Contact center conferencing of e-mail message

• US 7,349,529 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Hollatz, Mike, Sumner, Roger, Hodson, Jeff, Wesen, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/111,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20060239420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/88.13, 379/211.02, 379/265.09, 709/224, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding

Abstract

The method or system for conferencing an email message such that two or more individuals can simultaneously answer an email message and input their individual expertise on a solution or answer to the email message comprising the steps of or software and circuitry for: receiving and processing an email message at an email server, supplying the email message to a custom SIP user agent to initiate an email session which simultaneously delivers the email message to client agents each containing a custom SIP user agent for processing/answering the email.

Claims

1. A method for conferencing an email message such that two or more individuals can simultaneously answer an email message and input their individual expertise on a solution or answer to the email message comprising steps of:

receiving and processing an email message at an email server, supplying the email message to a custom SIP user agent to initiate an email session which has no RTP portion, and which simultaneously delivers the email message to a plurality of client agents, each containing a custom SIP user agent for conferencing simultaneously the plurality of client agents for at least one of simultaneous processing and answering the email by the plurality of client agents.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of measuring a time each agent spends answering the email message regardless of when the agent joins the conference.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the email message is directed from a known source to a plurality of selected agents.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the email message is received by the custom SIP user agent and the user agent alerts other selected agents to join in answering the email message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the agents receive credit for their respective contributions to the email conference.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the email message is received from the internet at the email server and the email is sent to an email content repository.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the email server uses at least one of SMTP and IMAP protocols.

8. A system for conferencing an email message such that two or more individuals can simultaneously answer an email message and input their individual expertise on a solution or answer to the email message comprising:

software and circuitry for receiving and processing an email message at an email server; and

software and circuitry for supplying the email message to a custom SIP user agent to initiate an email session which has no RTP portion, and which simultaneously delivers the email message to a plurality of client agents, each containing a custom SIP user agent for conferencing simultaneously the plurality of client agents for at least one of simultaneous processing and answering the email by the plurality of client agents.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the email message is directed from a known source to a plurality of selected agents.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the email message is receivcd by the custom SIP user agent and the user agent alerts other selected agents to join in answering the email message.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the agents receive credit for their respective contributions to the email conference.

12. A system for conferencing an email message such that two or more individuals can simultaneously answer an email message and input their individual expertise on a solution or answer to the email message comprising:

software and circuitry which receives and processes an email message at an email server; and

software and circuitry which supplies the email message to a custom SIP user agent to initiate an email session which has no RTP portion, and which simultaneously delivers the email message to a plurality of client agents, each containing a custom SIP user agent for conferencing simultaneously the plurality of client agents for at least one of simultaneous processing and answering the email by the plurality of client agents, and including software and circuitry for measuring a time each agent spends answering the email message regardless of when the agent joins the conference.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the agents receive credit for their respective contributions to the email conference.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the email message is received from the internet at the email server and the email is sent to an email content repository.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the email server uses at least one of SMTP and IMAP protocols.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the email message is directed from a known source to a plurality of selected agents.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the email message is received by the custom SIP user agent, and the user agent alerts selected agents to join in answering the email message.