Granted Patent B1

US 8,996,642 · App. 14/554,963 · Granted Mar 31, 2015

Inventors: Arnold Bellini, III (Tampa, FL); Linda Brotherton (Tampa, FL)

Assignee: ConnectWise Inc.

H04L29/08837H04N21/4788

Abstract

Claims (111)

1. A method of servicing information technology tickets via a computer network, comprising:

retrieving, by a server from a database stored in memory, a first ticket having a first ticket identifier, the first ticket having first information to facilitate providing information technology support or services to a first computing device;

identifying, by the server, based on the first information, a first priority and a first chat queue for the first ticket;

receiving, by the server, an update to the first information of the first ticket;

determining, by the server responsive to the update to the first information, a second priority and a second chat queue for the first ticket, the second priority different from the first priority; and

assigning, by the server, the first ticket to the second chat queue with the second priority to initiate a first chat session associated with the first ticket and the first computing device to provide information technology support or services to the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, by the server, a second ticket in the second chat queue with a third priority;

determining, by the server, that the third priority of the second ticket is greater less than the second priority of the first ticket; and

initiating, by the server responsive to the determination, the first chat session associated with the first ticket and the first computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, by the server, a second ticket in the second chat queue with a third priority less than the second priority; and

establishing, by the server based on the second priority and the third priority, the second chat queue with the first chat session ahead of a second chat session associated with the second ticket.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning the first ticket to the second chat queue responsive to the second priority being greater than the first priority.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server from the first computing device associated with the first ticket, a first indication of a first status of the first computing device; and

determining, by the server, the first priority of the first ticket based on the first status.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server from the first computing device associated with the first ticket, a second indication of a second status of the first computing device; and

determining, by the server, the second priority of the first support ticket based on the second status, the second priority greater than the first priority; and

assigning, by the server, the second priority to the first ticket.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server from the first computing device associated with the first ticket, a first indication of interaction with one or more input devices of the first computing device, the first indication associated with a timestamp;

identifying, by the server, a current time;

determining, by the server, a time interval between the current time and the timestamp of the first indication, wherein the server has not received a subsequence subsequent indication of interaction with the one or more input devices of the first computing device during the time interval;

comparing, by the server, the time interval with a threshold to determine that the time interval is greater than or equal to the threshold;

setting, based on the comparison, a first status of the first computing device to indicate that a user of the first computing device is away; and

assigning, by the server, the first priority to the first ticket based on the first status.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server subsequent to the time interval, a second indication of interaction with the one or more input devices of the first computing devices; and

setting, by the server, the second status responsive to the second indication, the second status indicating that the user of the first computing device is present.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining at least one of the first priority or the second priority based on at least one of a microphone, a camera, a proximity sensor, or a position sensing system.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server from a second computing device, an indication to initiate a remote control session to support the first computing device in accordance with the first ticket; and

initiating, by the server responsive to the indication, the remote control session between the second computing device and the first computing device.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

monitoring, via the remote control session, outputs of the first computing device; and

controlling, via the remote control session, an input device of the first computing device to support the first computing device in accordance with the first ticket.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server from a monitoring system, activity information of the first computing device; and

updating, by the server, the first ticket with the activity information.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating, by the server, the first chat session associated with the first ticket and the first computing device, the first chat session initiated between the first computing device and a second computing device;

identifying, by the server, a second ticket associated with the first computing device, the second ticket having second information to facilitate providing information technology support or services to the first computing device; and

initiating, by the server, a second chat session associated with the second ticket and the first computing device, the second chat session between the first computing device and a third computing device, the second chat session at least partially overlapping with the first chat session.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating, by the server, the first chat session associated with the first ticket and the first computing device, the first chat session initiated between the first computing device and a second computing device; and

adding, by the server, a third computing device to the first chat session, the first chat session configured to display messages from each of the first computing device, second computing device and third computing device to participants of the first chat session.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by a workflow engine executing on the server, the first ticket;

applying, by the work flow engine, a rule to the first information of the first ticket;

determining, based on the applying the rule, that the first ticket satisfies a condition associated with the rule; and

assigning, by the work flow engine, the first ticket to the second chat queue responsive to determining that the first ticket satisfies the condition.

