COMMON INTERACTION LOG REPOSITORY WITH ADVANCED CONTENT MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES

• US 20110093509A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: VULPAS, Adrian, LAM, Jennifer K., FAN, James
• Application Number:
  US12/580,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093509A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A communication is received at a communications center, from a user initiated via a first interactive session over a first service channel. First interaction data associated with the first interactive session is stored in at least one database, either concurrently with the first interactive session or upon termination of the first interactive session. At least one processor retrieves the first interaction data when a subsequent interactive session is initiated, by either of the user or an agent, via at least one of the first service channel and a second service channel and subsequent interaction data is obtained.

Claims

1. A method for managing communications received at a communications center, comprising:

receiving at the communications center, a communication from a user initiated via a first interactive session over a first service channel;

storing, in at least one database, first interaction data associated with the first interactive session, either concurrently with the first interactive session or upon termination of the first interactive session; and

retrieving, by at least one processor, the first interaction data when a subsequent interactive session is initiated, by either of the user or an agent, via at least one of the first service channel and a second service channel and subsequent interaction data is obtained.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein an interactive dialog initiated in the first interactive session is resumed in the subsequent interactive session.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

correlating the first interaction data with the subsequent interaction data when the subsequent interaction data is obtained prior to expiration of a timer associated with the first interaction data.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first service channel comprises a self-service channel, and

wherein the second service channel comprises an agent-enabled service channel.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the user switches between the first interactive session and the subsequent interactive session.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

merging the first interaction data with the subsequent interaction data in the at least one database.

7. The method according to claim 4,

wherein the self-service channel is one of:

an interactive voice response system service channel, an email submission service channel, and a web form submission service channel, and

wherein the agent-enabled service channel is one of;

an agent-enabled chat client and an agent-enabled call.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

bridging the first interactive session with the subsequent interactive session, when the subsequent interactive session is initiated concurrently with the first interactive session.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing accumulated interaction data in a historical interaction database upon expiration of a timer,

wherein the accumulated interaction data comprises the first interaction data and the subsequent interaction data.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

searching the historical interaction database, concurrently with servicing a subsequent communication received at the communications center, to obtain interaction data related to a subject of the subsequent communication.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

preparing an interactive dialog for at least one of a self-service channel and an agent-enabled service channel based on the interaction data related to the subject of the subsequent communication.

12. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first interaction data and the subsequent interaction data each comprise at least one of:

user input, system data, agent input and a user artifact.

13. The method according to claim 12,

wherein system data comprises at least one of:

data retrieved by an application supporting at least one of the first service channel and the second service channel, data generated by the application, data obtained from a test performed by at least one of the first service channel and the second service channel, and data obtained from a test triggered by at least one of the first service channel and the second service channel during at least one of the first interactive session and the second interactive session.

14. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the user artifact comprises at least one of:

a video file, an audio recording, a text file, a data file and an image file.

15. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first interactive session terminates prior to resolving a subject of the communication, and

wherein the subsequent interactive session is initiated by the user to resume the communication initiated in the first interactive session.

16. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first interactive data and the second interactive data are each editable during a predetermined period of time, and

wherein the first interactive data and the subsequent interactive data are each reviewable after the predetermined period of time.

17. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

updating the first interaction data with the subsequent interaction data in the at least one database.

18. The method according to claim 3,

wherein correlating the first interaction data with the subsequent interaction data precludes unnecessary record retrieval for the user.

19. A system for managing communications received at a communications center, comprising:

a receiver that receives, at the communications center, a communication from a user initiated via a first interactive session over a first service channel;

at least one database, that stores first interaction data associated with the first interactive session, either concurrently with the first interactive session or upon termination of the first interactive session; and

a retriever that retrieves the first interaction data when a subsequent interactive session is initiated, by either of the user or an agent, via at least one of the first service channel and a second service channel and subsequent interaction data is obtained.

20. A tangible computer readable medium, that stores a computer program for managing communications received at a communications center, comprising:

a receiving code segment, recorded on the tangible computer readable medium, that receives at the communications center, a communication from a user initiated via a first interactive session over a first service channel;

a storing code segment, recorded on the tangible computer readable medium, that stores, in at least one database, first interaction data associated with the first interactive session, either concurrently with the first interactive session or upon termination of the first interactive session; and

a retrieving code segment, recorded on the tangible computer readable medium, that retrieves, by at least one processor, the first interaction data when a subsequent interactive session is initiated, by either of the user or an agent, via at least one of the first service channel and a second service channel and subsequent interaction data is obtained.