System and method to connect a call

• US 8,520,832 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Condreay, V. Adele, New, Jason, Grigsby, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US11/835,919
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.12, 379/266.01, 379/265.01, 379/218.01, 379/223, 379/265.13
• US Class Current: 379/265.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods to connect a call. The systems and methods provide techniques to receive a call from a caller and determine a call path for the call. The call path is used to connect the caller to a call path destination. The call path destination may vary depending on factors in addition to the call path, such as, for example, a classification of the caller and a classification of the representative to whom the caller is to be connected.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions to connect a call, said computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

receive a call from a caller;

provide a first input field to a representative for entering information related to the call from the caller;

determine whether the representative is qualified to handle the call based on a number of accounts that the caller has with a business associated with the representative;

determine at least one call path option based on the information the representative has entered into the first input field and whether the representative is qualified to handle the call, wherein a second input field is provided to the representative for providing additional information related to the call from the caller when the at least one call path option is not determined, and wherein the information includes a caller age category, and a caller location category;

edit a call path associated with the at least one call path option, wherein the edit is made effective at a future date that is provided by the representative;

select the at least one call path option based on the information related to the call from the caller, wherein the at least one call path option determines a call path for the call;

connect the caller to a call path destination using the call path; and

determine that the call path destination is unavailable, wherein the caller is provided a number and an available call time when the at least one call path destination is unavailable.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one call path option comprises at least one call path option selected from the group consisting of a business area option, a service type option, and a product option.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one call path option comprises at least one call path option selected from the group consisting of a product option and a product problem option.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

record a reason for the call.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

determine a caller classification.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

access a call path database that houses the call path, the call path comprising a call path destination number and the at least one call path option associated with that call path destination number, wherein the call path destination number may be modified.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions to provide call connections, said computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

store at least one call path destination associated with a call from a caller;

provide a first input field to a representative for entering information related to the call path destination;

determine whether the representative is qualified to handle the call based on a number of accounts that the caller has with a business associated with the representative;

determine at least one call path option based on the information the representative has entered into the first input field and whether the representative is qualified to handle the call, wherein a second input field is provided to the representative for providing additional information related to the call from the caller when the at least one call path option is not determined, and wherein the information includes a caller age category and a caller location category;

associate a call path with the at least one call path destination based on the information entered by the representative, the call path comprising the at least one call path option;

modify the at least one call path destination associated with the call path, wherein the modification is made effective at a future date that is provided by the representative;

set an unavailability of the at least one call path destination; and

set a number and an available call time to provide when the at least one call path destination is unavailable.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the at least one call path option comprises at least one call path option selected from the group consisting of a business area option, a service type option, and a product option.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the at least one call path option comprises at least one call path option selected from the group consisting of a product option and a product problem option.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

classify at least one caller.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

classify at least one representative.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising computer-readable instructions comprising instructions to:

set a time period for the call path to be associated with the at least one call path destination.