Abstract: An infomediary transaction system to facilitate the buying and selling of goods or services between buyers and sellers includes a buyer transaction processor configured to obtain buyer transaction preferences and develop a transaction request. An infomediary server is configured to remotely communicate with the buyer transaction processor, and is also configured to solicit and receive transaction offers from sellers of the goods or services. A negotiation proxy is configured to transmit the transaction request to the infomediary server, and is further configured to iteratively negotiate transactions with the infomediary computer in accordance with the transaction request. The buyer transaction handler receives the transaction offers from the infomediary computer and presents selected transaction offers to the buyer to achieve buyer-driven transactions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for distributing customer contacts to a transaction processing entity of a transaction processing system. The method includes predicting a time for assignment of a customer contact to a transaction processing entity in the transaction processing system. In an alternative embodiment, the method also includes finding a transaction processing entity that is available to process the customer contact and routing the customer contact to the found transaction processing entity. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that may allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting problematic call interactions between callers and call center agents of a communications system. By monitoring call associated information, speech, and voice characteristics of the call interaction, the system and method determine whether calls are being handled properly. If a call is determined to be problematic, a call center supervisor is automatically notified of the problematic call. Further, the problematic call interaction is recorded and can later be retrieved.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for routing a non-circuit switched contact to an agent in a circuit switched telephony-based automatic call distribution (ACD) system, without using a voice port for the external contact. A media-port is used to emulate the voice port, permitting the routing of the non-circuit switched contact through the telephony-based ACD system.

Abstract: A method is provided for assigning agents of a plurality of agent groups to a agent pool for answering a call based upon a time delay for answering the call. The method includes the steps of designating a first agent group as candidates for answering a call based upon first availability, forming an expanded group of the first group and at least some agents of a second group when the time delay exceeds a threshold and assigning the call to an agent of the expanded group based upon first availability.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for accomplishing an agent log-on to an automatic call distribution system, which requires a telephone identifier corresponding with an agent, without making a circuit switched telephone connection or using a circuit switched voice port. A pseudo-port is used to emulate the circuit switched voice port, permitting completion of the log-on, and permitting execution of “call” handling functions with respect to the agent for “calls” not requiring a circuit switched telephone connection.

Abstract: An automatic call distribution system and method for using same including an automatic call distributor, an answer detector and an introductory signal generator which generates introductory signals to be sent towards a called party while the answer detector employed by the automatic call distribution center is monitoring for the presence of the called party. When a call that is dialed to the called party by the automatic call distribution system is answered by an external telephonic unit of the called party, the automatic call distribution system couples an answer detector to the call. The answer detector of the automatic call distribution system monitors the call for the presence of the called party while concomitantly sending a generated and coupled introductory signal towards the called party to be heard by the called party. Preferably, the generated introductory signal simulates background noise.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for exchanging control information and voice data between an automatic call distributor and a line card of the automatic call distributor located at a site remote from the automatic call distributor through a wide-bandwidth communication channel. The method includes the step of allocating at least a first portion of the bandwidth of the wide-bandwidth communication channel for the control information and at least a second portion of the bandwidth to voice data. The interprocessor control information is transceived between a controller of the automatic call distributor and a controller of the line card under a packet data format within the first portion of the bandwidth allocated for control information and the voice data is transceived under a dedicated channel format within the second portion of the bandwidth between the automatic call distributor and line card.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for obtaining audio information through the Internet by agents of an automatic call distributor situated at a plurality of remotely located terminals. The method includes the steps of transmitting a sign-on request from a first terminal of the plurality of remotely located terminals to a server of the automatic call distributor through the Internet notifying the server that an associated agent of the first terminal is ready for receiving calls, retrieving a universal resource locator of a web file server containing the audio information needed by the associated agent of the first terminal, said web file server being located on a second terminal of the plurality of remotely located terminals and downloading the audio information through the Internet from the web file server specified by the universal resource locator to the first terminal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for selecting a companding format of a series of pulse code modulated (PCM) data words encoded under either an A-law or &mgr;-law companding format. The method includes the steps of expanding the PCM words into an average waveform sample value using both the A-law and &mgr;-law companding formats and selecting the companding format providing the expanded average sample value with a smallest relative absolute value.

Abstract: A microprocessor based system such as an automatic call distributor having a reset circuit to improve memory integrity of electronic memory is disclosed. The reset circuit includes a reset controller which receives an external reset signal that can be generated from a number of different sources. The external resent signal is synchronized with activity on a bus to produce an internal reset signal which is applied to the microprocessor to reset it after all pending requests for bus access are completed. The microprocessor is then reset, thus improving integrity of electronic memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for assigning a plurality of agents to incoming calls by an automatic call distributor. The method includes the steps of defining a plurality of agent groups for processing calls received by the automatic call distributor and assigning at least some agents of the plurality of agents to an agent group of the plurality of agent groups based upon a skill level of the at least some agents and a set of required qualifications for the agent group. The method further includes the steps of delivering calls to the at least some agents of the agent group based upon the required qualifications for the agent group and upon agent idle time, monitoring a call loading of the agent group and adjusting a number of the at least some agents of the group based upon the monitored call loading.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for allocating resources within an automatic call distributor. The method includes the steps of receiving an incoming call from a supervisor on a voice channel of the automatic call distributor and routing the incoming call to an autoattendant of the automatic call distributor. The method further includes the steps of presenting the supervisor with a set of options regarding the allocation of resources within the automatic call distributor, receiving a change request from the supervisor and executing the change request.

Abstract: An agent of an automatic call distribution system which requires a plurality of software applications employs a server which profiles a software applications usage pattern and preloads a set of software applications based upon the profile of most commonly used applications. One or more computer servers sends one or more requesting computers a most likely predicted-to-be selected software application by forming an association from the software usage profile between a first application and a second application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for encoding a spoken language. The method includes the steps recognizing a verbal content of the spoken language, measuring an attribute of the recognized verbal content and encoding the recognized and measured verbal content.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing an E-mail message in an automatic call processor. The method includes the steps of determining a telephone number of a sender of the E-mail message, setting-up a call connection between the automatic call distributor and sender of the E-mail message based upon the determined telephone number and delivering the call connection to an agent of the call distributor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for routing emergency calls received by an automatic call distributor from a plurality of agent workstation in diverse geographical locations. The method includes the steps of receiving an emergency call by the automatic call distributor from an agent workstation of the plurality of agent workstations and retrieving an identifier of a predetermined public safety entity responsible for serving the local of the workstation from a database of the automatic call distributor. The method further includes the step of forwarding the call along with an identifier of the agent workstation to the public safety entity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for transferring a call on a call channel of a voice response unit of an automatic call distributor to a call destination. The method includes the steps of transferring a request for placing the call on hold to a switch controller of the automatic call distributor over a signalling channel associated with the call channel and transferring an identifier of the call destination over the call channel to the switch controller. The method further includes the step of connecting the call to the call destination.