CN1350744A - Audio and data collaboration and coordination system - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for coordinating an IP audio call and a data collaboration session over a network, such as the Internet (24), the collaboration session containing voice and data. It is accomplished by providing an identification data field to accompany the audio call throughout the call from the caller (sender or client 20) to the intended recipient (recipient or agent 22a,22c), this identification data field also being used as an identification of the corresponding data collaboration between the caller and the intended recipient, allowing for parallel and coordinated transmission of voice and data over separate communication channels.

Description

Audio and Data Collaboration and Coordination System

Cross References to Related Applications

This patent application claims priority from and is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/124,369, entitled: Activated Call Center System, filed March 15, 1999, which is filed in This is incorporated for reference.

field of invention

The present invention relates to voice and data applications over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, and more particularly to systems and methods for coordinating audio calls and collaborative data sessions over networks such as the Internet.

Background of the invention

The Internet has emerged as an effective means of speeding up transaction processing and is serving a growing number of users, expected to exceed 47 million by early 2000. As the number of users grows, so does electronic commerce, or "e-commerce," the online transaction process that typically involves the sale of goods and services. Thousands of transactions have been converted to electronic commerce, realizing the lucrative profits generated by reaching Internet users through web-based services, advertisements, product sales and promotions.

In a typical e-commerce instance, audio calls are made between a customer and an agent over the Internet. The audio call is usually via the PSTN to IP gateway, and then passed to the agent's PSTN PBX. The legacy protocols associated with this PSTN technology are limited, so any associated data transmission is limited, if not impossible.

Summary of the invention

The present invention improves upon the prior art by providing a system and method for coordinating an IP audio call and a data collaboration session, comprising both voice and data, over a network such as the Internet. This is accomplished by providing an identification data field that accompanies the audio call from the caller (sender or client) to the intended recipient (receiver or agent), this identification data field is also used as the call Identification of corresponding data collaborations between the recipient and the intended recipient, allowing voice and data to be transmitted in parallel and coordinated over separate communication channels.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to call center systems that allow data collaborative sessions, such as audio and A World Wide Web enabled call center for data collaboration sessions, the system comprising means for placing at least one first cosurfur identification, Automatic Number Identification (ANI), in at least one audio component for for placement in an audio call of at least one sender, and for placement in at least one data collaboration component for placement in a data call of at least one sender.

The system also includes at least one data collaboration server configured to: receive first data corresponding to an audio call from at least one sender to at least one receiver, the first data comprising at least The first joint surfer identification, and a second joint surfer identification from the at least one recipient, the first joint surfer identification being different from the second joint surfer identification; receiving second data comprising data from at least one recipient A sender's first joint surfer identification of a data call; receiving third data comprising a second joint surfer identification from at least one recipient's data call; and processing the first, second and third data , to connect the data call between the at least one sender and the at least one receiver, the data call between the at least one sender and the at least one receiver is parallel to the audio call between these same participants and is connected with coordination.

Embodiments of the present invention are also directed to methods for conducting audio calls and data collaboration between a sender (typically a client) and a receiver (typically a web-enabled agent) over a wide area network such as the Internet session. These embodiments typically include providing the sender with at least one audio component and at least one data collaboration component, providing the sender with a first associated surfer identification, i.e. an automatic number identification (ANI), and assigning the first associated surfer The identification is copied into at least one audio component and at least one data component of at least one sender.

The sender then sends the first combined surfer identification via the at least one audio component, and it is combined with a second combined surfer identification that is different from the first combined surfer identification, And in accordance with the audio call between the at least one sender and the at least one intended recipient, it is from the at least one intended recipient. According to a data call, this first joint surfer identification is then sent by the data cooperating component to at least one server. This data call from the sender is then concatenated with a data call from at least one intended recipient as a result of the recipient having sent the second joint surfer identification to at least one server. This results in data calls between at least one sender and at least one intended recipient being parallel to and coordinated with audio calls between these same participants.

