Voice over internet call center integration

• US 8,045,490 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Buffalo International Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, Wai, Friedman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US11/853,800
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 370/271
• US Class Current: 370/271
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

An internet telephony system (ITS) comprising a browser display having a hyperlink, communicating with a server, retrieving a user'"'"'s preferences, and initiating a voice communication with the user, through a communications channel defined by the user preferences. An ITS comprising a client system having an Internet browser, and a server hosting a Web site, wherein a message is transmitted from the server to the client system based on the user'"'"'s status with respect to Web site, the user seeking to establish a voice communication session. A telephony server, comprising an application program communicating directly with telephony hardware, and an application programming interface, wherein the application program includes a call function to an external program. An ITS, comprising a browser display having a hyperlink, the hyperlink communicating with a server, retrieving a user-related data, and initiating a voice communication with the user, wherein the user is charged for the communication.

Claims

1. An internet telephony system comprising:

a port configured to interface to a digital communication channel;

a display configured to present a hyperlink, a selection of said hyperlink causing a communication with a server over the digital communication channel, a series of communications with the server defining a state of a communication session;

at least one memory configured to store a user'"'"'s preferences and at least a portion of the information defining the state of the communication session;

at least one processor configured to retrieve the user'"'"'s preferences, and to initiate a voice communication with the user, through a communications channel selected from a plurality of different types of communications channels, in dependence on both the user'"'"'s preferences and the state of the communication session.

2. The telephony system according to claim 1, wherein said user'"'"'s preferences define a communications mode selected from the group consisting of voice over IP and analog voice.

3. The telephony system according to claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s preferences are retrieved in a cookie.

4. The telephony system according to claim 1, wherein a cookie identifies the user.

5. The telephony system according to claim 1, wherein the user, in order to communicate with the server to request a voice communication, has only a single essential action.

6. An internet telephony system comprising:

a digital communication channel;

a plurality of different types of voice communications channels; and

a server configured to;

receive a selection of a hyperlink by a user, said selection of the hyperlink initiating a communication with the server through the digital communication channel, a series of selections of hyperlinks contributing to a current state of a session with respect to the server;

retrieve a set of user preferences in response to the communication;

determine a current state of the session with respect to the server; and

initiate a voice communication with the user, concurrent with data communications over the digital communications channel between the user and the server, through a selected one of the plurality of different types of voice communications channels defined by the set of user preferences, dependent on both the set of user preferences and the current state of the session with respect to the server.

7. The internet telephony system according to claim 6, wherein said server comprises a web server, and said digital data communications channel is configured to carry data between a user terminal and the web server, the web server being configured to communicate with a distinct server for establishing the user voice communication channel involving the public switched telephone network.

8. The internet telephony system according to claim 6, wherein the user communicates with the server using a browser, and the set of user preferences are retrieved based on a cookie stored at the browser.

9. The internet telephony system according to claim 6, wherein the user interactively communicates through the digital data communications channel to establish the state of the session, and the server is configured to establish the voice communication with the user, further responsive to an economic interest of a party distinct from the user.

10. The internet telephony system according to claim 6, wherein the user, in order to communicate with the server to request the voice communication with the user, need only initiate a generic action which is interpreted by the server in accordance with the state of the session and the user preferences to initiate an appropriate response.

11. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of a hyperlink by a user, said selection of the hyperlink initiating a communication with a server and contributing to a current state of a session with respect to the server based on a plurality of hyperlink selections;

retrieving a set of user preferences by the server in response to the communication;

determining a current state of the session with respect to the server; and

selectively initiating a voice communication with the user by the server, simultaneous with a data communication over a digital communications channel between the user and the server, through one of a plurality of different types of voice communications channels defined by the set of user preferences, dependent on both the set of user preferences and the current state of the session with respect to the server.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the set of user preferences is determined by prior activity of the user over the digital data communications channel.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the voice communication channels comprise at least a public switched telephone network channel and a voice over internet protocol channel.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the set of user preferences define a communications mode selected from the group consisting of voice over IP and analog voice.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the set of user preferences are retrieved in a cookie.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein a cookie identifies the user.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the user, in order to communicate with the server to request initiation of the voice communication, has only a single essential action.