Method of tracking e-mail handling by a remote agent of an automatic contact distributor

• US 7,853,653 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2004
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Wesen, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza; Faruk
• Application Number:
  US10/981,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20060093126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,232 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-207, 709223-224, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring a time that an agent of an organization spends responding to an e-mail directed to the organization. The method includes the steps of downloading the e-mail and a monitoring servlet to the agent of the organization and the servlet automatically measuring and reporting to a server of the organization an elapsed time that the agent spends on the e-mail.

Claims

1. A method of processing an e-mail directed to an organization by a client and handled by a remotely located agent of the organization, such method comprising:

the agent sending a SIP SUBSCRIBE message subscribing to presence of e-mails assigned to agents;

receiving the e-mail at a contact processing center of the organization;

sending a SIP message to the agent notifying the agent of the e-mail, the agent returning a SIP message to activate downloading the e-mail to the agent;

downloading the received e-mail along with a monitoring servlet encoded within a midcall message together in a single message from the contact processing center to a terminal of the remotely located agent of the organization;

the agent sending a response to the e-mail to the client; and

the servlet automatically activating display of the e-mail on the terminal of the agent and measuring and reporting to a server of the contact processing center of the organization activity of the agent on the e-mail.

2. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 1 further comprising the servlet detecting the agent opening the e-mail and activating a timer in response, and the servlet deactivating the timer when the agent closes the e-mail.

3. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 1 further comprising transferring a SIP INVITE to the agent notifying the agent of the e-mail, the agent terminal returning a SIP ACK and downloading the e-mail and the servlet encoded within a midcall signaling message.

4. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 1 further comprising the agent sending the SIP SUBSCRIBE message subscribing to presence of e-mails assigned to the agent, sending a SIP NOTIFY message to the agent notifying the agent of an e-mail assigned to the agent and the agent sending a SIP INVITE to activate downloading the e-mail and servlet encoded in a midcall signaling message.

5. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 1 further comprising the servlet detecting the agent sending a response to an original source of the e-mail and reporting the sent response to the server.

6. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 5 further comprising encoding the servlet and e-mail into an instant message and downloading the instant message to the agent terminal.

7. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 5 further comprising the servlet containing an address of the agent and an address of the original source, the servlet comparing from and to fields of active e-mails with the addresses to determine if a new e-mail is from the original source.

8. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 6 further comprising the servlet detecting receipt of another e-mail from the original source and reporting the detection to the server.

9. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 8 further comprising the servlet transferring a SIP REGISTER message from the agent terminal to the contact processing center regarding e-mail activity of the agent.

10. The method of processing an e-mail as in claim 8 further comprising the servlet measuring a time that the other e-mail is open and reporting to the server an elapsed time the other e-mail was open.

11. An apparatus for processing an e-mail directed to an organization by a client and handled by a remotely located agent of the organization, such apparatus comprising:

means for sending a SIP SUBSCRIBE message from the agent to subscribe to presence of e-mail assigned to agents;

means for receiving the e-mail at a contact processing center of the organization;

means for sending a SIP message to the agent notifying the agent of the e-mail, the agent returning a SIP message to activate downloading the e-mail to the agent;

means for downloading the e-mail together with a monitoring servlet encoded within a midcall message from the contact processing center via an internet connection to a terminal of the agent of the organization in a single message; and

means, including the servlet, for automatically measuring agent and e-mail activity and reporting using a SIP messaging to a server of the contact processing center of the organization an elapsed time that the agent spends on the e-mail.

12. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 11 further comprising means including the servlet for detecting the agent opening the e-mail and activating a timer in response, and for deactivating the timer when the agent closes the e-mail.

13. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 11 further comprising means for transferring a SIP INVITE to the agent notifying the agent of the e-mail, the agent returning a SIP ACK and downloading the e-mail and the servlet encoded within a signaling message.

14. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 11 further comprising means for enabling the agent to send the SIP SUBSCRIBE message subscribing to presence of e-mails assigned to the agent, means for sending a SIP NOTIFY message to the agent notifying the agent of an e-mail assigned to the agent and means for enabling the agent to send a SIP INVITE to activate downloading of the e-mail and servlet encoded in a midcall signaling message.

15. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 11 further comprising means including the servlet for detecting the agent sending a response to an original source of the e-mail and reporting the detection to the server.

16. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 15 further comprising means for encoding the servlet and the e-mail into an instant message and downloading the instant message to the agent terminal.

17. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 16 further comprising means including the servlet for detecting receipt of another e-mail from the original source and reporting the detection to the server.

18. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 17 further comprising means for transferring a SIP REGISTER message from the agent terminal to the server of the contact processing center of the organization regarding e-mail activity of the agent.

19. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 17 further comprising means including the servlet for measuring a time that the other e-mail is open.

20. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 17 further comprising means including the servlet for reporting to the server an elapsed time the other e-mail was open.

21. An apparatus for processing by an agent of an organization an e-mail directed to an organization through an internet, such apparatus comprising:

a terminal associated with the agent which sends a SIP SUBSCRIBE message from the agent to subscribe to presence of e-mails assigned to agents,

a server of a contact processing center of the organization which receives the e-mail the server sending a SIP message to the terminal notifying the agent of the e-mail, the terminal returning a SIP message to active downloading the e-mail to the agent;

a servlet encoded within a midcall message that is downloaded along with the e-mail in a single message from the contact processing center through the internet to the terminal associated with the agent of the organization using SIP messaging, the servlet structured to automatically activate the terminal to display the e-mail; and

a processor utilizing the servlet for automatically monitoring e-mail activity of the agent and reporting using SIP messaging to the server of the organization activity of the agent on the e-mail.

22. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 21 further comprising a timer within the servlet that is activated when the agent opens the e-mail and deactivated when the agent closes the e-mail.

23. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 21 further comprising an e-mail server that transfers a SIP INVITE to the agent notifying the agent of the e-mail, the agent terminal returning a SIP ACK, and downloading the e-mail and the servlet to the agent terminal encoded within a SIP signaling message.

24. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 21 wherein the server further comprises a registrar server for receiving registration messages from the servlet.

25. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 24 wherein the registration messages further comprising a SIP REGISTER message.

26. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 25 further comprising a reports generator that retrieves SIP REGISTER messages from the servlet of the agent and that generates statistical reports on e-mail handling by the agent.

27. The apparatus for processing an e-mail as in claim 21 further comprising an automatic contact distributor that downloads the servlet and e-mail to the agent.