Patents by Inventor James K Boutcher

James K Boutcher has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8731179
    Abstract: A call center system in which agents are geographically dispersed based on agent skill-set, agent location and caller location that results in a call being delivered to the best available agent. The system chooses the best available agent to service a customer call based on the agent rankings. In the case where the customer has a preference for proximity of the agent to the customer, the system adjusts the agent rankings according to the agent's distance from the customer prior to making a selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: James K. Boutcher, Michael T. Mateer, Craig A. Webster
  • Patent number: 8707206
    Abstract: A mobile device includes a client application configured to process and display a push notification specifying an appointment reminder originating from a server acting as an appointment manager. The client displays a menu of available options for conducting additional appointment-related transactions, such as confirmation, rescheduling, or cancellation of the appointment. Based on the user selection, the client conducts a user-interactive transaction with the server to complete the requested appointment service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: James K. Boutcher, Michael T. Mateer
  • Patent number: 8699693
    Abstract: A system and method for routing an agent to a preferred communications platform in order to receive a customer call. The system may include a web server call notification module that receives an automatic number identification and information relating to an establishment whose phone number was dialed, and a virtual automated call distributor (VACD). Further, the system may include an interactive voice response (IVR) system that requests an agent's identification from the VACD, wherein the VACD and the web server are coupled to the IVR system, and wherein the VACD selects the agent's identification and routes a customer's information to an agent desktop environment (ADE) coupled to the VACD. Also included may be an access platform that receives the customer's information and updates an ADE phone control state session on an agent's desktop, wherein the customer's information is routed to the ADE environment through a message transfer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey William Cordell, Gregory Stuart Cardin, James K. Boutcher
  • Patent number: 8687791
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for routing an agent to a preferred communications platform comprises accessing a server comprising a routing strategy, wherein the routing strategy consists of a site value, a project identification value, a project load value, and an attribute value of the agent, and wherein the site value takes precedent over the project identification value which takes precedent over the project load value which takes precedent over the attribute value of the agent, and routing the agent to the preferred environment based on a result of the routing strategy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey William Cordell, Gregory Stuart Cardin, James K Boutcher
  • Patent number: 8667072
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of providing notifications to a customer is disclosed. One example method of operation may include identifying a notification event associated with a customer via a customer management module and retrieving a customer preference record and determining a notification device preference for a customer Internet protocol (IP) device included in the customer preference record. The method may also include transmitting the notification event to the customer's IP device based on the notification device preference, the notification event may include a live agent support option which may be accessed in the event that the automated support options fail to satisfy the customer's questions and concerns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey William Cordell, James K. Boutcher
  • Patent number: 8655327
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of accessing a data service in a wireless communications network is disclosed. An example may include receiving a call identifying an application accessed by a mobile station, and verifying whether the accessed application is installed on the mobile station. The example may further include transferring a notification message to the mobile station based on the accessed application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T Mateer, James K Boutcher
  • Patent number: 8649491
    Abstract: In a call center, a caller's geographical position may be mapped together with a geographical position of a call agent allocated to handle the call. A map may display tags depicting the respective positions of the caller and the call agent with a visual link indicating the call connection. The call agent may be selected dependent on the relative proximity to the caller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: James K Boutcher, Michael Joseph Parmeley
  • Patent number: 8600417
    Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a computer program are disclosed. According to one example the apparatus may be configured to receive via the receiver a message from a mobile device to connect with an agent. The apparatus may also be configured to determine and select an available agent via the processor in order for the mobile device to communicate with the available agent, and transmit via the transmitter an agent availability message to the mobile device, wherein the agent availability message requires an acknowledgement from the mobile device prior to connecting the mobile device with the available agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Michael T. Mateer, James K. Boutcher, Jesse Andersen
  • Patent number: 8559618
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for contact center call routing by agent attribute, that comprises, detecting a caller voice attribute, sampling at least one agent voice attribute, storing the at least one agent voice attribute, matching the detected caller voice attribute to the stored voice attribute of the at least one agent, and routing a call based upon the matched agent voice attribute to the detected caller voice attribute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey William Cordell, James K Boutcher, Michelle L Steinbeck
  • Patent number: 8488773
