Patent · US Expired

Automated distribution of video telephone calls

US5929897A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
10References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 12, 1995
Grant dateJul 27, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 12, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M3/567
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

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.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.