Real-time collaboration center

• US 8,737,596 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelley, Mark A., Wengrovitz, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US11/864,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20090086957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,432 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/266.01, 709/205, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference 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

Abstract

A real-time collaboration center and method for using the same are described herein which enables a caller (end-user) to have a real-time collaboration session with a call center agent. In one embodiment, the real-time collaboration center is able to create a new real-time collaboration session for a caller where the caller is routed to the real-time collaboration session in which they might be joined by an automated call center agent which could provide product information and/or gather information to/from the caller while they wait for the live call center agent. When a live call center agent with the appropriate skill set becomes available, then he/she receives an invitation to join the real-time collaboration session where the two parties can then interact with voice, instant messaging, application/desktop sharing, and other media.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a real-time collaboration session between an end-user and a call center agent, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at an application server, a request from a web-based client associated with an end-user who wants to have a real-time collaboration session with a call center agent;

forwarding, from the application server, an http request to a collaboration server;

establishing, at the collaboration server, a new conference;

forwarding, from the collaboration server, an http response having conference details about the new conference to the application server;

forwarding, from the application server, a conference invitation having conference details about the new conference to a queuing server;

queuing, at the queuing server, the conference invitation until the call center agent becomes available to interact with the end-user; and

connecting the end-user to the new conference, through the end user web-based client, which is hosted by the collaboration server,

wherein said collaboration server (i) enables an automated call center agent to interact with the end-user, gather information from the end-user and provide responses to the end-user in the new conference to attempt to diagnose and solve a problem experienced by the end-user while the end-user is waiting for the call center agent to join the new conference and take part in the real-time collaboration session, and (ii) enables the call center agent, through a call center agent web based client, and the end-user to collaborate using voice, instant messaging, file uploading, desktop sharing, video or any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said collaboration server further enables the call center agent to add at least one more call center agent into the real-time collaboration session with the end-user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said collaboration server further enables the call center agent to record the real-time collaboration session with the end-user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said collaboration server further enables the automated call center agent and the end-user to collaborate via document uploading, voice interaction, speech recognition, video or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said collaboration server further enables the call center agent to review communications that were exchanged between the end-user and the automated call center agent.

6. A real-time collaboration center, comprising:

an application server that receives a request from a web-based client associated with an end-user who wants to have a real-time collaboration session with a call center agent;

a collaboration server that receives an http request from the application server and upon receiving the request establishes a new conference, and forwards an http response having conference details about the new conference to the application server; and

a queuing server that receives a conference invitation having conference details about the new conference from said application server and then queues the conference invitation until the call center agent becomes available to interact with the end-user,

wherein said application server further connects the end-user to the new conference hosted by said collaboration server through the end user web-based client, and

wherein said collaboration server (i) enables an automated call center agent to interact with the end-user, gather information from the end-user and provide responses to the end-user in the new conference to attempt to diagnose and solve a problem experienced by the end-user while the end-user is waiting for the call center agent to join the new conference and take part in the real-time collaboration session, and (ii) enables the call center agent, through a call center agent web based client, and the end-user to collaborate using voice, instant messaging, file uploading, desktop sharing, video or any combination thereof.

7. The real-time collaboration center of claim 6, wherein said collaboration server further enables the call center agent to add at least one more call center agent into the real-time collaboration session with the end-user.

8. The real-time collaboration center of claim 6, wherein said collaboration server further enables the call center agent to record the real-time collaboration session with the end-user.

9. The real-time collaboration center of claim 6, wherein said collaboration server further enables the automated call center agent and the end-user to collaborate via document uploading, voice interaction, speech recognition, video or any combination thereof.

10. The real-time collaboration center of claim 6, wherein said collaboration server further enables the call center agent to review communications that were exchanged between the end-user and the automated call center agent.

11. A method for enabling an end-user to establish a real-time collaboration session with a call center agent, said method comprising the steps of:

using a web-based client to navigate to a website having a link offering to place an end-user in a real-time collaboration session with a call center agent;

clicking on the link to obtain a form;

completing the form; and

submitting the form to an application server that is operable to send an http request to a collaboration server which is operable to establish a new conference and forward an http response having conference details about the new conference back to the application server which is further operable to

forward a conference invitation having conference details about the new conference to a queuing server which is operable to query the conference invitation and

connect the end-user to the new conference, through the web-based client, which is hosted by the collaboration server,

wherein said collaboration server (i) enables an automated call center agent to interact with the end-user, gather information from the end-user and provide responses to the end-user in the new conference to attempt to diagnose and solve a problem experienced by the end-user while the end-user is waiting for a call center agent to join the new conference and take part in the real-time collaboration session and (ii) enables the call center agent, through a call center agent web based client, and the end-user to collaborate using voice, instant messaging, file uploading, desktop sharing, video or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said collaboration server further enables the call center agent to add at least one more call center agent into the real-time collaboration session with the end-user.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said collaboration server further enables the automated call center agent and the end-user to collaborate via document uploading, voice interaction, speech recognition, video or any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said collaboration server further enables the call center agent to review communications that were exchanged between the end-user and the automated call center agent.