Outbound dialing decision criteria based

• US 7,215,760 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Lenard, Rohan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu; Benny Quoc
• Application Number:
  US11/149,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20050226403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/265.04, 379/265.09, 379/266.07, 379/266.08, 379196-198, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.12, 379/210.02
• US Class Current: 379/266.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A dialer for managing outgoing contacts is provided that includes a contact filtration agent 144 operable to retrieve presence information associated with a party to be contacted and determine, based on the presence information, whether or not to contact the party and, if so, when and where to contact the party.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving a query for a contact;

(b) retrieving a selected contact from a contact list, the contact list identifying a plurality of parties to be contacted;

(c) determining a country of residence of a first party associated with the selected contact, wherein the first party resides in a first country;

(d) determining a first set of rules restricting contacts in the first country;

(e) determining, based on the first set of rules, whether or not to contact the first party;

and

(f) when the first party is to be contacted, configuring the contact in accordance with the first set of rules.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) receiving a further query for a contact;

(h) retrieving a further selected contact from the contact list;

(i) determining a country of residence of a second party associated with the further selected contact, wherein the second party resides in a second country;

(j) determining a second set of rules restricting contacts in the second country, the first and second sets of rules being different from one another;

(k) determining, based on the second set of rules, whether or not to contact the second party; and

(l) when the second party is to be contacted, configuring the contact in accordance with the second set of rules.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of rules comprises restrictions on times when the first party may be contacted.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of rules globally governs contacts with residents of the first country.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact list comprises first contact information associated with the selected contact and further comprising:

(g) retrieving second contact information different from the first contact information and relating to the first party, wherein the second contact information comprises preferences selected by the first party, the preferences including a plurality of an acceptable time period to place the contact, a contact mode to be used for the contact, and a specific communication device associated with the contact to which the contact is to be placed; and

(h) determining, based on the second contact information and at least one of at or immediately before the placement of the contact, whether or not to contact the first party and wherein the first and second contact information is different.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) retrieving presence information associated with the first party; and

(h) determining, based on the presence information, whether or not to contact the first party, wherein the presence information comprises a plurality of contact preferences of the first party, second contact information for the first party, current contact availability of the first party, and registration information, information regarding the accessibility of an endpoint device associated with the first party, the endpoint'"'"'s telephone number or address, the recency of use of the endpoint device by the first party, and recency of authentication by the first party to a network component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first party is associated with a plurality of endpoint devices, wherein the preferences include a specific one of the endpoint devices, and wherein the specific endpoint device is at least one of IP hardphone, IP softphone, wired telephone, wireless telephone, Personal Digital Assistant or PDA, facsimile machine, Personal Computer or PC, laptop, and video phone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact list has previously been scrubbed against a Do Not Call list and wherein in step (c):

when the first party is not to be contacted at the present time, performing at least one of the following steps;

removing the first party from the contact list; and

queuing the first party in a to-be-contacted queue to be contacted later.

26. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions to perform the steps of claim 1.

9. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving a query for a contact;

(b) retrieving a selected contact from a set of contacts, the set of contacts identifying a plurality of parties to be contacted;

(c) determining a governed geographical region of residence of a first party associated with the selected contact, wherein the governed geographical region is governed by a governmental entity and wherein the first party resides in a first governed geographical region;

(d) determining a first set of rules restricting contacts in the first governed geographical region, the first set of rules universally applying to residents of the first governed geographical region;

(e) determining, based on the first set of rules, whether or not to contact the first party; and

(f) when the first party is to be contacted, configuring the contact in accordance with the first set of rules.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

(g) receiving a further query for a contact;

(h) retrieving a further selected contact from the set of contacts;

(i) determining a governed geographical region of residence of a second party associated with the further selected contact, wherein the second party resides in a second governed geographical region;

(j) determining a second set of rules restricting contacts in the second governed geographical region, the first and second sets of rules being different from one another;

(k) determining, based on the second set of rules, whether or not to contact the second party; and

(l) when the second party is to be contacted, configuring the contact in accordance with the second set of rules.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of rules comprises restrictions on times when the first party may be contacted and wherein the governed geographical regions are countries.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first governed geographical region is a first country and the second governed geographical region is a second country.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the contact list comprises first contact information associated with the selected contact and further comprising:

