Single identifiable entry point for accessing contact information via a computer network

• US 9,047,590 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Patterson, Thomas P., Baker, Erin R., Wright, Robert L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRETT, RYAN S
• Application Number:
  US13/013,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20120192090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide for systems, devices, apparatus, methods, and computer program products for providing an activatable indicium configured as an entry point for accessing contact information on a user interface. The activatable indicium, which may be a company logo, company name or the like, is not initially readily identifiable as an entry point for accessing the contact information. However, over time and continual use, the user recognizes that the presentation of the indicium regardless of the platform provides for an entry point for accessing contact information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting, via a computing device processor, for electronic display an activatable indicium configured as an entry point for accessing contact information, wherein the activatable indicium comprises a contact option;

determining, via a computing device processor, an estimated waiting time for the contact option based on a number of users attempting to establish contact via the contact option and a number of agents available for responding via the contact option;

presenting, via a computing device processor, the estimated waiting time for the contact option, wherein the estimated waiting time is presented on the electronic display in conjunction with the presentation of the contact option;

determining, via a computing device processor, a preference index for the contact option, the preference index being based on a first cost for a user to establish contact with an agent via the contact option and a second cost for the agent to establish contact with the user via the contact option;

presenting, via a computing device processor, the preference index for the contact option, wherein the preference index is presented on the electronic display in conjunction with the presentation of the contact option;

determining, via a computing device processor, a preference index for a particular contact option is below a threshold index; and

graphically presenting, via a computing device processor, the particular contact option as being unavailable.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preference index is further based on the estimated waiting time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact option is voice, phone, text, chat, mail, web, or email.

3. A method for electronically providing contact information, the method comprising:

providing, via a computing device processor, an activatable indicium configured as an entry point for accessing contact information, wherein the activatable indicium is associated with a contact information-providing entity;

receiving, via a computing device processor, a user input that activates the indicium;

providing, via a computing device processor, the contact information in response to receiving the user input, wherein the contact information includes information to contact a plurality of channels within the contact information-providing entity via a plurality of contact options;

determining, via a computing device processor, an estimated waiting time for each of the plurality of contact options based on a number of users attempting to establish contact via each of the plurality of contact options and a number of agents available for responding via each of the plurality of contact options;

presenting, via a computing device processor, the estimated waiting time for each of the plurality of contact options, wherein the estimated waiting time is presented in conjunction with the presentation of each of the plurality of contact options;

determining, via a computing device processor, a preference index for each of the plurality of contact options, the preference index being based on a first cost for a user to establish contact with an agent via each of the plurality of contact options and a second cost for the agent to establish contact with the user via each of the plurality of contact options;

presenting, via a computing device processor, the preference index for each of the plurality of contact options, wherein the preference index is presented on the electronic display in conjunction with the presentation of each of the plurality of contact options;

determining, via a computing device processor, a preference index for a particular contact option is below a threshold index; and

graphically presenting, via a computing device processor, the particular contact option as being unavailable.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the activatable indicium is the entry point to access the contact information regardless of a type of platform and a type of interface on which the activatable indicium is presented.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the platform is a personal computing device, a mobile device, an electronic kiosk, a banking ATM machine, or a workstation.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the interface is a mobile application interface, a hosted mobile website interface, an electronic kiosk interface, a banking ATM interface, an emulated hosted internet application interface, a local application interface, or a website interface.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the contact information further comprises providing, via the computing device processor, in at least one call-out panel on a first interface page, the contact information, without redirecting to a second interface page.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the activatable indicium further comprises providing, via the computing device processor, the activatable indicium on a plurality of pages of an interface, regardless of whether a user is authenticated into the plurality of interface pages.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the activatable indicium is a character, a picture, a logo, text, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the activatable indicium is a logo associated with the contact information-providing entity.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the activatable indicium is a plurality of characters representing a name of the contact information-providing entity.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the user input further comprises receiving the user input in a form of a mouse-over input, a touch screen input, a button input, a mouse click, or a keyboard input.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform including at least one processor and a memory; and

a presentation module stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to;

present for electronic display an activatable indicium configured as an entry point for accessing contact information, wherein the activatable indicium comprises a contact option;

determine an estimated waiting time for the contact option based on a number of users attempting to establish contact via the contact option and a number of agents available for responding via the contact option;

present the estimated waiting time for the contact option, wherein the estimated waiting time is presented in conjunction with the presentation of the contact option;

determine a preference index for the contact option, the preference index being based on a first cost for a user to establish contact with an agent via the contact option and a second cost for the agent to establish contact with the user via the contact option;

present the preference index for the contact option, wherein the preference index is presented on the electronic display in conjunction with the presentation of the contact option;

determine a preference index for a particular contact option is below a threshold index; and

graphically present the particular contact option as being unavailable.