Brief description of the drawings

Turning now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals or characters indicate corresponding or like components. In these figures:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention for a typical application; and

Figure 2 is a useful process flow diagram for implementing an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows the invention in use, from the side of a client (typically called a caller or sender) 20 to the side of an agent (typically called a receiver or recipient) 22a-22c. The client side and agent side are connected via a Wide Area Network (WAN), typically the Internet 24 .

Viewed from the client side, the client 20 has a multimedia PC 30 with voice and data capabilities (for example, with a CPU of the Pentium series (Pentium®) produced by Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, California 95052). The multimedia PC 30 adopts an operating system such as Windows NT (produced by Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington 98052), and is equipped with a suitable modem or other hardware to access a wide area network (WAN), here referred to as the Internet 24. The PC 30 is equipped with a display 31 and also has software installed as an Internet browser. Typical browsers suitable for use herein include Microsoft® Internet Explorer® (manufactured by Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA), Netscape Navigator®, and Netscape® Communicator® , the latter two are produced by Netscape Communications Corporation, Mountain View, California 94043.

On the agent side, are web-enabled agents 22a-22c. Although 3 agents are shown, this is by way of example only and any number (one or more) of agents is permitted in accordance with the present invention. These agents 22a-22c are typically equipped with a multimedia PC 32 with voice and data capabilities, which also includes a browser, consistent with those detailed above. Each agent 22a-22c uses a regular (plain old telephone) telephone for audio, usually voice. The PCs of the agents 22a-22c have connections to the WAN (here the Internet 24 for data) and are connected to a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) 36 for voice.

PBX system 36 is typically connected to Internet 24 through a gatekeeper 38 . For example, a gatekeeper 38 may be the VocalTec® Gatekeeper® manufactured by VocalTec Communications Ltd., Israel, Herzlia 46733, although a gatekeeper is not required.

Inside the PBX 36 is an automatic call distribution unit (ACD) 40, which functions like a switch, for routing voice calls to selected agents 22a-22c, which are usually the first available agents. For example, one suitable ACD for use with this system is the DEFINITY G3ACD manufactured by Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, New Jersey.

The PBX is connected to a telephony server (T-server) 42 configured to convert PBX telephony data into Internet Protocol (IP) data. For example, a suitable T-server for the system may be the PacketStar ^(TM) Internet Telephony Server manufactured by Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, New Jersey.

The T-server 42 is connected to a Data Collaboration (DC) server 44, which in turn is connected to the Internet 24. Typically, the DC server 44 includes a computer telephony integration (CTI) driver 45 co-located therewith. The DC server provides the interface between customer (customer) incoming calls, telephony gateway terminals and call center equipment, such as ACD/switches, and the Internet 24 . For example, the DC server and CTI driver can use the VocalTec® Surf & Call™ server (produced by VocalTec Communications Company, Herzelia, Israel).

Servers 1 and 2 , indicated at 50 , 52 in the figure, are connected to the Internet 24 . These servers 50, 52 are examples of many, many servers connected to the Internet.

One server (typically DC server 44, as opposed to the other server 1 (50)) for example hosts a World Wide Web site containing downloadable software. This software is configured to allow the placement of simultaneous audio and data calls, usually in the form of voice, between customers and agents.

An exemplary software package for an audio call component suitable for making audio (voice) calls is Surf & Call Center ^™ (produced by VocalTec Communications Co., Ltd., Herzlia, Israel), which has the Surf & Call® produced by VocalTec Communications Co., Ltd., Herzlia, Israel. software, which is an embeddable plug-in that enables a web-to-telephone call center application from a standard web page. Data calls can be made via a Data Collaboration (DC) component, typically written in JavaScript or code within an applet, typically in the DC server 44 as well. For example, one software package with suitable DC components is the VocalTec(R) Cosurfer DC component (manufactured by VocalTec Communications Ltd., Herzlia, Israel), which is typically part of the Surf & Call Center ^(TM) , which is described in detail above.

The DC server 44 or other server 50 also contains additional JavaScript code for handling automatic number identification (ANI), as described in more detail below. Once the audio call component 60 and DC component 61 are downloaded on the client's PC, they can appear on eg the display 31 (JavaScript or applet code not shown).