16. A system for servicing information technology tickets via a computer network, comprising:

a server including a processor and memory configured to:

retrieve, from a database stored in the memory, a first ticket having a first ticket identifier, the first ticket having first information to facilitate providing information technology support or services to a first computing device;

identify, based on the first information, a first priority and a first chat queue for the first ticket;

receive an update to the first information of the first ticket;

determine, responsive to the update to the first information, a second priority and a second chat queue for the first ticket, the second priority greater than the first priority; and

assign the first ticket to the second chat queue with the second priority to initiate a first chat session associated with the first ticket and the first computing device to provide information technology support or services to the first computing device.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

identify a second ticket in the second chat queue with a third priority;

determine that the third priority of the second ticket is less than the second priority of the first ticket; and

initiate, responsive to the determination, the first chat session associated with the first ticket and the first computing device.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

identify a second ticket in the second chat queue with a third priority less than the second priority; and

establish, based on the second priority and the third priority, the second chat queue with the first chat session ahead of a second chat session associated with the second ticket.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

assign the first ticket to the second chat queue responsive to the second priority being greater than the first priority.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from the first computing device associated with the first ticket, a first indication of a first status of the first computing device; and

determine the first priority of the first ticket based on the first status.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from the first computing device associated with the first ticket, a second indication of a second status of the first computing device; and

determine the second priority of the first support ticket based on the second status, the second priority greater than the first priority; and

assigning, by the server, the second priority to the first ticket.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from the first computing device associated with the first ticket, a first indication of interaction with one or more input devices of the first computing device, the first indication associated with a timestamp;

identify a current time;

determine a time interval between the current time and the timestamp of the first indication, wherein the server has not received a subsequent indication of interaction with the one or more input devices of the first computing device during the time interval;

compare the time interval with a threshold to determine that the time interval is greater than or equal to the threshold;

set, based on the comparison, a first status of the first computing device to indicate that a user of the first computing device is away; and

assign the first priority to the first ticket based on the first status.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, subsequent to the time interval, a second indication of interaction with the one or more input devices of the first computing devices; and

set the second status responsive to the second indication, the second status indicating that the user of the first computing device is present.

24. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

determine at least one of the first priority or the second priority based on at least one of a microphone, a camera, a proximity sensor, or a position sensing system.

25. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from a second computing device, an indication to initiate a remote control session to support the first computing device in accordance with the first ticket; and

initiate, responsive to the indication, the remote control session between the second computing device and the first computing device.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the server is further configured to:

monitor, via the remote control session, outputs of the first computing device; and

control, via the remote control session, an input device of the first computing device to support the first computing device in accordance with the first ticket.

27. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

receive, from a monitoring system, activity information of the first computing device; and

update the first ticket with the activity information.

28. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

initiate the first chat session associated with the first ticket and the first computing device, the first chat session initiated between the first computing device and a second computing device;

identify a second ticket associated with the first computing device, the second ticket having second information to facilitate providing information technology support or services to the first computing device; and

initiate a second chat session associated with the second ticket and the first computing device, the second chat session between the first computing device and a third computing device, the second chat session at least partially overlapping with the first chat session.

29. The system of claim 16 , wherein the server is further configured to:

initiate the first chat session associated with the first ticket and the first computing device, the first chat session initiated between the first computing device and a second computing device; and

add a third computing device to the first chat session, the first chat session configured to display messages from each of the first computing device, second computing device and third computing device to participants of the first chat session.

30. The system of claim 16 , further comprising a workflow engine configured on the server to:

receive the first ticket;

apply a rule to the first information of the first ticket;

determine, based on the application of the rule, that the first ticket satisfies a condition associated with the rule; and

assign the first ticket to the second chat queue responsive to the determination that the first ticket satisfies the condition.

Assignments (12)

Continuity (1)