Methods and systems for processing and managing communications

• US 8,781,105 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invoca, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Invoca, Inc.
• Inventors: Duva, Robert J., Kelley, Colin D., Spievak, Jason S., Trandal, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, QUYNH H
• Application Number:
  US14/184,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 146 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.09, 379/265.01, 379/266.01, 379/266.07, 379/201.01, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• 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 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

An online and offline communication processing and tracking using data processing and data/voice networks is described. A phone address from a phone address number pool is automatically assigned to a first entity. A call quality rating is determined and recorded. A call from a caller directed to the phone address is received at a call bridging system coupled to at least one network, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. Based at least in part on the call quality associated with the caller call, the caller call is assigned to a first location in a call queue. An outbound call is generated from the call bridging system and the inbound and the outbound calls are bridged. One or more parameters of the bridged call are compared to the call quality rating. An indication is recorded regarding the successful bridging of the calls in association with an entity identifier.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

non-transitory media storing instructions readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

receiving a first communication from a customer prospect;

entering the customer prospect into a marketing campaign;

automatically assigning one or more phone addresses to a second communication, wherein the second communication is directed to the customer prospect;

receiving a first call directed to a first of the one or more phone addresses, wherein the first call is associated with call signaling information, wherein the call signaling information includes a called party phone address;

storing in the marketing campaign a record of the first call in association with the customer prospect; and

providing a user interface control via which an operator can determine a state of the customer prospect in the marketing campaign, and wherein the state of the customer prospect includes at least the record of the first call.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, the system further comprising a network interface configured to be coupled to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and an interface coupled to an Internet Protocol network.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein storing, in the marketing campaign a record of the first call in association with the customer prospect, is performed at least partly in response to a comparison, of the called party phone address of the first call to the phone addresses assigned to the second communication, indicating that there is a match.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising providing a user interface via which an operator enters the customer prospect into the marketing campaign.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising automatically entering the customer prospect into the marketing campaign at least partly in response to the receipt of the first communication.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, the operations further comprising connecting an agent to the first call and providing a user interface control via which the connected agent can cause, at least in part, the customer prospect to exit from the marketing campaign.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication, the second communication, or the first communication and the second communication comprise an email communication.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication, the second communication, or the first communication and the second communication comprise a Short Message Service communication.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication, the second communication, or the first communication and the second communication comprise a social networking message service communication.

10. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication, the second communication, or the first communication and the second communication comprise an instant message service communication.

11. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication, the second communication, or the first communication and the second communication comprise a call.

12. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication is a transmission of a selection of a web page control.

13. A method of campaign management, comprising:

receiving, at a computing system, a first communication from a customer prospect;

entering, by the computing system, the customer prospect into a marketing campaign;

automatically assigning, by the computing system, one or more phone addresses to a second communication, wherein the second communication is directed to the customer prospect;

receiving, at the computing system, a first call directed to a first of the one or more phone addresses, wherein the first call is associated with call signaling information, wherein the call signaling information includes a called party phone address;

storing, in the marketing campaign, by the computing system, a record of the first call in association with the customer prospect; and

providing a user interface control via which an operator can determine a state of the customer prospect in the marketing campaign, and wherein the state of the customer prospect includes at least the record of the first call.

14. A system, comprising:

a computing device;

non-transitory media storing instructions readable by the computing device, that when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising;

registering a customer prospect;

entering the customer prospect into a marketing campaign;

assigning at least one phone address to a first communication, wherein the first communication is directed to the customer prospect;

receiving a first call directed to a first of the at least one phone addresses,

wherein the first call is associated with call signaling information comprising a called party phone address;

storing in the marketing campaign a record of the first call event in association with the registered customer prospect; and

providing a user interface control via which an operator can determine a state of the registered customer prospect in the marketing campaign, and wherein the state of the registered customer prospect comprises the record of the first call event.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, the system further comprising a network interface configured to be coupled to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and an interface coupled to an Internet Protocol network.

16. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein storing, in the marketing campaign, by the computing system, a record of the first call in association with the customer prospect, is performed at least partly in response to a comparison, of the called party phone address of the first call to the phone addresses assigned to the second communication, indicating that there is a match.

17. The system as defined in claim 14, the operations further comprising providing a user interface via which an operator enters the registered customer prospect into the marketing campaign.

18. The system as defined in claim 14, the operations further comprising automatically entering the registered customer prospect into the marketing campaign at least partly in response to the customer prospect registration.

19. The system as defined in claim 14, the operations further comprising connecting an agent to the first call and providing a user interface control via which the connected agent can cause, at least in part, the registered customer prospect to exit from the marketing campaign.

20. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first communication comprises an email communication.

21. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first communication comprises a Short Message Service (SMS) communication.

22. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first communication comprises a social networking message service communication.

23. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first communication comprises an instant message service communication.

24. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the customer prospect registration is performed via a web page.

25. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the customer prospect registration is associated with a download of a mobile application.

26. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the customer prospect registration is facilitated in part by a social network association.

27. The system as defined in claim 14, wherein the first call causes, at least in part a subsequent return call, a group conference call, a Short Message Service (SMS) reply, or an instant message chat session to be scheduled.

28. A method of campaign management, comprising:

registering, by a computing system, a customer prospect;

entering, by the computing system, the customer prospect into a marketing campaign;

assigning, by the computing system, at least one phone address to a first communication, wherein the first communication is directed to the customer prospect;

receiving, at the computing system, a first call directed to a first of the at least one phone addresses,

wherein the first call is associated with call signaling information comprising a called party phone address;

storing, in the marketing campaign, by the computing system, a record of the first call event in association with the registered customer prospect; and

providing a user interface control via which an operator can determine a state of the registered customer prospect in the marketing campaign, and wherein the state of the registered customer prospect comprises the record of the first call event.