Networked contact center user interface approach

• US 9,531,879 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• 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 S
• Application Number:
  US14/974,759
• Time in Patent Office: 375 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 is directed to, among other things, communication systems involving networked contact center interfaces. One example method includes presenting a frame on a user interface to present information in a selectable format. Another example method includes using a circuit device to detect selection of a frame as displayed and causing display of further graphical information in an un-selectable format.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

operating a networked contact center to facilitate incoming calls from customers to a plurality of tenants of the networked contact center;

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

determining 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, 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; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, further including

in response to the selectable area being selected, operating the circuit device to:

cause the selectable area to becomes un-selectable; and

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

3. The method of claim 2, further including operating the circuit device to perform at least one of:

a dial action to initiate the voice communication;

a chat action to initiate the chat communication;

a hold action in which the voice or chat communication is suspended until the voice or chat communication is resumed;

a resume action to resume the voice or chat communication that is suspended;

a mute action to mute voice input in the voice communication;

a transfer action to transfer a voice or chat communication to an entity; and

an end function to end the voice or chat communication.

4. The method 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 method 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. A method for use with a circuit device, the method comprising:

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

in response to the selectable area being selected, operating the circuit device to;

cause the selectable area to become un-selectable;

execute the function to establish a communication between a networked contact center and a user; 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 method of claim 6, further including using the toggle switch to display the further graphical information by displaying information identifying a circuit-executable function that is executable to control data communications involving the networked contact center, and initiating the function by causing initiation of the circuit-executable function in response to user-interaction with the toggle switch.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising operating the circuit device to detect selection of a frame as displayed and causing display of the further graphical information in an un-selectable format in which an input module does not detect selection of the further graphical information.

9. The method of claim 6, further including operating the circuit device 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 the data of the tenant and display the response.

10. The method of claim 6, further including operating the circuit device to cause at least one of:

a dial action to initiate a voice communication;

a chat action to initiate the chat communication;

a hold action in which the voice communication or chat communication is suspended until the voice communication or chat communication is resumed;

a resume action to resume the voice communication or chat communication that is suspended;

a mute action to mute voice input in the voice communication;

a transfer action to transfer a voice or chat communication to an entity; and

an end action to end the voice or chat communication.

11. The method 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. A method for using a circuit-based device, the method comprising the steps of:

causing the circuit-based device 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 method of claim 12, further including using the circuit-based device to

display a toggle switch that is defined according to a selectable area within the viewable frame, which is initially selectable via user-input and cause display of 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 to establish a communication between a networked contact center and a user; 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 method of claim 12, wherein the circuit-based device is further used 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 method of claim 12, further including using an input module to detect the selection of the viewable frame as displayed via the circuit-based device, and using 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.