System and method for dynamically creating records

• US 7,593,962 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Tel-A-Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: American Tel-A-Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Beale, Kevin M., Curtin, Thomas V., Waldner, Wayne P., Curtin, IV, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Shahid A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US11/062,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 4, 707100-102, 707/104.1, 379/88.17, 379/265.09, 379/265.03, 379/265.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A communication system that is capable of collecting information from one or more users of the communication system includes one or more data collection mechanisms that are operated by a first entity. The mechanisms operate to collect at least a portion of information from a user of a communication system on behalf of a second entity that is different than the first entity. The system also includes one or more memory modules that are coupled to the one or more data collection mechanisms and that are operable to store one or more records on behalf of the second entity. Each of the one or more records comprises information that is associated with a client of the second entity. At least one of the one or more records comprises at least a portion of the information collected from the user of the communication system. In one particular embodiment, the one or more records are controlled by the first entity.

Claims

1. A communication system capable of collecting information from one or more users of the communication system, the system comprising:

one or more data collection mechanisms comprising at least one computing device operated to collect at least a portion of information from a user of a communication system on behalf of a second entity, wherein the first entity comprises an entity that is different than the second entity, wherein the one or more data collection mechanisms use a script to collect the portion of information from the user, the script having one or more dynamic links in the script to automatically initiate the performance of one or more functions during the collection of information from the user, wherein the performance of the one or more functions comprises accessing an application or information source to automatically populate one or more open fields in the script when at least one other field of the script is populated with a portion of the information collected from the user; and

one or more memory modules coupled to the one or more data collection mechanisms and operable to store one or more records on behalf of the second entity, each of the one or more records comprising information associated with a client of the second entity and at least one of the one or more records comprising at least a portion of the information collected from the user of the communication system, wherein the one or more records are controlled by the first entity, wherein the first entity operates to export the one or more records stored in the one or more memory modules to the second entity by communicating the one or more records through a network coupled to the one or more memory modules.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of information collected from the user is selected from the group consisting of contact information of the user, contact information for an entity that the user represents, or one or more notes relating to a purpose of information collection from the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more data collection mechanisms are selected from the group consisting of an interactive voice response system, an interactive web-based system, or a live-agent based system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the script further comprises one or more queries for information to the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more records operate to form a contact management database for the second entity.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more records are stored within the one or more memory modules in a form that is electronically searchable.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more records comprise at least a first record that includes the contact information for the user of the communication system and at least a second record that includes the contact information for a client of the second entity that the user represents.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first record is a sub-record of the second record.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first entity provides access to the one or more records stored in the one or more memory modules to the second entity through a network coupled the one or more memory modules.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first entity comprises a call center that operates to collect information for the second entity using the one or more data collection mechanisms.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more dynamic links in the script are operable to initiate the performance of the one or more functions in response to a triggering event;

and wherein the data collection mechanism is further operable to;

detect the occurrence of the triggering event; and

automatically initiate the performance of the one or more functions in response to detecting the triggering event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the triggering event comprises at least one criterion that is related to the information received from the user in response to the script being used to collect data from the user.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the triggering event comprises an action performed by a live agent.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more memory modules comprise a plurality of memory modules;

each of the plurality of memory modules comprise a contact management database associated with a selected one of a plurality of entities; and

each contact management database comprises a plurality of records associated with associated customers of a particular entity.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein each contact management database is accessible to a plurality of employees of a particular entity associated with a particular contact management database.

16. A communication system capable of collecting information from one or more users of the communication system, the system comprising:

one or more data collection mechanisms comprising at least one computing device operated by a first entity to collect at least a portion of information from a user of a communication system on behalf of a second entity, wherein the first entity comprises an entity that is different than the second entity; and

one or more memory modules coupled to the one or more data collection mechanisms and operable to store one or more records on behalf of the second entity, each of the one or more records comprising information associated with a client of the second entity and at least one of the one or more records comprising at least a portion of the information collected from the user of the communication system, wherein the one or more records are controlled by the first entity, wherein the first entity provides access to the one or more records stored in the one or more memory modules to the second entity through a network coupled to the one or more memory modules;

wherein the one or more data collection mechanisms use at least a portion of a script comprising one or more queries for information to the user and one or more dynamic links in the script to collect and store the information; and

