Unified call routing in social hunt groups

• US 9,686,405 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirBNB Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Salazar, Fernando, Srivastava, Bhavuk
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, ANTIM G
• Application Number:
  US14/606,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20150244864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 37926511, 37921103, 37926512
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/68 Grouping or interlacing selector groups or stages

Abstract

Telephone call routing in a hunt group is based upon monitoring computer activities of the members (devices, people) of the hunt group. For example, a hunt group'"'"'s member activity score may be based upon how many incoming hunt group calls that member handles. This high activity score is then used to control that member'"'"'s place in the call routing order.

Claims

1. A method for routing calls within a first hunt group including a plurality of members, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor, a first routing order for routing an incoming call to a plurality of members of a first hunt group;

monitoring, by a processor, for a period of time, responses to customers of at least a first member and a second member of the plurality of members to obtain, for the period of time, a first monitoring result corresponding to the first member and a second monitoring result corresponding to the second member, wherein the first monitoring result includes a first count of responses corresponding to the first member, and wherein the second monitoring result includes a second count of responses corresponding to the second member;

establishing, by a processor, a ranking between the first member and the second member based, at least in part, on the first count of responses and the second count of responses;

revising, by a processor, the first call routing order to a second call routing order based, at least in part, on the ranking between the first member and the second member; and

monitoring, by a processor, for the period of time, posts submitted by the first member and the second member;

wherein;

the first monitoring result further includes a first number of posts to a particular blog by the first member;

the second monitoring result further includes a second number of posts to the particular blog by the second member; and

the ranking is further based at least in part on the first number of posts and the second number of posts during the period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring, for a period of time, of computing activity includes monitoring of all of the hunt group members.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring, for a period of time, of responses to customers includes monitoring of a member of the group consisting of:

responses to calls to the hunt group; and

responses to instant messages to the hunt group.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each hunt group member is a device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each hunt group member is a person.