15. An apparatus for electronically providing contact information, the apparatus comprising:

a computing platform including at least one processor and a memory; and

a module stored in the memory, executable by the processor, and configured to;

provide an activatable indicium configured as an entry point for accessing contact information, wherein the activatable indicium is associated with a contact information-providing entity,

receive a user input that activates the indicium,

provide the contact information in response to receiving the user input,

wherein the contact information includes information to contact a plurality of channels within the contact information-providing entity via a plurality of contact options;

determine an estimated waiting time for the contact option based on a number of users attempting to establish contact via each of the plurality of contact options and a number of agents available for responding via each of the plurality of contact options;

present the estimated waiting time for each of the plurality of contact options, wherein the estimated waiting time is presented in conjunction with the presentation of the plurality of contact options;

determine a preference index for each of the plurality of contact options, the preference index being based on a first cost for a user to establish contact with an agent via each of the plurality of contact options and a second cost for the agent to establish contact with the user via each of the plurality of contact options;

present the preference index for each of the plurality of contact options, wherein the preference index is presented on the electronic display in conjunction with the presentation of each of the plurality of contact options;

determine a preference index for a particular contact option is below a threshold index; and

graphically present the particular contact option as being unavailable.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the activatable indicium is the entry point to access the contact information regardless of a type of platform and a type of interface on which the activatable indicium is activated.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the platform is a personal computing device, a mobile device, an electronic kiosk, a banking ATM machine, or a workstation.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the interface is a mobile application interface, a hosted mobile website interface, an electronic kiosk interface, a banking ATM interface, an emulated hosted internet application interface, a local application interface, or a website interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the module is further configured to present the contact information in at least one call-out panel on a first interface page, without redirecting to a second interface page.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the module is further configured to provide the activatable indicium on a plurality of interface pages, regardless of whether a user is authenticated into the plurality of interface pages.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one of the plurality of contact options is voice, phone, text, chat, mail, web, or email.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the activatable indicium is a character, a picture, a logo, text, or any combination thereof.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the activatable indicium is a logo associated with the contact information-providing entity.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the activatable indicium is a plurality of characters representing a name of the contact information-providing entity.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the module is further configured to receive the user input in a form of a mouse-over input, a touch screen input, a button input, a mouse click input, or a keyboard input.

26. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

a set of codes for causing a computer to present for electronic display;

an activatable indicium configured as an entry point for accessing contact information, wherein the activatable indicium comprises a contact option; and

an estimated waiting time for the contact option, wherein the estimated waiting time is presented in conjunction with the presentation of the contact option, wherein the estimated waiting time is determined for the contact option based on a number of users attempting to establish contact via the contact option and a number of agents available for responding via the contact option, wherein a preference index is determined for the contact option, the preference index is determined based on a first cost for a user to establish contact with an agent via the contact option and a second cost for the agent to establish contact with the user via the contact option, and wherein the preference index is presented on the electronic display in conjunction with the presentation of the contact option, wherein a preference index for a particular contact option is below a threshold index, wherein the particular contact option is graphically presented as being unavailable.

27. A computer program product for electronically providing contact information, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a set of codes for causing a computer to;

provide an activatable indicium configured as an entry point for accessing contact information, wherein the activatable indicium is associated with a contact information-providing entity,

receive a user input that activates the indicium,

provide the contact information in response to receiving the user input, wherein the contact information includes information to contact a plurality of channels within the contact information-providing entity via a plurality of contact options;

determine an estimated waiting time for each of the plurality of contact options based on a number of users attempting to establish contact via each of the plurality of contact options and a number of agents available for responding via each of the plurality of contact options;

present an estimated waiting time for each of the plurality of contact options, wherein the estimated waiting time is presented in conjunction with the presentation of the plurality of contact options;

determine a preference index for each of the plurality of contact options, the preference index is determined based on a first cost for a user to establish contact with an agent via each of the plurality of contact options and a second cost for the agent to establish contact with the user via each of the plurality of contact options;

present the preference index on an electronic display in conjunction with the presentation of each of the plurality of contact options;

determine a preference index for a particular contact option is below a threshold index; and

graphically present the particular contact option as being unavailable.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the activatable indicium is the entry point to access the contact information regardless of a type of platform and a type of interface on which the activatable indicium is presented.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the platform is a personal computing device, a mobile device, an electronic kiosk, a banking ATM machine, or a workstation.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the interface is a mobile application interface, a hosted mobile website interface, an electronic kiosk interface, a banking ATM interface, an emulated hosted internet application interface, a local application interface, or a website interface.

31. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the set of codes further causes a computer to provide the contact information in at least one call-out panel on a first interface page, without redirecting to a second interface page.

32. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the set of codes further causes a computer to provide the activatable indicium on a plurality of interface pages, regardless of whether a user is authenticated into the plurality of interface pages.

33. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein one of the plurality of contact options is voice, phone, text, chat, mail, web, or email.

34. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the activatable indicium is a character, a picture, a logo, text, or any combination thereof.

35. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the activatable indicium is a logo associated with the contact information-providing entity.

36. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the activatable indicium is a plurality of characters representing a name of the contact information-providing entity.

37. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the set of codes further causes a computer to receive the user input in a form of a mouse-over input, a touch screen input, a button input, a mouse click input, or a keyboard input.