wherein the one or more dynamic links automatically initiate the creation and storage of the one or more records on behalf of the second entity when at least one field of the script is populated with a portion of the information collected from the user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more dynamic links in the script are operable to initiate the creation of the one or more records in response to a triggering event;

and wherein the data collection mechanism is further operable to;

detect the occurrence of the triggering event; and

automatically initiate the creation of the one or more records in response to detecting the triggering event.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the triggering event comprises receiving identification information associated with the user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the identification information is received by a live agent.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the identification information is selected from the group consisting of ANI information, caller identification information, and caller name information.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the one or more memory modules comprise a plurality of memory modules;

each of the plurality of memory modules comprise a contact management database associated with a selected one of a plurality of entities; and

each contact management database comprises a plurality of records associated with associated customers of a particular entity.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein each contact management database is accessible to a plurality of employees of a particular entity associated with a particular contact management database.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the portion of information collected from the user is selected from the group consisting of contact information of the user, contact information for an entity that the user represents, or one or more notes relating to a purpose of information collection from the user.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more data collection mechanisms are selected from the group consisting of an interactive voice response system, an interactive web-based system, or a live-agent based system.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the portion of the script further comprises one or more queries for information to the user.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more records operate to form a contact management database for the second entity.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the first entity comprises a call center that operates to collect information for the second entity using the one or more data collection mechanisms.

28. A method for providing information collection from a user at a data collection mechanism, the method comprising:

collecting at least a portion of information from a user of a communication system on behalf of a first entity using a data collection mechanism operated by a second entity, wherein the first entity comprises an entity that is different than the second entity, and wherein using the data collection mechanism comprises using a script having one or more dynamic links in the script to automatically initiate the performance of one or more functions during the collection of information from the user, wherein the performance of the one or more functions comprises accessing an application or information source to automatically populate one or more open fields in the script when at least one other field of the script is populated with a portion of the information collected from the user; and

storing one or more records in a memory on behalf of the first entity, each of the one or more records comprising information associated with a client of the first entity and at least one of the records comprising at least a portion of the information collected from the user of the communication system, wherein the one or more records are controlled by the second entity, wherein the second entity operates to export the one or more records to the first entity by communicating the one or more records through a network.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the portion of information collected from the user is selected from the group consisting of contact information of the user, contact information for an entity that the user represents, and one or more notes relating to a purpose of information collection from the user.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more records operate to form a contact management database for the first entity.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more records comprise at least a first record that includes the contact information for the user of the communication system and at least a second record that includes the contact information for a client of the first entity that the user represents.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first record is a sub-record of the second record.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the second entity provides access to the one or more records to the first entity through a network.

34. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

storing a plurality records including information collected from a plurality of users of the communication system in a plurality of memory modules, each of the plurality of memory modules comprising a contact management database associated with a selected one of a plurality of entities, each contact management database comprising a plurality of records associated with associated customers of a particular entity.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

allowing a plurality of employees of the particular entity to access a particular contact management database associated with the particular entity.

36. A method for providing information collection from a user at a data collection mechanism, the method comprising:

collecting information from a plurality of users of a communication system on behalf of a first entity using one or more data collection mechanisms operated by a second entity, and wherein using the one or more data collection mechanisms comprises using at least one script having one or more dynamic links in the script to automatically initiate the performance of one or more functions during the collection of information from the user, wherein the performance of the one or more functions comprises accessing an application or information source to automatically populate one or more open fields in the script when at least one other field of the script is populated with a portion of the information collected from the user, and

storing at least a portion of the information collected from each of the plurality of users in a contact management database on behalf of the first entity, wherein the contact management database is stored in a memory and is controlled by the second entity and wherein the contact management database is electronically searchable, wherein the second entity operates to export the contact management database to the first entity by communicating the one or more records through a network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the contact management database comprises information associated with one or more clients of the first entity.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the second entity provides access to the contact management database to the first entity through a network.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

collecting information from a plurality of users of a communication system on behalf of a plurality of entities; and

storing a plurality of records including information collected from a plurality of users of the communication system in a plurality of memory modules, each of the plurality of memory modules comprising a contact management database associated with a selected one of the plurality of entities, each contact management database comprising a plurality of records associated with associated customers of a particular entity.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

allowing a plurality of employees of the particular entity to access a particular contact management database associated with the particular entity.