Adaptive system with call center and trusted network

• US 9,088,653 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2014
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Best Buy Health Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GreatCall Incorporated (Best Buy Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Amerling, Aaron, Brenton, Scott, Gutierrez, Chris, Matsuo, Kotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US14/486,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20150003594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 379 37- 45, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

In an example system for operating a call center, personal profiles of clients of a service of the call center are maintained. At least some of the profiles include contact information for entities in a trusted network designated by the respective clients. When a contact is received at the call center relating to a particular one of the clients, the call center automatically selects on of the designated entities to contact. The automatic selection may be made based on one or more of a number of factors, for example the location of the designated entity, the nature of the incident that prompted the initial contact to the call center, skills possessed by the designated entities, or other factors.

Claims

1. A system for operating a call center, the system comprising:

a processor; and

memory, the memory holding instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

maintain in electronic storage personal profiles of a number of clients of a service provided by the call center, wherein each of the personal profiles includes contact information for one or more entities in a trusted network designated by the respective client, wherein the entities in the trusted network are authorized to act on behalf of their respective clients, and trustedness indications are maintained for the trusted network members in the respective personal profiles;

receive a contact related to a particular one of the number of clients; and

automatically select, from the entities identified in the personal profiles, an entity to contact regarding the received contact related to the particular client.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically solicit information from the selected entity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select the entity to contact based at least in part on the entity'"'"'s physical proximity to the particular client.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select the entity to contact based at least in part on the nature of the incident that prompted the received contact.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select the entity to contact based at least in part on skills possessed by the entities identified in the contact information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the system to automatically produce a sorted list prioritizing the entities identified in the personal profiles.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the prioritization is performed based on one or more factors selected from the group consisting of the locations of the entities identified in the personal profiles, the nature of the incident that prompted the received contact, the skills of the entities identified in the personal profiles, the relationships of the entities identified in the personal profiles to the particular client, and the frequency with which the entities identified in the personal profiles interact with the call center.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the prioritization is performed based at least in part on recommendations of other clients.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select the entity to contact based at least in part on recommendations of other clients.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select as the entity to contact an entity that is another automated system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the other automated system comprises a shared calendar or a social network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select as the entity to contact an entity designated in the personal profile of a client other than the particular client to whom the received contact relates.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select the entity to contact based at least in part on the entity'"'"'s location.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select the entity to contact based at least in part on the nature of the incident that prompted the received contact.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select as the entity to contact an entity that is particularly trusted, as determined by an analysis of the personal profiles.

16. A system for operating a call center, the system comprising:

a processor; and

memory, the memory holding instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

maintain in electronic storage personal profiles of a number of clients of a service provided by the call center, wherein each of the personal profiles includes contact information for one or more entities in a trusted network designated by the respective client, wherein the entities in the trusted network are authorized to act on behalf of their respective clients, and trustedness indications are maintained for the trusted network members in the respective personal profiles;

receive a contact related to a particular one of the number of clients, including information about an incident that prompted the received contact; and

automatically solicit, from one or more of the designated trusted network entities, confirmation of the information about the incident that prompted the received contact.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one entity from which information is solicited is another automated system.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one entity from which information is solicited is outside the trusted network of the particular client.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the system to automatically select at least one entity to solicit based on a determination that the entity is particularly trusted, as determined by an analysis of the personal profiles.

20. A method for operating a call center, the method comprising:

maintaining in electronic storage personal profiles of a number of clients of a service provided by the call center, wherein each of the personal profiles includes contact information for one or more entities in a trusted network designated by the respective client wherein the entities in the trusted network are authorized to act on behalf of their respective clients, and trustedness indications are maintained for the trusted network members in the respective personal profiles;

receiving a contact related to a particular one of the number of clients; and

automatically selecting, from the entities identified in the personal profiles, an entity to contact regarding the received contact related to the particular client.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically soliciting information from the selected entity.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein automatically selecting the entity to contact comprises automatically selecting the entity to contact based at least in part on the entity'"'"'s physical proximity to the particular client.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein automatically selecting the entity to contact comprises automatically selecting the entity to contact based at least in part on the nature of the incident that prompted the received contact.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein automatically selecting the entity to contact comprises automatically selecting the entity to contact based at least in part on skills possessed by the entities identified in the contact information.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising automatically producing a sorted list prioritizing the entities identified in the personal profiles.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein prioritizing the entities identified in the personal profiles is performed based on one or more factors selected from the group consisting of the locations of the entities identified in the personal profiles, the nature of the incident that prompted the received contact, the skills of the entities identified in the personal profiles, the relationships of the entities identified in the personal profiles to the particular client, and the frequency with which the entities identified in the personal profiles interact with the call center.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein prioritizing the entities identified in the personal profiles is performed based at least in part on recommendations of other clients.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein automatically selecting the entity to contact comprises automatically selecting the entity to contact based at least in part on recommendations of other clients.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein automatically selecting the entity to contact comprises automatically selecting an entity that is another automated system.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein automatically selecting the entity to contact comprises automatically selecting an entity designated in the personal profile of a client other than the particular client to whom the received contact relates.