Contact server for call center

• US 8,559,615 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Ravenscroft, Donald, Goss, Raymond G
• Primary Examiner(s): AL AUBAIDI, RASHA S
• Application Number:
  US12/340,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20090161858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.09, 379/266.02, 37926501-26502
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

The present invention is a Contact server that enables customers to submit call-back requests to a call center via the Internet, or virtually any other communications technology available. A call-back to the customer can be placed via any communications technology available. In its preferred embodiment, the Contact Server enables a call-back request to be submitted by a customer directly from an HTML page on a Web site, and have that same HTML page be presented to the agent that receives the call-back request. The agent can then place a telephone call to the number provided by the customer who submitted the call-back request, and at the same time, establish a TCP/IP communications session with the customer. This TCP/IP session can proceed between the agent'"'"'s Web browser and the customer'"'"'s Web browser, and the visible actions performed by the agent are transferred to the customer and displayed on the customer'"'"'s browser. The TCP/IP session proceeds simultaneous with the telephone call between the agent and the customer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a server device and to a user, information identifying a plurality of user support services categories;

receiving, by the server device, a support request from the user, the support request including a selection of one of the plurality of the user support services categories;

identifying, by the server device and based on the selection, a user support party from a plurality of user support parties;

forwarding, by the server device and to the user support party, information associated with the support request identified user support party, the forwarding of the information including;

providing a script to the user support party, the script causing a computer device, associated with the user support party, to display a webpage based on the support request; and

establishing, by the server device, a communications link between the computer device s and a user device associated with the user, the communication link enabling the user device to display;

the webpage displayed to the user support party, and

actions performed by the user support party with respect to the webpage.

2. The method of claim 1, where the user sends the support request from a particular webpage, and

where forwarding the information associated with the support request further includes:

sending a uniform resource locator to the user support party, where the uniform resource locator is associated with the particular web page from which the user sent the support request.

3. The method of claim 1, where forwarding the information associated with the received support request further includes:

sending, to the user support party, a user identifier associated with the user,

where the user identifier includes at least one of;

a name of the user,

a telephone number of the user, or

a network address associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, where the plurality of user support services categories includes at least two of:

new orders,

billing services,

product shipments or returns,

technical support, or

trouble ticketing.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an identifier associated with the user,

where identifying the user support party includes;

identifying the user support party, from the plurality of user support parties, further based on the determined identifier associated with the user.

6. A system comprising:

one or more servers;

provide, to a user, information identifying a plurality of user support services categories,

receive a support request from the user, the support request identifying one of the plurality of user support services categories,

identify, based on the support request, a user support party from a plurality of user support parties,

forward information associated with the support request to the user support party, the one or more server devices, when forwarding the information, being further to;

provide script to a computer device associated with the user support party, the script enabling the computer device to provide, based on the support request, a webpage for display, and

establish a communications link between a user device associated with the user, and the computer device, the communication link enabling the user device, to display;

the webpage displayed to the user support party, and

one or more actions performed by the user support party with respect to the webpage.

7. The system of claim 6, where the one or more servers are further to:

send, to the user support party, a uniform resource locator, where the uniform resource locator is associated with a particular web page via which the user made the support request.

8. The system of claim 6, where the one or more servers are further to:

send, to the user support party, at least one of;

a name of the user,

a telephone number of the user, or

a network address associated with the user.

9. The system of claim 6, where the plurality of user support services categories comprises at least two of:

new orders,

billing services,

product shipments or returns,

technical support, or

trouble ticketing.

10. The system of claim 6, where the one or more servers are further to:

determine an identifier associated with the user, and

where the one or more servers, when identifying the user support party, are further to;

identify the user support party, from the plurality of the user support parties, further based on the identifier associated with the user.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, via a server and from user, data associated with a request for support services, the data associated with the request for the support services including at least one of;

a user identifier that identifies the user, or

a uniform resource locator associated with a first web page, from which the user made the request for the support services;

forwarding, by the server device and to a user support party, the data associated with the request for the support services, the forwarding of the data including;

providing a script to a computer device, associated with the user support party, the script causing the computer device to display a second webpage based on the data associated with the request for the support services; and

providing, by the server and to the user, the second web page, the providing of the second web page including;

establishing, by the server, a communications link between, a user device associated with the user, and the user device, the communications link enabling the user device to present;

the second web page, and

actions performed by the user support party with respect to the second web page.

12. The method of claim 11,

where the data associated with the request for the support services includes the uniform resource locator associated with the first web page that the user used to make the request for the support services, and

where the second web page displays content from the first web page.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending, through the communications link and to the user, user support information, where the user support information is based on the data associated with the request for the support services.

14. The method of claim 11, where the communications link comprises a transmission control protocol/internet protocol link.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

forwarding, to the user support party and via the communications link, information associated with actions performed by the user prior to the request for the support services.

16. A system comprising:

one or more servers to;

receive, from a user, data associated with a request for support services, the data associated with the request for the support services including at least one of;

a user identifier, or

a uniform resource locator associated with a first web page that the user used to make the request for the support services,

forward, to a user support party, the data associated with the request for the support services, the one or more servers, when forwarding of the data, being further to;

provide a script to the user support party, the script causing a computer device, associated with the user support party, to display a second webpage that is based on the data associated with the request for the support services,

provide, to a user device, associated with the user, the second web page, where the one or more servers, when providing second web page are further to;

establish, based on the data associated with the request for support services, a communications link between the user device and the computer device, the communications link enabling the user device to to display;

the second web page, and

through the second webpage, actions performed by the user support party in response to the request for the support services.

17. The system of claim 16, where

the received data includes the uniform resource locator associated with the first web page that the user used to make the request for the support services, and

the second web page displays content from the first web page.

18. The system of claim 16, where the one or more servers are further to:

send, based on the data associated with the request for the support services, user support information to the user.

19. The system of claim 16, where the communications link comprises a transmission control protocol/internet protocol link.

20. The system of claim 16, where the one or more server are further to:

forward, to the user support party and via the communications link, data related to one or more action performed by the user prior to the request for the support services.