Class-based call request routing

• US 20070201661A1
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fullarton, Paul, Shah, Ankur, Schramm, Steven, Lichtenberg, Tom, Rothrock, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13251 Restricted service, class of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13288 Closed user groups, CUG

Abstract

Communication systems and methods are described that include class-based call request routing. Components of the communication systems are configured to receive information of a class at a calling device. In response to the class information, a call request is automatically generated and addressed to resources of a class group. The resources of the class group all possess a common attribute of the class. The attribute includes one or more of a skill, job specialty code, job title, company, department, and division. The generated call request is routed to target devices of the resources. In response to a resource accepting the call request, a response message is received from a target device of the resource. Communications are established between the calling device and the at least one target device in response to the response message received from the target device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a calling device information of a class;

generating in response to the class a call request addressed to resources of a class group, wherein the resources possess an attribute of the class;

routing the call request to target devices of the resources;

receiving a response message from at least one target device; and

establishing communications between the calling device and the at least one target device in response to the response message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information of a class includes a selection of a class made via the calling device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the class group includes one or more resources having one or more attributes in common.

4. The method of claim 1, providing an integrated directory at the calling device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the integrated directory includes the class group.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving information of the class includes receiving a class selection via the integrated directory.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the integrated directory includes contact information of at least one of the resources.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising determining the resources from a plurality of contacts of an enterprise, wherein the enterprise includes the resources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing is parallel routing to a plurality of resources of the class group.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the routing includes:

a first routing of the call request to at least one target device of a first set of resources; and

a second routing of the call request to at least one target device of a second set of resources.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing is sequential routing to each of a plurality of resources of the class group.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising determining a hierarchy of the routing, wherein the hierarchy defines an order of the routing to the plurality of resources.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing includes:

a first routing of the call request to a first target device of a first resource; and

a second routing of the call request to a second target device of a second resource in the absence of the response message to the first routing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second routing occurs upon termination of a time period since the first routing.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing includes:

a first routing of the call request to at least one target device of a first set of resources; and

a second routing of the call request to at least one target device of a second set of resources in the absence of the response message to the first routing.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing comprises:

parallel routing to a first plurality of resources of the class group; and

sequential routing to each of a second plurality of resources of the class group.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute includes one or more of a skill, job specialty code, job title, company, department, and division.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing includes rule-based routing.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein rules of the rule-based routing are customized according to on one or more of the class and the class group.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing includes routing according to use status of the resource.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the routing includes routing first to one of relatively most-used resources and relatively least-used resources.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing includes routing according to class level of the resource.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing includes routing according to expense level of the resource.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing includes routing according to skill level of the resource.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the routing includes routing first to one of relatively higher-skilled resources and relatively lower-skilled resources.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing includes routing according to availability of the resource, wherein the availability includes one or more of presence of the resource, reachable status of the resource, availability determined by a host system, and availability specified by the resource.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the call request includes generating the call request at the calling device.

28. The method of claim 1, comprising providing a delivery confirmation to the calling device in response to delivery of the call request to the target devices.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the response message includes receiving the response message at the calling device.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the response message includes receiving the response message at an intermediate server, wherein the intermediate server is hosted by an organization that includes the resources.

31. The method of claim 1, comprising generating a plurality of response options on the target device in response to delivery of the call request at the target device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the response options include at least one of accepting the call request, postponing the call request, generating a return data message including at least one of a text message and a voice message to the calling device, and initiating a voice call to the calling device.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein routing the call request to the target device includes routing in accordance with context information, the context information including at least one of a connectivity state and an availability profile of the target device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the connectivity state includes information of a state of connectivity of the target device to a communication network.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the connectivity state includes at least one of a reachable state and an unreachable state, wherein the target device is in a reachable state when the target device is in a powered state and connected to a corresponding communication network, wherein the target device is in an unreachable state when the target device is one or more of in an un-powered state, disconnected from the communication network, and engaged in a voice call.

36. The method of claim 1, comprising transferring context information of the target device to the calling device, wherein the context information includes at least one of presence information of the target device and a current availability state of the target device.

37. The method of claim 36, comprising displaying the context information in at least one list of contact information of the target device.

38. The method of claim 36, comprising automatically transferring updates of the context information of the target device to the calling device.

39. The method of claim 1, comprising generating a query for information of the resources of the class.

40. The method of claim 1, comprising monitoring a state of the call request and transferring state messages including the call request state to the calling device, wherein the state of the call request includes at least one of not sent, in transit, delivered, failed to deliver, and expired states.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the response message accepts the call request and includes a prompt for use in initiating communication with the target device sending the response message.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the call request is a data message that includes one or more of a text message and a voice message.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein routing the call request comprises automatically transferring contents of the call request to the target device in an electronic message, wherein the electronic message includes at least one of an electronic mail message, an instant message, a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message, and an Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS) message.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the calling device and the target devices include one or more of a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireline device, a voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) device, a private branch exchange device, a soft client, and a desktop client.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the resources of the class are unknown to a user of the calling device.

46. The method of claim 1, comprising automatically determining the resources using data and status information of a plurality of contacts coupled to an enterprise.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein routing includes routing using information of a priority of the call request.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein routing includes routing using information of a subject of the call request.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein routing includes routing using expiry information of the call request.

50. A system comprising:

a server coupled to an enterprise and at least one communication network, the server including a facilitator; and

a plurality of communication devices each including a client, wherein the client and the facilitator are configured to communicate to receive at a calling device information of a class, generate a call request addressed to a class group, the system identifying resources possessing an attribute of the class, route the call request to target devices of the resources, and establish communications between the calling device and the at least one target device using contents of a response message from at least one target device.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the information of a class includes a selection of a class made via the calling device.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the class group includes one or more resources having one or more attributes in common.

53. The system of claim 50, comprising an integrated directory at the calling device, wherein the integrated directory includes the class group, wherein the integrated directory includes contact information of individual ones of the resources.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein receiving information of the class includes receiving a class selection via the integrated directory.

55. The system of claim 50, wherein the facilitator is configured to determine the resources from a plurality of contacts of an enterprise, wherein the enterprise includes the resources.

56. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing is parallel routing to target devices of a plurality of resources of the class group.

57. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing is sequential routing to target devices of each of a plurality of resources of the class group.

58. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing comprises:

parallel routing to target devices of a first plurality of resources of the class group; and

sequential routing to target devices of each of a second plurality of resources of the class group.

59. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing includes rule-based routing.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein rules of the rule-based routing are customized according to on one or more of the class and the class group.

61. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing includes routing according to use status of the resource.

62. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing includes routing according to class level of the resource.

63. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing includes routing according to expense level of the resource.

64. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing includes routing according to skill level of the resource.

65. The system of claim 50, wherein the routing includes routing according to availability of the resource.

66. The system of claim 50, comprising at least one adapter coupled to the server and to at least one component of the enterprise, wherein the adapter is configured to receive information from the component and automatically generate from the information a configuration of the class group and assign resources as members of the class group.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the adapter is configured to automatically update from the information the configuration of the class group and the assigned resources of the class group.

68. The system of claim 66, wherein the component of the enterprise includes one or more of a human resource system, a financial system, a customer relationship management system, a telephone system, a directory server, and an electronic mail server.

69. A computer readable media including executable instructions which, when executed in a processing system, provides class-based call request routing by:

receiving at a calling device information of a class;

generating in response to the class a call request addressed to resources of a class group, wherein the resources possess an attribute of the class;

routing the call request to target devices of the resources;

receiving a response message from at least one target device; and

establishing communications between the calling device and the at least one target device in response to the response message.