The audio call component, the data call component, the JavaScript code, and/or some portion thereof can be located on different servers, and are not limited to any particular server. Also, these components and parts thereof can reside on a storage medium such as a magnetic disk, CD, etc., or some parts can be on a server and some parts can be on a storage medium.

Another server, such as Server 2 (52), can be used as the ANI generator, as discussed below.

Now describe the realization process of the present invention. The user or client 20 (whose browser is open) has downloaded software for scheduling simultaneous voice and data calls along the respective voice and data channels between the client 20 and the various agents 22a-22c. Here, for example, client 20 has employed Surf & Call Center ^™ for facilitating audio IP calls between client 20 and agents 22a-22c, the Surf & Call Center ^™ has Surf & Call® software, an embedded plug-in, which It has been detailed above. Although Surf & Call® software is shown, other suitable software for this application may be those having the ability to make Internet Protocol (IP) telephone calls from a web browser, and the ability to send ANI along with the audio call, where the audio Calling is consistent with standard existing phones.

Client 20 has also acquired a Cosurfer Data Collaboration (DC) component, such as VocalTec® Cosurfer DC Component ^™ (VocalTec Communications Ltd., Herzlia, Israel), typically by download, for assistance with JavaScript code to the DC server 44 data calls. The function of the JavaScript code is to distribute the ANI into the audio call component 60 and the data collaboration component 61, where the audio call component is Surf & Call(R) software, both components 60 and 61 appearing as part of the client's display 31.

Turning now to Fig. 2, when automatic number identification (ANI) is produced for example with JavaScript or Java applet on the browser of client 20, this process continues. It is also possible to use code to request an ANI from the server to save the ANI, request a serial number, generate a random number, generate a number from a database, and so on. The resulting ANI only needs to be unique to each client, whereby no two clients have the same ANI at the same time.

The ANI serves as a unique identifier for the customer's audio and data calls coordinated in real-time with selected web-enabled agents. The ANI is the associated surfer identification of the client 20, identifying the client 20 to the phone system (ie, in audio calls) and the DC server 44 (ie, in data calls). Typically the ANI is passed as a data field through respective audio and data calls established by the client 20.

ANI is a 15-digit number, which is consistent with E.164. E.164 is a telephone numbering specification. In the CCITT (1991) standard "Numbering Plan For The ISDNEra, Recommendation E.164 (numbering plan in the ISDN era, A detailed description is provided in Recommendation E.164), which is hereby incorporated by reference. The first 3 digits of the number according to the E.164 standard correspond to the country code, and the remaining 12 digits are valid codes in China.

Here, the first 3 digits of the ANI are formed when the ANI is distributed by the same mechanism as that used to generate the ANI or by another mechanism (eg, using a constant value). In step 102, these first 3 digits emulate country codes according to the E.164 standard, but using codes not assigned to any country in the E.164 standard. In step 104, the remaining 12 digits can be randomly generated, which can be generated by a random number generator on the client's PC 30, or generated by a server such as server 2 (52) through the Internet 24, or can be different from the above The method described was carried out. These numbers are then put together in step 106 to form the ANI.

At step 108, the ANI is stored on the client's disk (in the client PC 30), typically in the form of a browser cookie (Cookie). ANI is stored, for example, in JavaScript code. By storing the ANI in a cookie, the next time a client needs ANI, it is taken directly from the cookie instead of being generated by random number generation, as described in detail above.

Then in step 110, the JavaScript code sets the ANI by duplicating the ANI and placing a copy of it into the audio call component. The audio call component is the Surf & Call component (in the 60 portion of the screen of the client display 31); and in step 111, another copy of the ANI is set in the data call component, where the data call component is the United Surfers Data Collaboration Component Applet (on the 61 part of the screen of the client display 31). These two steps, steps 110 and 111 are performed concurrently and/or in parallel, preferably simultaneously. Additionally, in step 110a, the ANI is placed in the data field assigned by the telephony specification for the telephone number of the calling party, which is the customer 20.

