Remote media call center

• US 7,792,273 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Fano, Andrew E., Chung, Christopher K.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US10/663,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20090067586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,549 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 37926601-2661, 379/309, 379 45- 49, 455411-413
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

The call center processing system disclosed enhances the capabilities of traditional call centers. In particular, the processing system allows a call center to receive, aggregate, and index many different types of media obtained from a wide variety of sources and that relate to many different types of incidents. Thus, for example, the processing system provides a third party with the option of submitting call phone camera pictures, audio input, video camera footage, and other types of media when reporting an incident to the call center. The call center may be an emergency number (e.g., 911) call center, a service center (e.g., for a home appliance), a news reporting call center, or any other type of interactive information exchange.

Claims

1. A call center processing system comprising:

a network infrastructure interface for receiving an incident report from an external network;

a media database;

a memory coupled to the media database and the network infrastructure interface, the memory comprising;

a media aggregation program comprising instructions for;

accepting third party media associated with the incident report and obtaining third party classification information;

selecting incident information from the incident report;

building a media record based on the incident information and the third party classification information; and

storing the media record and the third party media in the media database; and

a dispatch program comprising instructions for;

analyzing the incident information to determine an incident location;

determining an incident coverage area around the incident location;

preparing an incident alert for transmission; and

initiating transmission of the incident alert to a subscriber entity within the incident coverage area of the incident location;

a media collection program comprising instructions for;

initiating transmission of a sensor activation instruction to a sensor within a sensor coverage area around the incident location;

receiving supplemental sensor media from the sensor; and

aggregating the supplemental sensor media in the media database with at least a portion of the incident information; and

an investigation program comprising instructions for;

applying an automatic update filter comprising match criteria against media classification and characteristic information to determine matching supplemental sensor media; and

associating the matching supplemental sensor media with an investigation report; and

a processor coupled to the memory for executing the media aggregation program, the dispatch program, the media collection program and the investigation program.

2. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the instructions for accepting comprise:

instructions for accepting the third party media from a third party submitter of the incident report.

3. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the media aggregation program further comprises instructions for obtaining supplemental incident information associated with the sensor within the sensor coverage area around the incident location, and where the instructions for storing further comprise storing the supplemental sensor media in the media database in association with the supplemental incident information.

4. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the network infrastructure interface comprises a telephone network infrastructure interface.

5. The call center processing system of claim 4, where the third party media comprises a cell phone camera image.

6. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the supplemental sensor media comprises security camera video.

7. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the supplemental sensor media comprises security microphone audio.

8. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the third party classification information comprises a third party submitter name.

9. The call center processing system of claim 8, where the third party classification information further comprises a third party telephone number.

10. The call center processing system of claim 1 where the media database is an emergency telephone number media database.

11. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the media database is a service center media database.

12. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the media database is a news center media database.

13. The call center processing system of claim 1, where the media database is a law enforcement media database.

14. A call center processing system comprising:

a network infrastructure interface for receiving an incident report from an external network;

a media database;

a memory coupled to the media database and the network infrastructure interface, the memory comprising;

a media aggregation program comprising instructions for;

accepting third party media associated with the incident report and third party classification information from the external network;

deriving incident information from the incident report;

building a media record from the incident information and the third party classification information; and

storing the media record and the third party media in the media database; and

a dispatch program comprising instructions for;

analyzing the incident information to determine an incident location;

preparing an incident alert for transmission; and

initiating transmission of the incident alert to a subscriber entity; and

a media collection program comprising instructions for;

initiating transmission of a sensor activation instruction to a sensor within a sensor coverage area around the incident location;

receiving supplemental sensor media from the sensor; and

aggregating the supplemental sensor media in the media database with at least a portion of the incident information; and

an investigation program comprising instructions for;

applying an automatic update filter comprising match criteria against media classification and characteristic information to determine matching supplemental sensor media; and

associating the matching supplemental sensor media with an investigation report; and

a processor coupled to the memory for executing the media aggregation program, the dispatch program, the media collection program and the investigation program.

15. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the dispatch program further comprises instructions for selecting the subscriber entity based on pre-determined incidents of interest to the subscriber entities.

16. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the dispatch program further comprises instructions for selecting the subscriber entity based on incident proximity.

17. The call center processing system of claim 16, where the incident proximity is with respect to the subscriber entity.

18. The call center processing system of claim 16, where the incident proximity is with respect to a location other than that of the subscriber entity.

19. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the dispatch program further comprises instructions for selecting the subscriber entity based on an incident party.

