Routing a VoIP call with contextual information

• US 8,050,255 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sidhu, Gursharan S, Wang, Kuansan, Malueg, Michael D
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, SIMON
• Assistant Examiner(s): King; Simon
• Application Number:
  US11/432,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 379/265.05, 379/265.09, 704/270, 709/223
• US Class Current: 370/353
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1046 Call controllers; Call servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42025 Calling or Called party identification service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks

Abstract

A method and system for routing a call connection signal and corresponding contextual information to an appropriate destination is provided. A call center and at least one user may exchange signals, and/or contextual information during a call set-up phase. Relevant contextual information and other detailed information may be identified and collected from their corresponding sources. Based on the relevant contextual information and other detailed information, one or more appropriate routed destinations may be determined. In addition, contextual information may be tailored for each of the determined routed destinations. The call connection signal and the tailored contextual information are routed to each routed destination. In this manner, necessary contextual information may be readily available for the routed destination at the time of the call connection and thus the routed destination can provide a faster service.

Claims

1. A method executing on a processor of a computing device for collecting and transmitting contextual information to route a communication channel connection, comprising:

identifying a destination of the communication channel;

determining a first set of contextual information to be collected that is associated with a caller;

collecting the first set of contextual information;

wherein the first set of contextual information comprises a requested service, a type of device of the caller, available media types, and preferences of the caller;

after collecting the first set of contextual information, sending a signal to initiate the communication channel connection with the destination and transmitting the first set of contextual information to the destination over the communication channel using contextual data packets;

wherein the communication channel is used to transmit and receive the contextual data packets and conversational data packets;

wherein the conversation data packets are for conversation data and the contextual data packets are for data other then the conversation data;

receiving a response from the destination; and

collecting additional contextual information that is associated with the caller during a time of a conversation between the caller and the destination and transmitting the additional contextual information over the communication channel using the contextual data packets.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a first set of contextual information includes identifying an appropriate application related to the destination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the response indicates that additional information is required to establish the communication channel with the destination.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

identifying a second set of contextual information relating to the additional information;

determining if an appropriate application corresponding to the second set of contextual information is available;

if the appropriate application is not available, obtaining the appropriate application; and

if the appropriate application is available, selecting the appropriate application.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

collecting and transmitting the second set of contextual information in accordance with the appropriate application corresponding to the second set of contextual information; and

receiving a response from the destination.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the response indicates that the initiation signal is accepted to establish the communication channel with the destination.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

if there is a change in the transmitted contextual information, collecting information relating to the change and transmitting the collected information over the established communication channel.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving contextual information relating to a destination'"'"'s response to the transmitted information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the response indicates that the communication channel initiation has been rejected.

10. A method executing on a processor of a computing device for routing a communication channel signal to a destination and providing contextual information tailored for the destination, further comprising:

receiving an incoming request to initiate a communication channel;

determining whether contextual information associated with the communication channel has been received;

upon determination that contextual information has been received, processing the contextual information;

transmitting a response in accordance with the processed contextual information;

determining a destination for the communication channel using the contextual information;

upon determination of the destination, routing the incoming request and at least a subset of the contextual information to the destination; and

after determining the destination using the contextual information, establishing the communication channel through which the destination exchanges conversation data with a caller using conversational data packets and contextual data using contextual data packets;

wherein additional contextual information is collected during a time of a conversation between the caller and the destination and exchanged over the communication channel using the contextual data packets.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining a destination further comprises:

identifying relevant contextual information;

obtaining detailed information relating to previous communications and history; and

based on the relevant contextual information and the detailed information, selecting at least one destination as the destination for routing the incoming request.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein routing a communication channel to the destination further comprises:

wherein the at least the subset of contextual information includes subsets of the received contextual information and tailored information based on the need of the destination.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the destination is a default contact if there is no received contextual information that is associated with the communication channel.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the destination is a third party service provider.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the request is received from a device capable of generating an automatic request for the communication channel.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein processing the contextual information includes collecting additional contextual information.

17. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for routing a request signal for establishing a communication channel and relevant contextual information, comprising:

an interface component for receiving the request signal for establishing a communication channel, for receiving contextual information relating to a calling party before establishing the communication channel, and obtaining additional information;

a routing component for determining a destination based on the contextual information and the obtained additional information, and forwarding the request and appropriate contextual information to the destination;

wherein the destination and the calling party exchange voice information using conversational data packets over the communication channel and contextual information using contextual data packets over the communication channel; and

a storage component for storing several sets of information which includes detailed information relating to history, previous communications and the destination, and information relating to the calling party including the contextual information and the obtained additional information.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the additional information is obtained from at least one of the calling party, a third party service provider, a service provider of the calling party, or the storage component.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the interface component obtains information relating to changes in previously received contextual information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the routing component selects another destination based on the obtained information, reroutes the communication channel to the selected destination, and provides appropriate information to the selected destination.