Through the ANI in the audio call and data call components, in step 114 an audio call is initiated. Here, the audio call initiation follows the H.323 protocol, which is the protocol in the Surf & Call(R) software. In particular, audio calls initiated by the audio components of the Surf & Call® software are initiated via a Surf & Call® button or icon 62 (FIG. 1), which appears on the screen 31 (e.g., in the form of an automatically form) and can be "clicked" (pressed) with a mouse etc. Additionally, when the Surf & Call Center ^™ is used to provide the audio component 60 and the DC component 61, a "click" or press of the Surf & Call® button or icon 62 may initiate the DC component 61 attempting to connect to the DC server 44, such that in step In 115, the data call is initiated by the client 20.

In terms of audio calls, in step 116, the ANI passes through the gatekeeper (GK) 38 with the audio call to connect to the ACD 40 in the PBX 36. In step 116a, if no connection is established with the ACD 40 in the PBX 36, then the process stops until restarted by the client 20. In optional step 116a', the audio call is initiated again (step 114 is performed again). In step 116b, once there is a connection with the ACD 40 of the PBX 36, then this is a start call event, because in step 118 the ANI is transmitted to this ACD 40 with the call (with its corresponding data finally transmitted to the DC server 44, these are detailed below).

For data calls, the Consolidated Surfer Data Collaboration (DC) component (typically an applet) connects the client's PC 30 to the DC server 44 in step 115a, typically via a TCP/IP socket link accomplish. This connection enables the client 20 to establish a data call to the DC server 44, wherein the ANI is transmitted to the DC server 44 along with associated surfing data, including, for example, a shared Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Alternatively, the DC component can contain programmable software so that a start call event can also initiate (start) the above-mentioned data call.

The initiation steps of these two calls, steps 114 and 115, should be performed close in time and in parallel, preferably simultaneously. This can be accomplished by programming the audio and DC components to initiate respective audio and data calls at desired times.

Once the audio call with the ANI is in the ACD 40, the audio call will be routed to a web-enabled proxy, here one of 22a-22c. This ANI and the telephone number (extension number) of agent 22a-22c also exist in PBX 36 and are transmitted in T-server 42 together, and wherein it is transformed into the form that can be recognized by CTI driver 45, so that ANI and agent's The telephone (extension) number can be sent to the CTI driver of the DC server 44 . The telephone (extension) numbers of the agents 22a-22c generally serve as the agent's joint surfer identification for both the agent's audio calls and the agent's data calls, as detailed below.

The CTI driver 45 is programmed to identify the ANI as the identification of a data collaboration session, rather than the country code as per the E.164 standard (above). The CTI driver then transmits the ANI to the DC server 44 along with the telephone number of the participant, here the specific agent 22a-22c, ie the agent to which the audio (voice) call is connected.

On the agent side, a Consolidated Surfer Data Collaboration (DC) component, generally identical to that of the client 20, has been downloaded into the browser of each agent 22a-22c. And, a particular agent 22a-22c has transmitted his joint surfer identification into the DC server 44, which identification is here his telephone (extension) number, which can correspond to and be used as the identification of his computer, said transmission can be made via The identification is sent manually by the data call, or by a conventional procedure on the Internet 24 to send it. As a result of sending its federated surfer identification, each agent typically connects into the DC server 44 via its federated surfer DC component.

The DC server 44 has now received data corresponding to the ANI and the agent's telephone (extension) number of the audio call currently connected between the client 20 and an agent 22a-22c. In step 115a, the DC server 44 has also received the ANI from the client's data call, and has also received the agent's joint surfer identification, here the agent's extension number, as described above. The ANI data of the customer audio component and the customer data cooperation component can be matched by conventional comparison procedures, and the telephone (extension) number data (telephone number) of the audio component of the agent 22a-22c is also matched with the telephone number data of the data cooperation component of the agent. Can be matched. Conventional matching software then matches the ANI data (ANI) associated with the customer's data collaboration component with the telephone (extension) number data (telephone number) associated with the agent's data collaboration component. After this matching is complete, the DC server 44 executes a standard procedure to connect the client 20 with one of the agents 22a-22c, allowing data to be transferred between the client 20 and one of the agents 22a-22c, resulting A data call to a web-enabled proxy 22a-22c.

