System and method for routing calls

• US 20060126811A1
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knott, Benjamin Anthony, Bushey, Robert R., Martin, John Mills
• Application Number:
  US11/010,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20060126811A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/142.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party

Abstract

A method of processing call is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes prompting a caller for information. The method further includes selecting a resource to process the information, determining a delay time to estimate when the resource will be available to the caller, providing a message to the caller having a time duration based on the delay time, and processing the caller'"'"'s information.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call comprising:

prompting a caller for information;

selecting a resource to process the information;

determining a delay time to estimate when the resource will be available to the caller; and

providing a message to the caller having a time duration based on the delay time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the delay time based on historical data and processing the information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes content responsive to the determined delay time.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising bypassing the selected resource if the determined delay time exceeds a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising locating a second resource responsive to the information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising concatenating at least a first message and a second message to provide the message having the time duration based on the delay time.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein when a measured delay time is greater than the delay time, routing the call to a second resource.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the historical data includes an historical average delay time that is determined utilizing a predetermined number of calls.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the historical data includes an historical average delay time that is determined utilizing a predetermined time delay.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the information to the selected resource.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the caller of forthcoming events.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the message from a predicated time delay message table responsive to the determined delay.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining a first delay time from a first resource with a second delay time from a second resource to determine the delay time.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating a predicted delay table based on actual delays in accessing the resource.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising routing the caller to a destination.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the resource is at a different location than the destination.

17. A system comprising:

a voice generation module to prompt a caller for call information;

memory configured to store the call information;

a processor coupled to the voice generation module and the memory, the processor to select a resource to process the call information, the processor configured to predict a delay time when the selected resource will be available; and

wherein the voice generation module is to provide a message to the caller having a time duration responsive to the delay time.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor retrieves historical data to determine the delay time.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the historical data is collected from a predetermined number of calls.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein when the delay time is greater than a predetermined time the processor directs the call to be routed to a second resource.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the delay time is an average delay time of accessing the selected resource for a past number of calls.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising a switch responsive to the processor for routing the call to a destination.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor includes logic to concatenatie at least a first message and a second message to provide a message having time a duration based on the delay tine.

24. A method of receiving call service comprising:

providing information to a call center;

selecting a resource to process the information;

receiving a message having a time duration based on a delay time that is an estimate of when the resource will be available.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the delay time is responsive to historical data.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving processed information from the resource.