Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for setting up a voice call between a client and one of a plurality of agents of an organization. The method includes the steps of detecting a contact request associated with the client determining a communication system address of the client based upon the detected contact request transferring a request to a router at a router Internet protocol address for a voice connection between the client at the determined address and one of the plurality of agents selecting an agent of the plurality of agents and forming a voice channel between the determined address of the client and an agent Internet protocol address of a terminal of the selected agent.

Abstract: A method for resolving inquires in a transaction processing system is provided where the transaction processing system is configured to route incoming calls from callers to agents associated with the transaction processing system. The method includes a) receiving an incoming call by the agent, b) collecting inquiry parameters from the caller concerning an inquiry posed by the caller, c) providing the inquiry parameters to a knowledge-based database, d) selecting at least one entry in the knowledge database having inquiry parameters matching the inquiry parameters corresponding to the incoming call, e) obtaining inquiry solutions from each selected entry in the database; and f) providing one or more of the inquiry solutions to the agent wherein the agent presents one or more of the inquiry solutions to the caller to satisfy the caller's inquiry.

Abstract: A method and apparatus provides data to an agent station associated with a transaction processing system. The data corresponds to an incoming call routed from a caller through a communication network to the agent station, where the incoming calls are based on voice-mode communication and/or text-mode communication. The method includes the steps of receiving the incoming call from the communication network, obtaining caller-specific data corresponding to the incoming call, inspecting the caller-specific data to determine a specialty type corresponding to the incoming call, selecting an selected agent station based upon the determined specialty type and routing the incoming call to the selected agent station, transmitting the caller-specific data to the selected agent station, and automatically launching or maximizing an application on the selected agent station so that the application and corresponding call-specific data is available to the agent when the agent services the incoming call.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for establishing a communication connection between a client of a website and an agent of the website. The method includes the steps of downloading a webpage from the website to the client, such webpage including an embedded agent access applet and a communication system port identifier of the agent, said communication port identifier of the agent being different than a communication port identifier of the web site, activating the agent access applet within the downloaded webpage and forming a communication connection between the client and the communication system port of the agent based upon operation of the activated applet.

Abstract: The method and apparatus utilizes agents idle time in a communication system, such as, a communication system having an automatic call distribution system. The method includes providing at least one plug-in that implements at least one predetermined function in the call distribution system. At least one plug-in is assigned to at least one agent. At least one plug-in is activated for a respective assigned agent in response to at least one predetermined parameter of the automatic call distribution system. The predetermined parameter may be the entering into an available/idle time by the respective agent. The plug-in may be one of training, agent-to-agent collaboration, mentoring, and monitoring. The apparatus implements the method. The knowledge and skills associated with agents that are not actively handling call related activities are essentially untapped knowledge areas that other agents currently handling call related activities have access to by utilizing this method and apparatus.

Abstract: A method and system (100) establishes voice communications between a computer operator (102) and an agent (104) of a business over a computer network, such as the Internet (108). Using an operator computer (106), the computer operator (102) views advertisements of the business' products or services on the Internet (108) via customized home pages (200). When the operator (102) wishes to order a product or ask additional questions about a product, the operator (102) activates a “call me” button (210). A return call screen (300) is then presented to the operator (102) with areas to insert a name (302), a telephone number (304) and a time to call (306). This information is packetized in a call request which is transmitted over the Internet (108) to a telephone switching system (112) associated with the business. The telephone switching system (112) subsequently dials the telephone number (304) at the time to call (306).

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: A method for adding text data to data communication sessions in a transaction processing system handling non-voice dialog communication between an agent and a caller includes the steps of a) establishing the non-voice dialog communication between the caller and the agent, b) acquiring predetermined text data during the communication between the agent and the caller, c) populating at least one text storage location with the acquired text data, d) inserting the text storage location data into a portion of a template text message to generate a customized text message, and e) transmitting the customized text message to the caller during the non-voice dialog communication, the agent transmitting the customized text message at a predetermined time during the communication.

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: An automatic call distribution system is adapted to connect a telephone call of a caller to an agent station through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) where call information identifiers received from the PSTN are repopulated. The method includes the steps of receiving the incoming telephone from the PSTN, transferring the incoming call to a voice response unit (VRU), requesting, by the VRU, predetermined data from the caller, receiving, by the VRU, the requested predetermined data, repopulating a portion of the call information identifiers with repopulated data corresponding to the predetermined data, transferring the incoming telephone call back to the automatic call distribution system from the VRU along with the repopulated data retained within the call information identifiers, routing the transferred call to the agent station, displaying the repopulated data.

