Availability-based contact routing and scheduling system

• US 8,639,550 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TimeTrade Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: TimeTrade Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Loring, John, Schmidtberg, Rupert, Lambert, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US13/286,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120116830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.13
• US Class Current: 705/7.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063112 Skill-based matching of a person or a group to a task
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

A contact routing and scheduling system is provided allowing users to define various contact routing and scheduling contexts to direct a contact to a calendar of appointment availability representing the availability of a set of representatives pre-qualified to have times available for an appropriate appointment and to book an appointment as an integral part of the contact routing function. The system utilizes multiple visual user interfaces to allow users, contacts, and administrators to interact with the contact routing and appointment scheduling system. The system allows for user selection of contact routing and scheduling rules, association of scheduling activities to the contact routing process, and association of representatives who will ultimately accept appointments with contacts. The system also utilizes various techniques to associate contacts with particular contact routing and scheduling contexts received by the contact through email and/or other correspondence means.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at one or more server computers forming a part of a web-based contact routing and appointment scheduling system, receiving information to define a contact routing and scheduling context to be offered to a person for contacting and scheduling an appointment with a representative;

storing data representing the contact routing and scheduling context;

generating from the stored data a web link with a token representing the contact routing and scheduling context, wherein generating the token comprises generating a web token that is uniquely associated to the email address for the recipient;

receiving an email address for a recipient;

sending an email message containing the web link to the email address for the recipient;

serving a landing web page in response to an invitee selecting the web link in the email message;

retrieving contact routing and scheduling rules associated with the contact routing and scheduling context for the token;

based on an identity of the invitee derived from the web link in the email invitation, presenting one or more data collection fields to the invitee associated with the contact routing and scheduling context;

receiving responses from the invitee in the data collection fields; and

applying the contact routing and scheduling rules based on the information received in the data collection fields.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information comprises receiving information to define a plurality of contact routing and scheduling contexts, wherein storing comprises storing data for the plurality of the contact routing and scheduling contexts.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising receiving from a user a selection of one of the plurality of contact routing and scheduling contexts, and wherein sending comprises sending the email message with a selected one of the plurality of contact routing and scheduling contexts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information comprises receiving information to define names and parameters associated with one or more data collection fields to be presented to a contact to collect response information from the contact used to schedule an appointment for the contact with a representative, and receiving information to define one or more routing rules used for selecting among a plurality of representatives for the appointment for the contact.

5. The method of claim 4, and further comprising receiving information to define one or more informational and data collection fields on a scheduling web page to be presented to a contact upon selection of the web link.

6. The method of claim 5, and further comprising receiving image, video or textual information that is contextually-relevant to an invitation for presentation in proximity to a further web link included in the scheduling web page.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising selecting one or more representatives from a set of qualified representatives based on responses received from the invitee that match a routing rule.

8. The method of claim 7, and further comprising determining whether priority is to be given to one or more representatives with a specified minimum number of available times for an activity requested in the invitation for the contact routing and scheduling context, and if so, selecting comprises selecting from only those one or more representatives with the specified minimum number of available times.

9. The method of claim 1, and further comprising retrieving available appointment times for one or more representatives according to the contact routing and scheduling context, and presenting the available appointment times to the invitee.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising determining whether there is a representative allocation rule for the contact routing and scheduling context to be used in assigning a representative for the appointment with the invitee, and assigning a representative depending on whether there is a representative allocation rule for the contact routing and scheduling context.

11. The method of claim 10, and further comprising storing data to book an appointment between the invitee and an assigned representative.

12. A method comprising:

at one or more server computers forming a part of a web-based contact routing and appointment scheduling system, receiving information to define a contact routing and scheduling context to be offered to a person for contacting and scheduling an appointment with a representative;

storing data representing the contact routing and scheduling context;

generating from the stored data a web link with a token representing the contact routing and scheduling context;

printing the web link on printed material;

serving a landing web page in response to entry of the web link;

retrieving contact routing and scheduling rules associated with the contact routing and scheduling context;

presenting one or more data collection fields to the invitee associated with the contact routing and scheduling context;

receiving responses from the invitee in the data collection fields; and

applying the contact routing and scheduling rules based on the information received in the data collection fields.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a network interface unit configured to enable communications over a network;

a memory configured to store data;

at least one processor coupled to the network interface unit and the memory, and configured to;

receive information to define a contact routing and scheduling context to be offered to a person for contacting and scheduling an appointment with a representative;

store data representing the contact routing and scheduling context;

generate from the stored data a web link with a web token representing the contact routing and scheduling context, wherein the web token that is uniquely associated to the email address for the recipient;

receive an email address for a recipient;

send an email message containing the web link the email address for the recipient;

serve a landing web page in response to an invitee selecting the web link in the email message;

retrieve contact routing and scheduling rules associated with the contact routing and scheduling context for the token;

based on an identity of the invitee derived from the web link in the email invitation, present one or more data collection fields to the invitee associated with the contact routing and scheduling context;

receive responses from the invitee in the data collection fields; and

apply the contact routing and scheduling rules based on the information received in the data collection fields.