    Abstract: A call center system in which agents are geographically dispersed based on agent skill-set, agent location and caller location that results in a call being delivered to the best available agent. The call center system is comprised of a call center application module coupled to a database module with a communications network being used to couple incoming calls from customers, as well as various call center agents, to the system. The database contains a ranking of available agents, based on a dataset including information regarding skill-set, previous interaction with the customer, proximity to the customer, language capability, current availability, and so forth. The system then chooses the best available agent to service a customer call based on the agent rankings. In the case where the customer has a preference for proximity of the agent to the customer, the system adjusts the agent rankings according to the agent's distance from the customer prior to making a selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: James K. Boutcher, Michael Todd Mateer, Craig A. Webster
  • Patent number: 8472609
    Abstract: A method and computer readable medium for routing a call to geographically dispersed agents based on agent skill-set, agent location and caller location that results in the call being delivered to the best available agent. The computer readable medium and method are utilized with a system comprised of a call center application module coupled to a database module with a communications network being used to couple incoming calls from customers with the best available agent. A database contains a ranking of available agents, based on a dataset including information regarding skill-set, previous interaction with the customer, proximity to the customer, language capability, current availability, and the like. The method chooses the best available agent to service a customer call based on the agent rankings. In the case where the customer has a preference for proximity of the agent to the customer, the system adjusts the agent rankings according to the agent's distance from the customer prior to making a selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: James K. Boutcher, Michael Todd Mateer, Craig A. Webster
  • Patent number: 8462934
    Abstract: A system and method for routing an agent to a preferred communications platform in order to receive a customer call. The system may include a web server call notification module that receives an automatic number identification and information relating to an establishment whose phone number was dialed, and a virtual automated call distributor (VACD). Further, the system may include an interactive voice response (IVR) system that requests an agent's identification from the VACD, wherein the VACD and the web server are coupled to the IVR system, and wherein the VACD selects the agent's identification and routes a customer's information to an agent desktop environment (ADE) coupled to the VACD. Also included may be an access platform that receives the customer's information and updates an ADE phone control state session on an agent's desktop, wherein the customer's information is routed to the ADE environment through a message transfer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey William Cordell, Gregory Stuart Cardin, James K Boutcher
  • Patent number: 8009822
    Abstract: A call center system that routes calls to geographically dispersed agents based on agent skill-set, agent location and caller location that results in the call being delivered to the best available agent. The call center system is comprised of a call center application module coupled to a database module with a communications network being used to couple incoming calls from customers, as well as various call center agents, to the system. A database contains a ranking of available agents, based on a dataset including information regarding skill-set, previous interaction with the customer, proximity to the customer, language capability, current availability, and the like. The system then chooses the best available agent to service a customer call based on the agent rankings. In the case where the customer has a preference for proximity of the agent to the customer, the system adjusts the agent rankings according to the agent's distance from the customer prior to making a selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: James K. Boutcher, Michael Todd Mateer, Craig A. Webster
  • Patent number: 7961866
    Abstract: A method and computer readable medium for routing a call to geographically dispersed agents based on agent skill-set, agent location and caller location that results in the call being delivered to the best available agent. The computer readable medium and method are utilized with a system comprised of a call center application module coupled to a database module with a communications network being used to couple incoming calls from customers with the best available agent. A database contains a ranking of available agents, based on a dataset including information regarding skill-set, previous interaction with the customer, proximity to the customer, language capability, current availability, and the like. The method chooses the best available agent to service a customer call based on the agent rankings. In the case where the customer has a preference for proximity of the agent to the customer, the system adjusts the agent rankings according to the agent's distance from the customer prior to making a selection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: James K. Boutcher, Michael Todd Mateer, Craig A. Webster
  • Patent number: 7769160
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer readable medium for routing an agent to a preferred communications platform in order to receive a customer call comprises: a web server call notification module that receives an automatic number identification and information relating to an establishment whose phone number was dialed, a virtual automated call distributor (VACD), an interactive voice response (IVR) system that requests an agent's identification from the VACD, where the VACD and the web server are coupled to the IVR system, where the VACD selects the agent's identification and routes a customer's information to an agent desktop environment (ADE) coupled to the VACD, and an access platform that receives the customer's information and updates an ADE phone control state session on an agent's desktop, where the IVR system queries the ADE for user name information relating to the web server, where the ADE queries an agent table for a user name, and where the agent is routed to a preferred communications platform at any
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey William Cordell, Gregory Stuart Cardin, James K Boutcher