Method and apparatus for extended management of state and interaction of a remote knowledge worker from a contact center

• US 9,002,920 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Deryugin, Vladimir Neil, Giacomini, Patrick, Makagon, Petr, Ryabchun, Andriy, Anisimov, Nikolay
• Primary Examiner(s): SCOTT, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US12/119,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,520 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112.06, 370/352, 709/202, 709/203, 709/205, 709/206, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/085 specially adapted for interworking of IP-based networks with other networks
• 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 2201/60 : Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 : composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 : Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 : Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 : PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 : Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• 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 3/5183 : Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 : interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 : with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 : Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 : A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 : Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 : Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 : Distributing or queueing

Abstract

A network system for managing remote agents of a communication center includes a primary server connected to the network the primary server controlling at least one routing point; one or more secondary servers distributed on the network and accessible to the remote agents, the secondary server or servers having data access to agent computing platforms and communication peripherals; and, a software suite distributed in part to the secondary server or servers and distributed in part to one or more agents computing platforms and peripherals, the software suite including protocol for reporting agent status data. The system monitors agents computing platforms and peripherals for activity state through the one or more secondary servers whereupon the one or more secondary servers exchange control messaging and event related data using ISCC protocols with the primary server over the network for intelligent routing purposes.

Claims

1. A system for managing communications with a communication center, comprising:

a processor;

a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive an indication that an incoming communication was received at a switch;

receive status information relating to a plurality of remote agent terminals located remotely with respect to the communication center;

inquire as to an availability status of one of the remote agent terminals in response to the incoming communication being directed to the one of the remote agent terminals;

instruct the switch to direct the incoming communication to a local agent terminal located locally with respect to the communication center in response to the one of the remote agent terminals not being available;

instruct the switch to direct the incoming communication to the one of the remote agent terminals in response to the one of the remote agent terminals being available; and

transmit data related to the incoming communication to at least one of the one of the remote agent terminals and the local agent terminal for display thereon.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to receive a request for the status information from the switch over a wide area network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the status information includes a skill level of the agents.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication comprises a telephone call from a customer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data related to the incoming communication comprises at least one of customer data, product data, history data, and communication center service tools.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication comprises a text-based communication event from a customer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the availability status comprises information regarding a telephone status of telephones corresponding to the plurality of agent terminals.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the status information includes at least one of a telephone number, fax number, Internet Protocol address, email address, universal resource locator, and pager number.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one of the agent terminals comprises at least one of a telephone, personal computer, laptop, mobile telephone, and personal digital assistant.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data related to the incoming communication is provided to the one of the agent terminals over a local area network.

11. A method for managing communications with a communication center, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, an indication that an incoming communication was received at a switch;

receiving, by the processor, status information relating to a plurality of remote agent terminals located remotely with respect to the communication center;

inquiring, by the processor, as to an availability status of one of the remote agent terminals in response to the incoming communication being directed to the one of the remote agent terminals;

instructing, by the processor, the switch to direct the incoming communication to a local agent terminal located locally with respect to the communication center in response to the one of the remote agent terminals not being available;

instructing, by the processor, the switch to direct the incoming communication to the one of the remote agent terminals in response to the one of the remote agent terminals being available; and

transmitting, by the processor, data related to the incoming communication to at least one of the one of the remote agent terminals and the local agent terminal for display thereon.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, by the processor, a request for the status information from the switch over a wide area network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the status information includes a skill level of the agents.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the incoming communication comprises a telephone call from a customer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the data related to the incoming communication comprises at least one of customer data, product data, history data, and communication center service tools.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the incoming communication comprises a text-based communication event from a customer.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the availability status comprises information regarding a telephone status of telephones corresponding to the plurality of agent terminals.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the status information includes at least one of a telephone number, fax number, Internet Protocol address, email address, universal resource locator, and pager number.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the one of the agent terminals comprises at least one of a telephone, personal computer, laptop, mobile telephone, and personal digital assistant.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the data related to the incoming communication is provided to the one of the agent terminals over a local area network.