Automatic integrated escalation in a unified messaging system

• US 9,130,895 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasrebi, Mehrad, Jackson, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohammed, Assad
• Application Number:
  US14/671,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20150200907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 165 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5064 Customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components

Abstract

A user is identified based at least in part on a user identification designation associated with an incoming communication. A message recipient is then determined based at least in part on the identified user and one or more address books associated with message recipients by comparing the user identification designation to one or more entries in the one or more recipient databases. The incoming communication is routed to the determined message recipient. Escalation procedures are implemented up to a configured level in the recipient organization based on various criteria. As messages are escalated and deposited in mailboxes associated with the determined message recipients, the determined message recipients are notified of the deposited messages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

routing a first message comprising an incoming communication received at a unified messaging call center to a first mailbox associated with a first message recipient, the incoming communication comprising a user identification, wherein the first message recipient is determined based on an association between the first message recipient and the user identification using stored incoming source information comprising user identification information of users who have previously contacted the unified messaging call center;

upon determining that the first message recipient has not retrieved the first message from the first mailbox within a first length of time, the first length of time being based on a hierarchical level of the first message recipient in an organizational chart;

generating an enhanced incoming communication by associating original information of the incoming communication with additional information;

routing a second message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to a second mailbox associated with a second message recipient at a higher hierarchical level in the organizational chart than the first message recipient; and

routing a copy of the second message to the first mailbox associated with the first message recipient; and

upon determining that the second message recipient has not retrieved the second message from the second mailbox within a second length of time, the second length of time being based on the higher hierarchical level;

routing a third message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to a third mailbox associated with a third message recipient; and

deleting the second message from the second mailbox.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein routing the second message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to the second mailbox comprises:

retaining the first message in the first mailbox of the first message recipient.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining that the first message recipient has not retrieved the first message from the first mailbox within the first length of time;

accessing calendar information associated with the first message recipient to determine an availability of the first message recipient; and

modifying the first length of time based on the availability of the first message recipient.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the original information comprises incoming source information of the incoming communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the original information comprises an indication of an importance of the incoming communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises an amount of time that has elapsed since the first message was deposited in the first mailbox.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional information comprises information about the first message recipient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein deleting the second message from the second mailbox comprises:

routing a copy of the third message to the first mailbox; and

deleting the copy of the second message from the first mailbox.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

routing a first message comprising an incoming communication received at a unified messaging call center to a first mailbox associated with a first message recipient, the incoming communication comprising a user identification, wherein the first message recipient is determined based on an association between the first message recipient and the user identification using stored incoming source information comprising user identification information of users who have previously contacted the unified messaging call center;

upon determining that the first message recipient has not retrieved the first message from the first mailbox within a first length of time, the first length of time being based on a hierarchical level of the first message recipient in an organizational chart;

generating an enhanced incoming communication by associating original information of the incoming communication with additional information;

routing a second message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to a second mailbox associated with a second message recipient at a higher hierarchical level in the organizational chart than the first message recipient; and

routing a copy of the second message to the first mailbox associated with the first message recipient; and

upon determining that the second message recipient has not retrieved the second message from the second mailbox within a second length of time, the second length of time being based on the higher hierarchical level;

routing a third message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to a third mailbox associated with a third message recipient; and

deleting the second message from the second mailbox.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein deleting the second message from the second mailbox comprises:

routing a copy of the third message to the first mailbox; and

deleting the copy of the second message from the first mailbox.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein routing the second message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to the second mailbox comprises:

retaining the first message in the first mailbox of the first message recipient.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

upon determining that the first message recipient has not retrieved the first message from the first mailbox within the first length of time;

accessing calendar information associated with the first message recipient to determine an availability of the first message recipient; and

modifying the first length of time based on the availability of the first message recipient.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the original information comprises incoming source information of the incoming communication.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the original information comprises an indication of an importance of the incoming communication.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

routing a first message comprising an incoming communication received at a unified messaging call center to a first mailbox associated with a first message recipient, the incoming communication comprising a user identification, wherein the first message recipient is determined based on an association between the first message recipient and the user identification using stored incoming source information comprising user identification information of users who have previously contacted the unified messaging call center;

upon determining that the first message recipient has not retrieved the first message from the first mailbox within a first length of time, the first length of time being based on a hierarchical level of the first message recipient in an organizational chart;

generating an enhanced incoming communication by associating original information of the incoming communication with additional information;

routing a second message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to a second mailbox associated with a second message recipient at a higher hierarchical level in the organizational chart than the first message recipient; and

routing a copy of the second message to the first mailbox associated with the first message recipient; and

upon determining that the second message recipient has not retrieved the second message from the second mailbox within a second length of time, the second length of time being based on the higher hierarchical level;

routing a third message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to a third mailbox associated with a third message recipient; and

deleting the second message from the second mailbox.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein routing the second message comprising the enhanced incoming communication to the second mailbox comprises:

retaining the first message in the first mailbox of the first message recipient.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

upon determining that the first message recipient has not retrieved the first message from the first mailbox within the first length of time;

accessing calendar information associated with the first message recipient to determine an availability of the first message recipient; and

modifying the first length of time based on the availability of the first message recipient.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the additional information comprises an amount of time that has elapsed since the first message was deposited in the first mailbox.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the additional information comprises information about the first message recipient.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein deleting the second message from the second mailbox comprises:

routing a copy of the third message to the first mailbox; and

deleting the copy of the second message from the first mailbox.