US20040141508A1 — Contact center architecture

Claim 1

Independent Claim 183 words

1 . A contact center for receiving and routing realtime and non-realtime communications from a customer to a plurality of agents to elicit a response, the contact center comprising: a. at least one hub configured to receive and route realtime and non-realtime communications from the customer, the at least one hub including: i. at least one server configured to receive realtime and non-realtime communications from the customer; ii. a plurality of gateways configured to receive a voice call from the customer; iii. at least one router coupled to the at least one server, the at least one router configured to normalize realtime and non-realtime communications from the customer; and iv. an application server coupled to the at least one router, the application server configured to route the realtime and non-realtime communications based upon a set of predetermined routing criteria; and b. at least one node coupled to the at least one hub, the at least one node configured to receive realtime and non-realtime communications, the at least one node further configured to route the realtime and non-realtime communications to the plurality of agents.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 183 words

1 . A contact center for receiving and routing realtime and non-realtime communications from a customer to a plurality of agents to elicit a response, the contact center comprising: a. at least one hub configured to receive and route realtime and non-realtime communications from the customer, the at least one hub including: i. at least one server configured to receive realtime and non-realtime communications from the customer; ii. a plurality of gateways configured to receive a voice call from the customer; iii. at least one router coupled to the at least one server, the at least one router configured to normalize realtime and non-realtime communications from the customer; and iv. an application server coupled to the at least one router, the application server configured to route the realtime and non-realtime communications based upon a set of predetermined routing criteria; and b. at least one node coupled to the at least one hub, the at least one node configured to receive realtime and non-realtime communications, the at least one node further configured to route the realtime and non-realtime communications to the plurality of agents.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 53 words

2 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a node router configured to interface between the at least one hub and the at least one node, wherein the node router provides the application server with the availability status of the at least one node and the plurality of agents.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 31 words

3 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an immediate workflow engine configured in the application server, wherein the immediate workflow engine includes the predetermined routing criteria.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 55 words

4 . The contact center as claimed in claim 3 further comprising at least one corporate CRM database coupled to the at least one hub, wherein the immediate workflow engine is configured to store a set of CRM data to and extract the set of CRM data from the at least one corporate CRM database.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 70 words

5 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one server includes: a. an email server configured to receive non-realtime communication including emails and voice messages; b. a web collaboration server configured to receive realtime communications including web collaboration requests; and c. a voice server coupled to the plurality of gateways, the voice server configured to receive the voice call from the plurality of gateways.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 47 words

6 . The contact center as claimed in claim 5 wherein the at least one router includes: a. an email router corresponding to the email server; b. a web collaboration router corresponding to the web collaboration server; and c. a voice router corresponding to the voice server.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 35 words

7 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a software ACD configured in the application server, wherein the software ACD matches the at least one node to realtime and non-realtime communications.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 24 words

8 . The contact center as claimed in claim 7 wherein the software ACD matches the plurality of agents to realtime and non-realtime communications.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 79 words

9 . The contact center as claimed in claim 8 wherein one a first one of the at least one nodes match realtime and non-realtime communications to a second one of the at least one nodes when a plurality of nodes exist, and the at least one hub is not operational, and further wherein the at least one node matches the realtime and non-realtime communications to the plurality of agents when the at least one hub is not operation.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 50 words

10 . The contact center as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a nuasis database, coupled to a workflow engine, the nuasis database configured to record a set of transaction data produced by the workflow engine, wherein the workflow engine is the immediate workflow engine or a deferred workflow engine.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 53 words

11 . The contact center as claimed in claim 10 further comprising an in memory database coupled to the nuasis database, the in memory database configured to replicate the set of transaction data in the nuasis database, further wherein the in memory database is replicated in each of the at least one node.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 34 words

12 . The contact center as claimed in claim 11 further comprising a contact history viewer, the contact history viewer configured to allow the plurality of agents to view the set of transaction data.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

