System and method for establishing a real-time agent pool between computer systems

A method of communicating between a PC user and an available agent selected from among a plurality of different agent pools, each such agent pool associated with a particular data source, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a data exchange relationship from the user to a selected data source over a data link, wherein said data link provides common access for said user, said selected data source, and said available agent;
• receiving over said data link, from the selected data source, a menu of choices, one of the choices being a bi-directional data exchange;
• selecting an available agent from said agent pool associated with the selected data source in response to the selection by the user of the menu choice indicating a bi-direction data exchange, said selection by the user being received by said selected data source over said data link;
• wherein said step of selecting includes
• determining if the agent from the agent pool associated with the selected data source is available, and
• selecting the agent from the agent pool associated with the selected data source if the agent is determined to be available;
• wherein if it is determined that no agent is immediately available, presenting alternative choices to the user regarding said selection of the menu choice indicating bi-direction data exchange.

A system for establishing real-time communication between a computer user and an agent via the Internet, comprising:

• means for presenting the user with an option to communicate with an unspecified agent via a computer;
• means, responsive to the selection of the option, for selecting the unspecified agent from an agent pool comprising a plurality of agents;
• wherein the means for selecting comprises
• means for maintaining the agent pool,
• means for determining available agents in the agent pool, and
• means for choosing the agent from the available agents;
• means for establishing a real-time data communications link via the Internet between the selected agent and the computer user, wherein said real-time data communications link provides common access for said user, a selected data source, and said selected agent.

A system for real-time exchange of audio communications between a computer user and an unspecified agent of a plurality of agents associated with a selected data source of a plurality of data sources assessable over a computer network, said system comprising:

• means for logging an agent of plurality of agents onto and off of the system;
• means for associating an agent logged onto the system with a data source of the plurality of data sources accessible over the computer network;
• means for maintaining an agent pool of agents currently logged onto the system and associated with selected data sources of the plurality of data sources;
• means for adding agents to the agent pool substantially concurrent with the agents logging onto the system;
• means for removing agents from the agent pool substantially concurrent with the agents logging off of the system;
• means for determining agents of the agent pool available for audio communication with the computer user;
• means under selective control of the computer user for exchanging data between the user and the selected data source of the plurality of data sources;
• means for communicating from the user to the selected data source that the user desires to establish a bi-directional audio communication link between the user and the unspecified agent;
• and
• means responsive to receipt of the communicated desire for a bi-directional audio communication link for establishing such a link between the user and an available agent of the agent pool associated with the particular data source currently selected by the user.