System and method of using a phone to access information in a call center

• US 8,041,023 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: James, Eric, Funck, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US09/675,597
• Time in Patent Office: 4,036 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379 8822- 8825, 379219-26503, 379/265.09, 379/266.01, 379/266.1
• US Class Current: 379/265.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1033 Remote administration, e.g. of web servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6018 Subscriber or terminal logon/logoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/22 Arrangements for supervision, monitoring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A system and method of using voice to access information in a call center is disclosed. Providing a voice response server to handle requests from local and remote administrators allows a call center to be managed even when administrators are physically distant from the call center. The voice response server may adhere to VoiceXML to process requests for call center information from administrators.

Claims

1. A method of using voice to provide administrative access to call center operational management information in a call center having a plurality of customer service agents to service callers and at least one administrator comprising the steps of:

providing a computer within the call center with real-time configuration, and call control information for agents and agent groups of the call center;

connecting a remote administrator responsible for management of the call center via a telephone to the computer through a voice response server, said management of the call center including configuration and monitoring call center entities;

the voice response server processing voice telephone requests from the administrator requesting operational information from the call center about management of the call center including management of the call center entities; and

the voice response server responding to the telephone requests by providing the operational information about management of the call center aurally to the administrator via the telephone.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of connecting further comprises the step of interfacing with a telephony server to receive telephony input from a remote administrator and wherein the voice response server uses a VXML interpreter to translate the voice telephone requests of the administrator to call center commands.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of connecting to a voice response server further comprises the step of authenticating the administrator in the voice response server.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of authenticating is performed by matching login names with passwords.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing further comprises translating an administrator'"'"'s input into a command recognized by a computer in the call center.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the computer includes an automatic call distributor and call center command server.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing adheres to the VoiceXML standard and processing further comprises the step of using speech recognition to translate an administrator'"'"'s input into a command recognized by a computer in the call center.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of responding further comprises the step of performing text to speech translation to aurally present the operational information to administrators.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the operational information includes at least one of agent schedule, schedule adherence, agent groups, and call center applications.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing employs learning a pattern of regularly used access commands of a respective administrator to automatically provide operational information about the call center to the administrator based upon the pattern.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing is interrupted by a barge in request to interrupt information presentations to permit quick retrieval of desired information.

12. A system for using voice for administrative access to call center operational management information in a call center having a plurality of customer service agents comprising:

means within the call center for providing real-time configuration, and call control information for agents and agent groups of the call center,

means for connecting a remote administrator responsible for management of the call center via a telephone to the means for providing through a voice response server, said management of the call center including management of the plurality of agents,

means for processing voice telephone requests from the administrator requesting operational information from the call center about management of the call center and information about management of the plurality of agents, and

means for responding to the telephone requests by providing the operational information about management of the call center aurally to the administrator via the telephone, said means including means for recognizing and learning over time a pattern of regularly used commands of a respective administrator to automatically provide regularly requested information based upon the pattern.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the means for connecting includes a programmable computer configured to accept telephony requests from the administrator and to translate the requests into a command for operational information recognized by the means for responding.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the means for processing includes a voice response server comprising a programmable computer which permits a barge in request to interrupt during an information presentation before it can finish to quickly retrieve desired information.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the means for responding includes a programmable computer.

16. A system for using voice to provide administrative access to operational call center information in a call center having a plurality of customer service agents to service callers comprising:

a call center computer of the call center containing real-time configuration, and call control information for agents and agent groups of the call center;

a call manager which accepts information requests by voice from a remote administrator responsible for management of the call center via a telephone, the management of the call center including management of the plurality of agents, and which call manager provides operational information by voice to the administrator via the telephone about the management of the call center in response to the requests;

a VXML interpreter that translates the operational information and the requests between the administrator and call center computer; and

a network interface that manages transmission and receipt of data between the VXML interpreter and call center computer including the operational information.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the call manager is a programmable computer which interfaces to a telephony server to receive telephone input from a remote administrator.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the call manager further employs learning a pattern of regularly used access commands from a remote administrator.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the call manager includes a database for authenticating users of the system.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the call manager recognizes and learns a pattern of regularly used commands of a respective administrator to automatically provide regularly requested operational information.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the VoiceXML interpreter includes a programmable computer for translating telephony requests to VoiceXML commands.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the VoiceXML interpreter includes a translator for rendering VoiceXML commands into automatic call distributor commands.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the call manager interrupts information requesting presentations in response to a barge in request from the administrator.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the network interface includes local area network, Internet, extranet, and wireless network software.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the network interface includes a programmable computer for translating VoiceXML commands into data packets for a local area network.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein the network interface includes computer hardware which retrieves data from a local area network and translates the data into VoiceXML commands.