Methods, systems, and products for routing communications to contact centers

• US 8,767,943 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Turcan, Diane Brown, Wellons, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/617,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20100074430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6054 Biometric subscriber identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for routing communications to contact centers. When an incoming communication is detected, calling party identification information is associated to a communications profile. When a called party has multiple communications devices, then a location is received for each of the called party'"'"'s multiple communications devices. The incoming communication is then routed based on the location of the called party'"'"'s multiple communications devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting an incoming communication by a call management system that intelligently routes the incoming communication to a called party associated with a called number;

associating a communications profile with the called number;

determining from the communications profile that the called party has multiple communications devices that may receive the incoming communication;

receiving location coordinates for each communications device of the multiple communications devices;

determining one of the location coordinates matches a restroom;

retrieving a restroom rule from memory that requires routing communications to voicemail in response to the one of the location coordinates matching the restroom; and

routing the incoming communication to the voicemail according to the restroom rule.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising querying for the location coordinates of each communications device of the multiple communications devices.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving a secretary'"'"'s name associated with the called party.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising querying for an Internet Protocol address associated with each communications device of the multiple communications devices.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising saving called party identification information to local storage.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising saving called party identification information to remote storage.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a map of the location coordinates for of each communications device of the multiple communications devices.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising prompting a calling party for an initial routing selection.

9. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

detecting an incoming communication to a called number of a called party;

retrieving a communications profile associated with the called number of the incoming communication;

determining from the communications profile that the called party has multiple communications devices that may receive the incoming communication;

retrieving location coordinates of each communications device of the multiple communications devices;

determining one of the location coordinates matches a restroom;

retrieving a restroom rule that requires routing of all communications to voicemail in response to the one of the location coordinates matching the restroom; and

routing the incoming communication to the voicemail according to the restroom rule.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise routing calling party identification information to the multiple communications devices.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise receiving confirmation that the calling party identification information was reviewed at one of the multiple communications devices.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise prompting a calling party for an initial routing selection.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an account number in response to the prompting.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving customer information associated with the account number.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise querying for the location coordinates of each communications device of the multiple communications devices.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise querying for an Internet Protocol address associated with each communications device of the multiple communications devices.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise saving the calling party identification information to local storage.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise saving the calling party identification information to remote storage.

19. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise displaying a map of the location coordinates for of each communications device of the multiple communications devices.

20. A computer readable memory storing instructions which when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

detecting an incoming communication by a call management system that intelligently routes the incoming communication to a called party associated with a called number;

associating a communications profile with the called number;

determining from the communications profile that the called party has multiple communications devices that may receive the incoming communication;

receiving location coordinates for each communications device of the multiple communications devices;

determining one of the location coordinates matches a restroom;

retrieving a restroom rule that requires routing of all communications to voicemail in response to the one of the location coordinates matching the restroom; and

routing the incoming communication to the voicemail in response to the restroom rule.