Abstract: An agent telephone system for use in a transaction processing system, where the transaction processing system is configured to couple an incoming telephone call with an agent of the agent telephone system and to route the incoming telephone call over one of a plurality of communication networks, where the communication networks utilize differing communication protocols. The agent telephone system includes a microprocessor and a memory operatively coupled to the microprocessor. An agent microphone and agent speaker are included for transmission and reception of audio information, respectively. The agent telephone system includes a conversion device configured to operatively couple the agent microphone and the agent speaker to the microprocessor, and an input multiplexer operatively coupled to the microprocessor, where the microprocessor is configured to control selection of one of a plurality of input lines of the multiplexer.

Abstract: A method and system for routing incoming calls from callers to agents associated with an automatic call distribution system, where the incoming calls are based on non-voice dialog communication, the method includes the steps of: identifying a plurality of transaction-handling skills representative of skills possessed by the agents in handling the non-voice dialog communication, calculating a skill level possessed by each agent for at least some of the plurality of transaction-handling skills, forming an agent profile for each agent corresponding to the calculated skill levels, assigning a weight to each calculated skill level for each agent, identifying agents who are available to handle the incoming call, selecting an available agent based on the weighted calculated skill levels, and transferring the incoming call to the selected agent.

Abstract: A telecommunication system for transmitting customer data corresponding to a customer, to an agent of an automatic call distributor (ACD) is described. The ACD is connected to the telecommunication system through a public switched telephone network (PSTN). The telecommunication system includes a customer data processor configured to maintain two way communication between the customer and the agent of the ACD, where the customer data processor stores and processes customer data provided by the customer. A data encrypter operatively coupled to the customer data processor encrypts the customer data. The customer data processor transmits the encrypted customer data to the ACD upon receiving a predetermined signal. A customer data interpreter is operatively coupled to the ACD and receives and decrypts the encrypted customer data to facilitate presentation of the customer data to the agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for providing enterprise information to a client through a call center of the enterprise. The method includes the steps of detecting an identity of the client based upon call associated information received through a call connection between the client and the call center, presenting the client with a plurality of options based upon the identity of the client and presenting the client with enterprise information based upon a selected option of the plurality of options.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for distributing customer contacts to a transaction processing entity of a transaction processing system. The method includes determining a media type for a customer contact in the transaction processing system and finding a transaction processing entity that is capable of handling the media type. In addition, the method includes routing the customer contact to a transaction processing entity that is capable of handling the media type. In one embodiment, a transaction routing table is used to perform the distribution of customer contacts. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will 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. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing multi-media telecommunication transactions by a call processing center. The method includes the steps of detecting a call of the multi-media telecommunication transactions by a host computer of the call processing center and transferring a transaction request from the host to a call processor for assignment of an agent to the call. The method further includes the steps of transferring an identifier of the assigned agent from the call processor to the host and transferring the call received from the host to the assigned agent.

Abstract: A method and system (100) establishes voice communications between a computer operator (102) and an agent (104) of a business over a computer network, such as the Internet (108). Using an operator computer (106), the computer operator (102) views advertisements of the business' products or services on the Internet (108) via customized home pages (200). When the operator (102) wishes to order a product or ask additional questions about a product, the operator (102) activates a “call me” button (210). A return call screen (300) is then presented to the operator (102) with areas to insert a name (302), a telephone number (304) and a time to call (306). This information is packetized in a call request which is transmitted over the Internet (108) to a telephone switching system (112) associated with the business. The telephone switching system (112) subsequently dials the telephone number (304) at the time to call (306).

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for accepting a call by an automatic call distributor from a public switch telephone network. The method includes the steps of determining an average call wait time between arrival of the call on a trunk line of the automatic call distributor from the public switched telephone network and delivery of the call to a selected agent and delaying acceptance of a call detected on the trunk line from the public switch telephone network by a predetermined time period less than the average call wait time.

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 system (100) establishes voice communications between a computer operator (102) and an agent (104) of a business over a computer network, such as the Internet (108). Using an operator computer (106), the computer operator (102) views advertisements of the business' products or services on the Internet (108) via customized home pages (200). When the operator (102) wishes to order a product or ask additional questions about a product, the operator (102) activates a “call me” button (210). A return call screen (300) is then presented to the operator (102) with areas to insert a name (302), a telephone number (304) and a time to call (306). This information is packetized in a call request which is transmitted over the Internet (108) to a telephone switching system (112) associated with the business. The telephone switching system (112) subsequently dials the telephone number (304) at the time to call (306).