Method and apparatus for entertaining callers in a queue

• US 7,231,035 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Downs, Michael D., Walker, Jay S., Jorasch, James A., Sparico, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US09/973,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20020067823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.01, 379/265.02, 379/309, 379/211, 379/212, 379/265.09, 379/201, 379/266.07
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• 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 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/06 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• 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 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention provides for receiving a call from a caller, the call being associated with a first merchant; placing the call in a queue; determining a second merchant; and establishing a connection, the connection enabling communication between the caller and the second merchant while the call is in the queue.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a caller via a first connection;

placing the incoming call in a queue;

determining information that is associated with the incoming call;

providing to the caller a menu indicating at least one merchant;

receiving from the caller an indication of a merchant;

determining a telephone number associated with the merchant;

establishing a second connection between the caller and the merchant based on the telephone number, the second connection enabling the caller to make a purchase from the merchant while the incoming call remains in the queue; and

transferring the incoming call from the queue to an attendant.

2. The method of claim 1, in which determining the information that is associated with the incoming call comprises:

receiving the information that is associated with the incoming call from the caller via an interactive voice response unit (IVRU).

3. The method of claim 1, in which determining the information that is associated with the incoming call comprises:

retrieving the information that is associated with the incoming call from a record of a database, in which the record is associated with the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, in which determining the information that is associated with the incoming call comprises:

retrieving the information that is associated with the incoming call from a record of a database, in which the record is associated with the incoming call.

5. The method of claim 1, in which providing to the caller the menu comprises:

providing to the caller the menu based on the information that is associated with the incoming call.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the information that is associated with the incoming call comprises at least one of:

a time the incoming call was received,

a time the incoming call has been on hold,

an indication of a category of the incoming call,

an indication of a position of the incoming call within the queue,

a name of the caller,

an identifier that identifies the caller,

a telephone number associated with the caller,

an address associated with the caller,

data indicating at least one purchase associated with the caller,

data indicating at least one reservation associated with the caller,

an indication of an area of expertise of the caller,

an indication of a rate charged for expertise of the caller, and

an account identifier that identifies a financial account associated with the caller.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from a caller;

determining, after the receiving, that an attendant is unavailable to answer the call;

placing, after the determining of the lack of attendant availability, the call in a queue;

offering, after the placing of the call in the queue, the caller a plurality of entertainment options;

receiving, after the offering and from the caller, an indication of a selection of one of the plurality of entertainment options;

establishing, after the receiving of the indication of the selected entertainment option, a connection between the caller and the selected entertainment option while the call remains in the queue;

determining, after the establishing of the connection between the caller and the selected entertainment option, that the attendant is available to answer the call;

notifying, after the determination that the attendant is available, the caller that the attendant is available; and

allowing the caller, after notifying the caller, to choose between (i) maintaining the connection with the selected entertainment option and (ii) establishing a connection with the attendant.