Granted Patent B1

US 8,681,966 · App. 13/686,785 · Granted Mar 25, 2014

Abstract

Claims (64)

1. An apparatus for location-based communication, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

schedule a communication between a contact center resource and a communication device associated with a user;

prompt the user to configure a geographic location for the communication device by indicating, via an interactive window, an identifier for the geographic location to trigger the communication, the identifier being associated with latitude and longitude coordinates;

store the latitude and the longitude coordinates as the geographic location for triggering the communication;

track a current geographic location for the communication device;

in response to the current geographic location of the communication device being a particular distance from the configured geographic location, place a virtual call event on a queue associated with the contact center resource, wherein the virtual call event is a place holder for the user in the queue, and advance the virtual call event in the queue for establishing the communication between the contact center resource and the communication device;

track progress of the virtual call event in the queue;

in response to determining that the virtual call event is next-in-line in the queue for establishing the communication between the contact center resource and the communication device, and further determining that the current geographic location of the communication device is not the configured geographic location, not establish the communication between the contact center resource and the communication device and hold the virtual call in place in the queue while allowing other virtual call events to by-pass the virtual call event in the queue until the current geographic location of the communication device is the configured geographic location; and

in response to determining that the virtual call event is next-in-line in the queue and further determining that the current geographic location of the communication device is the configured geographic location, establish the communication between the contact center resource and the communication device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

prompt the user to further configure one or more of date, time, or communication channel for the scheduled communication.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the

identifier is a point or region on a map.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

convert the point or region indicated by the user in the interactive window into the longitude and the latitude coordinates.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

utilize a third party service to determine the coordinates.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

maintain a database relating locations by address and description to coordinates;

prompt the user to describe a location;

parse the location described by the user for keywords and phrases; and

present to the user candidate locations matching the description.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

track location of the communication device by Global Positioning System (GPS).

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

cooperate with a third-party service to track location of the communication device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

cooperate with a cellular service provider to track location of the communication device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

impose a time delay before initiating the communication in response to the geographic location of the communication device appliance being determined to be the configured geographic location.

11. A method for location-based communication, the method comprising:

scheduling by a computing device having a processor, communication between a contact center resource and a communication device associated with a user;

presenting to the user an interactive window by the computing device for prompting the user to configure a geographic location associated with the communication device by indicating, via the interactive window, an identifier for the geographic location to trigger the communication, the identifier being associated with latitude and longitude coordinates;

storing the latitude and the longitude coordinates as the geographic location for triggering the communication;

periodically tracking by the computing device a current geographic location for the communication device;

in response to the current geographic location of the communication device being a particular distance from the configured geographic location, placing a virtual call event on a queue associated with the contact center resource, wherein the virtual call event is a place holder for the user in the queue, and advancing the virtual call event in the queue for establishing the communication between the contact center resource and the communication device;

tracking progress of the virtual call event in the queue;

in response to determining that the virtual call event is next-in-line in the queue for establishing the communication between the contact center resource and the communication device, and further determining that the current geographic location of the communication device is not the configured geographic location, not establishing the communication between the contact center resource and the communication device and holding the virtual call in place in the queue while allowing other virtual call events to by-pass the virtual call event in the queue until the current geographic location of the communication device is the configured geographic location; and

in response to determining that the virtual call event is next-in-line in the queue and further determining that the current geographic location of the communication device is the configured geographic location, establishing the communication between the contact center resource and the communication device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

prompting the user to configure one or more of date, time, or communication channel in addition to geographic location to initiate the scheduled communication.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the identifier is

a point or region on a map.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

converting the point or region indicated by the user in the interactive window into the longitude and the latitude coordinates.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing the coordinates to the contact center resource by a third-party service.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

maintaining a database relating locations by address and description to coordinates;

presenting to user a first interactive window for describing a location;

parsing the user's description for keywords and phrases; and

presenting candidate locations in a second window.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

tracking location of the communication device by Global Positioning System (GPS).

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

accomplishing GPS tracking by a third-party system; and

providing coordinates from the tracking to the computing device.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

tracking the location of the communication device by a wireless enterprise; and

providing coordinates from the tracking to the contact center resource.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

imposing a time delay prior to the communication being initiated.

Assignments (8)