13 . The contact center as claimed in claim 7 wherein the software ACD calculates a contact priority value for every realtime and non-realtime communication when one of the plurality of agents is available.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 114 words

14 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one node includes: a. a node voice server configured to receive a local voice call from a local gateway; b. a node voice router coupled to the node voice server and configured to receive the local voice call from the node voice server; and c. a node application server coupled to the node voice router and the at least one hub, wherein the node application server is configured to receive the local voice call from the node voice router, and further wherein the node application server is configured to receive realtime and non-realtime communication from the at least one hub.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 73 words

15 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of gateways include: a. a proxy table configured in each of the plurality of gateways, wherein the plurality of gateways send the voice call to one of at least one proxy server; and b. a call restoration data table configured in each of the plurality of gateways, wherein the call restoration data table provides data to restore a lost call.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 33 words

16 . The contact center as claimed in claim 15 wherein the voice call is divided by the plurality of gateways into a session initiation protocol portion and a real time protocol portion.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 41 words

17 . The contact center as claimed in claim 16 wherein the at least one hub includes the at least one proxy server, the at least one proxy server configured to receive the session initiation protocol portion of the voice call.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 42 words

18 . The contact center as claimed in claim 16 further comprising at least one media server configured in the at least one hub, the at least one media server configured to receive the real time protocol portion for the voice call.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 32 words

19 . The contact center as claimed in claim 15 wherein the at least one node are coupled to each of the at least one hub with a local area network connection.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 36 words

20 . The contact center as claimed in claim 15 wherein the plurality of gateways are configured such that when one of the plurality of gateways fails, the remainder of the plurality of gateways remain operational.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 24 words

21 . The contact center as claimed in claim 15 wherein the proxy table selects the appropriate proxy server based on a priority scheme.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 48 words

22 . The contact center as claimed in claim 15 wherein the data provided to the call restoration data table is transmitted to the call restoration data table in a session initiation protocol packet, further wherein the session initiation protocol packet includes a header and an SDP body.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 42 words

23 . The contact center as claimed in claim 22 wherein the data provided to the call restoration data table is stored as a key value pair, further wherein the key value pair is derived from the header and the SDP body.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 147 words

24 . The contact center as claimed in claim 5 further comprising: a. a plurality of shared file folders configured in the email server where non-realtime communications are received and stored, wherein an aged communication is extracted from the plurality of shared file folders based on a set of predetermined escalation criteria; b. an escalation service coupled with the plurality of shared file folders such that the escalation service routes the aged communication to the immediate workflow engine; and c. a plurality of designated agents such that the aged communication is displayed on a desktop of a first designated agent after receiving the aged communication from the immediate workflow, wherein the first designated agent provides an immediate response to the aged communication on the desktop, and further wherein the escalation service escalates an immediate communication to the immediate workflow engine for routing to the first designated agent.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 37 words

25 . The contact center as claimed in claim 24 wherein the desktop includes a visual indicator, further wherein the visual indicator includes an expiration time for the aged communication in the plurality of shared file folders.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 30 words

26 . The contact center as claimed in claim 24 wherein the communication is designated as immediate based on the set of predetermined escalation criteria before the communication becomes aged.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 43 words

27 . The contact center as claimed in claim 24 wherein the escalation service checks a present threshold for a maximum number of immediate workflows and delays escalating the communications designated as immediate until the number of immediate workflows is below the threshold.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 40 words

28 . The contact center as claimed in claim 24 further comprising a second designated agent, wherein when the first designated agent does not answer the aged communication, the immediate workflow routes the aged communication to the second designated agent.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 25 words

29 . The contact center as claimed in claim 28 further comprising sending an acknowledgment message when the first and second designated agents are unavailable.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 31 words

30 . The contact center as claimed in claim 28 wherein the aged communication is routed to the second designated agent after the first designated agent does not answer the prompt.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 37 words

