Process for dynamic call routing in real time

• US 7,076,037 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metro Enterprises, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Metro Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Gonen, Shlomo, Gonen, Jonathan A., Rosen, Danny
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/020,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20060147006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/114.1, 379/114.13, 379/114.17, 379/221.01, 379/221.02, 379/221.06, 705/14, 705/37, 455/445, 455/277.1, 709/239, 709/240, 370/351, 370/395.32
• US Class Current: 379/114.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/805 Bidding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7457 Biding

Abstract

A dynamic call routing system includes establishing a plurality of service provider accounts. The service providers submit bids for a per-call charge. A call list is created wherein the service providers are ranked from the highest bidder to the lowest bidder. A telephone call received from a potential customer is routed to the highest ranked bidder service provider on the call list. If the call is not answered or rejected, the call is rerouted to the next highest ranked service provider on the call list. The service provider'"'"'s account who has received the telephone call is charged the pre-call amount bid by that service provider.

Claims

1. A process for dynamic call routing, comprising the steps of:

establishing accounts for a plurality of service providers;

permitting the plurality of service providers to bid against one another for a per-call charge;

creating a call list comprised of the service providers ranked from the highest bidder service provider to the lowest bidder service provider;

receiving a telephone call from a customer;

routing the telephone call from the customer to the highest ranked bidder service provider on the call list;

rerouting the customer call to a next highest ranked service provider on the call list if the highest ranked service provider does not answer the call within a predetermined number of rings; and

charging the service provider account receiving the telephone call the per-call amount bid by the service provider.

2. The process of claim 1, including the step of providing a telephone number suggestive of a group of service providers.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein the telephone number comprises a toll-free telephone number.

4. The process of claim 1, including the step of notifying a service provider when its bidding ranking has changed.

5. The process of claim 4, including the step of permitting the service providers to enter new bids.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the account establishing step includes the step of permitting the service providers to select one or more call lists.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the call list creating step includes the step of creating call lists based on geographic location.

8. The process of claim 7, wherein the telephone call routing step includes the step of determining the geographic location of the customer, and selecting a call list based on that geographic location.

9. The process of claim 8, wherein the geographic location determining step includes the step of automatically routing the customer by use of telephone number derived from caller identification.

10. The process of claim 8, wherein the geographic location determining step includes the step of prompting the customer to provide geographic location information to route the customer to a service provider call list with a corresponding geographic location.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the prompting step comprises speech recognition or telephone keypad entry.

12. The process of claim 1, including the step of prompting the customer to make a selection either before being routed to a service provider, or after being routed to the service provider.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the customer selection is accomplished using speech recognition or telephone keypad entry.

14. The process of claim 1, including the step of establishing a minimum per-call charge bid for each call received.

15. The process of claim 1, including the step of the service providers depositing funds into their accounts, and wherein the charging step comprises the step of automatically deducting from the service provider'"'"'s account the service provider'"'"'s per-call bid amount after the service provider receives a call.

16. The process of claim 15, including the step of making available the account status to the service providers.

17. The process of claim 15, including the step of removing a service provider from the call list of providers when the service provider'"'"'s account balance reaches a level where a received call cannot be paid for by the account balance.

18. The process of claim 17, including the step of notifying a service provider when its account balance reaches a level where a received call cannot be paid for by the account balance.

19. The process of claim 1, including the step of permitting a service provider, to whom the customer call is routed, to accept or reject the call.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the acceptance or rejection occurs by speech recognition or telephone keypad entry.

21. The process of claim 20, including the step of rerouting the customer call to the next highest ranked service provider on the call list, if the highest ranked service provider does not accept the call.

22. The process of claim 2, including the step of using a promoter to advertise the telephone number to customers and obtain service provider accounts.

23. The process of claim 22, wherein a system host and the promoter share the per-call charge to the service provider accounts.

24. A process for dynamic call routing, comprising the steps of:

establishing accounts for a plurality of service providers;

permitting the plurality of service providers to bid against one another for a per-call charge;

creating a call list comprised of the service providers ranked from the highest bidder service provider to the lowest bidder service provider;

permitting the service providers to enter new bids, and notifying a service provider when its bidding ranking has changed;

receiving a telephone call from a customer;

routing the telephone call from the customer to the highest ranked bidder service provider on the call list;

rerouting the customer call to a next highest ranked service provider on the call list if the highest ranked service provider does not answer the call within a predetermined number of rings; and

charging the service provider account receiving the telephone call the per-call amount bid by the service provider.

