Extending internet calls to a telephony call center

Abstract

A call originating in the Internet network ( ) is converted by a gateway ( ) into a telephone call and is completed to a call center ( ) as a conventional inbound call including caller identification. An Internet user who has accessed a World Wide Web (WWW) home page ( ) of a call center customer indicates a desire to speak to a call center agent by activating a “call” virtual button ( ) of the home page by means of the WWW browser ( ) of the user's Internet phone ( )-equipped client ( ). The WWW server ( ) of the home page responds by sending an executable applet ( ) and the call center's telephone number ( ) to the client ( ). The client executes the applet to obtain the user's telephone number from the user, to establish an Internet connection between the Internet phone ( ) and the gateway, and to provide the user's and call center's telephone numbers to the gateway. The gateway uses the phone numbers to establish a call to the call center through the telephone network ( ). It provides the user's telephone number to the call center as the calling telephone number ( ) by including it in a field (e.g., ANI) of the ISDN call SETUP message ( ). The gateway also interfaces the Internet connection with the telephone call. The call center uses the calling number to effect a screen pop at the agent position ( ) of the agent assigned to handle the call.