Virtual interaction queuing using internet protocols
View Patent ↗A method and system for processing a call when a call recipient is unavailable by using virtual interaction queuing techniques over IP networks are disclosed. The method includes queuing the call in a queue associated with a call center, obtaining a messaging preference of the caller, disconnecting the call, generating at least one IP-based message for the caller according to the caller's messaging preference, and transmitting the at least one IP-based message to the caller over an IP network, so as to begin a virtual interaction between the caller and the call center after the call is disconnected.
1. A method of processing a call from a caller when a call recipient is unavailable, the method comprising:
queuing the call in a queue associated with a call center;
obtaining a messaging preference of the caller;
disconnecting the call;
generating at least one IP (internet protocol)-based message for the caller according to the callers messaging preference; and
transmitting the at least one IP-based message to the caller over an IP network, so as to begin a virtual interaction between the caller and the call center after the call is disconnected and prior to a callback being placed,
wherein the messaging preference of the caller is created by the caller independently from the call center.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving presence Information of the caller over the IP network;
generating at least one new IP-based message for the caller based on the received presence information; and
transmitting the at least one new IP-based message to the caller over the IP network.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining whether a callback condition has been satisfied; and
placing the callback when The callback condition has been satisfied.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining step includes:
determining an availability of the call recipient;
determining an availability of the caller based on at least one of the caller's messaging preference and the callers presence information; and
determining if the availability of the caller takes a higher priority over the caller's messaging preference of a later callback.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a response of the caller to the transmitted at least one IP-based message over the IP network during the vital interaction between the caller and the call center.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one IP-based message is in the form of at least one of the following: an e-mail, a web page, a pop-up window, a VoIP (Voice over IP) form, and an instant message form.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one IP-based message carries at least one of the following: advertisement, information on an availability of the call recipient, information on a status of a callback, and a menu of options for the caller's selection.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the caller's messaging preference is obtained using at least one of the following: an e-mail, a web page. an IVR (interactive voice response), and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the messaging preference includes at least one of the following: an availability of the caller, a media capability of the caller, a purpose of the call, and priority information pertaining to presence/availability of the call recipient and the caller's preferences of a callback.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a callback request from the caller is re-routed to another agent or target destination or is terminated based on information carried through at least one IP-based message.
11. A system for processing a call from a caller when a call recipient is unavailable, the system comprising:
a call router queuing the call in a queue associated with a call center and then disconnecting the call; and
an IP (internet protocol)-based message handler generating at least one IP-based message for the caller according to a messaging preference of the caller over an IP network, so as to begin a virtual interaction between the caller and the call center after the call is disconnected and prior to a callback being placed,
wherein the messaging preference of the caller is created by the caller independently from the call center.
12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a virtual interaction scheduler receiving presence information associated with the caller and scheduling IP-based messages to be sent to the caller based on the presence information and the messaging preference of the caller.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the virtual interaction scheduler determines whether a callback condition has been satisfied and controls an operation of placing the callback when the callback condition has been satisfied.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the scheduler determines whether a callback condition has been satisfied based on the following:
an availability of the call recipient;
an availability of the caller based on at least one of the caller's messaging preference and the caller's presence information; and
whether the availability of the caller takes a higher priority over the caller's messaging preference of a later callback.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the IP-based message handler receives responses from the caller to the IP-based messages over the IP network and processes the responses.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one IP-based message is in the form of at least one of the following: an e-mail, a web page, a pop-up window, a VoIP (Voice over IP) form, and an instant message form.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one IP-based message carries at least one of the following: advertisement, information on an availability of the call recipient, information on a status of a callback, and a menu of options for the caller's selection.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the caller's messaging preference is obtained using at least one of the following: an e-mail, a web page, an IVR (interactive voice response), and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the messaging preference includes at least one at the following: an availability of the caller, a media capability of the caller, a purpose of the call, and priority information pertaining to presence/availability of the call recipient and the caller's preferences of a callback.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the call router includes an outbound call muter for re-routing a callback request from the caller to another agent or target destination or for terminating the callback request based on information carried through at least one IP-based message.
21. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for:
queuing the call in a queue associated with a call center;
obtaining a messaging preference of the caller;
disconnecting the call;
generating at least one IP (internet protocol)-based message for the caller according to the caller's messaging preference; and
transmitting the at least one IP-based message to the caller over an IP network, so as to begin a virtual interaction between the caller and the call center after the call is disconnected and prior to a callback being placed,
wherein the messaging preference of the caller is created by the caller independently from the call center.
22. The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for:
receiving the caller's presence information over the IP network;
generating at least one new IP-based message tar the caller based on the received presence information; and
transmitting the at least one new IP-based message to the caller over the IP network.
23. The computer program product of claim 22 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for:
determining whether a callback condition has been satisfied; and
placing the callback when the callback condition has been satisfied.
24. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the computer-executable instructions for determining whether a callback condition has been satisfied make the determination based on the following:
an availability of the call recipient;
an availability of the caller based on at least one of the caller's messaging preference and the caller's presence information; and
whether the availability of the caller takes a higher priority over the caller's messaging preference of a later callback.
25. The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for:
receiving a response of the caller to the transmitted at least one IP-based message over the IP network during the virtual interaction between the caller and the call center.
26. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the at least one IP-based message is In the form of at least one of the following: an e-mail, a web page, a pop-up window, a VoIP (Voice over IP) form, and an instant message form.
27. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the at least one IP-based message carries at least one of the following: advertisement, information on an availability of the call recipient, information on a status of a callback, and a menu of options for the caller's selection.
28. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the caller's messaging preference is obtained using at least one of the following: an e-mail, a web page, an IVR (interactive voice response), and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).
29. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the messaging preference includes at least one of the following: an availability of the caller, a media capability of the caller, a purpose of the call, and priority information pertaining to presence/availability of the call recipient and the caller's preferences of a callback.
30. The computer program product of claim 21 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for:
re-routing a callback request from the caller to another agent or a target destination or terminating the callback request based on information carried through at least one IP-based message.