Systems and methods for location based call routing

• US 9,426,293 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Oakes, III, Charles Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Intavong, Jirapon
• Application Number:
  US12/061,324
• Time in Patent Office: 3,065 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/265.02, 705/4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a system, method, and computer-readable medium with instructions for recommending a service provider based on a user'"'"'s approximate current location. The service provider may be recommended for a service that is verified under a user'"'"'s insurance policy and is also within proximity to the user'"'"'s approximate current location. The user'"'"'s approximate current location may be determined by location-based technology. The entity that receives and/or recommends the service provider may initiate a request for the service from the service provider. Further embodiments are related to routing a call to provide information to the user that is responsive to the user'"'"'s location-relevant request. For example, systems, such as an automotive telematics system, may request information and be routed to the appropriate division of a user'"'"'s insurance provider such that the automotive telematics system can provide services to the user that are user-specific (e.g., covered by the user'"'"'s insurance policy).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by at least one entity computer, a call from a device of a user, the call comprising an input indicating a requested service and data representing a location of the device of the user;

identifying, by a first verification module executed by at least one entity computer, the user'"'"'s requested service based on the input of the received call;

determining, by a second verification module executed by at least one entity computer, a user'"'"'s approximate current location via location-based technology based upon the location of the device of the user;

routing, by a switch of at least one entity computer, the call to a representative node of an insurance provider of the user;

generating, by at least one entity computer, a notification of the user'"'"'s requested service and the user'"'"'s approximate current location to the representative node of the user'"'"'s insurance provider;

determining, by a third verification module executed by at least one entity computer, an insurance coverage status of the user'"'"'s requested service, based upon one or more records of the user stored in a database of the insurance provider;

receiving, by the third verification module, from a location comparison module executed by one more host computers of the user'"'"'s insurance provider, a recommendation for a service provider that is associated with the user'"'"'s approximate current location, wherein the service provider is a preferred service provider of the user'"'"'s insurance provider according to the one or more records of the user in the database of the insurance provider;

receiving, by the third verification module, from the database of the user'"'"' insurance provider, a dataset containing data records for one or more additional service providers, the data records of each respective additional service provider comprising a data field containing a service of the additional service provider associated with the user request and linking the data record to the preferred service provider; and

upon verifying, by the third verification module, that an additional service provider is associated with the user according to the one or more records of the user;

providing, by at least one entity computer, to the device of the user, the recommendation for the preferred service provider and an indication of an additional service available to the user from the dataset of one or more additional service providers, wherein the additional service is covered under an insurance policy associated with the user, and wherein the additional service is related to the user'"'"'s requested service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a request for the requested service with the service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the notification comprises routing a call to the user'"'"'s insurance provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the recommendation for the service provider to at least one of the user or the service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested service is covered under the insurance policy associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a recommendation for a second service provider, wherein the second service provider can perform the additional service and is associated with the user'"'"'s approximate current location.

7. A system comprising:

at least one entity computer receiving a call from a device of a user, the call comprising an input indicating a requested service and data representing a location of the device of the user;

at least one entity computer executing a first verification module that identifies the user'"'"'s requested service based on the input of the received call;

at least one entity computer executing a second verification module that determines a user'"'"'s approximate current location via location-based technology based upon the location of the device of the user;

a switch of at least one entity computer routing the call to a representative node of an insurance provider of the user;

at least one entity computer that generates a notification of the user'"'"'s requested service and the user'"'"'s approximate current location to the representative node of the user'"'"'s insurance provider; and

at least one entity computer executing a third verification module that;

determines an insurance coverage status of the user'"'"'s requested service, based upon one or more records of the user stored in a database of the insurance provider;

receives, from a location comparison module executed by one or more host computers of the user'"'"'s insurance provider, a recommendation for a service provider that is associated with the user'"'"'s approximate current location, wherein the service provider is a preferred service provider of the user'"'"'s insurance provider according to the one or more records of the user in the database of the insurance provider;

receives, from the database of the user'"'"' insurance provider, a dataset containing data records for one or more additional service providers, the data records of each respective additional service provider comprising a data field containing a service of the additional service provider associated with the user request and linking the data record to the preferred service provider; and

upon the third verification module verifying that an additional service provider is associated with the user according to the one or more records of the user;

provides, to the device of the user, the recommendation for the preferred service provider and an indication of an additional service available to the user from the dataset of one or more additional service providers based upon the user'"'"'s requested service, wherein the additional service is covered under an existing insurance policy associated with the user.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising at least one subsystem that initiates a request for the requested service with the service provider.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein generating the notification comprises routing a call to the user'"'"'s insurance provider.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising at least one subsystem that sends the recommendation for the service provider to at least one of the user or the service provider.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the requested service is covered under the insurance policy associated with the user.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising at least one subsystem that receives a recommendation for a second service provider, wherein the second service provider can perform the additional service and is associated with the user'"'"'s approximate current location.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions that instruct one or more entity computers to:

receive, by at least one entity computer, a call from a device of a user, the call comprising an input indicating a requested service and data representing a location of the device of the user;

identify, by a first verification module executed by at least one entity computer, the user'"'"'s requested service based on the input of the received call, wherein the requested service is covered under an existing insurance policy associated with the user;

determine, by a second verification module executed by at least one entity computer, a user'"'"'s approximate current location via location-based technology based upon the location of the device of the user;

route, by a switch of at least one entity computer, the call to a representative node of an insurance provider of the user;

generate, by at least one entity computer, a notification of the user'"'"'s requested service and the user'"'"'s approximate current location to the representative node of the user'"'"'s insurance provider;

determine, by a third verification module executed by at least one entity computer, an insurance coverage status of the user'"'"'s requested service;

receive, by the third verification module, from a location comparison module executed by one or more host computers of the user'"'"'s insurance provider, a recommendation for a service provider that is associated with the user'"'"'s approximate current location, wherein the service provider is a preferred service provider of the user'"'"'s insurance provider based upon one or more records of the user in a database of the insurance provider;

receive, by the third verification module, from the database of the user'"'"' insurance provider, a dataset containing data records for one or more additional service providers, the data records of each respective additional service provider comprising a data field containing a service of the additional service provider associated with the user request and linking the data record to the preferred service provider; and

upon verifying, by the third verification module, that an additional service provider is associated with the user according to the one or more records of the user;

provide, by at least one entity computer, to the device of the user, the recommendation for the preferred service provider and an indication of an additional service available to the user from the dataset of one or more additional service providers based upon the user'"'"'s requested service, wherein the additional service is covered under the existing insurance policy associated with the user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that initiate a request for the requested service with the service provider.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein generating the notification comprises routing a call to the user'"'"'s insurance provider.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that send the recommendation for the service provider to at least one of the user or the service provider.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the requested service is covered under the insurance policy associated with the user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that receive a recommendation for a second service provider, wherein the second service provider can perform the additional service and is associated with the user'"'"'s approximate current location.