Telephonic-based engagements

• US 9,578,152 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Well Corporation (Amwell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US13/650,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20140140489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.01, 379/266.02, 379/266.03, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/00 Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements

Abstract

Described are techniques for providing broker services to consumers and service providers based on telephonic call-back engagements. The techniques include receiving a telephonic-based communication from a consumer to consult with a service provider and determining a suitable service provider to reply to the telephonic-based communication from the consumer. The techniques add an entry corresponding to the consumer to a queue maintained for the suitable service provider, and when the consumer in the queue is at the top of the queue, initiate a call-back to a device used by the consumer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a communication from a consumer to consult with a service provider;

determining one or more suitable service providers based on a geographic location of the consumer and which of one or more service providers are licensed to provide medical services in the geographic location;

identifying, by a computer system from a plurality of service provider queues for different service providers, a service provider queue that is maintained only for a suitable service provider licensed to provide medical services in the geographic location of the consumer;

wherein the service provider queue is assigned to a particular service provider for filling with entries that represent consumers that desire to have consultations with the particular service provider;

adding an entry corresponding to the consumer to the service provider queue maintained for the suitable service provider; and

when the suitable service provider is presently available, initiating a call-back or a text-based communication to a device used by the consumer, with presently available specifying that the service provider is online and not engaged in a consultation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a call-back further comprises:

sending a telephone number of the consumer to the service provider, to have the service provider initiate the call-back between the service provider and the consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a call-back further comprises:

sending the call-back to the device used by the consumer and to the device used by the service provider;

receiving an indication that the device used by the consumer accepted the call-back; and

joining a connection with the consumer device and a connection with the provider device to establish a communication channel between the device used by the consumer and the device used by the provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by a representative attributes of the communication from the consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining from an interactive voice recognition process attributes of the communication from the consumer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing an indication to at least one of the device used by the consumer and the device used by the service provider at a time near a time limit for a telephone call.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the service provider queue for the service provider is populated with entries from requests for on-line consultations and for telephonically received requests for consultations that are ordered in the service provider queue according to time of arrival.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the consumer and the service provider to provide availability indications; and

wherein sending further comprises;

sending the telephone number to the device used by the service provider to initiate the call-back when the availability indications for the consumer and the service provider indicate that the consumer and the service provider are both available.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a time limit for the call-back.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from one of the consumer and the service provider to establish a telephone based call-back.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein identifying the service provider queue that is maintained for the suitable service provider comprises identifying a service provider queue that is maintained for a selected one of the one or more suitable service providers.

12. A computer program product tangibly stored on a computer readable storage device for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive a communication from a consumer to consult with a service provider;

determine one or more suitable service providers based on a geographic location of the consumer and which of one or more service providers are licensed to provide medical services in the geographic location;

identify, from a plurality of service provider queues for different service providers, a service provider queue that is maintained only for a suitable service provider licensed to provide medical services in the geographic location of the consumer;

wherein the service provider queue is assigned to a particular service provider for filling with entries that represent consumers that desire to have consultations with the particular service provider;

add an entry corresponding to the consumer to the service provider queue maintained for the suitable service provider; and

when the suitable service provider is presently available, initiating a call-back or a text-based communication to a device used by the consumer, with presently available specifying that the service provider is online and not engaged in a consultation.

13. The product of claim 12, wherein instructions to initiate a call-back further comprise instructions to:

send a telephone number of the consumer to the service provider, to have the service provider initiate the call-back between the service provider and the consumer.

14. The product of claim 12, wherein instructions to initiate a call-back further comprise instructions to:

initiate a telephonic call-back to the device used by the consumer and to the device used by the service provider;

receive an indication that the device used by the consumer accepted the call-back; and

join a connection with the consumer device and a connection with the provider device to establish a communication channel between the device used by the consumer and the device used by the provider.

15. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:

determine attributes of the communication from the consumer.

16. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:

determine from an interactive voice recognition process attributes of the communication from the consumer.

17. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:

enable the consumer and the service provider to provide availability indications; and

wherein sending further comprises;

send the telephone number to the device used by the service provider to initiate the call-back when the availability indications for the consumer and the service provider indicate that the consumer and the service provider are both available.

18. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:

set a time limit for the call-back.

19. The product of claim 18, further comprises instructions to:

provide an indication to at least one of the device used by the consumer and the device used by the service provider at a time near a time limit for a telephone call.

20. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:

receive an indication that extends the length of a telephone call between the consumer and the service provider.

21. The product of claim 12, further comprises instructions to:

receive a request from one of the consumer and the service provider to establish a telephone based communication.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

memory in communication with the processor; and

a computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for providing broker services to consumers and service providers, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing the processor to;

receive a communication from a consumer to consult with a service provider;

determine one or more suitable service providers based on a geographic location of the consumer and which of one or more service providers are licensed to provide medical services in the geographic location;

identify, from a plurality of service provider queues for different service providers, a service provider queue that is maintained only for a suitable service provider licensed to provide medical services in the geographic location of the consumer;

wherein the service provider queue is assigned to a particular service provider for filling with entries that represent consumers that desire to have consultations with the particular service provider;

add an entry corresponding to the consumer to the service provider queue maintained for the suitable service provider; and

when the suitable service provider is presently available, initiate a call-back or a text-based communication to a device used by the consumer, with presently available specifying that the service provider is online and not engaged in a consultation.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein instructions to initiate a call-back further comprise instructions to:

send a telephone number of the consumer to the service provider, to have the service provider initiate the call-back between the service provider and the consumer.