Ncr Corporation

James V Johnson

George E Schneider

John G Mitzka

Alfredo Rizo-Patron

A system for routing incoming video calls. A group of agents handle incoming calls, as in a telephone mail order facility. When a server receives an incoming video call, it selects an available agent, and tells the selected agent to expect the call. The server does not physically route the call to the selected agent. Instead, the server informs the calling party of the identity of the selected agent. The calling party then places a video call to the selected agent, using another communication channel. This process enables ordinary call routing systems to, in effect, route video calls, which ordinarily requires a routing apparatus which is quite expensive.

Video call distribution

The invention concerns establishing a video conference between a remote station, such as an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), and a central facility, such as a bank. At the bank, multiple AGENTs are available to handle incoming calls. These AGENTs receive incoming calls (which are non-video calls) through Automated Call Distribution equipment (ACD), known in the art. The ACD receives an incoming (non-video) call (from ATMs and other sources), locates a free AGENT, and delivers the incoming call to the free AGENT. Under the invention, an ATM places an ordinary telephone call to the ACD, which routes the call to the computer of a free AGENT. The call delivers a message requesting a video conference, and identifies the calling ATM. The free AGENT's computer then calls the ATM, via a high-bandwidth telephone channel, such as ISDN, and establishes the video conference.

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Kettering, OH, United States of America

James V Johnson