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

• US RE46,538 E1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): FERRIS III, FRED O
• Application Number:
  US14/578,145
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709246, 70926506, 379242, 37926506, 379246
• 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 29/06 characterised by a protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 29/06027 Protocols for multimedia communication
• 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 65/4007 Services involving a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel sessions real time messaging, e.g. instant messaging, interacting with other applications or services H04L51/046; multichannel or multilink protocols H04L69/14; services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services H04M7/0024
• 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 67/28 for the provision of proxy services, e.g. intermediate processing or storage in the network network management provisions H04L41/00; network monitoring provisions H04L43/00; proxies for network security H04L63/0281; media manipulation, adaptation or conversion in real-time communications H04L65/601; protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2819 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2823 for conversion or adaptation of application content or format message adaptation based on network or terminal capabilities H04L51/06; media manipulation, adaptation or conversion in real-time communications H04L65/601; protocol conversion H04L69/08; optimising visualization of content for web browsing G06F16/9577
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/327 whereby the routing of a service request to a node providing the service depends on the content or context of the request, e.g. profile, connectivity status, payload or application type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 remote agents of a communication center comprising:

a primary server connected to a network, the primary server controlling at least one routing point used by the communication center;

at least one secondary server distributed on the network and accessible to the remote agents;

and

wherein a software suite executingis configured to execute on at least one of the secondary servers and is capable of receiving state information from the remote agents;

characterized in that the remote agent states are monitored for activity by the software suite whereupon the software suite exchanges event related data with the primary server over the network, the primary server using this data for the purpose of intelligently routing events involving the remote agents,

wherein the software suite is an extension of a computer-telephony integration (CTI) software used in the communication center,

wherein the event related data is for being exchanged using a communication protocol, and

wherein the switch is configured to receive a communication, and the primary server is configured to receive an agent state of the one of the remote agents from the software suite for routing the communication to the one of the remote agents.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary server is geographically remote from the primary server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the state information is information as to whether the remote agents are ready or not ready.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary server is configured to host the CTI software, wherein the CTI software is for accessing call-related information.

6. A system for managing remote agents of a communication center comprising:

a primary server connected to a network, the primary server controlling at least one routing point used by the communication center;

a switch coupled to the primary server; and

at least one secondary server distributed on the network and accessible to the remote agents, wherein the at least one secondary server is configured to host a software suite for being executed on the at least one of the secondary servers and capable of receiving state information from agent devices accessible to the remote agents,

wherein the software suite is an extension of a computer-telephony integration (CTI) software used in the communication center,

wherein the software suite is configured to monitor states of the remote agents for activity and exchange event related data with the primary server over the network,

wherein the event related data is for being exchanged using a communication protocol,

wherein the primary server is configured to intelligently route events involving the remote agents based on the event related data,

wherein the switch is configured to receive a communication, and the primary server is configured to receive an agent state of the one of the remote agents from the software suite for routing the communication to the one of the remote agents.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the secondary server is geographically remote from the primary server.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the state information is information as to whether the remote agents are ready or not ready.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the network is the Internet.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the primary server is configured to host the CTI software, wherein the CTI software is for accessing call-related information.