25. The process of claim 24, including the step of providing a toll-free telephone number suggestive of a group of service providers.

26. The process of claim 24, wherein the account establishing step includes the step of permitting the service providers to select one or more call lists.

27. The process of claim 24, wherein the call list creating step includes the step of creating call lists based on geographic location, and wherein the telephone call routing step includes the step of determining the geographic location of the customer, and selecting a call list based on that geographic location.

28. The process of claim 27, wherein the geographic location determining step includes the step of automatically routing the customer by use of telephone number derived from caller identification.

29. The process of claim 27, wherein the geographic location determining step includes the step of prompting the customer to provide geographic location information by speech recognition or telephone keypad entry to route the customer to a service provider call list with a corresponding geographic location.

30. The process of claim 24, including the step of prompting the customer to make a selection speech recognition or telephone keypad entry either before being routed to a service provider, or after being routed to the service provider.

31. The process of claim 24, including the step of establishing a minimum per-call charge bid for each call received.

32. The process of claim 24, including the step of the service providers depositing funds into their accounts, and wherein the charging step comprises the step of automatically deducting from the service provider'"'"'s account the service provider'"'"'s per-call bid amount after the service provider receives a call.

33. The process of claim 32, including the step of making available the account status to the service providers.

34. The process of claim 32, including the step of removing a service provider from the call list of providers when the service provider'"'"'s account balance reaches a level where a received call cannot be paid for by the account balance.

35. The process of claim 34, including the step of notifying a service provider when its account balance reaches a level where a received call cannot be paid for by the account balance.

36. The process of claim 24, including the step of permitting a service provider to whom the customer call is routed to accept or reject the call by speech recognition or telephone keypad entry, and rerouting the customer call to the next highest ranked service provider on the call list if the highest ranked service provider does not accept the call.

37. The process of claim 24, including the step of using a promoter to advertise a telephone number to customers and obtain service provider accounts, wherein a system host and the promoter share the per-call charge to the service provider accounts.

38. A process for dynamic call routing, comprising the steps of:

establishing accounts for a plurality of service providers, wherein the service providers deposit funds into their accounts;

making available account status to the service providers;

permitting the plurality of service providers to bid against one another for a per-call charge;

creating a call list comprised of the service providers ranked from the highest bidder service provider to the lowest bidder service provider;

permitting the service providers to enter new bids, and notifying a service provider when its bidding ranking has changed;

receiving a telephone call from a customer;

routing the telephone call from the customer to the highest ranked bidder service provider on the call list;

rerouting the customer call to a next highest ranked service provider on the call list if the highest ranked service provider does not answer the call within a predetermined number of rings; and

automatically deducting from the service provider'"'"'s account the service provider'"'"'s per-call bid amount after the service provider receives a call;

removing a service provider from the call list of service providers when the service provider'"'"'s account balance reaches a level where a received call cannot be paid for by the account balance; and

notifying a service provider when its account balance reaches a level where a received call cannot be paid for by the account balance.

39. The process of claim 38, including the step of providing a toll-free telephone number suggestive of a group of service providers.

40. The process of claim 38, wherein the account establishing step includes the step of permitting the service providers to select one or more call lists.

41. The process of claim 38, wherein the call list creating step includes the step of creating call lists based on geographic location, and wherein the telephone call routing step includes the step of determining the geographic location of the customer, and selecting a call list based on that geographic location.

42. The process of claim 41, wherein the geographic location determining step includes the step of automatically routing the customer by use of telephone number derived from caller identification.

43. The process of claim 41, wherein the geographic location determining step includes the step of prompting the customer to provide geographic location information by speech recognition or telephone keypad entry to route the customer to a service provider call list with a corresponding geographic location.

44. The process of claim 38, including the step of prompting the customer to make a selection speech recognition or telephone keypad entry either before being routed to a service provider, or after being routed to the service provider.

45. The process of claim 38, including the step of establishing a minimum per-call charge bid for each call received.

46. The process of claim 38, including the step of permitting a service provider, to whom the customer call is routed, to accept or reject the call by speech recognition or telephone keypad entry, and rerouting the customer call to the next highest ranked service provider on the call list if the highest ranked service provider does not accept the call.

47. The process of claim 38, including the step of using a promoter to advertise a telephone number to customers and obtain service provider accounts, wherein a system host and the promoter share the per-call charge to the service provider accounts.