This creates a data collaboration session on parallel voice and data channels, where the client 20 and the web-enabled agent (one of 22a-22c) participate in the voice communication via an audio call (over the audio channel), and the viewer Also coordinated to see the same website and/or web page through a data call (on the data channel). This data collaboration session allows sharing of web documents in real-time combined with voice conversations. In addition, data collaboration sessions can include guided web browsing, where an agent can direct a customer to a web page, typically by passing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), linked form operations, where a call center agent assists a customer Fill out forms in real time, have text chats where customers and agents can exchange text messages in real time, and other similar functions.

Alternatively, the present invention may employ an event handler, which is described in detail in the commonly assigned PCT patent application: "AN IMPROVED AUDIO AND DATACOLABORATION AND COORDINATION SYSTEM (an improved audio and data collaboration and coordination system)", That application was filed on the same date and incorporated herein by reference, with the event handler as part of the system as shown and described above in FIG. 1 . The event handler is typically located in the DC server 44 . Its function is to maintain a joint surfer connection between the client and the agent in the absence of a browser connection on the client 20 side or on the agent 22a-22c side.

The methods and apparatus disclosed herein have been described with exemplary reference to specific hardware and/or software. The methods and apparatus have been described in sufficient manner such that a person of ordinary skill in the art can readily employ otherwise required commercially available hardware and software to reduce any of the components of the embodiments of the invention so that without undue experimentation and can Practice using traditional techniques.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the foregoing description is intended to be exemplary only. It should not be used to limit the scope of the invention, which should be determined by reference to the following claims.

Claims (9)

1. A call center system enabled by the World Wide Web comprising: Means for placing at least one first joint surfer identification in at least one audio component for placement in an audio call of at least one sender and in at least one data collaboration component for placement in a data call to said at least one sender; At least one data collaboration server configured to: receiving first data corresponding to said audio call from at least one sender to said at least one recipient, said first data comprising at least said first joint surfer identification and information from said at least one the recipient's second joint surfer identification, said first joint surfer identification being different from said second joint surfer identification; receiving second data comprising said first combined surfer identification from said at least one sender of said data call; receiving third data comprising said second combined surfer identification from said at least one recipient data call; and processing said first, second and third data to connect a data call from said at least one sender to at least one receiver, between said at least one sender and said at least one receiver Said data call between said at least one sender and said at least one recipient is parallel to said audio call between said at least one sender and said at least one receiver. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said addressing server is further configured to: Once said first associated surfer identification and said second associated surfer identification have been matched, a data call is completed between said addressing server and said recipient. 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for generating an automatic number identification (ANI), said ANI defining said first associated surfer identification. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein said means for generating an ANI comprises first means for generating an initial 3-digit simulated country code and first means for generating a second set of 12-digit random numbers. Two devices. 5. A method for conducting a data collaboration session over a wide area network comprising: providing at least one audio component and at least one data collaboration component to a sender; providing at least one sender with a first joint surfer identification; copying said first combined surfer identification into said at least one audio component and said at least one data component; transmitting said first joint surfer identification and a second joint surfer identification from the intended recipient via said at least one audio component in accordance with an audio call between said at least one sender and at least one intended recipient , the second combined surfer ID is different from the first combined surfer ID; sending, by said data collaboration component, said first combined surfer identification to said at least one server pursuant to a data call; After said intended recipient has sent said second combined surfer identification to said at least one server, combining said data call from said at least one sender with said at least one intended recipient The recipient's data calls are connected such that at least a portion of said data call between said sender and said at least one intended recipient runs parallel between said at least one sender and said at least one Said audio call between intended recipients. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising: At least one server is provided, and the at least one server includes a data collaboration server. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of providing at least one sender with a first associated surfer identification comprises generating an automatic number identification (ANI). 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of generating said ANI comprises generating a 15-digit number. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of generating a 15-digit number comprises: generate the first 3 digits, simulating country codes according to the E.164 telephone standard; and A second set of 12 digits is generated after said 3 digits.