Method and means for controlling the availability of mobile agents in a call centre environment

• US 7,983,661 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Salkala, Ville, Purontaus, Jouni
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu; Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nealon; William
• Application Number:
  US11/596,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20080032679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

Method and apparatus for controlling the ability of mobile agents to receive customer service calls to their mobile phone from a call center. A mobile station is installed with a client application featuring an agent profile and call processing rules that are updated from the call center. The mobile agent uses the mobile station for work by turning on a “work profile”, and the client application registers the mobile agent to the call center. With the work profile on, the client application will block personal calls, or any other calls originating elsewhere than the call center. Significant advantages are accrued as the companies running the call centers will gain greater control of their mobile agent workforce and can prioritize tasks better within the organization, without having to construct complex solutions that consult different network elements within the cellular radio network.

Claims

1. A method for controlling availability of a mobile agent, comprising a mobile station, a client application installed on the mobile station and a call centre server, the method comprising:

communicating data between the client application and the call centre server wirelessly or through a wireline connection,

controlling availability of the mobile agent to receive calls with the mobile station, and

processing a call to the mobile station by;

identifying, from among multiple, different profiles, a first profile set for the mobile station at a time when the call to the mobile station was received, each of the multiple, different profiles being associated with one or more call processing rules defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in the corresponding profile;

accessing a first call processing rule associated with the first profile and defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in the first profile, the first call processing rule being different than a second call processing rule defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in a second profile that is different than the first profile;

accessing one or more parameters that represent a state of a customer of the call centre server that is associated with the call to the mobile station and a state of the mobile station at a time when the call to the mobile station was received;

applying the first call processing rule to the accessed one or more parameters to determine an action to be taken for the call to the mobile station; and

performing the determined action on the call to the mobile station.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising managing, by the call centre server call processing rules stored in the client application by communicating wirelessly with the mobile station and the said client application.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein performing the determined action on the call to the mobile station comprises programmatically producing a busy signal to the call.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising defining, by the client application, incoming calls to certain categories and processing the incoming calls with rules assigned to the certain categories.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein performing the determined action on the call to the mobile station comprises blocking the call.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client application features different profiles that contain different processing rules for incoming and outgoing calls.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client application passes calls through always from at least one certain specified number.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein performing the determined action on the call to the mobile station comprises hanging up intermittent phone calls and passing calls through from the call centre server.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client application and/or the call centre server maintains a call queue.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client application and/or the call centre server analyses the priority of incoming calls in the said call queue, and processes the incoming calls to the mobile agent in the order of priority.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile station is a GSM-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, HTTP-, H.323-, SIP-, SMS-, MMS-, email-, LAN-, TCP/IP-, imode-, Globalstar- and/or WLAN-compliant mobile phone, PDA and/or a portable computer.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call centre server comprises any of the following:

database server, disk array, gateway server, application server, external phone centre, virtual phone and/or a SIP and/or H.323 phone.

13. An arrangement for controlling availability of a mobile agent, comprising a mobile station, a client application installed or arranged to be installed on the mobile station, and a call centre server, wherein:

the client application and the call centre server are arranged to communicate data wireles sly or through a wireline connection,

the client application is arranged to control availability of the mobile agent to receive calls with the mobile station, and

the client application is arranged to process a call to the mobile station by;

identifying, from among multiple, different profiles, a first profile set for the mobile station at a time when the call to the mobile station was received, each of the multiple, different profiles being associated with one or more call processing rules defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in the corresponding profile;

accessing a first call processing rule associated with the first profile and defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in the first profile, the first call processing rule being different than a second call processing rule defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in a second profile that is different than the first profile;

accessing one or more parameters that represent a state of a customer of the call centre server that is associated with the call to the mobile station and a state of the mobile station at a time when the call to the mobile station was received;

applying the first call processing rule to the accessed one or more parameters to determine an action to be taken for the call to the mobile station; and

performing the determined action on the call to the mobile station.

14. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the call centre server is arranged to manage rules stored in the client application by communicating wirelessly with the mobile station and the client application.

15. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the client application is arranged to programmatically produce a busy signal to an incoming call.

16. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the client application is arranged to define incoming calls to certain categories and process said incoming calls with rules assigned to the category.

17. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the client application is arranged to block incoming and/or outgoing calls.

18. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the client application is arranged to feature different profiles that contain different processing rules for incoming and outgoing calls.

19. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the client application is arranged to pass calls through always from at least one certain specified number.

20. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the client application is arranged to hang up intermittent phone calls and pass calls through from the call centre server.

21. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the client application and/or the call centre server is arranged to maintain a call queue.

22. An arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein the client application and/or the call centre server is arranged to analyse priority of incoming calls in the call queue, and arranged to process the incoming calls to the mobile agent in the order of priority.

23. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mobile station is a GSM-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, HTTP-, H.323-, SIP-, SMS-, MMS-, email- LAN-, TCP/IP-, imode-, Globalstar- and/or WLANcompliant mobile phone, PDA and/or a portable computer.

24. An arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the call centre server comprises any of the following:

database server, disk array, gateway server, application server, external phone centre, virtual phone and/or a SIP and/or H.323 phone.

25. A software program product comprising a software program stored on a computer readable memory unit for controlling availability of a mobile agent, comprising a client application arranged to be installed on a mobile station, the client application being arranged to wireles sly communicate data with call centre server software, the program product comprising instructions for:

controlling availability of the mobile agent to receive calls with the mobile station from at least one call centre, and

processing a call to the mobile station by;

identifying, from among multiple, different profiles, a first profile set for the mobile station at a time when the call to the mobile station was received, each of the multiple, different profiles being associated with one or more call processing rules defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in the corresponding profile;

accessing a first call processing rule associated with the first profile and defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in the first profile, the first call processing rule being different than a second call processing rule defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in a second profile that is different than the first profile;

accessing one or more parameters that represent a state of a customer of the call centre server that is associated with the call to the mobile station and a state of the mobile station at a time when the call to the mobile station was received;

applying the first call processing rule to the accessed one or more parameters to determine an action to be taken for the call to the mobile station; and

performing the determined action on the call to the mobile station.

26. Software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client application is arranged to programmatically produce a busy signal to an incoming call.

27. Software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client application is arranged to define incoming calls to certain categories and process said incoming calls with rules assigned to the category.

28. Software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client application is arranged to block incoming and/or outgoing calls.

29. Software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client application is arranged to feature different profiles that contain different processing rules for incoming and outgoing calls.

30. Software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client application is arranged to pass calls through always from at least one certain specified number.

31. Software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client application is arranged to hang up intermittent phone calls and pass calls through from the call centre server.

32. Software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client application is arranged to maintain a call queue.

33. Software program product as claimed in claim 32, wherein the client application is arranged to analyse priority of incoming calls in the call queue, and processes the incoming calls to the mobile agent in the order of priority.

34. Software program product as claimed in claim 25, wherein the client application is a GSM-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, HTTP-, H.323-, SIP-, SMS-, MMS-, email- LAN-, TCP/IP-, imode-, Globalstar- and/or WLAN-compliant mobile phone software application, PDA and/or a portable computer application.

35. A software program product comprising a software program stored on a computer readable memory unit for controlling availability of a mobile agent, comprising call centre server software arranged to wirelessly communicate data with a client application installed on a mobile station, the program product comprising instructions for:

controlling, by the call centre sever software, availability of the mobile agent to receive calls with the mobile station by controlling the client application on the mobile station of the mobile agent,

managing rules for processing incoming and outgoing calls stored in the client application by communicating wireles sly with the mobile station and the client application, and

processing a call to the mobile station by;

identifying, from among multiple, different profiles, a first profile set for the mobile station at a time when the call to the mobile station was received, each of the multiple, different profiles being associated with one or more call processing rules defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in the corresponding profile;

accessing a first call processing rule associated with the first profile and defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in the first profile, the first call processing rule being different than a second call processing rule defined to control processing of calls received when the mobile station is set in a second profile that is different than the first profile;

accessing one or more parameters that represent a state of a customer of the call centre server that is associated with the call to the mobile station and a state of the mobile station at a time when the call to the mobile station was received;

applying the first call processing rule to the accessed one or more parameters to determine an action to be taken for the call to the mobile station; and

performing the determined action on the call to the mobile station.

36. Software program product as claimed in claim 35, wherein the call centre server software is arranged to maintain a call queue.

37. Software program product as claimed in claim 36, wherein the call centre server software is arranged to analyse priority of incoming calls in the call queue, and processes the incoming calls to the mobile agent in the order of priority.

38. Software program product as claimed in claim 35, wherein the call centre server software comprises any of the following:

database server software, disk array software, gateway server software, application server software, external phone centre software, virtual phone software and/or a SIP and/or H.323 phone software.