Systems and methods for providing selectable options to a calling party on-hold

• US 7,426,266 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Linda Ann, Silver, Edward Michael, Nguyen, Hong Thi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US09/957,760
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.05, 379/88.06, 379/215.01, 379/201.01
• US Class Current: 379/215.01
• 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 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4283 Call holding circuits
• 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 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing selectable options to a calling party while the calling party is on hold. A call from the calling party is received and the calling party is placed on hold. While on hold, the calling party is provided with a plurality of selectable options. Each of the plurality of options corresponds to a predefined operation. A selected option request, corresponding to one of the plurality of options, is received from the calling party. The predefined operation corresponding to the selected option request is then performed. A system is also provided having instructions thereon for providing selectable options to a calling party while on hold.

Claims

1. A method for handling an on-hold telephone call from a calling party to a called party, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call from the calling party on a first line of the called party, where the called party is an on-hold service subscriber;

placing the calling party on hold after connecting the telephone call to the first line of the called party;

providing by the called party a plurality of selectable options during the telephone call to the on-hold calling party wherein each of the plurality of selectable options is associated with a respective predefined operation, wherein one of the plurality of selectable options is associated with an operation for obtaining information associated with a geographic location when location information associated with the geographic location is received;

receiving from the on-hold calling party, a first selected option request that corresponds to one of the plurality of options and location information associated with the geographic location during the call; and

performing the predefined operation associated with the first selected option request,

wherein the location information entered by the on-hold calling party is associated with a physical location and is not a location associated with the calling party'"'"'s telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first selected option request comprises receiving from the on-hold calling party a voice command associated with the selected option.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first selected option request comprises receiving from the on-hold calling party an electrical signal associated with the selected option.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the plurality of selectable options comprises providing at least one option associated with providing audio to the on-hold calling party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the plurality of selectable options comprises providing at least one option associated with a call disposition operation, wherein the call disposition operation comprises at least one of directing the calling party to an operator and directing the calling party to a voice mailbox.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to the calling party a second plurality of selectable options, wherein each of the second plurality of selectable options is associated with a respective predefined operation;

receiving from the calling party, a second selected option request that corresponds to one of the second plurality of options; and

performing the predefined operation associated with the second selected option request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the location information associated with the geographic location is weather information associated with the geographic location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving location information associated with the geographic location comprises receiving data associated with a mailing address.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data comprises a zip code.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting to an Internet website; and

retrieving the information associated with the geographic location from the Internet website, resulting in retrieved information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the information associated with the geographic location comprises providing an audible representation of the retrieved information to the on-hold calling party.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location is a geographic location of the calling party.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location is not the geographic location of the on-hold calling party.

7. A telephone system for handling an on hold incoming call from a calling party to a called party, the system comprising:

a hold platform for receiving a call from the calling party and for placing the calling party on hold after connecting the incoming call to a telephone of the called party;

a hold manager that is in communication with the hold platform for providing, at the telephone system, a plurality of telephone-selectable options during the connected call to the on-hold calling party, and for receiving from the on-hold calling party, a first selected option request that corresponds to one of the first plurality of telephone-selectable options, wherein the telephone system is associated with the called party,

wherein each of the telephone-selectable options is associated with a respective predefined operation provided by the called party, and

wherein one of the telephone-selectable options is associated with an operation for obtaining information associated with a geographic location when location information associated with the geographic location is entered by the on-hold calling party after the call is received, and

an operations manager for performing the predefined operation associated with the first selected option request at the telephone system and for requesting and receiving the location information associated with the geographic location.

8. The telephone system of claim 7, further comprising:

a data store in communication with the hold manager for storing the plurality of telephone-selectable options, wherein the data store is adapted to store at least one audio segment associated with at least one of the plurality of options.

15. The telephone system of claim 7, wherein the location information associated with the geographic location comprises data associated with a mailing address.

16. The telephone system of claim 15, wherein the data comprises a zip code.

17. The telephone system of claim 7, wherein the operations manager connects to an Internet website and retrieves the information corresponding to the location information associated with the geographic location.

18. A tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing acts to provide an on-hold call service where the service subscriber is a called party, comprising:

providing by a called party, a plurality of selectable options during a call to an on-hold calling party wherein each of the plurality of selectable options is associated with a respective predefined operation, and wherein one of the plurality of selectable options is associated with an operation for obtaining information associated with a geographic location;

receiving from the on-hold calling party, a first selected option request that corresponds to one of the plurality of options and location information associated with the geographic location after the call is received; and

performing the predefined operation associated with the first selected option request.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

connecting to an Internet website; and

retrieving the information corresponding to the geographic location from the Internet website.