System and method for allocating contact resources to contact resource users

• US 20040028210A1
• Filed: 08/06/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daniel Neal Duncan
• Inventors: Duncan, Daniel Neal
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

A system and method for allocating contact resources provides a platform for communicating contact resource availability from contract resource sources to contact resource users and for procurement of the available contact resources by contact resource users. Procurement of contact resources is supported by quality control that trains, certifies and monitors contact agents to provide assurance to contact resource users of a defined standard of contact quality. Routing of contacts is coordinated through physical medium to support a schedule of procured resources. Speech-to-text resources aid contact communications and quality.

Claims

1. A system for allocating contact resources and contact resource users, the system comprising:

a procurement module operable to accept contact resource availability from plural contact resource sources and to communicate contact resource availability to plural contact resource users, the procurement module further operable to allocate selected contact resources to a contact resource user; and

a routing module interfaced with the procurement module and operable to coordinate routing of selected contact resources for performing contacts determined by the contact resource user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the contact resources comprise outbound calling resources.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the contact resources comprise inbound answering resources.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the contact resources comprise Voice over Internet Protocol communication between an agent and a contact individual.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the contact resources comprise e-mail messages.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the contact resources comprise instant messages.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the contact resources comprise collaborative browsing.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the routing module comprises instructions for forwarding contact information from the contact resource user to the selected contact resources.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the routing module comprises instructions for routing contact resources to contact individuals.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the instructions route contacts through a private network.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the instructions route contacts through the public telephone network.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the procurement module further comprises:

a contact resource exchange module operable to accept contact resource selections from a contact resource user and to allocate the selected contact resources to the contact resource user; and

a scheduling module in communication with the contact resource exchange module and operable to schedule the selected contact resources and routing resources.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a contact resource quality control module operable to track contact resource quality and to provide contact resource quality to contact resource users.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the contract resource quality control module is further operable to track contract resource utilization.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the contact resource quality control module is further operable to track quality and utilization for payment remittance.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the contact resource quality control module is further operable to train contact resources for one or more predetermined contact tasks.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the contact resource quality control module is further operable to certify contact resources as qualified for one or more predetermined contact tasks.

18. A method for allocating contact resources and contact users, the method comprising:

collecting contact resource availability at a contact resource allocater from plural contact resource sources;

providing the collected contact resource availability to plural contact resource users through the contact resource allocater;

selecting contact resources for use by a contact resource user from the available contact resources; and

allocating the selected contact resources to the contact resource user.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein selecting further comprises:

negotiating contact resource use terms with the contact resource allocater.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein selecting further comprises:

auctioning available contact resources to contact resource users.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein selecting further comprises:

posting ask prices for contact resources; and

purchasing of contact resources by a contact user by accepting selected contact resources at an ask price.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein selecting further comprises:

posting bid prices for contact resources; and

purchasing of contact resources by a contact user by accepting a selected contact user bid price.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein collecting contact resource availability further comprises:

associating contact routing infrastructure with the contact resource sources.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein allocating the selected contact resources further comprises:

defining routing for voice and data between the selected contact resources, contact users and the contacted individuals.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

tracking quality associated with allocated contact resources; and

providing quality information to contact users to aid in the selecting of contact resources.

26. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

certifying contact resources for predetermined contact tasks; and

providing contact user certification information to contact resource users to aid in the selecting of contact resources.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the contact tasks comprises outbound contacts.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the contact tasks comprise inbound contacts.

29. A method for supporting communication between a contact agent and a contact, the method comprising:

generating a communication in text form by the contact agent;

transmitting the communication in text form through a network to an intermediate location between the contact agent and the contact;

translating the communication from text form to a voice signal;

and transmitting the voice signal to the contact.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein generating a communication comprises:

uttering the communication by the contact agent to a voice recognizer; and

translating the uttered communication to text form.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein generating a communication in text form comprises:

presenting a list of communications to the contact agent; and

selecting a communication from the list for transmission in text form.

32. A routing module for coordinating physical medium to support the use of procured contact resources, the routing module comprising:

a contact resource configuration that defines a schedule for the procured contact resources;

an infrastructure scheduling module in communication with the contact resource configuration and operable to schedule available physical medium to meet the contact resource schedule; and

an infrastructure configuration interfaced with the infrastructure scheduling module and storing the schedule for the contact resources.

33. The routing module of claim 32 further comprising a speech-to-text module operable to define a speech-to-text resources for contacting individuals, the speech to text resources comprising a conversion device operable to convert text communication receive from a contact resource to speech communication and to forward the speech communication to a contacted individual.

34. The routing module of claim 32 wherein the physical medium comprises voice routing infrastructure.

35. The routing module of claim 32 wherein the physical medium comprises Voice over Internet Protocol resources.

36. The routing module of claim 32 wherein the physical medium comprises international contact resources to conduct a national calling campaign.