Unified cross channel communications

• US 10,375,245 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virtual Hold Technology Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Virtual Hold Technology Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Williams, Mark J, Starcher, Jeremy, Shinseki, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennison, Jerry B
• Application Number:
  US14/532,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20150056964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A system for unified cross-channel communications comprising a plurality of network-connected user devices, a plurality of communication channels that receive and handle interactions from user devices, and a virtual communications interceptor that connects to the communications channels and intercepts or otherwise receives data from them according to various means and provides connections between the communication channels, and a method for intercepting and unifying communications between various channels.

Claims

1. A system for unified cross-channel communication, comprising:

a plurality of computing devices adapted to receive communications in a plurality of communications channels from a plurality of user devices; and

a virtual communication interceptor stored and operating on a network-connected computing device;

wherein a first user device of the plurality of user devices sends a first communication of a first type using a first communications channel of the plurality of communications channels to a first computing device of the plurality of computing devices;

wherein the first computing device is adapted to receive communications of the first type and receives the first communication from the first user device;

wherein the first computing device provides interaction information pertaining to the first communication to the virtual communication interceptor;

wherein the virtual communication interceptor stores at least some of the received interaction information;

wherein the virtual communication interceptor transmits at least some of the stored interaction information to a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices processing a second communication of a second type in a second communications channel of the plurality of communications channels;

wherein the interaction information further comprises at least one identifier associated to a user of the first user device;

wherein the virtual communication interceptor monitors the plurality of communication channels for changes in the interaction information associated to the user of the first user device;

wherein, when a change in the interaction information associated to the user of the first user device is found, at least a portion of the changed information is stored and transmitted to the second computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual communication interceptor requests additional interaction information pertaining to the first communication from the first communication channel.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the virtual communication interceptor stores the additional interaction information for future reference.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one identifier is selected from the group consisting of the user'"'"'s identity information, the user'"'"'s contact information, and a topic of the first communication.