"It is my heart-warmed and world-embracing Christmas hope and aspiration that all of us, the high, the low, the rich, the poor, the admired, the despised, the loved, the hated, the civilized, the savage (every man and brother of us all throughout the whole earth), may eventually be gathered together in a heaven of everlasting rest and peace and bliss, except the inventor of the telephone. "
Mark Twain ; Christmas greetings, 1890
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8130935 | Routing of calls based on agents emotional state An agent's emotional state is used to assist with determining how to route an incoming communication. The factoring in of emotional state can be combined with other performance metrics that can include, for example, any suitable metric for expressing or describing a... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8068598 | Automatic agent training system An exemplary method for training call center agents over a communications network using automatically selected training scenarios comprises the steps of obtaining confirmations of availability of a plurality of call center agents, determining a proctor based on proc... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8054964 | System and method for detecting emotions at different steps in a communication The system and method establish a communication with a first party. A first emotion is detected during a first step during the communication. Steps in the communication can include: establishing a call, waiting in a queue, talking with an agent, communicating with a... | 11/08/2011 |
| 7933400 | Method and system for timed interaction with an interactive voice response system Provided are methods and systems associated with interactive voice response (“IVR”) systems that control the amount of time a user interacts with the system. According to the invention, an IVR system utilizes a timer or series of timers to determine how long a u... | 04/26/2011 |
| 7756263 | Method and system for timed interaction with an interactive voice response system Provided are methods and systems associated with interactive voice response (“IVR”) systems that control the amount of time a user interacts with the system. According to the invention, an IVR system utilizes a timer or series of timers to determine how long a u... | 07/13/2010 |
| 7613290 | Recording using proxy servers Systems and methods for recording a communication session between a customer and an agent of a customer center communication system are provided. In this regard, a representative method comprises: communicating with the customer center communication system via a pro... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7602900 | Method and apparatus for providing relevant data responsive to a problem request A method and system for providing relevant data responsive to a customer event is described. In one example, a description relating to the customer event is received. The description is then monitored in order to detect at least one keyword. Lastly, at least one inf... | 10/13/2009 |
| 7457404 | Methods of monitoring communications sessions in a contact centre A method of monitoring a communications session between an agent of a contact centre and a user of that contact centre involves analysing data from the session to locate a pattern of data indicative of a situation requiring intervention in the communications session... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7426267 | Declarative ACD routing with service level optimization A method including determining a current rate of satisfying a service level agreement constraint, wherein the service level agreement constraint is associated to selected ones of each incoming contact within a contact center, comparing the current rate to a target r... | 09/16/2008 |
| 7418093 | Method for evaluating customer call center system designs A method of evaluating a design for a call center system. A particular system is put into use and data collected to quantify various quality of service factors. Each quality of service factor is multiplied times an expense multiplier and added to an agent cost facto... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7409054 | System and method for integrated resource scheduling, task allocation and agent work management According to the invention, a system and method for integrating agent scripting, call routing and workforce management functions in contact centers, enabling them to work together without opposing the influence of the workforce management system against those of the... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7400718 | Automated business form information aquisition system A computer workstation-associated call handler uses hooking and sub-classing techniques to modify actions executed by an underlying call handler application program to automatically trigger various call handler actions. These actions may include playback of pre-reco... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7386113 | System and method for integrated resource scheduling and agent work management According to the invention, a system and method for integrating agent scripting and workforce management functions in contact centers, enabling them to work together without opposing the influence of one against that of the other, is disclosed. In an embodiment of t... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7386467 | Apparatus and method of maintaining and improving agent performance A method and apparatus are provided for maintaining and improving a performance level of an agent performing a plurality of tasks. The method includes the steps of providing a performance threshold for each task of the plurality of tasks, measuring a performance par... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7315617 | Method and system for managing calls of an automatic call distributor A method for managing calls of an automatic call distributor includes receiving a call from a user over a first connection with a first endpoint of the user. The call comprises a request for service. The method includes obtaining presence information of the user and... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7313232 | Monitoring for operator services The present invention provides for efficient monitoring of operator services calls. A packet gateway is provided in association with a telephony switch, such that circuit-switched connections through a switching fabric of the telephony switch are supported by the pa... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7305082 | Method and apparatus for quality assurance in a multimedia communications environment The present invention relates to a method and system for monitoring and evaluating multimedia telephonic and computer-communication interactions. The multimedia quality monitoring system may include an event manager, which may receive a notification associated with ... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7272222 | System and method for processing complaints A method and system for automating customer slamming and cramming complaints includes an automated reporting system having one or more receiving devices and a complaint module. Customers who want to report a slam or cram access the automated reporting system and rep... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7257217 | Call features for automatic call distribution system Call features for an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system implemented within a packet-based telephone environment are disclosed. Within a packet-based network, data messages are transferred between the ACD system and customer telephone stations while the custome... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7231033 | System and method for providing a service to a customer via a communication link A system and a method for providing a service begins when a customer establishes a communication link, such as a telecommunications link, with a service provider, such as directory assistance. An exchange of information occurs, and a service, such as a telephone num... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7197132 | Adaptive transaction guidance A method and apparatus are provided for guiding a conversation between an agent of a call center and a client of the call center towards one of a plurality of goals of an organization controlling the call center. The method includes the steps of recognizing a voice ... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7174010 | System and method for increasing completion of training Improving the frequency with which agents complete training in a call center or other constituent contact environment. Agents working in call centers are typically given periodic training to improve their skills. Training breaks are scheduled at various times throug... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7170991 | Method and system for utilizing proxy designation in a call system A method for utilizing proxy designation in a call system includes receiving a call from a first user over a first connection with a first endpoint of the first user. The method includes receiving a proxy designation from the first user. The proxy designation compri... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7151826 | Third party coaching for agents in a communication system The method and apparatus improve transactions in a communication system, such as a communication system having an automatic call distributor. In one embodiment, an assessment is performed in substantially real time of respective stress levels of at least one of a ca... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7127058 | Managing communications in a call center A communications management tool for a call center maintains a record of threads of communications of diverse media types (e.g. voice calls, emails and faxes) relating to particular issues, and analyses new communications to automatically identify possible matches w... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7065201 | Telephone call processing in an interactive voice response call management system The present invention relates to a customer call routing menu employing an interactive voice response system (IVR) to process a call in a customer service center. The menu messages are provided in terms of customer tasks to be performed, rather than in terms of corp... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7043008 | Selective conversation recording using speech heuristics A system and method for selectively monitoring, recording, storing, and handling telephone conversations through the use of speech analysis is disclosed. In particular, the present invention utilizes a speech analyzer to analyze a speech signal during a telephone co... | 05/09/2006 |
| 6978006 | Resource management utilizing quantified resource attributes A system and method are disclosed which quantify one or more attributes of a finite number of resources for effective management of such resources. Quantifiable attributes possessed by a resource may include skills or functional capabilities possessed by the resourc... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6970554 | System and method for observing calls to a call center An observation system for observation calls to a call center includes an automatic call director (ACD) unit, an interactive voice response (IVR) unit, and a recorder unit. The ACD receives incoming calls to the call center and also queues and switches the calls to v... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6970821 | Method of creating scripts by translating agent/customer conversations A method and apparatus are provided for presenting script to be followed by a telemarketer during a threaded conversation with a customer. The method includes the steps of recognizing a word content of a response of the customer to a first portion of the presented s... | 11/29/2005 |
| 6965669 | Method for processing calls in a call center with automatic answering In a call center with automatic answering, the availability of an agent is verified in order to prevent open connections when the agent unexpectedly leaves his or her station and fails to give proper notice. Verification may be provided by sensing speech activity of... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6959080 | Method selecting actions or phases for an agent by analyzing conversation content and emotional inflection A method and apparatus are provided for accepting a call by an automatic call distributor and for automatic call handling of the call. The apparatus for automatic call handling has: a call receiving system that outputs at least one voice signal; a text voice convert... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6959078 | Apparatus and method for monitoring and adapting to environmental factors within a contact center A quality monitoring system is implemented within a communications contact center. All electronic data associated with incoming and outgoing communications is monitored and can selectively be recorded. The recording of the communications data is controlled by a set ... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6944592 | Interactive voice response system An interactive voice response system which statistically analyses word usage in speech recognition results to select prompts for use in the interaction. A received voice signal is converted to text and calculating factors such as context and task word ratios and wor... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6934379 | Multiple client remote agent network method A method for distributing a customer-initiated call placed with a contact center to one or more remotely located agents trained to service calls for one or more contact centers comprising the steps of receiving the call at a contact center; deriving an array of call... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6934380 | Method and system for automatic contact distribution utilizing presence detection A method for automatic contact distribution includes receiving a contact for connection with an agent and distributing the contact to a first agent. The method includes automatically transferring the first agent from a ready state to a second state if the first agen... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6925166 | Method and apparatus for generating automatic greetings in a call center A call center includes a message playback unit for playing back a prerecorded greeting during an outgoing call while a call classifier unit within the call center processes an audible signal received from a remote party location. A call processing unit places a call... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6915314 | System for archiving and retrieving data from a database An Administrator Module existing as a layer of software residing on an Originating System's computer. A Server Module existing as a layer of software residing on the Originating System or some other system accessible by the Originating System. The Administrator and ... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6910072 | Method and apparatus for providing media-independent self-help modules within a multimedia communication-center customer interface In a multimedia call center (MMCC) operating through an operating system, a client-specific self-help wizard is provided for active clients and updated periodically with information related to client transaction history with the MMCC. A connected client is presented... | 06/21/2005 |
| 6904143 | Apparatus and method for logging events that occur when interacting with an automated call center system An apparatus for logging events that occur during a call to a call center includes an analysis unit and a memory unit. The analysis unit analyzes a recording of a complete call to the call center. The memory unit automatically records, in an event log, information a... | 06/07/2005 |