Interactive content for click-to-call calls
View Patent ↗In a click-to-call (C2C) communication environment, a web client of a computing terminal is configured to initiate a C2C call when a user selects a call tag provided in a web page being presented to the user. The call is intended to be established between a remote endpoint associated with the call tag and one of either the computing terminal or another terminal associated with the user. If the C2C call is directed to an automated system and placed in a queue or on hold, the present invention allows supplemental content intended for the user to be delivered to the web client from which the C2C call was initiated. The web client may present the supplemental content to the user.
1. A method of delivering supplemental content to a caller in association with a click-to-call communication session, the method comprising:
receiving a request to initiate the click-to-call communication session;
acquiring supplemental content to be delivered to a device associated with the caller before establishment of the click-to-call communication session; and
delivering, outside of a bearer path for the click-to-call communication session, the supplemental content to the device associated with the caller.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
receiving the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session comprises receiving the communication session initiation signaling at a service node in a communication network;
acquiring the supplemental content to be delivered to the device associated with the caller before establishment of the click-to-call communication session comprises acquiring the supplemental content at the service node; and
delivering the supplemental content to the device associated with the caller comprises delivering the supplemental content from the service node to the device associated with the caller.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein receiving the communication session initiation signaling at the service node comprises receiving the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session from the device associated with the caller at a web server connected to the communication network and sending communication session initiation signaling from the web server to the service node.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein delivering the supplemental content from the service node to the device associated with the caller comprises delivering the supplemental content to the device associated with the caller via the web server.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein acquiring the supplemental content to be delivered to the device associated with the caller comprises:
requesting supplemental content from a node connected to the communication network other than the service node; and
receiving the supplemental content from the node other than the service node.
6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
receiving a request for the supplemental content from the service node at the node other than the service node via the communication network; and
sending the supplemental content from the node other than the service node to the service node responsive to receiving the request for the supplemental content.
7. The method of claim 5 further comprising placing the requested click-to-call communication session in a queue, wherein requesting the supplemental content from the node connected to the communication network other than the service node comprises requesting queue information associated with the requested click-to-call communication session from a queue manager.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein requesting the supplemental content from a node connected to the communication network other than the service node comprises requesting an advertisement from a content server connected to the communication network.
9. The method of claim 5 , wherein requesting the supplemental content from a node connected to the communication network other than the service node comprises requesting video content from a content server connected to the communication network.
10. The method of claim 2 , wherein:
acquiring the supplemental content to be delivered to the device associated with the caller before establishment of the click-to-call communication session comprises receiving call progress information at the service node; and
delivering the supplemental content to the device associated with the caller comprises delivering the call progress information from the service node to the device associated with the caller.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the call progress information at the service node comprises receiving call progress information from a queue manager.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the call progress information at the service node comprises receiving call progress information from a call server.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session comprises caller indicia.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the caller indicia comprises context information.
15. The method of claim 14 , comprising selecting the supplemental content based on, at least in part, the caller indicia before delivering the supplemental content.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental content is at least one of call progress information, advertising, a modified web page, a modified pop-up window, video on hold content, streaming media and interactive content.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the click-to-call communication session is a communication session with a contact center, the method further comprising:
querying a queue manager to determine an estimated time before an agent is available; and
determining the supplemental content to be delivered based on, at least in part, the estimated time.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the supplemental content comprises the estimated time.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering the supplemental content comprises sending to a web server instructions for supplying the supplemental content to the device associated with the caller in association with the click-to-call communication session.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the instructions to the web server identify the supplemental content to be supplied.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the instructions to the web server contain supplemental content.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental content is delivered before the bearer path is established.
23. The method of claim 22 , comprising delivering further supplemental content after the bearer path is established.
24. The method of claim 1 , comprising dynamically updating the supplemental content.
25. The method of claim 1 , comprising delivering the dynamically updated supplemental content.
26. The method of claim 1 , comprising configuring a communication session between a communication terminal associated with the caller and a communication terminal associated with the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the communication terminal associated with the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session is a communication terminal associated with a provider of a web page from which the caller initiated the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session.
28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the communication terminal associated with the caller is specified in the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the communication terminal associated with the caller that is specified in the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session is specified by the caller.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the communication terminal associated with the caller that is specified in the request to initiate the click-to-call communication session is specified by the caller by filling a form on a web page.
31. The method of claim 26 , wherein configuring the communication session comprises configuring a voice communication session.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein configuring the voice communication session comprises configuring a voice call to a voice communication terminal associated with the caller.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein configuring the voice call to the voice communication terminal associated with the caller comprises configuring a voice path over a public switched telephone network (PSTN).
34. The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering the supplemental content to the device associated with the caller comprises delivering interactive content.
35. The method of claim 34 , wherein delivering the interactive content comprises delivering at least one game that can be played by the caller.