System and method for voice and data convergence
First Claim
1. A method of converting messages and responses between text messages of a user at a first location and voice responses of at least one agent in an automatic contact distribution system at a second location having a plurality of agents and a plurality of format conversion plug-ins, comprising:
- assigning a respective plug-in of the plurality of plug-ins to respective selected agents of the plurality of agents and activating the respective plug-in in response to the respective selected agent logging on;
receiving a text message in a text format at the automatic contact distribution system from the user at the first location via a network;
assigning one of the selected agents to handle the text message and enabling the plug-in assigned to the assigned selected agent in response to a determination that the plug-in is required;
converting in the enabled plug-in the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format;
converting in the enabled plug-in a voice response in the voice format from an agent to a text response in the text format, the voice response being in response to the converted text message; and
sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network;
wherein text is sent to and received from the user such that the user appears to the user to communicate with the agent solely on a text basis, and wherein simultaneously, the agent appears to the agent to communicate with the user solely on a voice basis in substantially real time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The method and apparatus is for converting messages and responses between text messages of a user and voice responses of at least one agent in an automatic contact distribution system having a plurality of agents. In one embodiment, the method includes sending a text message in a text format from first location via a network; receiving the text message from the network at a second location; and converting the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format. The method further includes converting a voice response in the voice format from an agent to a text response in the text format, the voice response being in response to the text message; and sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network. Thus, the user appears to communicate with the agent on a text basis, and the agent appears to communicate with the user on a voice basis.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of converting messages and responses between text messages of a user at a first location and voice responses of at least one agent in an automatic contact distribution system at a second location having a plurality of agents and a plurality of format conversion plug-ins, comprising:
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assigning a respective plug-in of the plurality of plug-ins to respective selected agents of the plurality of agents and activating the respective plug-in in response to the respective selected agent logging on; receiving a text message in a text format at the automatic contact distribution system from the user at the first location via a network; assigning one of the selected agents to handle the text message and enabling the plug-in assigned to the assigned selected agent in response to a determination that the plug-in is required; converting in the enabled plug-in the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format; converting in the enabled plug-in a voice response in the voice format from an agent to a text response in the text format, the voice response being in response to the converted text message; and sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network; wherein text is sent to and received from the user such that the user appears to the user to communicate with the agent solely on a text basis, and wherein simultaneously, the agent appears to the agent to communicate with the user solely on a voice basis in substantially real time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of converting messages and responses between text messages of a user at a first location and voice responses of an agent in an automatic contact distribution system at a second location, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of agents and a plurality of format conversion plug-ins at the second location; assigning at least one respective format conversion plug-in to each of respective agents of the plurality of agents; receiving a text message in a text format at the second location from the first location via a network; selecting the respective agent from the plurality of agents to respond to the text message; activating the respective format conversion plug-in for the respective agent; converting the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format in the respective format conversion plug-in; converting a voice response in the voice format from an agent to a text response in the text format in the respective format conversion plug-in, the voice response being in response to the converted text message; and sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network; wherein the user appears to the user to communicate with the agent on a text basis, and wherein simultaneously the agent appears to the agent to communicate with the user on a voice basis. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for converting messages and responses between text messages of a user at a first location and voice responses of at least one agent in an automatic contact distribution system at a second location having a plurality of agents and a plurality of format conversion plug-ins, comprising:
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means for assigning a respective plug-in of the plurality of plug-ins to respective selected agents of the plurality of agents; means for receiving a text message in a text format at the second location from the first location via a network; means for assigning one of the selected agents to handle the text message; means for enabling the plug-in assigned to the assigned selected agent to convert the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format in real-time; means for enabling the plug-in assigned to the assigned selected agent to convert a voice response in the voice format from the assigned selected agent to a text response in the text format, the voice response being in response to the text message; and means for sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network; wherein the user appears to the user to communicate with the agent solely on a text basis, and wherein the assigned selected agent appears to the agent to communicate with the user solely on a voice basis in a pseudo-real-time connection. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification