| Method for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signaling -> Monitor Keywords |
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Method for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signalingRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Multicomputer Data Transferring, Computer-to-computer Protocol ImplementingMethod for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signaling description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070168537, Method for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signaling. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention is directed to the field of computer networks. More specifically, the present invention is directed to automated computer support services and in particular session initiation protocol help sessions. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Enterprises handle a large volume of phone calls from clients or customers, both external and internal. To facilitate the processing of this large volume of phone calls, many businesses utilize technologies such as call centers and automated call routing equipment. In general, each call center contains the equipment and personnel necessary to manage and to process a large volume of inbound or outbound calls. Inbound call centers provide support for incoming sales and for customer service requests, including technical assistance related to hardware and software problems encountered by the customer on their computing platform. [0003] The problems associated with call routing inbound calls increase as the customer service functions are divided and distributed among an increasing number of departments and representatives. To provide automated routing of the customer's call request to the appropriate service department or representative, call centers typically contain an automatic call distributor (ACD) to handle incoming calls and to provide the desired routing. For example, the ACD connects calls to a sales representative, a customer service representative or a help desk operator, among others. The ACD also facilitates automated routing of incoming calls to prompt the caller to select one or more menu choices and to place calls that cannot be answered immediately into a hold queue until the next appropriate agent becomes available. [0004] The routing and queuing provided by the ACD were historically handled by a live human operator. For example, a customer would call a customer service number and would be connected with the live operator, who would determine the customer's needs and then route the call accordingly. [0005] The use of ACD has provided companies with a more efficient method of handling and distributing incoming customer requests, particularly as the number of these requests grows. In general, ACD systems prompt callers through a multitude of levels of menus. Recent technological advances also provide for the use of voice recognition systems to facilitate customer routing and menu selection. These systems, however, do not eliminate the need to progress through various menus levels. In addition, voice recognition systems provide additional problems, including an inability to understand all spoken responses. With these limitations, ACD's can create a customer service interface that is slow and frustrating and that produces a negative response in customers, which is not a desired reaction for purposes of customer service. [0006] In networked computer systems, customers contact information technology help desks to request technical assistance with applications running on various systems within the networked computer system and with network related issues. Assistance is obtained using over the telephone, via E-mail or using web-based help. When support personnel are contacted (with an ACD being used to route the incoming call to the appropriate support person), information is then gathered from the customer, typically regarding the technical issue for which assistance is requested and other general information that is necessary to provide the assistance, i.e. software version, operating system, error messages. The support personnel may also request additional information about the context in which the technical problem occurs. Such context may include the set of URL's, i.e. Web sites, that the customer has recently visited with a browser, the set of recent patches downloaded for a specific application or even the properties, e.g. the owner or modification date, of a recent document opened by an application. In many instances, such context information, especially related to recent actions, may pinpoint the likely cause of the error or configuration problem. This information is concurrently transcribed by support personnel and can be associated with a specific help desk inquiry, for example by assigning a trouble ticket number. [0007] The process of transcribing, however, is time consuming and relies on the support personnel to provide a full and adequate transcription of the information that is provided by the customer. In addition, the customer may be asked to repeat information as the call is routed or elevated through the call center. Moreover, in many instances, the customer is not completely aware of the recent context of the specific application, e.g., the customer many not remember accessing a particular website or downloading a music file three days ago, and would thus be unable to provide a complete and accurate picture of the recent activity on that computer or with that application. The information that is provided by the customer may ultimately be superfluous. [0008] A help desk system is needed that would provide the necessary technical information to help desk personnel without the need for customer prompted input. The needed technical information about the recent context or activity state of the user or the application would be used not only to speed the ultimate resolution of the assistance request by particular helpdesk personnel, but possibly also to improve the call routing features of the ACD based on the additional metadata about the requestor's contextual history. Suitable systems would leverage the existing network infrastructure including taking advantage of the existing data and communication infrastructure of networked systems to provide diagnostic and contextual information that can be used provide the requested technical assistance. In particular, that availability of such context data may be especially useful in future converged network environments where the means of seeking assistance, e.g. a Voice over Internet Protocol phone call or an instant messaging session, are located on the same device as the application for which the used is seeking assistance. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0009] The present invention is directed to systems and methods that automatically transport the contextual history of a computer application or a history of recent tasks executed by a user to a help desk at the time a call is initiated to the help desk. This contextual history is transferred either for all outgoing calls or for calls to specially designated help numbers or more generally to specially designated identifiersor for all outgoing calls specifying a general attribute-based criterion, e.g. marked with a designated bit. The contextual history can be used for both intelligent handling and routing of the call, e.g. call to role or route based upon expertise, as well as for making the help desk personnel more efficient by providing the appropriate data and history of related actions that are required to diagnose and solve the technical problem. [0010] In one embodiment, the desired information is stored in one or more logs or databases. Each application running on a system is in communication with the logs through one or more networks. In another embodiment, the log is maintained locally on the requestor's computer or computing platform and is used to capture the contextual history of the user's or requestor's activity on that computer. Using an appropriate application programming interface, the applications write application specific