EP0829996A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Correlating information between internet and call center environments
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1997-08-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-08-18
Abstract
Abstract Coordination of information at the network-based level between call centers connectable over a telecommunications network, such as the telephone network, and a packet network, such as the Internet, creates improved integration of and bonding between a customer's interaction with a Web site and with a call center. Information about the customer and the customer's Web interaction are delivered to the call center agent along with the call, leading to increased productivity and efficiency in call handling as well as improved call routing. Calls may be routed to existing call centers based upon information from the Web experience, and information from the user's Web interaction is shared with the call center. Web interaction information is passed to existing call centers using known call center external control methods, such as DNIS signaling. Information about the Web experience may also be "whispered" to the call center agent, and an agent may "push" Web pages for review by the customer. As a result, customer acquisition and sales tools more powerful than a mere click-to-callback tool can be made available with a combined marketing approach using the Web and call centers.
Inventors
- 👤 Sanford Samuel Brown
- 👤 Oleh George Danyluk
- 👤 Ronald V. Grippo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 11:27
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M7/00; H04M7/0024; H04M7/003; G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/50; H04L67/535; H04L67/55; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/5183; H04M3/5191; H04M2207/00; H04M2207/20; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42085; H04M3/42102; H04M3/42195; H04M3/523; H04M3/5231; H04M7/12; H04Q; H04Q2213/00; H04Q2213/13072; H04Q2213/13091; H04Q2213/13093; H04Q2213/13152; H04Q2213/13175; H04Q2213/13389
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of causing a call to be placed to a call center associated with a subscriber in response to an act done by a user linked in an interactive communication session with a packet network, comprising the steps of: a. receiving over the packet network information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session; b. transforming the received information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center, said call being routable by the call center in accordance with the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session; and c. initiating placement of a call to the call center in accordance with the transformed information.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the packet network comprises at least one of the Internet and an intranet, or wherein the interactive communication session comprises Web browsing, or wherein the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session, or wherein the step of receiving information over the packet network includes receiving information transmitted over the packet network using a uniform resource locator (URL), or wherein the step of transforming the information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center includes the step of using a database containing at least one entry for information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session and at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center comprises a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transforming the received information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center comprises transforming the received information into a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of initiating placement of a call to the call center in accordance with the transformed information comprises instructing a telecommunications switch coupled to the telecommunications network to place a call to a communications number corresponding to the DNIS code.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
199 words
The method according to claim l, wherein: a. the packet network comprises at least one of the Internet and an intranet; b. the interactive communication session comprises Web browsing; c. the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session; d. the step of receiving information over the packet network includes receiving information transmitted over the packet network using a uniform resource locator (URL); e. the step of transforming the received information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center comprises transforming the received information into a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code using a database containing at least one entry for information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session and at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center; and f. the step of initiating placement of a call to the call center in accordance with the transformed information comprises instructing a telecommunications switch coupled to the telecommunications network to place a call to a communications number corresponding to the DNIS code.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of sending, in response to a signal from a call center, a communication over a packet network to a user linked in an interactive communication session with the packet network, comprising the steps of: a. receiving the signal from the call center over a telecommunications network; b. determining from the received signal at least one page, displayable to the user on a display device, to send to the user; c. sending the displayable page to the user over the packet network.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
41 words
The method according to claims 7, 15 or 16, wherein the signal received from the call center comprises at least one dual tone multiple frequency (DTMF) code, or wherein the displayable page corresponds to a page displayable using a Web browser.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of correlating information between a call center associated with a subscriber and a packet network linked in an interactive communication session with a user, comprising the steps of: a. receiving over the packet network information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session; b. communicating the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session to the call center over a telecommunications network; and c. bonding a telecommunications session between the user and the call center together with the interactive communication session.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
160 words
The method according to claim 9, wherein the packet network comprises at least one of the Internet and an intranet, or wherein the interactive communication session comprises Web browsing, or wherein the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session, or wherein the step of receiving information over the packet network includes receiving information transmitted over the packet network using a uniform resource locator (URL), or wherein the step of communicating the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session to the call center over a telecommunications network includes the step of transforming the information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center, said call being routable by the call center in accordance with the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of the step of transforming the information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center includes the step of using a database containing at least one entry for information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session and at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one entry corresponding to a communications number for the call center comprises a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code, or wherein the at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes at least one of an identity of the subscriber and a subject matter associated with the interactive communication session.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of transforming the received information into a form suitable for placing a call over a telecommunications network to the call center comprises transforming the received information into a dialed number identification service (DNIS) code.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
96 words
The method according one or more of claims 9-13, wherein the step of bonding a telecommunications session between the user and the call center together with the interactive communication session includes bridging a telecommunications connection to the user together with a telecommunications connection to the call center associated with the subscriber to establish a telecommunications connection between the user and the call center while the packet network remains linked in the interactive communications session with the user, or wherein the method further comprises the step of sending a communication to the user over the packet network.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of sending a communication to the user over the packet network includes sending a page displayable to the user on a display device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of sending a communication to the user over the packet network is performed in response to a signal from the call center.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
50 words
The method according to one or more of claims 9-16, wherein the step of communicating the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session to the call center over a telecommunications network includes the step of sending audio signals representing the information to the call center.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of sending audio signals representing the information to the call center comprises: a. transforming the information into audible sounds; and b. playing the audible sounds over a telecommunication connection established with the call center.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
40 words
The method according to one or more of claims 9-18, wherein the step of communicating the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session includes verifying the authority of the call center to receive the information.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
147 words
A system for correlating information between a call center associated with a subscriber and a packet network linked in an interactive communication session with a user, comprising: a. a telecommunications unit coupled to a telecommunications network; and b. a processing unit coupled to the packet network and to the telecommunications unit, wherein the processing unit is programmed to carry out the steps of controlling the correlation of information between the call center and the packet network, which steps include: (1) receiving over the packet network information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session; (2) instructing the telecommunications unit to communicate the information corresponding to at least one characteristic of the interactive communication session to the call center over a telecommunications network; and (3) initiating the bonding of a telecommunications session between the user and the call center together with the interactive communication session.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system according to claim 20, wherein the processing unit comprises: a. a computer; b. a database; and c. at least one of: (1) a database server; (2) a call manager server; and (3) a page presentation server.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system according to claim 21, wherein the telecommunications unit comprises a telecommunications switch and a voice response unit, or wherein the packet network comprises at least one of the Internet and an intranet, or wherein the interactive communication session comprises Web browsing.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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