Abstract: An Internet Protocol Network Telephony call center having a plurality of agents for serving clients also processes e-mails addresses to the call center, but not to specific agents. An e-mail server receives and routes the e-mail, and includes a router and a database storing skill set information regarding agents. The router extracts information from the e-mails, matches key words in the extracted information with key words from the skill sets, and routes the e-mails to appropriate agents having the necessary skills to respond to the service requirements in the e-mails.

Abstract: A call center having agent stations comprising telephones connected to computer stations by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge has data pertaining to callers stored in a database on a local area network (LAN) to which the computer stations are also connected. Origination data for incoming calls, both conventional calls to the telephones and computer-simulated calls to the computer platforms, is used as a key to extract data pertaining to calls from the database for display on video display units (VDUs) of the computer workstations where the calls are terminated. In some cases, data is only extracted and displayed for calls from previously listed origination points.

Abstract: An integrated telephony network includes both a connection-oriented switched telephony (COST) network and a data network telephony (DNT) network, the two networks connected by a dual-ported interactive voice response (IVR) server, the ports adapted to communicate with callers from each network, and a dual-ported translating bridge unit adapted to bi-directionally translate between the data protocols of the connected networks. Each network has at least one service control point (SCP) connected to the IVR, and calls received in either network are routed by connecting callers to the IVR for eliciting information from the caller, and then further routing either in the receiving network or over the translating bridge unit into and through the opposite network according to the information elicited from the caller. An SCP in the DNT network is implemented by connecting a computer-telephony integration (CTD) server to at least one IP router in the DNT.

Abstract: A telephony call center has agent workstations having telephones connected to station-side ports of a telephone switching apparatus adapted to receive and switch conventional telephone calls to the telephones, and also computer platforms connected on a local area network (LAN). A processor also connected on the LAN has a wide area network (WAN) port and is adapted to receive and distribute computer-simulated telephone calls from the WAN to computer platforms at the agent stations. At individual agent stations the telephone and computer platform is connected by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge. Status of calls of both types at agent workstations is communicated to a network-level router by the processor having a WAN connection, which may also receive computer-simulated calls. The router may then make routing decisions based on agent status relative to both kinds of calls.

Abstract: An Internet Protocol-capable call center system has a managing computer connected to a plurality of PCs at agent stations on a local area network. The managing computer is adapted to receive and route Internet Protocol Network Telephony calls to the agent stations according to predetermined routing rules.. A statistics server (stat-server) in the call center provides status of call center objects, among multiple status possibilities, to requesting applications in the processes of routing calls. Requesting applications, in addition to requests for object states, provide priority indications of object states desired. The stat-server provides the highest priority state to a requesting application. In the absence of a priority indication the stat-server provides status of objects according to a default indicattion.

Abstract: An Internet Protocol Network Telephony call center system has a plurality of call centers managed by a central controller. The central controller accepts IPNT calls and routes the calls to the plurality of call centers to be distributed to agents based on status of the call centers maintained in a stat-server coupled to the central controller. The call centers periodically report call center status to the stat-server at the central controller via dedicated data links. In the event of failure of a data link between a call center and the central controller, the central controller continues to route calls by retrieving historical data previously reported for the disconnected call center, estimating the current status of the call center based on the historical data, and using the estimates with current status of other call centers in making routing decisions.

Abstract: A telephony call center has agent workstations having telephones connected to station-side ports of a telephone switching apparatus adapted to receive and switch conventional telephone calls to the telephones, and also computer platforms connected on a local area network (LAN). A processor also connected on the LAN has a wide area network (WAN) port and is adapted to receive and distribute computer-simulated telephone calls from the WAN to computer platforms at the agent stations. At individual agent stations the telephone and computer platform is connected by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge. Status of calls of both types at agent workstations is communicated to a network-level router by the processor having a WAN connection, which may also receive computer-simulated calls. The router may then make routing decisions based on agent status relative to both kinds of calls.

Abstract: An Internet Protocol Network Telephony call center having a plurality of agents for serving clients also processes e-mails addresses to the call center, but not to specific agents. An e-mail server receives and routes the e-mail, and includes a router and a database storing skill set information regarding agents. The router extracts information from the e-mails, matches key words in the extracted information with key words from the skill sets, and routes the e-mails to appropriate agents having the necessary skills to respond to the service requirements in the e-mails.

Abstract: A telephony call center has agent workstations having telephones connected to station-side ports of a telephone switching apparatus adapted to receive and switch conventional telephone calls to the telephones, and also computer platforms connected on a local area network (LAN). A processor also connected on the LAN has a wide area network (WAN) port and is adapted to receive and distribute computer-simulated telephone calls from the WAN to computer platforms at the agent stations. At individual agent stations the telephone and computer platform is connected by a Telephone Application Programming Interface (TAPI)-compliant bridge. Status of calls of both types at agent workstations is communicated to a network-level router by the processor having a WAN connection, which may also receive computer-simulated calls. The router may then make routing decisions based on agent status relative to both kinds of calls.

Abstract: An IPNT call center is provided wherein agent's computers may be locally-connected to a managing computer on a local area network, or remote agents may act over the Internet with the managing computer. The managing computer establishes an IPNT call with each remote agent on duty, and then routes incoming IPNT calls to the remote agents by substituting an incoming call for an existing call without closing the existing call, thereby avoiding the necessity of establishing a new call with the remote computer for each call routed to the remote agent. In some embodiments the IPNT system is a part of a multimedia call center, wherein incoming calls may be either IPNT or plain old telephony service (POTS), and calls are routed to agents according to a set of business rules without regard to type.