(g) retrieving second contact information different from the first contact information and relating to the first'"'"'party, wherein the second contact information comprises preferences selected by the first party, the preferences including a plurality of an acceptable time period to place the contact, a contact;

mode to be used for the contact, and a specific communication device associated with the contact to which the contact is to be placed; and

(h) determining, based on the second contact information and at least one of at or immediately before the placement of the contact, whether or not to contact the first party and wherein the first and second contact information is different.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

(g) retrieving presence information associated with the first party; and

(h) determining, based on the presence information, whether or not to contact the first party, wherein the presence information comprises a plurality of contact preferences of the first party, second contact information for the first party, current contact availability of the first party, and registration information, information regarding the accessibility of an endpoint device associated with the first party, the endpoint'"'"'s telephone number or address, the recency of use of the endpoint device by the first party, and recency of authentication by the first party to a network component.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first party is associated with a plurality of endpoint devices, wherein the preferences include a specific one of the endpoint devices, and wherein the specific endpoint device is at least one of IP hardphone, IP softphone, wired telephone, wireless telephone, Personal Digital Assistant or PDA, facsimile machine, Personal, Computer or PC, laptop, and video phone.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of contacts has previously been scrubbed against a Do Not Call list.

17. A computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions for performing the steps of claim 9.

18. A dialer, comprising:

a contact list, the contact list identifying a plurality of parties to be contacted; and

a contact filtration agent operable to (a) receive a query for a contact;

(b) retrieve a selected contact from a contact list, the contact list identifying a plurality of parties to be contacted;

(c) determine a governed geographical region of residence of a first party associated with the selected contact, wherein the governed geographical region is governed by a governmental entity and wherein the first party resides in a first governed geographical region;

(d) determine a first set of rules restricting contacts in the first governed geographical region, the first set of rules universally applying to residents of the first governed geographical region;

(e) determine, based on the first set of rules, whether or not to contact the first party; and

(f) when the first party is to be contacted, configure the contact in accordance with the first set of rules.

19. The dialer of claim 18, wherein the contact filtration agent is further operable, to (g) receive a further query for a contact;

(h) retrieve a further selected contact from the contact list;

(i) determine a governed geographical region of residence of a second party associated with the further selected contact, wherein the second party resides in a second governed geographical region;

(j) determine a second set of rules restricting contacts in the second governed geographical region, the first and second sets of rules being different from one another;

(k) determine, based on the second set of rules, whether or not to contact the second party; and

(l) when the second party is to be contacted, configure the contact in accordance with the second set of rules.

20. The dialer of claim 18, wherein the first set of rules comprises restrictions on times when the first party may be contacted and wherein the governed geographical regions are countries.

21. The dialer of claim 19, wherein the first governed geographical region is a first country and the second governed geographical region is a second country.

22. The dialer of claim 18, wherein the contact list comprises first contact information associated with the selected contact and wherein the agent is further operable to (g) retrieve second contact information different from the first contact information and relating to the'"'"'first party, wherein the second contact information comprises preferences selected by the first party, the preferences including a plurality of an acceptable time period to place the contact, a contact mode to be used for the contact, and a specific communication device associated with the contact to which the contact is to be placed and (h) determine, based on the second contact information and at least one of at or immediately before the placement of the contact, whether or not to contact the first party and wherein the first and second contact information is different.

23. The dialer of claim 18, wherein the agent is further operable to (g) retrieve presence information associated with the first party and (h) determine, based on the presence information, whether or not to contact the first party, wherein the presence information comprises a plurality of contact preferences of the first party, second contact information for the first party, current contact availability of the first party, and registration information, information regarding the accessibility of an endpoint device associated with the first party, the endpoint'"'"'s telephone number or address, the recency of use of the endpoint device by the first party, and recency of authentication by the first party to a network component.

24. The dialer of claim 23, wherein the first party is associated with a plurality of endpoint devices, wherein the preferences include a specific one of the endpoint devices, and wherein the specific endpoint device is at least one of IP hardphone, IP softphone, wired telephone, wireless telephone, Personal Digital Assistant or PDA, facsimile machine, Personal Computer or PC, laptop, and video phone.

25. The dialer of claim 19, wherein the contact list has previously been scrubbed against a Do Not Call list.