contextual data to the log. When a communication session is initiated between an initiating entity, e.g. a customer or system administrator, and a receiving entity, e.g. a help desk support person, this repository of application specific contextual data is automatically mined for application specific data that is relevant to the application for which assistance is being requested, the initiating entity and the receiving entity. [0011] The relevant data are retrieved from the log and delivered to the receiving entity, for example by appending the data to a session initiation protocol signaling message in an extensible markup language document. The help desk person can view the data, and the data are used to provide the technical assistance that has been requested by the initiating entity. Non-relevant information or information that has not been used or accessed recently is not read from the log, nor delivered to the receiving entity. In addition, the log may expunge or delete records in accordance with pre-defined parameters to keep the data in the log relevant and timely. [0012] In general, the attachment and delivery of application specific contextual data occurs automatically as part of a service that is common to the entire network, as opposed to being derived from specific logic embedded in a single application such as in found in smart phones. In one embodiment, the common context appending component first provides a specific application interface by which applications or users may register specific identifiers as "help numbers", thereby indicating that communications directed to these identifiers, e.g. a phone call to a phone number, are to be enhanced with the automated addition of relevant contextual information. This registration can be performed by an individual user or may be automated through the use of special markup tags in individual applications or modules such that the inclusion of an appropriate markup tag implicitly designates the called identifier as a "help number". The context appending component is then responsible for intercepting the calls to these designated numbers, retrieving the appropriate contextual data from the log and delivering the data to the receiving entity. [0013] The packaging and delivering of the relevant application specific contextual data can take advantage of the communication or signaling infrastructure in use in the network. The data can be sent as a separate or distinct communication session that is related to the help desk call. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the terms "call" and "session" can be used interchangeably to denote that in computing environments voice calls are one form of synchronous or collaborative communication sessions an that other alternative formats, for example instant messaging (IM) and video conferencing, can also be used. For example, the relevant portion of the application specific contextual data that was obtained from the log can be sent as an IM or E-mail message to the help desk person along with the actual support desk session establishment request. Alternatively, the relevant data are appended to the signaling messages of the voice call, for example if the user is attempting to initiate a voice-based help session based on a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) setting, or are appended to the messages exchanged in an instant messaging support interface. In general, the contextual information is translated or transcoded into different formats depending on the type of communication session that has been initiated and the prescribed delivery mechanism of the relevant data. This contextual information may, for example, be specified in one format during the call initiation to enable the ACD to better route the call and in a different format after session establishment to enable the help desk personnel navigate or otherwise use the context information for better, more informed assistance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of system for associating contextual data with a communication session in accordance with the present invention; [0015] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method for associating contextual data with a communication session in accordance with the present invention; [0016] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of the step of associating relevant contextual data; [0017] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of the step of associating relevant contextual data; and [0018] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of the step of associating relevant contextual data. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0019] Referring initially to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a system for associating contextual data with communication sessions 10 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. The system 10 includes at least one context logger service (CLOGS), for example running on at least one context logger server 54, that is utilized by each one of a plurality of applications to log contextual data specific to that application and for the systems, i.e. computing platforms, on which the computer applications are running to log their system registry information. In one embodiment, each CLOGS runs on an individual or self-contained computing platform, such as a laptop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA) or desktop computer, that is running one or more computer applications. In this preferred embodiment, a single CLOGS is provided that captures contextual data for all of the computer applications running on the computing platform on which the CLOGS is resident. In another embodiment, a separate CLOGS is provided for each application running on a given computing platform. In this embodiment, the CLOGS can be provided by modifying or appending the computer executable code of the computer application. In another embodiment, the CLOGS is running on one or more centralized context logger servers that are each in communication with one or more computing platforms. In this embodiment, the CLOGS can be provided as a separate routine or computer executable code that is resident on and executed by the centralized context logger server. Each centralized CLOGS is capable of providing contextual data capture and storage for a multiplicity of computer applications running on the computing platforms that are in communication with the context logger server on which a given CLOGS is resident. In one embodiment, a plurality of context logger servers is provided, each running a context logger service and serving one or more computing platforms running one or more computer applications. In another embodiment, a common, generally centralized context logger server is provided that is in communication with each computing platform running computer applications for which contextual data capture and storage is desired. Suitable languages for the computer executable code of the CLOGS include any language known and available in the art. Continue reading about Method for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signaling... Full patent description for Method for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signaling Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signaling patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Method for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signaling or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Computer architecture and software cells for broadband networks Next Patent Application: Method for managing networks by analyzing connectivity Industry Class: Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomputer data transferring or plural processor synchronization ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Method for intelligent and automated transmission of local context in converged signaling patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.0451 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Software: Finance , AI , Databases , Development , Document , Navigation , Error 174 |
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