UNIFIED CROSS CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20150056964A1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virtual Hold Technology Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Virtual Hold Technology LLC (Medallia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Mark J., Starcher, Jeremy, Shinseki, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 10,375,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5231 with call back arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A system for unified cross-channel communications comprising a plurality of network-connected user devices, a plurality of communication channels that receive and handle interactions from user devices, and a virtual communications interceptor that connects to the communications channels and intercepts or otherwise receives data from them according to various means and provides connections between the communication channels, and a method for intercepting and unifying communications between various channels.

Claims

1. A system for unified cross-channel communication, comprising:

a plurality of network-connected user devices;

a plurality of computing devices adapted to receive communications in a plurality of communications channels from the plurality of network-connected user devices; and

a virtual communication interceptor software module stored and operating on a network-connected computing device;

wherein a user device sends a communication using a communications channels to a computing device adapted to receive communications via the communications channel; and

wherein the computing device adapted to receive communications via the communications channel receives the communication from the user devices;

wherein the computing device adapted to receive communications via the communications channel provides interaction information pertaining to the communication to the virtual communication interceptor; and

wherein the virtual communication interceptor directs further processing of the communication based at least in part on the received interaction information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual communication interceptor requests interaction information from the communication channels.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the virtual communication interceptor stores the interaction information for future reference.

4. A method for providing cross-channel communication, comprising the steps of:

connecting a virtual communication interceptor to a communication channel;

listening to connected communication channels for interaction information;

receiving interaction information from a communication channel; and

providing the interaction information to additional connected communication channels.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the additional step of:

requesting interaction information from a communication channel.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

storing interaction information for future reference.