Call center system where users and representatives conduct simultaneous voice and joint browsing sessions

A system for enabling communication comprising:

• a user computer having a browser and a user applet;
• a representative computer having browser and a service applet;
• a server in communication with the user applet and browser in the user computer and the service applet and browser in the representative computer;
• the user computer having a user view displayed in the browser on the user computer and the browser in the user computer capable of communicating with the server to generate the user view including a web page having content;
• and
• the service applet in the representative computer capable of periodically polling the server to obtain a copy of the web page having content to generate a service view in the browser on the representative computer that includes a representation of the user view including the web page having content as displayed in the browser on the user computer;
• and
• wherein the browser on the representative computer makes an alteration to the content in the web page in the service view to alter the representation of the user view;
• and
• wherein the service applet automatically detects and communicates the alteration to the content of the web page in real-time with the server such that the user applet on the user computer detects the alteration to the content of the web page as the alteration to the content is made in real-time on the server by periodically polling the server in real-time to obtain a copy of the alteration to the content of the web page from the server.

A method of providing communication between a remote user computer having a browser and a representative computer, with a server in communication with the user and representative computers, the method comprising:

• establishing a link between the user computer and the server, the user computer capable of communicating with the server;
• the user computer generating a user view;
• the representative computer capable of communicating with the server;
• the representative computer generating a service view that includes a representation of the user view;
• the user computer receiving inputs for changing a portion of shared data displayed within a page displayed in the user view;
• communicating changes to the portion of shared data displayed within the page displayed in the user view in response to the inputs;
• detecting the changes to the portion of shared data displayed within a page in the user view and transmitting the changes to the portion of shared data displayed within a page in the user view from the user computer to the representative computer through the server;
• and
• the representative computer periodically polling the server to detect, on the server, the changes to the portion of shared data displayed within a page in the user view in real-time and implementing the changes to the portion of shared data to alter, in real-time, the representation of the user view in the service view on the representative computer to conform to the user view on the user computer as the changes are made to the portion of shared data displayed with the page displayed in the user view.

A method of communicating across a network between a user with a user computer having a browser and a representative computer, with a server in communication with the user and representative computers, the method comprising:

• establishing a link between the user computer and the server, such that the user computer is capable of communicating with the server;
• generating a user view on the user computer in response to receiving data from the server, the data including indicia for providing the user with a selectable callback option;
• in response to the user selecting the callback option, the user computer transmitting a callback request over the network to the server;
• the server storing the callback request in a queue associated with the server and transmitting a user applet to the user computer, the user applet causing the user computer to poll the server for a call request status indicating that a service applet operating on the representative computer has enabled the call request from the customer and has informed the server computer of enablement of the call request;
• and
• the representative computer displaying at least a portion of the queue, so that a representative operator of the representative computer can contact the user of the user computer to establish audio communication.

A system for communicating across a network comprising:

• a user computer for use by a user and including a browser displaying a user view;
• a representative computer at a call service center having a service view including a script frame displaying at least one script and a representation of the user view;
• a server in communication with the user computer and representative computer;
• the user computer capable of communicating with the server over the Internet and generating the user view on the user computer in response to data from the server;
• the server, responsive to a request provided from the user, providing data including a selectable callback option;
• the server having a queue for storing a callback request received from the user computer in response to user input requesting a callback;
• and
• the representative computer in communication with the server and displaying at least a portion of the queue in the service view and further displaying, in the service view, a representation of at least one script that is dynamically defined according to attributes of the user computer providing the callback request to the server, so that the operator of the representative computer can contact the user of the user computer to establish audio communication can manipulate the representation of the user view via selection of one of the at least one script.

A method of providing interaction across a network between a remote user computer having a browser for reading files a representative computer, and a server in communication with the user and representative computer, the method comprising:

• the representative computer transmitting an array of objects representative of entries on a form to the server;
• the server transmitting the array of objects to the user computer in response to receiving a periodic poll for the form from the user computer;
• receiving, at the user computer, user inputs for making changes to entries on the form;
• the user computer causing the changes made in the entries on the form, based on the user inputs, to be made to individual objects in the array of objects that correspond to such entries on the form;
• and the user computer communicating the array of objects to the server;
• the server transmitting the array of objects containing the changes to the form to the representative computer in response to receiving, from the representative computer, a periodic poll for the form;
• and
• the representative computer altering the form displayed at the representative computer to conform to the changes entered by the user based on the individual objects in the array of objects that contain such changes.

A method of operating a call server in conjunction with a web server on a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a user applet to a user computer from the web server;
• receiving from the user applet a message requesting a call back to a user of the user computer, the message comprising contact information to allow a representative using a representative computer to contact the user of the user computer over the network and comprising information enabling remote control of the user computer;
• initiating a voice conversation over the network using voice over network technology between the representative using an representative computer and the user using the user computer;
• while maintaining the voice conversation, receiving, at the web server, shared data identifying a web page by having the representative using the representative computer load a specific web page into a web browser executing on the representative computer, and by having a service applet performing on the representative computer detect the specific web page and forward the shared data containing the identity of the specific web page to the server;
• and
• in response to receiving a periodic poll at the web server from the user applet to obtain shared data containing the identity of the specific web page, forwarding the shared data containing the identity of the specific web page from the web server to a user applet performing on the user computer;
• receiving a request from a browser on the user computer to obtain the specific web page identified in the shared data such that the browser on the user computer displays, for viewing by the user, the specific web page navigated to by the representative on the representative computer of a web site displayed on both the user computer and the representative computer.

