Networked contact center user interface

• US 9,225,832 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2015
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Salame, Mansour, Southwick, Richard, Fernandez, William James, Townsend, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Salomon, Phenuel
• Application Number:
  US14/629,577
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/256 comprising a service specific user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• 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 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a system and methods for a networked contact center user interface. In an example embodiment, a user interface associated with a networked contact center includes a frame to present information in a selectable format. Based on a selection associated with the information, the frame is to present further information in an un-selectable format.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a networked contact center including communications circuits, configured to facilitate incoming calls from customers to a plurality of tenants of the networked contact center; and

a circuit device, including logic circuitry, configured and arranged to

display a toggle switch that is defined according to a selectable area within a viewable frame, which is selectable via user-input to the apparatus and configured and arranged to display graphical information for identifying a function that is responsive to a selection of the selectable area,

determine one of the plurality of tenants to which a communication of the networked contact center is directed and for access to data of one of the plurality of tenants via a graphical user interface including the viewable frame,

in response to the selectable area being selected, display further graphical information in the selectable area within the frame, the further graphical information depicting a status of the communication of the networked contact center, and

in response to determining the one of the plurality of tenants to which the communication of the networked contact center is directed, retrieve a response to provide to one of the customers from the data of the tenant and display the response.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit device is further configured and arranged to, in response to the selectable area being selected

cause the selectable area to become un-selectable;

and

execute the function within the apparatus to establish the communication of the networked contact center and with a user of the apparatus, wherein the communication includes at least one of a voice communication, a chat communication and an email communication.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the function is a circuit-implemented function including at least one of a dial function to initiate the voice communication, a chat function to initiate the chat communication, a hold function in which the voice or chat communication is suspended until the voice or chat communication is resumed, a resume function to resume the voice or chat communication that is suspended, a mute function to mute voice input in the voice communication, a transfer function to transfer a voice or chat communication to an entity, and an end function to end the voice or chat communication.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphical information is associated with a status of the contact center communication between at least two of an agent of the tenant, a customer and the networked contact center.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the circuit device is configured and arranged to display the graphical information for viewing by at least one of the agent and the customer.

6. An apparatus, comprising a circuit device, that includes circuitry, configured and arranged to

display a toggle switch that is defined according to a selectable area within a viewable frame, which is selectable via user-input to the apparatus and configured and arranged to display graphical information identifying a function that is responsive to a selection of the selectable area, and

in response to the selectable area being selected:

cause the selectable area to become un-selectable;

execute the function within the apparatus to establish a communication of a networked contact center and with a user of the apparatus; and

display further graphical information in the selectable area within the frame, the further graphical information depicting a status of the communication of the networked contact center.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the toggle switch displays the further graphical information by displaying information identifying a circuit-executable function that is executable to control data communications between the apparatus and the networked contact center, and initiates the function by causing initiation of the circuit-executable function in response to user-interaction with the toggle switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising an input module configured and arranged to detect the selection of a frame displayed via the apparatus, wherein the input module includes circuitry configured to implement logical constructions or to process instructions, the apparatus being configured and arranged with the input module to display the further graphical information in an un-selectable format in which the input module does not detect selection of the further graphical information.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the circuit device is further configured and arranged to

determine one of a plurality of tenants to which a communication of the networked contact center is directed, and

in response to determining the one of the plurality of tenants to which the communication of the networked contact center is directed, retrieve a response to provide to a customer from data of the tenant and display the response.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the function is a circuit-implemented function including at least one of a dial function to initiate a voice communication, a chat function to initiate the chat communication, a hold function in which the voice communication or chat communication is suspended until the voice communication or chat communication is resumed, a resume function to resume the voice communication or chat communication that is suspended, a mute function to mute voice input in the voice communication, a transfer function to transfer a voice or chat communication to an entity and an end function to end the voice or chat communication.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the further graphical information is associated with the status of the contact center communication between at least two of an agent of a tenant, a customer and the networked contact center.

12. An apparatus, comprising a circuit-based device, that includes circuitry, configured and arranged to

provide a viewable frame to present, to a user, first information in a selectable format that allows the user to select the first information by selecting the viewable frame;

replace, in response to a user-input selection of the selectable format that is received via the circuit-based device, the first information with second information in an un-selectable format, the second information including status information characterizing a circuit-implemented communication function carried out via a networked contact center in response to the user-input selection;

execute the circuit-implemented communication function; and

modify the second information according to a status of the communication function.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuit-based device is further configured and arranged to

display a toggle switch that is defined according to a selectable area within the viewable frame, which is initially selectable via user-input to the apparatus and displays graphical information identifying a function that is responsive to a selection of the selectable area, and

in response to the selectable area being selected:

cause the selectable area to become un-selectable;

execute the function within the apparatus to establish a communication of a networked contact center and with a user of the apparatus; and

display further graphical information in the selectable area within the frame, the further graphical information depicting a status of the communication of the networked contact center.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuit-based device is further configured and arranged to

display the first information by displaying information identifying the circuit-implemented communication function, and

initiate the circuit-implemented communication function in response to the user-input selection provided via the circuit-based device.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further including an input module configured and arranged to detect the selection of the viewable frame as displayed via the circuit-based device, wherein the input module includes circuitry configured to implement logical constructions and/or to process instructions, the apparatus being configured and arranged with the input module to display graphical information in an un-selectable format in which the input module does not detect selection of the viewable frame.

16. A method for using a circuit device including circuitry, the method comprising:

by operating the circuitry, displaying a toggle switch that is defined according to a selectable area within a viewable frame, which is selectable via user-input to the circuit device and configured and arranged to display graphical information identifying a function that is responsive to a selection of the selectable area, and

in response to the selectable area being selected;

causing the selectable area to become un-selectable;

executing the function within the circuit device to establish a communication of a networked contact center and with a user of the circuit device; and

displaying further graphical information in the selectable area within the frame, the further graphical information depicting a status of the communication of the networked contact center.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the toggle switch displays the further graphical information by displaying information identifying a circuit-executable function that is executable to control data communications between the circuit device and the networked contact center, and initiates the function by causing initiation of the circuit-executable function in response to user-interaction with the toggle switch.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

by using an input module which includes circuitry configured to implement logical constructions or to process instructions, detecting the selection of a frame displayed via the circuit device, and displaying the further graphical information in an un-selectable format in which the input module does not detect selection of the further graphical information.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the circuit device is further used to

determine one of a plurality of tenants to which a communication of the networked contact center is directed, and

in response to determining the one of the plurality of tenants to which the communication of the networked contact center is directed, retrieve a response to provide to a customer from data of the tenant and display the response.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the function is a circuit-implemented function including at least one of a dial function to initiate a voice communication, a chat function to initiate the chat communication, a hold function in which the voice communication or chat communication is suspended until the voice communication or chat communication is resumed, a resume function to resume the voice communication or chat communication that is suspended, a mute function to mute voice input in the voice communication, a transfer function to transfer a voice or chat communication to an entity and an end function to end the voice or chat communication.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the further graphical information is associated with the status of the contact center communication between at least two of an agent of a tenant, a customer and the networked contact center.