SCREENING ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTS

• US 20090276283A1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Deighton, Anthony, Wells, Ken, Kreaden, Mitchell, Brindley, Dougal, Sunday, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/182 Alternative dispute resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A facility for screening service requests for requesting assistance is described. The facility receives from a user a service request that requests assistance with solving a problem associated with a system accessible to the user and includes information related to the system. The facility searches a collection of system status information for at least one entry that corresponds with the received information related to the system. Where a corresponding entry is found, the facility provides to the user an indication of the correspondence and an opportunity to cancel the service request.

Claims

1. A method in a computer for submitting requests for assistance with solving a problem experienced by a user while using information technology, the method comprising:

receiving from a user service request information identifying the problem experienced by the user, the service request information including area identifier corresponding to a system accessible by the user and sub-area identifier corresponding to a subsystem accessible by the user;

retrieving the area identifier from the received service request information;

retrieving the sub-area identifier from the received service request information;

searching a collection of system status and subsystem status information for a correspondence with the retrieved information, the correspondence indicating that the service request may be redundant;

where a correspondence indicating that the service request may be redundant is identified, providing to the user an alert message indicating the correspondence to the user and providing to the user an opportunity to cancel the service request; and

where no correspondence is found or where the request is not cancelled, sending the request to at least one member of a support staff responsible for addressing the request.