to the automaton.

12. A combination as in claim 11, wherein the service session functional entity is operative to join the automaton to an existing network communication session during a period when the endpoint entity awaits the joining of an other endpoint entity at the contact center corresponding.

13. A combination as in claim 12, wherein the automaton is automatically caused to leave the existing network communication session upon the other endpoint entity joining the session.

14. A combination as in claim 12, wherein upon the other endpoint entity joining the session, the automaton remains in the session until explicitly dismissed by the other endpoint entity.

15. A combination as in claim 11, further comprising a transcription entity joined to the session with the automaton to record the media content delivered by the automaton, the transcription entity being controllable by the other endpoint entity to play back at least selected portions of the media content delivered by the automaton.

16. A combination as in claim 11, wherein the service-session functional entity comprises a session instance with generic behavior for adding and removing endpoint entities to the network communication session and for recording the endpoint entities currently joined to the network communication session, and an associated service instance with service-specific behavior determining when the session instance is to add and remove endpoint entities.

17. A combination as in claim 11, wherein the state of connection of the automaton to the transport mechanism is signaled to the session-service functional entity by leg messages passed between a leg controller of the entity manager of the automaton and a corresponding leg controller of the service-session functional entity.

18. A method of providing media content to media channels of a network communication session, the method comprising:

establishing a media channel connection from an automaton to a session transport mechanism associated with an existing network communication session between an endpoint entity and a contact center responsive to receipt of an invitation to join the existing network communication session and receipt of channel information about one or more media channels of the existing network communication session, the channel information including the media type carried by the one or more media channels and channel connection details; and

providing an appropriate media content from the automaton to a corresponding media channel established by said establishing step responsive to receipt of context data about the existing network communication session and based on the channel information.

19. A computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the method of claim 18.

20. A device for performing the method of claim 18.