31 . The contact center as claimed in claim 28 wherein the aged communication is routed to the second designated agent after the first designated agent answers the prompt by declining to respond to the aged communication.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 39 words

32 . The contact center as claimed in claim 24 wherein the first designated agent is prompted when the first designated agent does not respond within a predetermined timeout period after the aged communication is displayed on the desktop.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 39 words

33 . The contact center as claimed in claim 24 wherein the set of predetermined escalation criteria are variable such that the set of predetermined escalation criteria will change while the first designated agent responds to the aged communication.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 52 words

34 . The contact center as claimed in claim 24 wherein the first and second designated agents may select non-realtime communications from the plurality of shared file folders that are not designated as aged, and further wherein the first and second designated agents respond to those non-realtime communications not designated as aged.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 23 words

35 . The contact center as claimed in claim 24 wherein an agent is designated based on a set of predetermined designation criteria.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 97 words

36 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a. a remote data access device; b. a remote terminal coupled with the remote data access device through a data circuit; and c. a remote telephone coupled with the plurality of gateways through a telephone circuit, wherein when a remote agent logs the remote terminal into the contact center, a voice component of the voice call is transmitted from the plurality of gateways to the remote telephone and a data component of the voice call is transmitted from the contact center to the remote terminal.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 48 words

37 . The contact center as claimed in claim 36 wherein when the remote terminal logs into the contact center, the remote terminal provides a phone number to direct the transmission of the voice component of the voice call from the plurality of gateways to the remote telephone.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 28 words

38 . The contact center as claimed in claim 36 wherein the remote agent can respond to the voice call using the remote telephone and the remote terminal.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 20 words

39 . The contact center as claimed in claim 36 wherein the telephone circuit is a public switched telephone network.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 20 words

40 . The contact center as claimed in claim 36 wherein the data circuit is a high speed internet connection.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 21 words

41 . The contact center as claimed in claim 36 wherein the data circuit is a high speed wireless internet connection.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 20 words

42 . The contact center as claimed in claim 36 wherein the remote data access device is a VPN device.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 145 words

43 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface for displaying on an agent desktop, the graphical user interface including: a. a shutters managed display having a task bar, wherein the task bar includes at least one managed application; b. at least one shutter icon corresponding to each one of the at least one managed applications; and c. a workflow having at least one step corresponding to each one of the at least one shutter icons, wherein one of the at least one shutter icons is selected according to the corresponding step of the workflow, and the managed application corresponding to the selected shutter icon is displayed in a managed application display area, wherein a predetermined set of rules determines the size, placement and visibility of the at least one managed application in the managed application display area.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 30 words

44 . The contact center as claimed in claim 43 further wherein the managed application corresponding to the selected shutter icon is displayed outside of the managed application display area.

Claim 46

Dependent Claim 27 words

45 . The contact center as claimed in claim 43 further comprising a quick start bar, wherein the quick start bar includes at least one non-managed application.

Claim 47

Dependent Claim 21 words

46 . The contact center as claimed in claim 43 further comprising a contact center control panel illustrating current contact information.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 28 words

47 . The contact center as claimed in claim 43 wherein the graphical user interface is displayed on the agent desktop having a display and an input device.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 31 words

48 . The contact center as claimed in claim 47 wherein the input device is used to selectively input data in to any one of the at least one managed applications.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 39 words

49 . The contact center as claimed in claim 43 wherein when one of the plurality of agents select any of the at least one shutter icons, the corresponding managed application is displayed in the managed application display area.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 132 words

50 . The contact center as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second graphical user interface for displaying in an application on the agent desktop, the second graphical user interface including: a. a view including a plurality of wedges, wherein each of the plurality of wedges represents a value; b. a thumb corresponding to each of the plurality of wedges, the thumb configured to allow a user to change the value of the corresponding wedge; and c. a track forming an outside edge of the view, the track configured to allow the user to change an attribute of the second graphical user interface, wherein when the user changes the value of any of the plurality of wedges, the remaining wedges adjust their values according to a set of predetermined allocation criteria.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 33 words

