System and method to connect a call

• US 9,001,992 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• 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:
  US13/973,227
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 379/223, 379/218.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.12, 379/265.13, 379/266.01
• 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 calf 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 storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executed by a processor to:

connect, by a server, a call from a caller to a first representative;

receive, by the server, information related to the call from the caller;

determine, by the server, a call path option based on the received information related to the call;

determine, by the server, whether a call path destination associated with the call path option is available;

when the call path option is available, route, by the server, the caller to a second representative, the second representative being qualified to handle the call based on the received information;

determine, by the server, whether a call path destination associated with the call path option is unavailable; and

when the call path option is unavailable,

update, by the server, the call path destination by replacing the call path destination with a new call path destination; and

provide, by the server, a number and an available call time to the caller responsive to a determination when the new call path destination is available in the future.

2. The medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executed to provide a telephone number associated with the call path destination to the caller for use when the call path destination is available.

3. The medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executed to edit a name associated with the call path option.

4. The medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable to access a call path database that houses the call path option, wherein the call path option includes a call path destination number.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the call path option is associated with at least one of a business area option, a service type option, and a production option.

6. The medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable to provide an input field to the representative for entering the received information.

7. The medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable to determine whether the representative is qualified to handle the call based on the received information.

8. The medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable to determine additional information that is needed to determine the call path option.

9. The medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions executable to present the additional information needed for the determination to the representative.

10. A system, comprising:

at least one subsystem that connects a call from a caller to a first representative;

at least one system that receives information related to the call from the caller;

at least one subsystem that determines a call path option based on the information associated with the call;

at least one subsystem that determines a time that a call path destination associated with the call path option is available;

when the call path destination is available, routing by the at least one subsystem, the caller to a second representative being qualified to handle the call based on the information associated with the call;

at least one subsystem that determines a time that a call path destination associated with the call path option is unavailable; and

when the call path destination is unavailable,

update, by the subsystem, the call path destination by replacing the call path destination with a new call path destination; and

providing, by the subsystem, a time that the new call path destination is available in the future and the telephone number associated with the new call path destination to the caller.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the information associated with the call includes a classification of the caller; and

the classification of the caller is compared with a classification of a representative to determine the call path option.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the call includes at least one of a product and a service purchased by the caller.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the information associated with the call includes a type of employee that the caller is.