20. The call center processing system of claim 19, where the incident party has a familial relationship to the subscriber entity.

21. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the incident alert comprises at least a portion of the incident information.

22. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the incident alert comprises at least a portion of the incident information and the third party media.

23. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the incident alert comprises at least a portion of the incident information, the third party media, and an incident location map.

24. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the dispatch program further comprises instructions for initiating retrieval of media of interest to the subscriber entity from the media database, and where the incident alert includes the media of interest.

25. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the subscriber entity is a mobile communication device holder.

26. The call center processing system of claim 25, where the incident alert comprises at least a portion of the incident information.

27. The call center processing system of claim 20, where the incident alert further comprises supplemental incident information associated with an additional incident proximate to the incident location.

28. The call center processing system of claim 26, where the incident alert comprises at least a portion of the incident information and the third party media.

29. The call center processing system of claim 26, where the incident alert comprises at least a portion of the incident information, the third party media, and an incident location map.

30. The call center processing system of claim 14, further comprising a subscriber entity database, and where the dispatch program further comprises instructions for:

querying the subscriber entity database to select the subscriber entity.

31. The call center processing system of claim 14, where the dispatch program further comprises instructions for:

querying a subscriber location provider to determine an entity location for the subscriber entity.

32. The call center processing system of claim 31, where the subscriber location provider is a subscriber location database.

33. A call center processing system comprising:

a network infrastructure interface for receiving an incident report from an external network;

a media database;

a memory coupled to the media database and the network infrastructure interface, the memory comprising;

a media aggregation program comprising instructions for;

accepting third party media associated with the incident report and third party classification information from the external network;

deriving incident information from the incident report;

building a media record from the incident information and the third party classification information; and

storing the media record and the third party media in the media database; and

a media collection program comprising instructions for;

analyzing the incident information to determine an incident location;

initiating transmission of a sensor activation instruction to sensors near the incident location;

receiving supplemental sensor media from the sensors; and

aggregating the supplemental sensor media in the media database in association with at least a portion of the incident information; and

an investigation program comprising instructions for;

applying an automatic update filter comprising match criteria to determine matching supplemental sensor media; and

associating the matching supplemental sensor media with an investigation report; and

a processor coupled to the memory for executing the media aggregation program, the media collection program and the investigation program.

34. The call center processing system of claim 33, where the sensors are cameras near the incident location, and where the sensor activation instruction is a video capture activation instruction.

35. The call center processing system of claim 33, where the sensors are microphones near the incident location, and where the sensor activation instruction is an audio capture activation instruction.

36. The call center processing system of claim 33, where the sensors are motion detectors near the incident location, and where the sensor activation instruction is a motion capture activation instruction.

37. The call center processing system of claim 33, where the dispatch program further comprises instructions for:

determining an incident coverage area around the incident location; and

where the instructions for transmitting comprise;

instructions for transmitting the sensor activation instruction to sensors within the incident coverage area of the incident location.

38. The call center processing system of claim 37, where the sensors are security cameras.

39. The call center processing system of claim 37, where the sensors are microphones.

40. The call center processing system of claim 33, further comprising a sensor database, and where the media collection program further comprises instructions for:

querying the sensor database to select the sensors.

41. The investigation tool of claim 33, where the instructions for initiating transmission comprise instructions for initiating transmission to the sensors through an ad-hoc sensor network.

42. The investigation tool of claim 41, where the ad-hoc sensor network comprises intermediate nodes and a principal node in communication with the network infrastructure interface.

43. The investigation tool of claim 33, where the instructions for receiving supplemental media comprise instructions for receiving from an ad-hoc sensor network.

44. The investigation tool of claim 43, where the ad-hoc sensor network comprises intermediate nodes and a principal node in communication with the network infrastructure interface.

45. The call center processing system of claim 33, where the media collection program further comprises instructions for:

querying a sensor location provider to determine a sensor location for each of the sensors.

46. The call center processing system of claim 45, where the sensor location provider is a sensor location database.

47. A call center investigation tool comprising:

a media database comprising;

media incident records aggregated over time, each media record indexed according to incident information associated with an incident report; and

supplemental media records aggregated over time, each supplemental media record indexed according to at least one of geographic area, incident type, time, and date;

a memory coupled to the media database, the memory comprising an investigation program comprising instructions for;

accepting incident search parameters;

initiating execution of an incident search in the media database based on the search parameters;

displaying a selection interface comprising media record indicia associated with matching media records returned from the incident search;

displaying an investigation report interface; and

accepting report components for building an investigation report in the report interface, the report components comprising at least a portion of the incident information and selected media records; and

a processor coupled to the memory for executing the investigation program.

48. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the media record indicia comprise thumbnail images representing the media records.

49. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the incident search parameters comprise a location parameter.

50. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the incident search parameters comprise a location parameter and an incident coverage area parameter.

51. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the incident search parameters comprise an incident type parameter.

52. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the incident search parameters comprise an incident type parameter and a location parameter.

53. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the incident search parameters comprise an incident type parameter and a subject parameter.

54. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the incident search parameters comprise an incident type parameter, a temporal parameter, and a location parameter.

55. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the incident search parameters comprise an incident type parameter, a temporal parameter, a location parameter, and an incident coverage area parameter.

56. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, further comprising a report database for storing the investigation report.

57. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the investigation program further comprises instructions for:

displaying an area map; and

displaying an incident indicia on the area map responsive to a media record indicia selection.

58. The call center investigation tool of claim 47, where the investigation program further comprises instructions for:

displaying an area map;

displaying a sensor location icon; and

in response to selection of the sensor location icon, displaying sensor indicia on the area map in locations from which external sensors have provided supplemental media stored in the media database.

59. The call center of claim 58, where the sensor indicia further represent external sensors associated with at least one of the matching media records.

60. The investigation tool of claim 47, where the investigation program further comprises instructions for chronologically presenting selected media incident records.

61. The investigation tool of claim 47, where the selected media incident records match the incident search parameters.

62. The investigation tool of claim 47, where at least one of the report components is an automatic update report component.

63. The investigation tool of claim 62, further comprising an automatic update filter associated with the automatic update report component.

64. The investigation tool of claim 63, where the automatic update filter comprises match criteria for determining matching submitted media.

65. The investigation tool of claim 64, where the investigation program further comprises instructions for associating the matching submitted media with the investigation report.

66. The investigation tool of claim 47, where the investigation program further comprises instructions for routing the investigation report to a selected reviewer.

67. The investigation tool of claim 66, where the selected reviewer is at least one of a law enforcement agency, claim processing center, or technical service center.

68. A method for processing incident information in a call center, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining incident information and media associated with an incident of interest from a third party;

building a media record based on the incident information;

storing the media record and the media in a media database;

ascertaining the subject matter of the incident of interest based on the incident information and media;

determining a processing entity for processing the incident of interest;

routing incident data derived from the incident information and media to the processing entity;

analyzing the incident information to determine an incident location;

determining an incident coverage area around the incident location;

preparing an incident alert for transmission;

initiating transmission of the incident alert to a subscriber entity within the incident coverage area of the incident location

initiating transmission of a sensor activation instruction to a sensor within a sensor coverage area around the incident location;

receiving supplemental sensor media from the sensor;

aggregating the supplemental sensor media in the media database with at least a portion of the incident information;

applying an automatic update filter comprising match criteria against media classification and characteristic information to determine matching supplemental sensor media; and

associating the matching supplemental sensor media with an investigation report.

69. The method of claim 68, further comprising the step of:

initiating a business process in response to the incident of interest by the business entity.

70. The method of claim 69, further comprising the steps of:

preparing an incident report comprising explanatory information associated with the business process; and

initiating transmission of the responsive incident report to the third party.

71. The method of claim 68, where the step of routing comprises the step of routing to a technical support center.

72. The method of claim 68, where the step of routing comprises the step of routing to an insurance agent.

73. The method of claim 68, where the step of routing comprises the step of routing to a law enforcement agency.

74. The method of claim 68, where the step of routing comprises the step of routing to a sales agent.

75. The method of claim 68, where the step of routing comprises the step of routing to a product design department.

76. A call center processing system comprising:

a network infrastructure interface for receiving an incident report from an external network;

a media database;

a memory coupled to the media database and the network infrastructure interface, the memory comprising;

a media aggregation program comprising instructions for;

accepting third party media associated with the incident report;

selecting incident information from the incident report;

building a media record based on the incident information; and

storing the media record and the third party media in the media database;

a media collection program comprising instructions for;

analyzing the incident information to determine an incident location;

determining a sensor coverage area around the incident location;

initiating transmission of a sensor activation instruction to a sensor within the sensor coverage area;

receiving supplemental sensor media from the sensor; and

aggregating the supplemental sensor media in the media database in association with at least a portion of the incident information; and

an investigation program comprising instructions for;

associating at least a portion of the supplemental sensor media with an investigation report; and

a processor coupled to the memory for executing the media aggregation program, the media collection program and the investigation program.

