Set-top box initiated contact center interaction

• US 20080066127A1
• Filed: 09/13/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lepore, Michael P., Russell, Paul, Morrison, Steven, Hernandez, John, Finnerty, William, Schechinger, Paul, Ferrandini, Jay
• Granted Patent: US 7,703,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) receiving a contact center interaction request via a device coupled to a display screen; (ii) accessing information about the device or a user of the device from a customer database of a content provider; and (iii) establishing an interaction path between the contact center and a viewer. The method can further include providing information to the user via the interaction path in response to a request by the user for the information. The device can be a set-top box (STB) or a cable card and the display screen can be a television, for example. Also, the content provider can be a cable or satellite television provider, for example.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a contact center interaction request via a device coupled to a display screen;

accessing information about the device or a user of the device from a customer database of a content provider; and

establishing an interaction path between the contact center and the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information to the user via the interaction path in response to a request by the user for the information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request by the user for the information comprises selecting a connectable item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact center interaction request comprises using a remote control.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction path comprises a telephone connection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the establishing the interaction path comprises automatically placing a call from the contact center to the user to establish the telephone connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a set-top box (STB) or a cable card.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the display screen comprises a television.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the content provider comprises a cable or satellite television provider.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a computer monitor.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a content provider configured to receive a contact center interaction request via a device coupled to a display screen, the contact center interaction request being in response to a prompt;

logic configured to access information about the device or a user of the device from a customer database of a content provider; and

logic configured to establish an interaction path between the contact center and the user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising logic configured to provide information to the user via the interaction path in response to a request by the user for the information.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the contact center interaction request comprises a signal from a remote control.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the interaction path comprises a telephone connection.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the telephone connection is configured to be established automatically by placing a call from the contact center to the user.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the device comprises a set-top box (STB) or a cable card.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the display screen comprises a television.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the content provider comprises a cable or satellite television provider.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the display screen comprises a computer monitor.

20. A means for contact initiation, comprising:

a means for receiving a contact center interaction request via a device coupled to a display screen;

a means for accessing information about the device or a user of the device from a customer database of a content provider; and

a means for establishing an interaction path between the contact center and the user.