Multi-channel delivery platform

• US 8,917,828 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2013
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Angel.com, Inc. (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bouzid, Ahmed Tewfik, Kumar, Praphul, Mateer, Michael T., Rennyson, David James
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/032,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20140024350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.18, 379/265.09, 704/270
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A request to execute an interaction site for enabling communications to be exchanged between a multi-channel communications system and a user device is received by an interaction flow processor. The interaction site is identified based on the request. An interaction flow document is accessed for the identified interaction site, the interaction flow document including code for initiating the interaction site between a user device and the multi-channel communications system using any one of multiple different communications channels including an interactive voice response channel. A communications channel used by the user device to contact the multi-channel communications system is determined. Based on the determined communications channel, the code of the interaction flow document is translated to code executable by the multi-channel communications system to enable the multi-channel communications system and the user device to exchange communications over the determined communications channel. A response is transmitted to the multi-channel communications system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by an interaction flow processor and from a multi-channel communications system, a request to execute an interaction site for enabling communications to be exchanged between the multi-channel communications system and a user device;

identifying the interaction site based on the request;

accessing an interaction flow document for the identified interaction site, the interaction flow document including code for initiating the interaction site between a user device and the multi-channel communications system to enable the user device to communicate with the multi-channel communications system using any one of multiple different communications channels including an interactive voice response (IVR) channel;

determining, by the interaction flow processor, a communications channel used by the user device to contact the multi-channel communications system;

based on the determined communications channel, translating the code of the interaction flow document to code executable by the multi-channel communications system to enable the multi-channel communications system and the user device to exchange communications over the determined communications channel; and

transmitting, to the multi-channel communications system, a response that includes the translated code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the communications channel used by the user device to contact the multi-channel communications system further comprises determining the communications channel based on an identifier that indicates the communications channel in the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the code executable by the multi-channel communications system includes information identifying additional resource requirements associated with the determined communications channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request for scripts for executing a particular state of the interaction site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is a request for scripts for executing an entire flow of the interaction site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the code of the interaction flow document includes XML scripts that correspond to pages of the interaction site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the code of the interaction flow document includes a first scripting language, and wherein the code executable by the multi-channel communications system includes a second, different scripting language.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple different communications channels further include at least one of a SMS channel, a chat channel, and an email channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction site includes one or more interaction pages that correspond to a flow of the interaction site.

10. A system comprising:

an interaction flow processor configured to;

receive, from a multi-channel communications system, a request to execute an interaction site for enabling communications to be exchanged between the multi-channel communications system and a user device;

identify the interaction site based on the request;

access an interaction flow document for the identified interaction site, the interaction flow document including code for initiating the interaction site between a user device and the multi-channel communications system to enable the user device to communicate with the multi-channel communications system using any one of multiple different communications channels including an interactive voice response (IVR) channel;

determine a communications channel used by the user device to contact the multi-channel communications system;

based on the determined communications channel, translate the code of the interaction flow document to code executable by the multi-channel communications system to enable the multi-channel communications system and the user device to exchange communications over the determined communications channel; and

transmit, to the multi-channel communications system, a response that includes the translated code.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a multi-channel communications system configured to;

send the request to the interaction flow processor to execute the interaction site for enabling communications to be exchanged between the multi-channel communications system and the user device;

receive the response that includes the translated code to enable the multi-channel communications system and the user device to exchange communications over the determined communications channel; and

execute the translated code to initiate the interaction site with the user device to exchange communications over the determined communications channel.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising an interaction flow document database configured to store the interaction flow document for the identified interaction site.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the multiple different communications channels further include at least one of a SMS channel, a chat channel, and an email channel.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the code executable by the multi-channel communications system includes information identifying additional resource requirements associated with the determined communications channel.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the request is a request for scripts for executing a particular state of the interaction site.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

transmitting, to a content provider device, instructions that when executed, provide a development interface for generating an interaction flow document, the interaction flow document including code for an interaction site that enables communications between a user device and a multi-channel communications system over any one of multiple communications channels including an interactive voice response (IVR) channel, wherein the interaction site specifies a multi-step communication flow between the user device and the multi-channel communications system and is associated with one or more interaction pages, the one or more interaction pages being configured by a user of the content provider device through interactions with the development interface to include values for generic parameters and values for channel-specific parameters, the generic parameters being associated with communications between the user device and the multi-channel communications system independent of which channel of the multiple communications channels is used, and the channel-specific parameters being associated with communications between the user device and the multi-channel communications system specific to one of the multiple communications channels;

receiving, from the content provider device, one or more generic values corresponding to one or more of the generic parameters;

receiving, from the content provider device, one or more channel-specific values corresponding to one or more of the channel-specific parameters; and

generating an interaction flow document for the interaction site based on the received one or more generic values and the received one or more channel-specific values.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a listing of communications channels that is selectable for the user of the content provider device to identify the multiple communications channels that are accessible by the user device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the interaction flow document in an interaction flow document database.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the multiple communications channels further include at least one of a SMS channel, a chat channel, and an email channel.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the interaction flow document includes XML scripts that correspond to the one or more interaction pages of the interaction site configured by the user of the content provider device.