Systems, methods, and devices for an enhanced on-hold interface

• US 7,151,827 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Xiaofeng, Scott, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, Jr., William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/370,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 37926601-2661, 379/201.01, 379/201.1, 379/215.01, 379/212.01, 379/257, 379/309, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

An on-hold interface system is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the system includes an interactive voice response system for providing a plurality of audio signals to a telecommunications device of a calling party, wherein the calling party has been placed on-hold. The system also includes a server for checking accessibility of a network connection of a network device, wherein the network device is associated with the telecommunications device of the calling party. The system also includes an enhanced on-hold interface system for providing a plurality of signals to the network device. In addition, the system includes an automatic call distributor for receiving a signal indicating the accessibility of the network connection of the network device, and for instructing the enhanced on-hold interface system and the interactive voice response system to provide the plurality of signals to the network device and the telecommunications device based the accessibility of the network connection.

Claims

1. An on-hold interface system, comprising:

an interactive voice response system for providing a plurality of audio signals to a telecommunications device of a calling party, wherein the calling party has been placed on-hold and wherein the telecommunications device of the calling party has a telephone number associated therewith;

a server for checking accessibility of a network connection of a network device that has a corresponding network address and is associated with the calling party in addition to the telecommunications device;

a webserver hosting an enhanced on-hold interface and providing a further plurality of signals representing the enhanced on-hold interface to the network device; and

an automatic call distributor for receiving a signal indicating the accessibility of the network connection of the network device, for mapping the telephone number of the telecommunications device to the network address of the network device, for instructing the webserver to provide the further plurality of signals representing the enhanced on-hold interface to the network device via the network address, and for instructing the interactive voice response system to provide the plurality of signals to the telecommunications device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications device is one of a wireless device and a wireline device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the telecommunications device is one of a wireless telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), telecopier, pager, and a standard plain-old telephone service (POTS) telephone.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network device is a device for receiving and transmitting data between a network and a user of the network device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the network device is one of a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a pager.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the accessibility of the network connection depends upon the presence and availability of the network device connected to the network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic call distributor receives the accessibility information signal from a signal control point through a signaling network on a public switched telephone network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic call distributor receives the accessibility information signal from the server.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the accessibility information signal includes a network address of the network device associated with the calling party.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic call distributor includes a service node.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the web server is configured to receive instructions and to send an enhanced on-hold interface when the network connection is available.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the enhanced on-hold interface is configured to transmit at least one of audio, video, graphics, and text files to the network device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the web server uses a push client residing on the network device to push the enhanced on-hold interface to the network device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the web server uses a chat client residing on a network device to send a universal resource locator to the network device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of audio signals sent from the interactive voice response system correspond to the plurality of signals being sent from the enhanced on-hold interface system.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the automatic call distributor and the on-hold interface system resides on a telephone service provider network.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the automatic call distributor and the on-hold interface system resides on a private branch exchange.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic call distributor is configured to instruct the enhanced on-hold interface system to send at least one message and prompt to the network device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the message is for notifying the calling party That a called party is available.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the message is for notifying the calling party that an enhanced on-hold interface is available.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the prompt is configured to receive an input identifying the preference of the calling party to connect to the enhanced on-hold interface.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic call distributor is configured to instruct the interactive voice response system to send at least one message and prompt to the telecommunications device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the message is for notifying the calling party that a called party is available.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the message is for notifying the calling party that an enhanced on-hold interface is available.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the prompt is configured to receive an input identifying the preference of the calling party to connect to the enhanced on-hold interface.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the interactive voice response system comprises voice recognition logic operable to recognize a voice input from the calling party.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the interactive voice response system comprises touchtone recognition logic operable to recognize a DTMF input from the calling party.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the server stores and updates a list of calling parties with available network connections.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the server stores and updates a list of calling parties present at the network device with an available network connection.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic call distributor is configured to route a call from the calling party to the next available representative of a called party.

31. A method for providing at least first and second content to a calling party placed on-hold, the method comprising:

receiving a call from a telecommunications device of the calling party, the calling party having a calling telephone number;

checking an accessibility server for a network connection of a network device, wherein the network device is associated with the calling party, in addition to the telecommunications device;

mapping the calling telephone number associated with the telecommunications device to a network address associated with the network device;

sending at least one message and prompt to at least one of the network device and the telecommunications device upon finding the network connection;

receiving at least one response from the calling party;

providing the first content to the network device via the network address; and

providing the second content to the telecommunications device based on the accessibility of the network connection and the response of the calling party.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein checking the accessibility server for the network connection of the network device includes retrieving a network address corresponding to the accessible network connection of the network device.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein checking the accessibility server for the network connection of the network device includes querying a presence database to determine if the network device associated with the telecommunications device of the calling party is registered on the network.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein checking the accessibility server for the network connection of the network device includes querying an availability database to determine if the calling party is available at the network device.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein providing the first content includes using a web server to send at least one of audio, video, graphics, and text files to the network device.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising pushing an enhanced on-hold interface using a push client residing on the network device associated with the telecommunications device of the calling party.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising transmitting an enhanced on-hold interface by sending a universal resource locator to a chat client located on the network device associated with The telecommunications device of the calling party.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein providing the first content includes sending a message, wherein The message is for notifying the calling party of the availability status of a called party.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein providing the second content includes sending a prompt, wherein the prompt is configured to receive an input identifying the preference of the calling party to connect to an enhanced on-hold interface.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising routing a call from the calling party to a next available representative of a called party.

41. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a call from a telecommunications device of a calling party having a telephone number;

means for checking an accessibility server for a network connection of a network device, wherein the network device has a network address and is associated with the calling party, in addition to the telecommunications device;

means for mapping the telephone number associated with the telecommunications device to the network address of the network device;

means for sending at least one message and prompt to at least one of the network device and the telecommunications device upon finding the network connection;

means for receiving at least one response from the calling party;

means for providing first content to the network device; and

means for providing at least further content to the telecommunications device based the accessibility of the network connection and the response of the calling party.

42. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a call from a telecommunications device of a calling party having a telephone number;

check an accessibility server for a network connection of a network device, wherein the network device has a network address and is associated with the calling party, in addition to the telecommunications device;

map the telephone number associated with the telecommunications device to the network address of the network device;

send at least one message and prompt to at least one of the network device and the telecommunications device upon finding the network connection;

receive at least one response from the calling party;

provide first content to the network device; and

provide at least farther content to the tetecommunications device based the accessibility of the network connection and the response of the calling party.