Patent ID: 6654457
Filing Date: 2003-11-25
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A method for setting up a voice call connection to an agent terminal within a call center from a user terminal remote from said call center, the method comprising:transmitting from the call center to the user terminal agent data describing one or more agents and/or groups of agents associated with the call center and status data describing an availability status of said agents and/or groups of agents; displaying, to a user of the user terminal, a list of the agents and/or groups of agents at the call center; selecting an agent or group of agents from said transmitted one or more agents and/or group of agents in response to selection by a user; transmitting status update messages from the call center to the user terminal; playing audio clips to the user from audio data stored at the user terminal in response to said transmitted status update messages, said audio clips simulating the existence of a voice call connection, in the event that the selected agent or group of agents is indicated by said status data as busy; and subsequently initiating a voice call connection between the user terminal and a respective agent terminal associated with said selected agent or group of agents when the selected agent or group of agents becomes free.