Method and apparatus for entertaining callers in a queue

• US 7,760,867 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2007
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• 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: Walker, Jay S., Sparico, Thomas M., Jorasch, James A., Downs, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US11/760,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.01, 379/265.01, 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;

placing the incoming call in a queue;

determining at least one merchant;

determining access information associated with the at least one merchant;

establishing a connection based on the access information, the connection enabling communication between the caller and the at least one merchant while the incoming call is in the queue;

determining, after the establishing of the connection enabling communication between the caller and the at least one merchant, that an attendant is available to answer the call;

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

allowing the caller, after notifying the caller, to choose between (i) maintaining the connection with the at least one merchant and (ii) establishing a connection with the attendant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring the incoming call to the attendant.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to the caller an indication of a plurality of entertainment options.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving from the caller an indication of at least one entertainment option.

5. The method of claim 1, in which determining the at least one merchant comprises:

providing to the caller an indication of a plurality of merchants; and

receiving from the caller an indication of the at least one merchant.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining information that is associated with the incoming call.

7. The method of claim 6, 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.

8. The method of claim 6, 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.

9. The method of claim 6, 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.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing to the caller an indication of a plurality of entertainment options based on the information that is associated with the incoming call.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing to the caller an indication of the at least one merchant based on the information that is associated with the incoming call.

12. The method of claim 6, in which determining the at least one merchant comprises:

determining the at least one merchant based on the information that is associated with the incoming call.

13. The method of claim 6, in which determining the at least one merchant comprises:

determining a plurality of merchants based on the information that is associated with the incoming call;

providing to the caller an indication of the plurality of merchants; and

receiving from the caller an indication of the at least one merchant.

14. The method of claim 6, 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,

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.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the access information comprises at least one of:

a uniform resource locator (URL),

a telephone number,

a discount identifier that identifies a discount,

a promotional code,

a digital certificate,

an account number, and

a password.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a call from a caller, the call being associated with a first merchant;

placing the call in a queue;

determining a second merchant;

establishing a connection, the connection enabling communication between the caller and the second merchant while the call is in the queue;

presenting, to the caller while the call is in the queue, a choice between (i) maintaining the connection enabling communication between the caller and the second merchant and (ii) establishing a connection with an attendant; and

receiving an indication of a selection by the caller to either maintain the connection enabling communication between the caller and the second merchant or establish a connection with an attendant.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a telephone number associated with the second merchant; and

in which establishing the connection comprises establishing the connection based on the telephone number.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device storing instructions to direct the processor to;

receive an incoming call from a caller;

place the incoming call in a queue;

determine at least one merchant;

determine access information associated with the at least one merchant;

establish a connection based on the access information, the connection enabling communication between the caller and the at least one merchant while the incoming call is in the queue;

determine, after the establishing of the connection enabling communication between the caller and the at least one merchant, that an attendant is available to answer the call;

notify, after the determination that the attendant is available, the caller that an attendant is available; and

allow the caller, after notifying the caller, to choose between (i) maintaining the connection with the at least one merchant and (ii) establishing a connection with the attendant.

19. A computer readable memory storing instructions configured to direct a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a caller;

placing the incoming call in a queue;

determining at least one merchant;

determining access information associated with the at least one merchant;

establishing a connection based on the access information, the connection enabling communication between the caller and the at least one merchant while the incoming call is in the queue;

determining, after the establishing of the connection enabling communication between the caller and the at least one merchant, that an attendant is available to answer the call;

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

allowing the caller, after notifying the caller, to choose between (i) maintaining the connection with the at least one merchant and (ii) establishing a connection with the attendant.