System and method for managing request priority in a telecommunications network

• US 7,929,686 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bienfait, Roberta, Cox, Richard V., Shahraray, Behzad, Renger, Bernard S., Nadji, Behzad
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUNG HOANG JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US11/315,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20060245578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/266.01, 379/266.02, 370/351, 714/6
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A method and system for managing requests in a hold queue and the responses thereto are described. By providing a management system for handling requests in a call queue, a requesting party may be free to perform other tasks while waiting for a response. In addition, the management system may modify request priority independently of a party receiving the request. The method and system may further facilitate the entry of request related information by implementing an information database. The flexibility of a receiving party in responding to a request may also be enhanced through a greater selection of response options. The management system and method may further provide automatic backup and secondary options if a receiving party'"'"'s first option is unfeasible.

Claims

1. A method for prioritizing requests in a communications system, comprising:

receiving, at a tangible network node, a first request having a first priority;

establishing, at the tangible network node, a first connection with a receiving party, wherein the first connection is placed in a first queue position;

associating, at the tangible network node, the first request with the first connection;

receiving, at the tangible network node after the first request, a second request having a second priority;

establishing, at the tangible network node, a second connection with the receiving party, wherein the second connection is placed in a second queue position lower than the first queue position;

associating, at the tangible network node, the second request with the second connection;

determining whether the second priority for the second request is higher than the first priority for the first request; and

switching the association of the first request with the first connection to the second connection, and the association of the second request with the second connection to the first connection, based on determining that the second priority for the second request is higher than the first priority for the first request, and thereby providing the second request with the first connection placed in the first queue position and the first request with the second connection placed in the second queue position,

wherein the switching the association of the first request to the second connection and the association of the second request to the first connection comprises;

transmitting a first message associated with the first request through the second connection; and

transmitting a second message associated with the second request through the first connection.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the determining whether the second priority is higher than the first priority further comprises a manual determination by a requesting party.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the determining whether the second priority is higher than the first priority further comprises an automatic determination based on pre-assigned priorities.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first priority and the second priority are assigned by a user.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the determining whether the second priority is higher than the first priority comprises determining whether a first priority value associated with the first request is higher than a second priority value associated with the second request.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the determining whether the second priority is higher than the first priority comprises determining a first request category associated with the first request and a second request category associated with the second request.

7. A method for prioritizing requests in a communications system, comprising:

receiving, at a tangible network node, a first request having a first priority;

establishing, at the tangible network node, a first connection with a receiving party, wherein the first connection is placed in a first queue position;

associating, at the tangible network node, the first request with the first connection;

determining whether the first priority for the first request is higher than a second priority for a second request associated with a second connection with the receiving party, wherein the second connection is placed in a second queue position higher than the first queue position; and

switching the association of the first request with the first connection to the second connection, and the association of the second request with the second connection to the first connection, based on determining that the second priority for the second request is higher than the first priority for the first request, and thereby providing the second request with the first connection placed in the first queue position and the first request with the second connection placed in the second queue position,

wherein the switching of the associating of the first request to the second connection and the association of the second request to the first connection comprises;

transmitting a first message associated with the first request through the second connection; and

transmitting a second message associated with the second request through the first connection.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the determining whether the first priority is higher than the second priority further comprises a manual determination by a requesting party.

9. The method of claim 7,

wherein the determining whether the first priority is higher than the second priority further comprises an automatic determination based on pre-assigned priorities.

10. The method of claim 7,

wherein the first priority and the second priority are assigned by a requesting party.

11. The method of claim 7,

wherein the determining whether the first priority is higher than the second priority comprises determining whether a first priority value associated with the first request is higher than a second priority value associated with the second request.

12. The method of claim 7,

wherein the determining whether the first priority is higher than the second priority comprises determining a first request category associated with the first request and a second request category associated with the second request.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a call management system to:

receive, at a tangible network node, a first request having a first priority;

establish, at the tangible network node, a first connection with a receiving party, wherein the second connection is placed in a first queue position;

associate, at the tangible network node, the second request with the second connection;

determine whether the first priority for the first request is higher than a second priority for a second request associated with a second connection with the receiving party, wherein the second connection is placed in a second queue position higher than the first queue position; and

switch the association of the first request with the first connection to the second connection, and the association of the second request with the second connection to the first connection, based on determining that the second priority for the second request is higher than the first priority for the first request, and thereby providing the second request with the first connection placed in the first queue position and the first request with the second connection placed in the second queue position,

wherein the switching of the associating of the first request to the second connection and the association of the second request to the first connection comprises;

transmitting a first message associated with the first request through the second connection; and

transmitting a second message associated with the second request through the first connection.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13,

wherein the determining whether the first priority is higher than the second priority further comprises a manual determination by a requesting party.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13,

wherein the determining whether the first priority is higher than the second priority further comprises an automatic determination based on pre-assigned priorities.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13,

wherein the first priority and the second priority are assigned by a user.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13,

wherein the determining whether the first priority is higher than the second priority comprises determining whether a first priority value associated with the first request is higher than a second priority value associated with the second request.