A method for providing multimedia communication between a user and an representative over a network comprising a user computer, a representative computer and a server, comprising the steps of:

• receiving at the server a request for assistance from the user to the representative, the request transmitted over the network from the user computer to the server;
• creating a voice communication connection between the user computer and the representative computer over the network in response to the step of receiving a request at the server;
• establishing a voice conversation between the user and the representative using the voice communication connection;
• creating a shared browser connection between a user network browser executing on the user computer and an representative network browser executing on the representative computer by providing a user applet to the user computer and a service applet to the representative computer;
• and
• providing interaction between the user network browser and the representative network browser using the shared browser connection while maintaining the voice conversation by:
• i) having the user applet detect changes to shared data within the user computer and forward the changes to the shared data to the server for detection by the service applet;
• ii) having the service applet detect changes to shared data within the representative computer and forward the changes to the shared data to the server for detection by the user applet;
• and by:
• i) having the user applet periodically roll the server to detect changes to the shared data in the server and in response to detecting such changes, causing the user network browser to contact the server to obtain the changes to the shared data;
• and
• ii) having the service applet periodically poll the server to detect changes to the shared data in the server and in response to such detection, causing the representative network browser to contact the server to obtain the changes to the shared data;
• such that the user applet and the service applet respectively cause the user network browser and representative network browser to reflect any changes made to shared data displayed therein on either the user computer or the representative computer.

A call center system comprising:

• a local area network including a coupling to an internet and a coupling to at least one representative computer;
• a call server computer coupled to the local area network;
• a call center coupled to the local area network and to the call server computer and coupled to a telephone network;
• the call server computer receiving a message from a user using a user computer coupled to the internet the message requesting that a call center representative using the representative computer on the local area network call the user on the user computer, and in response thereto, the call server computer presenting a form to the user computer requesting customer information from the user, and the call server computer receiving, in response to the user submitting the form, the customer information;
• the call server computer controlling the call center to cause a voice connection to be established between the user and the representative associated with the representative computer;
• and
• while maintaining the voice connection, the representative using the representative computer to forward specific changes to shared data content of a single web page to the call server computer and a user applet on the user computer periodically polling the call server computer to detect the specific changes to the shared data of the single web page as they are forwarded to the server and in the event of detecting the specific changes, causing a web browser on the user computer to obtain and display the specific changes to the shared data for the single web page as they appear on the server, therefore displaying in the browser on the user computer, for viewing by the user, the specific changes to the shared data to the single web page as they are occurring on the representative computer.

A method of providing visual interaction across a network between at least one user computer having a browser for reading files and at least one user computer and the at least one second computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a link between the at least one user computer and the server;
• selectively transmitting a user applet to the at least one user computer, the user applet enabling the at least one user computer to communicate with the server;
• generating a user view on the at least one user computer;
• communicating that the link is established to a service applet disposed in the at least one second computer, the service applet adapted to enable the at least one second computer to communicate with the server;
• establishing a session between the at least one user computer and the at least one second computer;
• enabling the at least one second computer to display a service view containing a representation of the user view;
• selectively manipulating the representation of the user view by the at least one second computer;
• communicating to the service applet changes in the representation of the user view;
• transmitting the changes in the representation of the user view from the service applet to the user applet;
• and
• implementing any changes communicated to the user applet in the user view, thereby altering the user view to conform to the representation of the user view of the at least one second computer, thus enabling the at least one second computer to communicate to the at least one user computer;
• wherein the service view further comprises a script frame adjacent to the representation of the user view and having a representation of one or more scripts disposed therein, each other one or more scripts being adapted to communicate with the service applet and being adapted to control the representation of the user view;
• and
• wherein the script is dynamically defined according to attributes of the at least one user computer.

A method of providing visual interaction across a network between at least one user computer having a browser for reading files and at least one user computer and the at least one second computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing a link between the at least one user computer and the server;
• selectively transmitting a user applet to the at least one user computer, the user applet enabling the at least one user computer to communicate with the server;
• generating a user view on the at least one user computer;
• communicating that the link is established to a service applet disposed in the at least one second computer, the service applet adapted to enable the at least one second computer to communicate with the server;
• establishing a session between the at least one user computer and the at least one second computer;
• enabling the at least one second computer to display a service view containing a representation of the user view;
• selectively manipulating the representation of the user view by the at least one second computer;
• communicating to the service applet changes in the representation of the user view;
• transmitting the changes in the representation of the user view from the service applet to the user applet;
• and
• implementing any changes communicated to the user applet in the user view, thereby altering the user view to conform to the representation of the user view of the at least one second computer, thus enabling the at least one second computer to communicate to the at least one user computer;
• and
• wherein the user view and the representation of the user view is a form having objects;
• and
• wherein the method further comprises the steps of:
• selectively manipulating the objects by the at least one user computer;
• selectively manipulating the objects by the at least one second computer;
• transmitting the objects to the service applet and the user applet;
• and
• displaying the objects in the representation of the user view and the user view thus allowing the userview and the service view to display the form as the form is completed;
• and
• wherein the step of transmitting the objects further comprises the steps of:
• querying the form to ascertain the objects disposed on the form;
• representing the form as an array having arguments representative of the objects;
• selectively updating the objects such that the arguments of the array represent any changes to the objects;
• and
• transmitting at least portions of the array to the service applet and the user applet.