US 6,606,744 · Granted 2003-08-12

The Patent That Turned Web Pages Into Call Centers

Imagine clicking a button on a website and instantly talking to a customer service person without picking up a phone—that's what this patent does. It routes phone calls and data through the internet at the same time, so you can chat with a call center rep right from your browser.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a networked system that combines internet data sessions with voice calls routed over IP telephony, allowing users to initiate audio communication directly from a web application without using a separate telephone. What's protected here is the specific method of triggering an IP telephony session simultaneously with an active data session, including the use of directory lookup services to connect users to service centers.

Why it matters

This patent tackled a real problem in the early 2000s: companies wanted to offer live support without requiring customers to hang up their internet connection and dial a separate number. By bundling voice and data into one experience, it made customer service faster and easier, which was especially valuable for supply chain and e-commerce platforms managing complex installations and support requests.

Real-world use

When you visit a website and see a 'Chat with us' button that connects you to a live agent without opening your phone, you're experiencing the core idea this patent protects.

Original USPTO abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for collaborative installation management in a network-based supply chain environment. According to an embodiment of the invention, telephone calls, data and other multimedia information are routed through a network system which includes transfer of information across the internet utilizing telephony routing information and internet protocol address information. The system includes integrated Internet Protocol (IP) telephony services allowing a user of a web application to communicate in an audio fashion in-band without having to pick up another telephone. Users can click a button and go to a call center through the network using IP telephony. The system invokes an IP telephony session simultaneously with the data session, and uses an active directory lookup whenever a user uses the system. Users include service providers and manufacturers utilizing the network-based supply chain environment.

Patent details

Publication number: US 6,606,744
Filing date: 1999-11-22
Grant date: 2003-08-12
Assignee: Accenture, Llp
Inventor(s): MIKURAK MICHAEL G.
CPC class: H04L63/0272

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