Presence based callback

• US 7,573,996 B1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Somani, Anand H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Karen L
• Application Number:
  US11/542,295
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 379/210.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/88.17, 379/93.05, 379/211.02
• US Class Current: 379/210.01
• 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 3/5231 with call back arrangements

Abstract

The present invention provides presence-aware systems. More specifically, methods and systems are provided that enable a contact center to utilize presence information when servicing a contact. When the presence of a particular customer is detected, such information may be provided to or otherwise ascertained by the contact center. Once the contact center has the presence information it may use it to determine how best to call back the customer such that it is convenient for the customer and an agent of the contact center.

Claims

1. A method for servicing a contact in a contact center, comprising:

receiving a first contact in the contact center;

successfully connecting the first contact with a contact center resource;

thereafter, determining that the first contact is to be disconnected;

receiving access to presence information from an initiator of the first contact;

disconnecting the first contact;

deciding to call back the initiator of the first contact;

sending an access token to a presence service that is operable to monitor a current presence activity of the initiator on one or more communication modalities, wherein the access token provides the presence service with an identifier of the initiator and permissions to distribute current presence information associated with the initiator and the one or more communication modalities to the contact center resource;

receiving current presence activity information associated with the initiator;

analyzing the received current presence information to determine a presence status of the initiator; and

performing one of the following substeps;

(i) in the event that a positive presence status has been determined for the initiator, attempting to contact the initiator via a communication modality that is determined to have a current positive presence status for the initiator; and

(ii) in the event that a negative presence status has been determined for the initiator on each of the one or more communication modalities, waiting to contact the initiator at a later time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence service is operably associated with the same enterprise as the contact center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence service is operably associated with a first enterprise and wherein the contact center is operably associated with a second different enterprise.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein received presence information from the presence service comprises a server operated by the contact center pulling the presence information from a presence server operated by the presence service when it is decided to call back the initiator.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving presence information from the presence service comprises a presence server operated by the presence service pushing the presence information to a server operated by the contact center.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein substep (ii) is performed, further comprising:

the server operated by the contact center sending a request to be notified when the presence status of the initiator changes from the negative presence status to the positive presence status;

the server operated by the presence service monitoring the presence status of the initiator;

the server operated by the presence service determining that the presence status of the initiator has changed to a positive presence status for the at least one communication device;

the server operated by the presence service sending notification to the server operated by the contact center that the presence status of the initiator has changed to a positive presence status; and

attempting to contact the initiator via the at least one communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining permissions for receiving the presence information at the presence service by analyzing the access token; and

restricting the contact center resource from accessing the presence information based on the permissions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that access to the presence information is restricted after deciding to call back the initiator;

waiting until access to the presence information is not restricted; and

when access to the presence information is not restricted, allowing the contact center resource to receive the presence information from the presence service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication modalities comprise at least one of instant messaging, messaging, paging, and calling.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating, by the initiator, restrictions at the presence service related to access of current presence information for the initiator, wherein the contact center is not aware of the full extent of the restrictions;

upon receiving the access token at the presence service, analyzing the access token with respect to the restrictions created by the initiator at the presence service to determine if the contact center resource has access permissions to the current presence information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein substep (i) is performed, and wherein a positive presence status has been determined for the initiator on at least two communication devices, further comprising:

comparing a user preference for a first of the at least two communication devices to a user preference for a second of the at least two communication devices;

determining that the user preference for the first of the at least two communication devices is greater than the user preference for the second of the at least two communication devices; and

selectively attempting to contact the initiator via the first of the at least two communication devices.

12. A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions for performing the steps of claim 1.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the access token further comprises a presence account data field operable to store information related to accounts that can be used to determine real-time presence information associated with the initiator.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving access to presence information step is performed while the first contact is successfully connected with the contact center resource.

15. A presence aware communication system, comprising:

a server operable to determine that a first contact received in a contact center has been successfully connected with a contact center resource and, thereafter, disconnected from the contact center resource, the server being operable to receive presence access information from at least one customer associated with the first contact prior to the first contact being disconnected from the contact center resource, the server being further operable to determine that the contact center resource desires to call back the at least one customer and in response send an access token to a presence tracking function that is operable to track a real-time presence activity of the at least one customer, the access token comprising the presence access information obtained from the at least one customer while the first contact was successfully connected with the contact center resource;

a presence tracking function for tracking a real-time presence activity of the at least one customer, retrieving real-time presence information associated with the at least one customer, and determining whether or not to contact the at least one customer based on the real-time presence information; and

wherein the server is operable to use the access token to recover presence information from the presence tracking function then place an outbound contact to a communication device which has been associated with a presence of the at least one customer, and wherein the access token comprises an identifier of the at least one customer as well as permissions and restrictions to access real-time presence information for the at least one customer from the presence tracking function.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the presence information access token is active only when a presence status of the at least one customer comprises a positive presence status.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the presence information access token comprises at least one of an ID associated with the at least one customer, a password associated with the at least one customer, times in which the at least one customer has requested to be contacted, and a list of communication devices which the at least one customer has requested to be contacted by.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the server comprises the presence tracking function.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a second presence tracking server comprises the presence tracking function and wherein the server for placing outbound contacts sends the presence information access token to the second presence tracking server to recover presence information from the second presence tracking server.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the server for placing outbound contacts sends the presence information access token to the second presence tracking server upon a request for the presence information access token by the second presence tracking server.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the presence information access token places a restriction on when the server for placing outbound contacts can send the presence information access token to the second presence tracking server.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the second presence tracking server is operable to receive the presence information access token and wait until the presence of the at least one customer has been identified before the second presence tracking server sends presence information to the server for placing outbound contacts.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication device associated with the initiator'"'"'s presence comprises at least one of a wired phone, a wireless phone, a cellular phone, a portable email notification device, a pager, a computer, and a laptop.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the current presence information is pushed from the presence tracking function to the server.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the current presence information is pulled from the presence tracking function by the server.