77. The call center processing system of claim 76, the memory further comprising a media indexing program executable with the processor, the media indexing program comprising instructions for:

accepting incident characteristic information for the third party media from the network infrastructure interface; and

adding the incident characteristic information to the media record.

78. The call center processing system of claim 77, where incident report is associated with an incident, and where the incident characteristic information comprises at least one of time, date, subject matter, and location information of the incident.

79. The call center processing system of claim 77, where the instructions for accepting incident characteristic information comprise instructions for:

presenting an incident characteristic information menu; and

accepting network infrastructure interface inputs corresponding to the incident characteristic information menu that specify the incident characteristic information.

80. The call center processing system of claim 79, where the network infrastructure interface inputs comprise touchtone inputs.

81. The call center processing system of claim 79, where the network infrastructure interface inputs comprise voice inputs.

82. The call center processing system of claim 77, where the instructions for accepting incident characteristic information comprise instructions for:

presenting an incident characteristic information menu tree; and

accepting network infrastructure interface inputs corresponding to the incident characteristic information menu tree that specify the incident characteristic information.

83. The call center processing system of claim 82, where the network infrastructure interface inputs comprise touchtone inputs.

84. The call center processing system of claim 77, where the incident characteristic information comprises incident characteristic information that originates with a third party operating a sensor.

85. A call center processing system comprising:

a network infrastructure interface for receiving an incident report from an external network;

a media database;

a memory coupled to the media database and the network infrastructure interface, the memory comprising;

a media aggregation program comprising instructions for;

accepting third party media associated with the incident report and third party classification information from the external network;

deriving incident information from the incident report;

building a media record from the incident information and the third party classification information; and

storing the media record and the third party media in the media database;

a media collection program comprising instructions for;

analyzing the incident information to determine an incident location;

determining a sensor coverage area around the incident location; and

initiating transmission of a media preservation instruction to a sensor within the sensor coverage area for retention of supplemental sensor media; and

an investigation program comprising instructions for;

applying match criteria against the third party media to determine matching supplement sensor media for display on a user interface; and

a processor coupled to the memory for executing the media aggregation program and the media collection program.

86. The call center processing system of claim 85, where the media collection program comprises instructions for analyzing the incident information to determine an incidence occurrence time, and where initiating the transmission of the media preservation instruction is based on the incidence occurrence time.

87. The call center processing system of claim 85, where the media preservation instruction comprises a post-incident media retention specifier.

88. The call center processing system of claim 87, where the post-incident media retention specifier comprises a retention duration for media captured by the sensor after the incident occurrence time.

89. The call center processing system of claim 88, where the sensor is a video camera and where the retention duration specifies a retention duration for video footage captured by the video camera.

90. The call center processing system of claim 88, where the sensor is a microphone and where the retention duration specifies a retention duration for audio information captured by the microphone.

91. The call center processing system of claim 87, where the post-incident media retention specifier comprises a retention extent for media captured by the sensor after the incident occurrence time.

92. The call center processing system of claim 91, where the sensor is a video camera and where the retention extent specifies a time span of video footage captured by the video camera.

93. The call center processing system of claim 91, where the sensor is a microphone and where the retention extent specifies a time span for audio information captured by the microphone.

94. The call center processing system of claim 86, where the media preservation instruction comprises a pre-incident media retention specifier.

95. The call center processing system of claim 94, where the pre-incident media retention specifier comprises a retention duration for media captured by the sensor prior to the incident occurrence time.

96. The call center processing system of claim 94, where the sensor is a video camera and where the retention duration specifies a retention duration for video footage captured by the video camera.

97. The call center processing system of claim 94, where the sensor is a microphone and where the retention duration specifies a retention duration for audio information captured by the microphone.

98. The call center processing system of claim 94, where the pre-incident media retention specifier comprises a retention extent for media captured by the sensor prior to incident occurrence time.

99. The call center processing system of claim 88, where the sensor is a microphone and where the retention extent specifies a time span of audio information captured by the microphone.

100. The call center processing system of claim 86, where the media collection program further comprises instructions for:

determining an incident coverage area around the incident location; and

where the instructions for transmitting comprise;

instructions for transmitting the media preservation instruction to sensors within the incident coverage area of the incident location.

101. The call center processing system of claim 100, further comprising a sensor database, and where the media collection program further comprises instructions for:

querying the sensor database to select the sensors.

102. The call center processing system of claim 101, where the media collection program further comprises instructions for:

querying a sensor location provider to determine a sensor location for each of the sensors.