Call routing method: routing to out-of-network representative having ability to speak specific language, if interpreter of network and interpreter of entity are not available to take call

• US 8,588,399 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paras & Associates
• Original Assignee: Paras & Associates
• Inventors: Paras, Melinda, Otake, Raymond N.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US11/776,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20080025493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,323 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.12, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/266.01
• US Class Current: 379/265.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5125 with remote located operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

An IP-based call center is able to route video and audio calls. The call routing is skills-based, and can be configured to give preference first to representatives or agents associated with an entity, and then to representatives or agents within a network associated with that entity. If no representative is available in-house or in-network, the call can be transferred to an external representative or agent. In other embodiments, an entity can configure prioritized layers for routing calls, in order to favor specific service providers.

Claims

1. A method of routing calls through successive layers of providers that are associated with separate entities that are part of organizational units, the organizational units connected via an IP (Internet Protocol) data network that is connected to a call center, comprising:

receiving an IP video call from a requestor via an IP connection, the IP video call originating from an entity and requiring a particular skill of a representative;

routing the IP video call via the IP connection to a representative of the entity logged-in to the call center when the representative of the entity has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call, wherein the IP video call is routed via a first local network corresponding to the entity, wherein the first local network is behind a first firewall that connects the first local network to a private MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switched) network;

when a representative of the entity is not available to take the IP video call, routing the IP video call via the IP connection to a representative of an organizational unit associated with the entity logged-in to the call center when the representative of the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call, wherein the IP video call is routed via the first local network to a second local network corresponding to the organizational unit, wherein the second local network is behind a second firewall that connects the second local network to the private MPLS, wherein the entity and the organizational unit are associated with a call center; and

when a representative of the entity and a representative of the organizational unit are not available to take the IP video call, routing the IP video call via the IP connection to a representative outside the organizational unit logged-in to the call center when the representative outside the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call, wherein the representative outside the organizational unit is also associated with said call center.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the particular skill is the ability to speak a specified language.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the IP video call requires a plurality of skills.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the representative is an interpreter.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second IP video call from a second requestor, the second IP video call originating from a second entity and requiring a particular skill of a representative;

routing the second IP video call to a representative of the second entity if the representative of the second entity has that particular skill and is available to take the second IP video call;

if a representative of the second entity is not available to take the second IP video call, routing the second IP video call to a representative of the entity if the representative of the entity has that particular skill and is available to take the second IP video call, wherein the entity and the second entity are both associated with the organizational unit, wherein the entity and the organization unit are associated with a call center; and

if a representative of the second entity and a representative of the entity are not available to take the second IP video call, routing the second IP video call to a representative outside the organizational unit if the representative outside the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video second call.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising:

debiting an account associated with the entity when the call is routed to the representative of the second entity; and

crediting the account associated with the entity when the second call is routed to the representative of the entity.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein if the IP video call is routed to a representative of the organizational unit associated with the entity, then a data stream associated with the IP video call is routed point-to-point between the requestor and the representative of the organizations unit via the first local network, the MPLS network, and the second local network.

8. A system for routing calls through successive layers of providers that are associated with separate entities that are part of organizational units, the organizational units connected via an IP (Internet Protocol) data network that is connected to a call center, the system comprises:

a private MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switched) network;

a call receiving device operable to receive an IP video call from a requestor via an IP connection, the IP video call originating from an entity and requiring a particular skill of a representative;

a first firewall corresponding to the entity, wherein the first firewall connects a first local network corresponding to the entity to the private MPLS network;

a call router operable to route the IP video call via the IP connection to a representative of the entity logged-in to the call center when the representative of the entity has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call, wherein the call is routed via the first local network that is behind the first firewall; and

a second firewall corresponding to an organizational unit associated with the entity, wherein the second firewall connects a second local network corresponding to the organizational unit to the private MPLS network,

wherein when a representative of the entity is not available to take the IP video call, the call router is operable to route the IP video call via the IP connection to a representative of the organizational unit associated with the entity logged-in to the call center when the representative of the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call, wherein the IP video call is routed via the first local network to the second local network via the private MPLS, wherein the entity and the organizational unit are associated with a call center; and

wherein when a representative of the entity and a representative of the organizational unit are not available to take the IP video call, the call router is further operable to route the IP video call to a representative outside the organizational unit logged-in to the call center when the representative outside the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call, wherein the representative outside the organizational unit is also associated with said call center.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein:

the particular skill is the ability to speak a specified language.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein:

the call requires a plurality of skills.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein:

the representative is an interpreter.

12. A system according to claim 8, wherein:

the system is an IP-based routing system.

13. A computer program product embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium for routing calls through successive layers of providers that are associated with separate entities that are part of organizational units, the organizational units connected via an IP (Internet Protocol) data network that is connected to a call center, comprising:

computer program code for receiving an IP video call from a requestor via an IP connection, the IP video call originating from an entity and requiring a particular skill of a representative;

computer program code for routing the IP video call via the IP connection to a representative of the entity logged-in to the call center when the representative of the entity has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call, wherein the IP video call is routed via a first local network corresponding to the entity, wherein the first local network is behind a first firewall that connects the first local network to a private MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switched) network;

computer program code for routing the IP video call via the IP connection to a representative of an organizational unit associated with the entity logged-in to the call center when the representative of the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call when a representative of the entity is not available to take the IP video call, wherein the IP video call is routed via the first local network to a second local network corresponding to the organizational unit, wherein the second local network is behind a second firewall that connects the second local network to the private MPLS, wherein the entity and the organizational unit are associated with a call center; and

computer program code for routing the IP video call to a representative outside the organizational unit logged-in to the call center when the representative outside the organizational unit outside the organizational unit has that particular skill and is available to take the IP video call when a representative of the entity and a representative of the organizational unit are not available to take the IP video call, wherein the representative outside the organizational unit is also associated with said call center.

14. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein:

the particular skill is the ability to speak a specified language.

15. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein:

the IP video call requires a plurality of skills.

16. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein:

the representative is an interpreter.

17. A computer program product according to claim 13, wherein:

computer program code for routing call includes code for routing the call using an IP-based routing system.