Claims
- 1. A system for providing communication event routing and transfer capability in a multi-site communication-center environment comprising:
a presence protocol application; a routing application; a point of transfer on a network; and a destination of transfer on the same or connected network; characterized in that the presence protocol application is shared by communication-center sites cooperating in the transfer and routing of events and wherein the presence protocol performs at least one event-handling process normally performed by the routing application.
- 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the presence protocol is Session Initiation Protocol.
- 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the presence protocol is Instant Messaging and Presence Protocol.
- 4. The system of claim 2 wherein the presence protocol includes Session Advertisement Protocol and Session Description Protocol.
- 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the routing protocol is T-server protocol.
- 6. The system of claim 1 wherein the point of transfer is a telephony switch.
- 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the destination of transfer is a telephony switch.
- 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the destination of transfer is an IP-capable device in an agent workstation.
- 9. The system of claim 6 wherein the destination of transfer is an IP-capable device in an agent workstation.
- 10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a communication server shared by at least two of the multiple communication-center sites.
- 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the communication server is hosted on one of the Internet, an Ethernet, or on a Virtual Private Network.
- 12. The system of claim 10 wherein the presence protocol is Session Initiation Protocol.
- 13. The system of claim 10 wherein the presence protocol is Instant Messaging and Presence Protocol.
- 14. The system of claim 10 wherein the routing protocol is T-server protocol.
- 15. The system of claim 10 wherein the point of transfer is a telephony switch.
- 16. The system of claim 10 wherein the destination of transfer is a telephony switch.
- 17. The system of claim 10 wherein the destination of transfer is an IP-capable device in an agent workstation.
- 18. The system of claim 16 wherein the destination of transfer is an IP-capable device in an agent workstation.
- 19. A method for transferring a telephony communication event from one communication-center site switch to another comprising steps of:
(a) receiving an event at a first telephony switch at a first site; (b) determining that the event requires transfer to a second identified telephony switch at the location of a second site; (c) sending a request in the form of a presence protocol message to a processor controlling the switch at the second site; (d) receiving at a processor controlling the switch at the first site a response in the form of a presence protocol message giving permission for the transfer; and (e) executing the call transfer.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein in step (a) the event is a COST telephone call and the switch is a CTI-enabled telephony switch.
- 21. The method of claim 19 wherein in step (b) determination of transfer requirement is established through IVR interaction with the caller.
- 22. The method of claim 19 wherein in step (c) the presence protocol is Session Initiation Protocol.
- 23. The method of claim 19 wherein in step (c) the presence protocol is Instant Messaging and Presence Protocol.
- 24. The method of claim 19 wherein in steps (c) and (d), a request and response interaction also occurs using a routing protocol for exchanging information not handled in the presence protocol request/response interaction.
- 25. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one event-handling process is event notification of the event for transfer.
- 26. The method of claim 19 wherein the at least one event-handling process is the process of reporting availability of an agent representing the final destination for the transferred event.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS
[0001] The present invention claims priority to a Provisional Patent application, No. 60/389,703, filed Jun. 17, 2002. The present invention is also a Continuation-In-Part (CIP) to a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/927,301 entitled “Integrating SIP Control Messaging Into Existing Communication Center Routing Infrastructure” filed on Aug. 10, 2001, which is a CIP to a U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/160,558, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Providing Integrated Routing for PSTN and IPNT Calls in a Call Center”, filed on Sep. 24, 1998, disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. A document disclosure in the DD program, number 496199 dated Jun. 19, 2001, was filed in case 09/927,301.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60389703 |
Jun 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09927301 |
Aug 2001 |
US |
Child |
10242250 |
Sep 2002 |
US |
Parent |
09160558 |
Sep 1998 |
US |
Child |
09927301 |
Aug 2001 |
US |