Method and apparatus enabling voice-based management of state and interaction of a remote knowledge worker in a contact center environment

Abstract

A network system for enabling voice interaction between communications-center applications and human agents remote from the center has a primary server connected to the network the server controlling at least one routing point used by the center, a secondary server connected to the network the secondary server for generating and serving voice extensible markup language, a voice gateway associated with the secondary server, the gateway for executing voice extensible markup language and recognizing speech input, and a software platform based in the primary server and distributed in part as a server application to the secondary server, the software suite functioning as a data transformation interface between the center applications and the gateway. In a preferred use agents and applications communicate bi-directionally using VXML.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS [0001] The present invention is a continuation in part (CIP) to a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 269,124 entitled Method and Apparatus for Extended Management of State and Interaction of a Remote Knowledge Worker from a Contact Center filed on Oct. 10, 2002, which is a CIP to a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 405,335 entitled Method and Apparatus for Data-Linking a Mobile Knowledge Worker to Home Communication-Center Infrastructure filed on Sep. 24, 1999, which is a CIP to U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,711 filed Sep. 11, 1998 and issued on Aug. 22, 2000, all of which are incorporated herein at least by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention pertains to telephony communications systems and has particular application to methods including software enabling extended management capabilities of state and interaction of a remote knowledge worker from a contact center using voice-based technologies. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a network system for enabling voice interaction between a communications center and remote agents. The system includes a primary server controlling a routing point, a secondary server for generating and serving voice extensible markup language, a voice gateway for executing voice commands, and a software platform for data transformation. The system allows remote agents to report state information over the network using speech, the speech recognized and translated to text by the primary server, and the text transformed to a language understood by the center applications. The system can be used with various types of network connections and can be adapted for different types of remote agents. The technical effects of the invention include improved communication between the center and remote agents, improved data transformation capabilities, and seamless communication over various network connections."

Problems solved by technology

Keeping contact histories, reporting statistics, creating routing rules and the like becomes more complex as newer types of media are added to communication center capability.

When a knowledge worker is away from a home-center such as on the road, or at a client location, he is generally limited in data access and interaction capability with his or her home communication-center data and tools.

In some cases this may be a liability to the center.

Moreover, a mobile knowledge worker in the field may also be limited in providing service to the home-center by virtue of the same data-access limitations.

However, many interactions cannot be successfully processed through client self-service interfaces or on-site agents often because of a high level of assistance required.

Therefore, standard communication center control systems and procedures cannot be applied to such knowledge workers.

Often this problem is due to an absence of a CTI link established between the location of the knowledge worker and the communication center.

Therefore, it becomes increasingly difficult to provide management from the communication center in terms of state control and report accessibility.

Not having the ability to manage these workers causes the ongoing costs associated with doing business from a communication center to rise.

A drawback with these system types is that it requires first-party control equipment established at the remote agent workplace.

However, it is still limited in terms of further enhancement that might enable more specific techniques and mechanisms.

While the above-described system provides full and unfettered access to communication-center data and services for a mobile or otherwise remote knowledge worker, such interaction is limited in terms of control signaling and interaction management that might be initiated from the side of the knowledge worker.

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