Extending internet calls to a telephone call center

Claim 2

The method of claim 1 wherein: the step of the client establishing and providing comprises the step of the client further providing (214) an identifier of a user of the client to the gateway via the connection; the step of the gateway establishing a telephone call comprises the step of in response to receipt of the identifier of the client, the gateway conveying (220-226) the identifier of the client to the call center; and the method further comprising the step of in response to the establishment of the telephone call, the call center using (234-236) the identifier of the client to effect a screen pop at an agent position that is handling the telephone call.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 in a communications system that includes a client-server network comprising an Internet client (100) equipped with a World Wide Web (WWW) browser (101) and an Internet phone (99), at least one Internet server (103) for serving at least one WWW page, and an Internet network (102) interconnecting the client with the server, and that further includes a telephone network (105), a telephone call center (106) connected to the telephone network, and a gateway (104) interfacing the Internet network with the telephone network, wherein the step of indicating comprises the steps of a user of the client interacting (200) via the browser with a WWW page (114) provided through the Intemet to the client by the server, to indicate a desire to speak to a call center agent, and in response to the interacting, the client notifying (202) the server through the Internet of the user's desire; the step of providing comprises the step of in response to the notification, the server providing (206) to the client through the Internet an executable application (117) and a telephone number (116) of the call center; the step of the client establishing a connection comprises the steps of in response to receipt of the executable application and the telephone number, the client executing (208) the application, and in response to executing the application, the client obtaining (210) a telephone number of the user, establishing (212) a connection through the Internet between the Internet phone and the gateway, and providing (214) the telephone number of the user and the telephone number of the call center to the gateway via the connection; and the step of the gateway establishing a telephone call comprises the steps of in response to the connection and the telephone numbers, the gateway establishing (220-228) a telephone call through the telephone network to the call center, using (224) the telephone number of the user as the calling number and using (226) the telephone number of the call center as the called number, and further interfacing (229) the established telephone call with the established connection through the Internet; and in response to establishment of the telephone call, the call center connecting (234) the telephone call to an agent position and using (236) the calling telephone number to effect a screen pop at the agent position.

Claim 4

The method of claim 3 wherein: the step of using the telephone number of the user as the calling number comprises the step of the gateway including (224) the telephone number of the user as the calling number in a call setup message to the call center for establishing the telephone call.

Claim 5

A client (100) for a client-server network that comprises the client, at least one server (103), and a gateway (104) to a telephone system (105), interconnected by a data network (102), comprising an arrangement (101, 115) for indicating to the server through the data network a desire to speak to a call center agent, the client CHARACTERISED BY an arrangement (101: 208-216) responsive to receipt from the server through the data network of information (116-117) enabling the client to connect to a call center through the gateway, including an identifier (116) of the call center, for using the information to establish a connection through the data network to the gateway and providing the call center identifier to the gateway through the connection for use by the gateway in establishing a telephone call to the call center.

Claim 6

The client of claim 5 wherein: the information comprises an executable application (117), the identifier of the call center comprises a telephone number (116) of the call center, and the arrangement for using and providing comprises means (101: 208-214) for executing the application to obtain a telephone number of a user of the client, establish a connection from the client through the data network to the gateway, and provide the telephone number of the call center as the called telephone number and further provide the telephone number of the user as the calling telephone number, to the gateway through the connection for use by the gateway in establishing a telephone call to the call center.

Claim 7

A server (103) for a client-server network that comprises the server, at least one client (100), and a gateway (104) to a telephone system, interconnected by a data network (102), the server comprising an arrangement (115) for receiving from the client through the data network an indication of a desire to speak to a call center agent, the server CHARACTERISED BY an arrangement (104: 204-206) responsive to receipt of the indication, for providing through the data network to the client information (116, 117) enabling the client to connect to a call center through the gateway, including an identifier of the call center.

Claim 8

The server of claim 7 wherein: the identifier comprises a telephone number (116) of the call center, and the information comprises an application (117) for execution on the client to obtain a telephone number of a user of the client, establish a connection from the client through the data network to the gateway, and provide the telephone number of the call center as the called number and further provide the telephone number of the user as the calling number, to the gateway through the connection.

Claim 9

A gateway (104) for interfacing a telephone network (105) with a data network (102), CHARACTERISED BY an arrangement (104: 220-228) responsive to establishment of a connection through the data network to the gateway and receipt through the connection an identifier (116, 119) of a called endpoint and a calling party, for establishing a telephone call through the telephone network to the called endpoint and conveying the identifier of the calling party to the called endpoint; and an arrangement (104: 229) responsive to establishment of the telephone call, for interfacing the connection through the data network with the telephone call.

Claim 10

The gateway of claim 9 wherein: the arrangement for establishing and conveying comprises means (104: 224) for including the telephone number of the calling party in a setup message (118) of the telephone call to the called endpoint.