PRE-PROCESSING FOR COMMUNICATION SERVICES

• US 20140162609A1
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: CHIEN, Ginger
• Granted Patent: US 10,623,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method for providing a communication service includes detecting an initiated communication initiated by a communications device with a processor and a memory. Environmental data for an environment of the communications device is identified based on detecting the initiated communication. The environmental data is used to supplement a communication service requested by the initiated communication.

Claims

1. A method for providing a communication service, comprising:

detecting an initiated communication initiated to a remote recipient over a wireless network by a communications device with a processor and a memory; and

identifying environmental data for an environment of the communications device, based on detecting the initiated communication initiated to the remote recipient over the wireless network,

wherein the environmental data is used to supplement an interactive communication service provided by the remote recipient of the initiated communication and requested by the initiated communication.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the initiated communication is a telephone call over a first channel, and

wherein the environmental data is sent for use by the communication service over a second channel.

3. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the environmental data is identified during a call setup of the telephone call.

4. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the second channel is a data channel.

5. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the communications device is used for both the telephone call and for sending the environmental data.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the initiated communication is to an agent system that provides the communication service.

7. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the environmental data is obtained before the initiated communication is initiated.

8. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the environmental data is obtained based on a trigger.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein the environmental data that is obtained is obtained based on the trigger before the communication is initiated.

10. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the environmental data is obtained after the initiated communication is initiated and before a human agent joins the communication to provide the communication service.

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

identifying additional environmental data for the environment of the communications device during the communication; and

using the additional environmental data to update the environmental data used to supplement the communication service.

12. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the environmental data includes an air temperature of air in an indoor environment of the communications device and an air temperature of air in an outdoor environment outside of the indoor environment of the communications device.

13. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the environmental data is obtained by the communications device from a secondary device in the environment of the communications device.

14. The method according to claim 13,

wherein the secondary device is a medical monitor.

15. The method according to claim 1,

wherein a communication service script used to provide the communication service is modified based on the environmental data.

16. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the environmental data includes a location of the communications device, and

wherein a communication service script used to provide the communication service is updated based on information known for the location of the communications device.

17. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the environmental data is detected by the communications device using a first application running on the communications device, and the environmental data is obtained originally by a second application running on the communications device.

18. The method according to claim 1,

wherein a type of the environmental data identified is selected in accordance with an input address input to the communications device to initiate the communication.

19. A system for providing a communication service, the system comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of executable instructions;

a processor that executes the plurality of executable instructions;

wherein, when executed by the processor, the plurality of executable instructions cause the system to perform operations comprising;

detecting an initiated communication initiated to a remote recipient over a wireless network by a communications device; and

identifying environmental data for an environment of the communications device, based on detecting the initiated communication initiated to the remote recipient over the wireless network, and

wherein the environmental data is used to supplement an interactive communication service provided by the remote recipient of the initiated communication and requested by the initiated communication.

20. A computer readable storage medium that stores a plurality of executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

detecting an initiated communication initiated to a remote recipient over a wireless network by a communications device with a processor and a memory; and

identifying environmental data for an environment of the communications device, based on detecting the initiated communication initiated to the remote recipient over the wireless network,

wherein the environmental data is used to supplement an interactive communication service provided by the remote recipient of the initiated communication and requested by the initiated communication.