Hold queue position publication

• US 7,130,411 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2001
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winters, Scott Lee, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Cheng, David R., Okunseinde, Folu, Sheth-Voss, Seema, Leung, Wing-Ying Stephanie
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US10/005,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20030103620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266.01, 379/309, 379/76, 379/215.01, 37926502-2661, 379/266.06, 379/266.03, 709202-205
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• 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 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A method, system, and program for publishing hold queue characteristics are provided. Characteristics of an on hold system are monitored. Then, responsive to a selection by a caller of a format and interface for publishing the characteristics, the characteristics are transferred to the selected interface in the selected format.

Claims

1. A method for publishing call queue characteristics comprising:

monitoring a plurality of characteristics of an on hold system;

presenting a caller currently waiting on a call within said on hold system with a selectable menu of a plurality of separate available formats and a plurality of separate available output interfaces for selection by said caller for publication of said plurality of characteristics, wherein said plurality of separate available output interfaces comprise at least a calling device used by said caller to place said call, a web site, and a messaging account; and

responsive to a selection by said caller of a particular format from said plurality of separate available formats and a particular output interface from said plurality of separate available output interfaces, facilitating transfer of said plurality of characteristics to said caller at said particular output interface for output in said particular format.

2. The method for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 1, wherein monitoring a plurality of characteristics further comprises:

monitoring at least one from among a current activity status of said on hold system, an estimated activity status of said on hold system, a historical average activity status of said on hold system, and a historical average activity status of at least one current caller on hold within said on hold system.

3. The method for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 1, wherein said selectable menu of said plurality of separate formats for publishing said plurality of characteristics further comprises an audio format, a text format, and a graphical format.

4. The method for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 1, wherein facilitating transfer of said plurality of characteristics further comprises:

responsive to said selection by said caller of said web site as said particular output interface, prompting said caller via said calling device with a tracking number identifying said call and a particular network address at which said plurality of characteristics are accessible responsive to entry of said tracking number; and

enabling said web site at said particular network address to provide output of said plurality of characteristics in said particular output format responsive to caller access to said particular network address and entry of said tracking number.

5. The method for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 1, wherein monitoring a plurality of characteristics further comprises:

monitoring an expected subject matter selection of a plurality of calls currently on hold within said on hold system.

6. The method for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 1, further comprising:

filtering a preferred selection from among said plurality of characteristics according to output preferences for said caller; and

only facilitating transfer of said preferred selection from among said plurality of characteristics to said caller at said particular output interface for output in said particular format.

17. The method for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 1, wherein facilitating transfer of said plurality of characteristics further comprises:

responsive to said selection by said caller of said messaging account as said particular output interface, prompting said caller via said calling device to enter an identifier for said messaging account; and

responsive to caller entry of a particular identifier for said messaging account, sending a communication including said plurality of characteristics via a network to an account server serving said particular identifier.

7. A system for publishing call queue characteristics comprising:

an on hold system for managing a plurality of calls waiting on hold;

means for monitoring a plurality of characteristics of said on hold system;

means for presenting a caller currently waiting on a call within said on hold system with a selectable menu of a plurality of separate available formats and a plurality of separate available output interfaces for selection by said caller for publication of said plurality of characteristics, wherein said plurality of separate available output interfaces comprise at least a calling device used by said caller to place said call, a web site, and a messaging account; and

means, responsive to a selection by said caller of a particular format from said plurality of separate available formats and a particular output interface from said plurality of separate available output interfaces, for facilitating transfer of said plurality of characteristics to said caller at said particular output interface for output in said particular format.

8. The system for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 7, wherein said means for monitoring a plurality of characteristics further comprises:

means for monitoring at least one from among a current activity status of said on hold system, an estimated activity status of said on hold system, a historical average activity status of said on hold system, and a historical average activity status of at least one current caller on hold within said on hold system.

9. The system for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 7, wherein said selectable menu of said plurality of separate formats for publishing said plurality of characteristics further comprises an audio format, a text format, and a graphical format.

10. The system for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 7, wherein said means for facilitating transfer of said plurality of characteristics further comprises:

means, responsive to said selection by said caller of said web site as said particular output interface, for prompting said caller via said calling device with a tracking number identifying said call and a particular network address at which said plurality of characteristics are accessible responsive to entry of said tracking number; and

means for enabling said web site at said particular network address to provide output of said plurality of characteristics in said particular output format responsive to caller access to said particular network address and entry of said tracking number.

11. The system for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 7, wherein said means for monitoring a plurality of characteristics further comprises:

means for monitoring an expected subject matter selection of said plurality of calls currently on hold within said on hold system.

12. The system for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for filtering a preferred selection from among said plurality of characteristics according to output preferences for said particular caller; and

means for only facilitating transfer of said preferred selection from among said plurality of characteristics to said caller at said particular output interface for output in said particular format.

18. The system for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 7, wherein said means for facilitating transfer of said plurality of characteristics further comprises:

means, responsive to said selection by said caller of said messaging account as said particular output interface, for prompting said caller via said calling device to enter an identifier for said messaging account; and

means, responsive to caller entry of a particular identifier for said messaging account, for sending a communication including said plurality of characteristics via a network to an account server serving said particular identifier.

13. A computer program product for publishing call queue characteristics, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for monitoring a plurality of characteristics of an on hold system;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for presenting a caller currently waiting on a call within said on hold system with a selectable menu of a plurality of separate available formats and a plurality of separate available output interfaces for selection by said caller for publication of said plurality of characteristics, wherein said plurality of separate available output interfaces comprise at least a calling device used by said caller to place said call, a web site, and a messaging account; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, responsive to a selection by said caller of a particular format from said plurality of separate available formats and a particular output interface from said plurality of separate available output interfaces, for enabling transfer of said plurality of characteristics to a particular caller at said particular output interface for output in said particular format specified by said particular caller.

14. The computer program product for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 13, wherein said means for enabling transfer of said plurality of characteristics further comprises:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for, responsive to said selection by said caller of said web site as said particular output interface, prompting said caller via said calling device with a tracking number identifying said call and a particular network address at which said plurality of characteristics are accessible responsive to entry of said tracking number; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for enabling said web site at said particular network address to provide output of said plurality of characteristics in said particular output format responsive to caller access to said particular network address and entry of said tracking number.

15. The computer program product for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 13, wherein said means for monitoring a plurality of characteristics further comprises:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for monitoring an expected subject matter selection of said plurality of calls currently on hold within said hold system.

16. The computer program product for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 13, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for filtering a preferred selection from among said plurality of characteristics according to output preferences for said particular caller; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for only facilitating transfer of said preferred selection from among said plurality of characteristics to said caller at said particular output interface for output in said particular format.

19. The computer program product for publishing call queue characteristics according to claim 13, further comprising,

means, recorded on said recording medium, for prompting said caller via said calling device to enter an identifier for a messaging account, responsive to said selection by said caller of said messaging account as said particular output interface;

and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for sending a communication including said plurality of characteristics via a network to an account server serving a particular identifier, responsive to caller entry of said particular identifier for said messaging account.