User interface with context-based communication using media prediction

• US 7,788,679 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Kuang, Annadata, Anil K., Chen, Mingte
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Li B
• Application Number:
  US10/458,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,639 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 719/321, 719/328, 709/205, 379/265.09, 379/265.1
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A method, system, computer system, and computer program product provide a context-sensitive user interface. The context in which the user interface operates is used to predict a media type of a communication channel that can be used for communicating via the user interface. Examples of media types include telephone, web chat, and web collaboration. The communication is facilitated according to the media type predicted. For example, an object of the user interface can be activated to enable communication according to the media type, or the user interface can initiate the communication via the communication channel. The user interface can be used for communicating with multiple communication channels of different media types. The context can include data presented by the user interface, data entered using the user interface, data selected using the user interface, and an action performed using the user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

configuring a user interface, wherein

the configuring comprises

accessing a customer support center database,

detecting which of a plurality of communications channels an agent is authorized to access based on agent configuration information stored in the customer support center database,

causing the user interface to display only those communications channels that the agent configuration information indicates the agent is authorized to access, and

associating a command with an action performed using the user interface;

obtaining an event communicated to a communication center via an incoming communication channel of a plurality of communication channels, wherein

each communication channel of the communication channels has a media type,

at least two communication channels of the communication channels have different media types, and

the event corresponds to a work item available via the incoming communication channel;

determining an event response that corresponds to the event, wherein the

determining the event response comprises

querying a customer support center database, and

determining a channel driver that corresponds to the incoming communication channel;

storing the event response in an event log table;

providing a notification of the work item via the user interface;

predicting a predicted media type, wherein

the predicting is based on a context, wherein

the context comprises the action performed using a user interface and the notification of the work item,

the predicted media type is a media type of a communication channel of the communication channels to be used to communicate via the user interface,

the user interface is configured to operate in the context, and

the user interface is configured to communicate with the plurality of communication channels; and

facilitating communication according to the predicted media type, wherein

the facilitating comprises initiating the communication via the user interface,

wherein

the initiating comprises causing the command to be executed, and

the facilitating is in response to the predicting.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the facilitating the communication comprises:

activating an object of the user interface configured to perform the communication according to the predicted media type.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the facilitating the communication comprises:

populating an object of the user interface with data predicted to be related to the communication.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the data comprise:

contact data for a predicted recipient of the communication.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the context comprises:

data presented by the user interface.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the context comprises:

data entered using the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the context comprises:

data selected using the user interface.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein

the facilitating the communication is performed in accordance with at least one configurable parameter of the user interface.

9. A system comprising:

means for configuring a user interface, wherein

the configuring comprises

accessing a customer support center database,

detecting which of a plurality of communications channels an agent is authorized to access based on agent configuration information stored in the customer support center database and causing the user interface to display only those communications channels that the agent configuration information indicates the agent is authorized to access, and

associating a command with an action performed using the user interface;

means for obtaining an event communicated to a communication center via an incoming communication channel of a plurality of communication channels, wherein

each communication channel of the communication channels has a media type,

at least two communication channels of the communication channels have different media types, and

the event corresponds to a work item available via the incoming communication channel;

means for determining an event response that corresponds to the event, wherein the

determining the event response comprises

querying a customer support center database, and

determining a channel driver that corresponds to the incoming communication channel;

means for storing the event response in an event log table;

means for providing a notification of the work item via the user interface;

means for predicting a predicted media type, wherein

the predicting is based on a context, wherein

the context comprises the action performed using the user interface and the notification of the work item,

the predicted media type is a media type of a communication channel of the communication channels to be used to communicate via the user interface,

the user interface is presented on a display,

the user interface is configured to operate in the context, and

the user interface is configured to communicate with the plurality of communication channels; and

means for facilitating communication according to the predicted media type, wherein

the facilitating comprises initiating the communication via the user interface,

wherein

the initiating comprises causing the command to be executed, and

the facilitating is in response to the predicting.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

means for activating an object of the user interface that can be used to perform the communication according to the predicted media type.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

means for populating an object of the user interface with data predicted to be related to the communication.

