Avaya Technology LLC

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Avaya Inc.

Gary S King

Robert Reagan Gilman

Albert D Pessot

Andrew Derek Flockhart

Frank J Bogart

David Ray Burritt

Sarah Hildebrandt Kiefhaber

Keith R McFarlane

Lucinda M Sanders

Darryl J Maxwell

David L Bauer

Camille Gabriel

Wendy S Cook

Robert Alan Stewart

Steve R Russell

Rebecca Kay Phelps

Farzad Raji

The architecture of a multimedia customer care center () is divided into three separate application layers: a contact layer (), a communications layer () and a business layer (). The contact layer comprises media-specific handlers () that manage their media-specific resources, connect customer contacts to resources () and report events, including status to the communications layer. The communication includes media-independent software () that manages shared resources, that tracks, accumulates, and reports events reported by the contact layer, and that directs handling of events by the contact layer according to business information. The business layer includes software () that provides an interface to the customer contact center for the business that is served by the center. It manages business services by supplying business information that defines the services and business goals to the communications layer, and generates reports from information accumulated by the communications layer. It effects scheduling and adherence tracking of resources. It also provides workflow control capability or interfaces to pre-existing workflow systems.

Multimedia customer care center having a layered control architecture

The present integrated work management engine for customer care orchestrates all forms of work relating to the servicing of customer requests across the entire business enterprise. This integrated work management engine brings together all types of disparate communication system components, applications and information storage systems so the business which provides the customer care via these systems can respond to their customer requests in a unified, efficient and effective manner. The integrated work management engine also integrates the real time operation of the front office customer communications and the batch data processing mode of the back office. The integrated work management engine accepts work through multiple access channels, where each work request is automatically mapped to a process flow that specifies the task associated with the handling of the particular work item. The integrated work management engine uses resource selection algorithms to select the customer agent who is best equipped to handle the next step of the work request where customer data is accessed, and customer case files are updated through the fulfillment process. The selected customer agent views the customer information, process information, forms, and performance statistics on their desktop terminal device through an API set that is tightly coupled to the integrated work management engine.

Integrated work management engine for customer care in a communication system

In an integrated voice and multimedia communications system (FIG.,), an end-user is given explicit control over which audio access mechanism he wishes to use regardless of whether a call is a multimedia or a voice call. The end-user's voice terminal (,) is equipped with a PC-Audio control button (,). When the user originates or receives a call, a multimedia PBX (,) automatically connects audio to the voice terminal's handset (,) regardless of whether the call is a multimedia or a voice call. If the user then presses the PC-Audio button, the PBX transfers audio to the audio subsystem (,) of the multimedia terminal (,), an LED (,) associated with the button is lit, and the user may cradle the handset without disconnecting the call. If the handset is subsequently lifted, audio is reconnected to the handset and the LED is extinguished. If the button is pressed while its LED is lit, the call is disconnected. If the voice terminal is equipped with a speakerphone (,), interaction thereof with the PC-Audio button mimics a telephone with an integrated speakerphone that is supplemented with an external speakerphone connection.

End-user control of audio delivery endpoint in a multimedia environment

A switching system (100) inserts H.320 multi-media protocol-terminating resources (156) into an existing call dynamically, only when the resources are needed, and also removes the resources from an ongoing call dynamically, when the resources are no longer needed, whereby the switching system can provide call features such as hold, conference, disconnect, drop, and transfer, to an H.320 multi-media call and can do so spontaneously, whenever desired during the call, without tying up the resources for the duration of the call even when they are not needed. To extend these capabilities to both single-channel and multi-channel multi-media ISDN BRI calls, the switching system associates a plurality of calls that constitute the individual channels of a multi-channel call and treats the associated calls identically and in unison for purposes of insertion and removal of resources and the providing of features.

Dynamic insertion and removal of multi-media call-handling resources

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Broomfield, CO, United States of America

Gary S King