Enhanced automated attendant system

• US 10,027,803 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2015
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Krinsky, Jeffrey, Yates, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US14/974,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements

Abstract

A method includes determining, at a processor of an automated attendant system, whether a customer service representative is available to speak with a caller. The method also includes scheduling a call back time in response to a determination that the customer service representative is not available to speak with the caller. The call back time indicates a time where the customer service representative will call the caller. The method further includes providing the call back time to the caller and receiving an availability flag from the caller at the call back time. The availability flag indicates whether the caller is available to receive a call from the customer service representative. The method also includes providing a call back signal to the customer service representative based on the availability flag. The call back signal indicates to the customer service representative whether to call the caller at the call back time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

scheduling, by a processor of an automated attendant system, a call back to a caller, the call back indicating a particular time when a service representative is scheduled to call a communication device associated with the caller;

sending information indicating the particular time via a first call;

after ending the first call, receiving an availability flag associated with the call back from the communication device, the availability flag indicating whether the caller is available to receive a call from the service representative, wherein the availability flag is based on a distance between the communication device and a second device associated with the communication device; and

generating a call back signal based on the availability flag, the call back signal indicating to the service representative whether to initiate a second call corresponding to the call back at the particular time, wherein the distance corresponds to a distance before the call back signal is generated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is unable to receive the second call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the availability flag indicates that the caller is available to receive the call when the communication device is not associated with a call session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the availability flag indicates that the caller is not available to receive the call when the communication device is associated with a call session.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor of the automated attendant system, whether the caller is available to receive a call from the service representative based on the availability flag, wherein, when the communication device is associated with a call session, the availability flag indicates that the communication device is associated with the call session and indicates a priority value associated with the call session, and wherein the processor determines whether the caller is available based on the priority value.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving identification information of the caller;

accessing user data stored at the automated attendant system based on the identification information, wherein the user data is specific to the caller;

providing, to the communication device, menu options based on the user data; and

determining whether the service representative is available to speak with the caller based on a user selection of a particular menu option of the menu options.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the particular time based on historical data associated with the service representative.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is a wearable mobile device associated with the caller.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the availability flag indicates that the caller is not available when the distance satisfies a threshold distance.

10. An automated attendant system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform operations comprising;

scheduling a call back to a caller, the call back indicating a particular time when a service representative is scheduled to call a communication device associated with the caller;

sending information indicating the particular time via a first call;

after ending the first call, receiving an availability flag associated with the call back from the communication device, the availability flag indicating whether the caller is available to receive a call from the service representative, wherein the availability flag is based on a distance between the communication device and a second device associated with the communication device; and

generating a call back signal based on the availability flag, the call back signal indicating to the service representative whether to initiate a second call corresponding to the call back at the particular time, wherein the distance corresponds to a distance before the call back signal is generated.

11. The automated attendant system of claim 10, wherein the availability flag is received using in-band signaling.

12. The automated attendant system of claim 10, wherein the availability flag indicates that the caller is available to receive the call when the communication device is not associated with a call session.

13. The automated attendant system of claim 10, wherein the availability flag indicates whether the caller is available or unavailable to receive the call as determined by the communication device.

14. The automated attendant system of claim 10, wherein the operations further include determining whether the caller is available to receive a call from the service representative based on the availability flag, wherein, when the communication device is associated with a call session, the availability flag indicates that the communication device is associated with the call session and indicates a priority value associated with the call session, wherein determining whether the caller is available is based on the priority value, and wherein the caller is determined unavailable to receive the call responsive to the priority value indicating a high priority.

15. The automated attendant system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving identification information of the caller;

accessing user data stored at the automated attendant system based on the identification information, wherein the user data is specific to the caller;

providing, to the communication device, menu options based on the user data; and

determining whether the service representative is available to speak with the caller based on a user selection of a particular menu option of the menu options.

16. The automated attendant system of claim 10, wherein the particular time is selected based on historical data.

17. A computer-readable hardware storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of an automated attendant system, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

scheduling a call back to a caller, the call back indicating a particular time when a service representative is scheduled to call a communication device associated with the caller;

sending information indicating the particular time via a first call;

after ending the first call, receiving an availability flag associated with the call back from the communication device, the availability flag indicating whether the caller is available to receive a call from the service representative, wherein the availability flag is based on a distance between the communication device and a peripheral second device associated with the communication device; and

generating a call back signal based on the availability flag, the call back signal indicating to the service representative whether to initiate a second call corresponding to the call back at the particular time, wherein the distance corresponds to a distance before the call back signal is generated.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the availability flag is received using out-of-band signaling.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the availability flag indicates that the caller is available to receive the call when the communication device is not associated with a call session and the distance does not satisfy a threshold distance.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the availability flag indicates that the caller is not available to receive the call when the communication device is associated with a call session.