12. A system comprising:

a configuring module to configure a user interface, wherein

the configuring comprises

accessing a customer support center database,

detecting which of a plurality of communications channels an agent is authorized to access based on agent configuration information stored in the customer support center database and causing the user interface to display only those communications channels that the agent configuration information indicates the agent is authorized to access, and

associating a command with an action performed using the user interface;

an obtaining module to obtain an event communicated to a communication center via an incoming communication channel of a plurality of communication channels,

wherein

each communication channel of the communication channels has a media type,

at least two of the communication channels have different media types, and the event corresponds to a work item;

a determining module to determine an event response that corresponds to the event,

wherein the determining the event response comprises

querying a customer support center database, and

determining a channel driver that corresponds to the incoming communication channel;

a storing module to store the event response in an event log table;

a notification module to provide a notification of the work item via the user interface;

a using module configured to use a context to predict a predicted media type, wherein

the context comprises the action performed using the user interface and the notification of the work item,

the predicted media type is a media type of a communication channel of the communication channels to be used to communicate via the user interface,

the user interface is configured to operate in the context, and

the user interface is configured to communicate with the plurality of communication channels;

a facilitating module configured to facilitate communication according to the media type,

wherein

the facilitating comprises initiating the communication via the user interface,

wherein

the initiating comprises causing the command to be executed, and

the facilitating is in response to the predicting; and

computer recordable storage media, wherein said modules are encoded in said computer readable storage media.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

an activating module configured to activate an object of the user interface configured to perform the communication according to the predicted media type.

14. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a populating module configured to populate an object of the user interface with data predicted to be related to the communication.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor configured to execute instructions; and

a memory configured to store the instructions, wherein the instructions comprise;

configuring instructions to configure a user interface, wherein

the configuring comprises

accessing a customer support center database,

detecting which of a plurality of communications channels an agent is authorized to access based on agent configuration information stored in the customer support center database and causing the user interface to display only those communications channels that the agent configuration information indicates the agent is authorized to access, and

associating a command with an action performed using the user interface;

obtaining instructions to obtain an event communicated to a communication center via an incoming communication channel of a plurality of communication channels,

wherein

each communication channel of the communication channels has a media type,

at least two communication channels of the communication channels have different media types, and

the event corresponds to a work item available via the incoming communication channel;

determining instructions to determine an event response that corresponds to the event, wherein the determining the event response comprises

querying a customer support center database, and

determining a channel driver that corresponds to the incoming communication channel;

storing instructions to store the event response in an event log table;

notifying instructions to provide a notification of the work item via the user interface;

predicting instructions configured to predict a predicted media type, wherein

said predicting instructions perform said predicting using a context, wherein the context comprises the action performed using the user interface and the notification of the work item,

the predicted media type is a media type of a communication channel of the communication channels to be used to communicate via the user interface,

the user interface is configured to operate in the context, and

the user interface is configured to communicate with the plurality of communication channels; and

facilitating instructions configured to facilitate communication according to the predicted media type, wherein

the facilitating comprises initiating the communication via the user interface, wherein

the initiating comprises causing the command to be executed, and

the facilitating is in response to the predicting.

16. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the instructions further comprise:

activating instructions configured to activate an object of the user interface configured to perform the communication according to the predicted media type.

17. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the instructions further comprise:

populating instructions configured to populate an object of the user interface with data predicted to be related to the communication.

18. A computer program product comprising:

configuring instructions to configure a user interface, wherein the configuring comprises

accessing a customer support center database,

detecting which of a plurality of communications channels an agent is authorized to access based on agent configuration information stored in the customer support center database and causing the user interface to display only those communications channels that the agent configuration information indicates the agent is authorized to access, and

associating a command with an action performed using the user interface;

obtaining instructions to obtain an event communicated to a communication center via an incoming communication channel of a plurality of communication channels, wherein

each communication channel of the communication channels has a media type,

at least two communication channels of the communication channels have different media types, and

the event corresponds to a work item available via the incoming communication channel;

determining instructions to determine an event response that corresponds to the event, wherein the determining the event response comprises

querying a customer support center database, and

determining a channel driver that corresponds to the incoming communication channel;

storing instructions to store the event response in an event log table;

notifying instructions to provide a notification of the work item via the user interface;

predicting instructions, executable on a computer system, configured to predict a

predicted media type, wherein

said predicting is based on a context, wherein the context comprises the action performed using the user interface and the notification of the work item,

the predicted media type is a media type of a communication channel of the communication channels to be used to communicate via the user interface,

the user interface is configured to operate in the context, and

the user interface is configured to communicate with the plurality of communication channels; and

facilitating instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to facilitate communication according to the predicted media type, wherein

the facilitating comprises initiating the communication via the user interface,

wherein

the initiating comprises causing the command to be executed, and

the facilitating is in response to the predicting; and

computer recordable storage media, wherein said obtaining, notifying, predicting, and facilitating instructions are encoded in said computer readable storage media.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

activating instructions, executable on said computer system, configured to activate an object of the user interface configured to perform the communication according to the predicted media type.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

populating instructions configured to populate an object of the user interface with data predicted to be related to the communication.