Abstract: A queueing system in a call center is adapted to queue voice mails as well as live telephone calls. In a preferred embodiment the calls include both connection-oriented switched telephony (COST) calls and Data Network Telephony (DNT) calls. Callers are enabled to leave voice mail as an alternative to waiting, and records of the voice mails are queued, preferably in the same queue processing the live calls. In some embodiments the call center is enabled to process e-mails, video mails and facsimile messages as well as live calls and voice mail messages, and all types of multimedia communication can be queued in the same queue according to prestored routing rules and priority rules.

Abstract: A hybrid IP backbone network spans geographic locations of two or more publicly-switched telephone networks and includes nodes with translation servers adapted to translate between data protocols compatible with the PSTNs and a data protocol compatible with the IP backbone network. Calls placed in one PSTN then may be routed to an IP node, translated to data-packet protocol, through the IP backbone to a second node having another translation server, and therethrough into another PSTN and thence to a final destination. In some embodiments data gateways and trunk gateways are also provided at and integrated with IP nodes in the IP backbone network.

Abstract: A multi-media call center has agent stations with telephones and multi-media computer platforms, wherein the telephones and computer platforms are connected by a bridge circuit adapted to allow audio data to be shared between the telephones and the computer platforms. The computer platforms are also adapted to process computer-simulated calls. In various embodiments all or portions of calls of either type may be recorded, pre-recorded audio may be played back to callers, the system may respond to pre-determined key phrases uttered by callers, and the system may respond to an agent's voice commands.

Abstract: An Internet Protocol Network Telephony (IPNT) system has Internet-connected managing computers at plural call centers connected to local agent stations at each call center. The managing computers are adapted to receive IPNT calls from clients at internal routing points. A router coupled to each of the managing computers at the call centers is adapted to execute routing rules to select agent stations for transferring calls received at the routing points, and the agent stations selected can be at any of the call centers involved. In one aspect the router, having selected an agent station at a call center remote from the call center where a call to be routed is first received, requests a routing point address at the remote call center, then transfers the call to that new routing point. The second call center then further routes the transferred call to the final agent station.

Abstract: A client-server telephone call router system as part of a customer premises system has a client-server router adapted to execute on a telephony switch, such as a public branch exchange (PBX) or other telephony switch, or on a processor connected by CTI link to a telephony switch. The telephony switch or processor executing the router is connected to a local area network (LAN) that also interconnects computer workstations proximate to telephones connected to the telephony switch. Client user interface applications run on the computer workstations, allowing clients to edit routing rules for the router, which has a list of routing rules keyed to users and workstations of the customer premises system. The editing rules are kept by the router in portions dedicated to individual users. With this system a user can edit at a workstation on the LAN his/her own routing rules, and transmit the edits to the client-server router where the rules will be followed to route calls for that user and protocol.

Abstract: A telephone call distribution system for determining destination for an incoming telephone call in a telephony network including a service control point (SCP) operates with a plurality of workstations each comprising a telephone coupled to the telephony network and a proximate computer station having a video display unit (PC/VDU), the PC/VDU connected to the SCP via a wide area network (WAN), and a personal router associated with each PC/VDU. The SCP broadcasts data pertaining to the incoming telephone call and a request for a destination to individual ones of the PC/VDUs via the WAN, and the personal routers negotiate a destination based on individual routing rules and the data pertaining to the call. At least one of the individual routers responds to the SCP with a destination for the call. In some instances the workstations are associated with a call center, and the call center may be CTI-enhanced.

Abstract: An agent station for a call-in center has a telephone for an agent's use connected by a communication link with a computer workstation including a video display unit (VDU) adapted for monitoring origination information for calls received on the telephone. In a preferred embodiment the computer workstation is connected on a local area network (LAN) to a processor running and instance of a telephony server (T-Server) application having access to a database storing data pertaining to callers, and the computer workstation reports call-origination data to the T-Server, which uses the data to correlate data to be retrieved from the database and displayed on the VDU.

Abstract: A telephone call distribution system for determining destination for an incoming telephone call in a telephony network including a service control point (SCP) operates with a plurality of workstations each comprising a telephone coupled to the telephony network and a proximate computer station having a video display unit (PC/VDU), the PC/VDU connected to the SCP via a wide area network (WAN), and a personal router associated with each PC/VDU. The SCP broadcasts data pertaining to the incoming telephone call and a request for a destination to individual ones of the PC/VDUs via the WAN, and the personal routers negotiate a destination based on individual routing rules and the data pertaining to the call. At least one of the individual routers responds to the SCP with a destination for the call. In some instances the workstations are associated with a call center, and the call center may be CTI-enhanced.

Abstract: An agent station for a call-in center has a telephone for an agent's use connected by a communication link with a computer workstation adapted for monitoring transaction and status for the telephone and calls received on the telephone. In a preferred embodiment the computer workstation is connected on a local area network (LAN) to a processor running and instance of a telephony server (T-Server) application, and the computer workstation reports telephone transaction and status data to the T-Server, which uses the data to effect call routing at a remote telephony switch. In some embodiments the computer workstations are personal computers (PCs) and the communication link between telephones and PCs is a PC-compatible serial data link.

Abstract: A system for routing calls has a plurality of call centers and a central controller for managing activity of the plurality of call centers, including call loading. The central controller utilizes a method for managing loading based on estimates of loading for call centers in the system for which real time loading information is not available during certain time intervals. The method involves retrieving a previous status of the call center for which real time information is not available, and using that previous status to perform and estimate of current loading for management purposes.