Call center SMS-MMS language router

• US 10,360,309 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HeyWire, Inc. (Salesforce.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Chisholm, Thomas Brett, Hunt, James, Lew, Eugene Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamara, Mohamed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khawar, Saad
• Application Number:
  US14/700,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/263 Language identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/12 Language recognition, selection or translation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5141 Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method and system enables language translation and routing of Person-to-Person (P2P) messages. Customer messages are diverted to various alternate destinations in an enterprise based on the language of the messages. Enterprise alternate destinations include language capable call center customer service representatives (CSRs), language specialized call centers, and personnel in various departments in an enterprise having language skills. The CSRs and other personnel can communicate through the call centers or using data enabled devices. Information collected from the messages can be used to determine the appropriate destination.

Claims

1. A messaging hub for enterprise messaging comprising:

a server connected to an SMS interface and a data enabled device;

a database running on the server and storing;

a registration of the data enabled device;

a registration of an alternate destination;

an association between the alternate destination and an enterprise call center;

and a language capability of the enterprise call center;

an incoming message queue storing one or more messages including a message directed to an enterprise; and

a diverter directing the message to the data enabled device via a secure IP connection as the alternate destination for the message instead of the enterprise call center and sending the message to a default destination with an indication that a follow-on message requires special handling, the diverter further comprising;

a message language scanner coupled to the incoming message queue and determining that the message is in a foreign language based on identifying a geographical origin of the message from a customer mobile phone sending the message,

wherein;

the alternate destination includes a language translator that translates the message;

the indication that the follow-on message requires special handling is stored in the messaging hub; and

the data enabled device is used by a call center employee and operates as a call center alternate destination.

2. The messaging hub of claim 1, wherein the diverter further includes a key word parser configured to:

parse the message from the message queue to detect a key word extracted from the message; and

determine the alternate destination based on the detected key word in the message, wherein the key word is related to at least one of;

an enterprise call center department; and

an enterprise call center representative.

3. The messaging hub for enterprise messaging of claim 2, wherein the key word parser includes a key word translator to translate key words related to corresponding enterprise departments.

4. The messaging hub of claim 1, wherein the special handling includes processing of the follow-on message by the messaging hub using at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a customer origin number;

an association parameter that associates the customer origin number with the alternate destination;

a language processing parameter based on at least one of the determining;

a language translation parameter based on the translating; and

a customer service representative parameter based on a previously-assigned customer service representative.

5. The messaging hub of claim 1, wherein the data enabled device is one of:

a mobile phone; and

a smartphone, and

wherein the message is a text message.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

determine a language capability of an enterprise call center;

provision an alternate destination device comprising;

registering the alternate destination device in a messaging hub; and

associating the alternate destination with the enterprise call center and a language capability;

establish a connection between the messaging hub and a message interface;

receive a message directed to an enterprise;

determine the language of the message;

determine an alternate destination for the message;

determine that the message is in a foreign language compared to a language capability of the enterprise call center;

identify the foreign language by determining a geographical origin of the message from a customer mobile phone sending the message;

determine an alternate destination for the message instead of selecting the enterprise call center as the destination;

divert the message to the alternate destination device, the alternate destination device including a language translator;

translate the message by the language translator;

send the message to a default destination;

indicate, by the messaging hub, that a follow-on message requires special handling;

store the indication in the messaging hub that the follow-on message requires special handling; and

establish a secure IP connection between the messaging hub and a data enabled device,

wherein the diverted alternate destination is the data enabled device, which is used by a call center employee and operates as a call center alternate destination.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising executable instructions to:

parse the message to detect a key word related to one of;

an enterprise call center department; and

an enterprise call center representative,

wherein determining the alternate destination is based on the detected key word in the message.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the special handling includes processing of the follow-on message by the messaging hub using at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a customer origin number;

an association parameter that associates the customer origin number with the alternate destination;

a language processing parameter based on at least one of the determining;

a language translation parameter based on the translating; and

a customer service representative parameter based on a previously-assigned customer service representative.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the data enabled device is one of:

a mobile phone; and

a smartphone, and

wherein the message is a text message.

10. A computer-implemented method for enterprise messaging, the method comprising:

determining a language capability of an enterprise call center;

provisioning an alternate destination comprising;

registering the alternate destination in a messaging hub; and

associating the alternate destination with the enterprise call center and a language capability;

establishing a connection between the messaging hub and a message interface;

receiving a message directed to an enterprise;

determining the language of the message;

determining that the message is in a foreign language compared to a language capability of the enterprise call center;

identifying the foreign language by determining a geographical origin of the message from a customer mobile phone sending the message;

determining an alternate destination for the message instead of selecting the enterprise call center as the destination;

diverting the message to the alternate destination, the alternate destination including a language translator;

translating the message by the language translator;

sending the message to a default destination;

indicating, by the messaging hub, that a follow-on message requires special handling;

storing the indication, in the messaging hub, that the follow-on message requires special handling; and

establishing a secure IP connection between the messaging hub and a data enabled device,

wherein the diverted alternate destination is the data enabled device, which is used by a call center employee and operates as a call center alternate destination.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data enabled device is one of:

a mobile phone; and

a smartphone, and

wherein the message is a text message.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the special handling includes processing of the follow-on message by the messaging hub using at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a customer origin number;

an association parameter that associates the customer origin number with the alternate destination;

a language processing parameter based on at least one of the determining;

a language translation parameter based on the translating; and

a customer service representative parameter based on a previously-assigned customer service representative.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the data enabled device is one of:

a mobile phone; and

a smartphone, and

wherein the message is a text message.