Cloud based contact center platform powered by individual multi-party conference rooms

• US 8,406,155 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Vasquez, Juan, Osborn, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, YEE F
• Application Number:
  US13/424,008
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 370/259, 370/401, 709/203, 709/204, 709/219, 709/226, 709/227, 348/14.09, 718/104
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/01 Customer relationship services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/404 Collaboration among agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a system and method for handling customer service requests in a virtual computing environment supporting multimedia interactions. In some embodiments, the system includes an automated management tool for receiving a customer service request from a client device, a server for establishing an individualized communication session, and a plurality of available resources capable of being connected to the individualized communication session. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving and establishing a connection between an automated management tool and a client device, receiving a customer service request from the client device, establishing an individualized communication session, and providing resources to the individualized communication session.

Claims

1. A system for handling customer service requests in a virtual computing environment supporting multimedia interaction, the system comprising:

a contact center manager receiving a customer service request from a client device over a network;

a server connected to the contact center manager and establishing an individualized and on-going service request session with the client device over the network, such on-going service request session having a particular address; and

a plurality of available resources configured to be connectable with the on-going service request session with the client device at the particular address,

wherein the contact center manager is configured to

determine that certain resources out of the plurality of available resources should be made available in the on-going service request session to assist in resolving the customer service request, such determination being repetitive and dynamic during the on-going service request session;

instruct connection of certain specific resources with the on-going service request session having the particular address based on determining that the certain specific resources should assist in resolving the customer service request,

monitor the certain specific resources as the resources operate in the on-going service request session to assist in resolving the customer service request,

instruct disconnection of the certain specific resources from the on-going service request session based on monitoring the operation of the resources, and

wherein the client device is permitted to remain in connection with the on-going service request session as the certain resources are connected with the on-going service request session, thereby avoiding service interruption, and

wherein the server is configured to connect at least one additional client device to the on-going service request session.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of available resources include at least one of a recorder, an interactive response application, a customer service agent, a customer service supervisor, and entertainment applications.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the contact center manager is configured to

transfer one or more of the plurality of available resources into the on-going service request session, and

remove one or more of the plurality of available resources out of the on-going service request session.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a connection manager configured to receive the customer service request and notify the contact center manager of the customer service request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the on-going service request session having the particular address is a virtual hangout.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the particular address is an address in a cloud computing environment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional client device is associated with one of

a customer service agent connected to the on-going service request session to assist in resolving the customer service request, and

a second customer having a second customer service request related in subject matter to the customer service request.