51 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 wherein the thumb is configured such that the user changes the value of one of the plurality of wedges by dragging the thumb.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 37 words

52 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 wherein the thumb and the track are configured such that the user changes the value of one of the plurality of wedges by clicking on the track.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 25 words

53 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 wherein the sum of the values of the plurality of wedges is a constant value.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 31 words

54 . The contact center as claimed in claim 53 wherein the track is configured such that the user changes the attribute of the graphical user interface by dragging the track.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 23 words

55 . The contact center as claimed in claim 54 wherein the attribute of the second graphical user interface is the constant value.

Claim 57

Dependent Claim 35 words

56 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 wherein any of the plurality of wedges can be locked by the user such that the value corresponding to the locked wedge will not change.

Claim 58

Dependent Claim 32 words

57 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 further comprising an allocation algorithm, wherein the allocation algorithm creates a relationship between any of the values of the plurality of wedges.

Claim 59

Dependent Claim 68 words

58 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 further comprising a plurality of text boxes corresponding to each of the plurality of wedges, wherein the text boxes include the value of each of the plurality of wedges, and further wherein the user may change the value of any of the plurality of wedges by entering a new value into any of the plurality of text boxes.

Claim 60

Dependent Claim 35 words

59 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 further comprising a plurality of control buttons, wherein the control buttons are programmable, thereby allowing the user to customize the function of the control buttons.

Claim 61

Dependent Claim 16 words

60 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 wherein the view is a circle.

Claim 62

Dependent Claim 16 words

61 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 wherein the view is a rectangle.

Claim 63

Dependent Claim 17 words

62 . The contact center as claimed in claim 50 wherein the view is a bar graph.

Claim 64

Dependent Claim 123 words

63 . A method of distributing realtime and non-realtime communications in a contact center to elicit a response, the method comprising: a. receiving the realtime and non-realtime communications in at least one hub, wherein the at least one hub includes at least one server configured to receive realtime and non-realtime communications; b. normalizing the realtime and non-realtime communications, wherein at least one media router is configured for normalizing the realtime and non-realtime communications; and c. routing the realtime and non-realtime communications, wherein an application server is configured to route the realtime and non-realtime communications to at least one node based upon a set of predetermined routing criteria, further wherein the at least one node is configured to route the realtime and non-realtime communications.

Claim 65

Dependent Claim 123 words

63 . A method of distributing realtime and non-realtime communications in a contact center to elicit a response, the method comprising: a. receiving the realtime and non-realtime communications in at least one hub, wherein the at least one hub includes at least one server configured to receive realtime and non-realtime communications; b. normalizing the realtime and non-realtime communications, wherein at least one media router is configured for normalizing the realtime and non-realtime communications; and c. routing the realtime and non-realtime communications, wherein an application server is configured to route the realtime and non-realtime communications to at least one node based upon a set of predetermined routing criteria, further wherein the at least one node is configured to route the realtime and non-realtime communications.

Claim 66

Dependent Claim 85 words

64 . A contact center for distributing realtime and non-realtime communications to elicit a response, the contact center comprising: a. means for receiving the realtime and non-realtime communications in at least one hub; b. means for normalizing the realtime and non-realtime communications, wherein the normalizing means are coupled to the receiving means; and c. means for routing the realtime and non-realtime communications to at least one node based upon a set of predetermined routing criteria, wherein the routing means are coupled to the normalizing means.

Claim 67

Dependent Claim 85 words

64 . A contact center for distributing realtime and non-realtime communications to elicit a response, the contact center comprising: a. means for receiving the realtime and non-realtime communications in at least one hub; b. means for normalizing the realtime and non-realtime communications, wherein the normalizing means are coupled to the receiving means; and c. means for routing the realtime and non-realtime communications to at least one node based upon a set of predetermined routing criteria, wherein the routing means are coupled to the normalizing means.

Contact center architecture

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