Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR ESTABLISHING AUTOMATED
CALL BACK
Technical Field
The systems and methods relate to managing the queuing of clients waiting to
be
connected by telephone to a service agent of a business communication center.
More
particularly, the systems and methods relate to enabling clients to be added
to a queue
utilizing web service messaging and relate to establishing a telephony
connection
between clients and service agents on an automated basis and in an order
maintained by a
queue.
Background
Many businesses use groups of service representatives for communicating with
clients who initiate communications with the business, such as by telephone
calls. To
most efficiently use the time and skills of each service representative, the
service
representatives may be organized into groups based on a skill set. For
example, the
groupings may be based on the representatives ability to handle client issues
such as the
opening of new accounts, billing issues and customer service issues on
existing accounts.
Typically, if a client calls such a business, voice prompt menu choices enable
the
calling client to identify the issue for which the client requires service and
the client is
= then queued for a service agent capable of handling the identified issue.
As such, it is
expected that clients who identify the purpose of their call as a "billing
issue" will be
queued for, and connected to, a service representative with the ability to
handle billing
issues. Similarly, it is expected that clients who identify the purpose of
their call as a
"customer service issue" will be queued for, and connected to, a service
representative
with the ability to handle customer service issues.
There are problems with existing communications systems, such as contact
centers, including the following two problems. First, the voice prompt menus
that are
used to channel callers to the queue for the appropriate group of service
agents are
exacerbating to .a client at best. It takes significant time to navigate the
layered menus of
voice prompts.
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Second, waiting on-hold while the telephone connection is maintained in queue
for connection to a service agent is also exacerbating to a client at best.
In an effort to reduce customer exacerbation caused by having to maintain a
connection while on-hold in queue, secondary queue systems have been
developed. A
typical secondary queue system obtains a telephone number at which the calling
client
can be reached when a service representative is available (i.e., a call back
number). The
client disconnects, and then, at the proper time, a call back system
establishes a
connection to the client utilizing the call back number and couples the client
to an
available representative without waiting on-hold in queue. One exemplary
system is
disclosed in US Patent 6,563,921 to Williams et al. which is commonly assigned
with the
present application.'
While such a system may make the experience of waiting for a connection to a
service representative slightly less exacerbating, it does not address the
inconvenience of
having to navigate an irritatingly slow and usually complicated voice prompt
menu to
enter the queue.
Therefore, what is needed is: i) a method and system for adding clients to a
queue
in a more convenient manner; and ii) a method and system for establishing a
telephony
connection between the client and the service agents in an automated fashion.
Summary
In an embodiment, a method for a communication system that receives incoming
communications from a mobile communication device, has queues, and will call-
back to a
communication receiving device is used. The method includes receiving data
from the
mobile communication device (where the data includes an identifier associated
with a
communication receiving device) and determining, from the received data, a
queue
desired for the identifier, where the queue is a service agent queue. The
method further
includes (a) determining the expected wait time in the queue, (b) sending
information to
the mobile communication device, where the information includes the expected
wait time
in the queue, and (c) assigning a placeholder for the identifier in the queue.
If a call back
request is received from the mobile communication device, the method includes
initiating
a call back to the communication receiving device based upon the assigned
placeholder in
the queue and placing an outgoing telephone call to the communication
receiving device.
Also, a method for use in a system that receives incoming communications from
a
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mobile communication device and will queue a call back is described.
In an embodiment, a communication system for receiving incoming
communications from mobile communication devices and for initiating a call-
back
includes a sequence component that initiates a call-back sequence to a
communication
receiving device. In this embodiment, the sequence component is in
communication with
a mobile communication device and, based on the communication, the sequence
component determines a queue and confirms a call back. The system further
includes a
queue component having more than one queue, where a placeholder is assigned
for an
identifier associated with the communication receiving device in the
determined queue.
The system also includes an expected wait time component for determining the
expected
wait time in the determined queue. The expected wait time is provided to the
sequence
component and the sequence component communicates information regarding the
expected wait time to the mobile communication device. The system of this
embodiment
further includes a call-back component for placing an outgoing call to the
communication
receiving device, where the sequence component prompts the call back component
to
place the outgoing call.
In addition, a computer-readable medium including instructions for initiating
a
call-back sequence is described.
In an embodiment, a mobile communication device for initiating a call-back
sequence includes a display screen, a processor for executing a device
application and a
memory for storing the device application. The device application includes a
queue
control, where the queue control displays, on the screen, an indication of a
queue and
obtains a user selection of the queue as a selected queue. The device
application further
includes an expected wait time client, where a sequence component sends an
expected
wait time services call and receives an indication of the expected wait time,
and where the
expected wait time services call includes identification of the selected
queue. The device
application also includes a confirmation control to display, on the screen,
the indication of
the expected wait time where a user selection of one of a confirmation command
and a
cancel command is obtained. The device application includes a confirmation
wait time
client that generates a confirmation services call to the sequence component
in response
to user selection of the confirmation command, the confirmation services call
includes at
least a communication receiving device identifier and an instruction to add
the mobile
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device identifier to the selected queue.
A computer readable medium including instructions for a mobile device to
initiate
a call-back sequence in a communication system is, also described.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figures 1 is a block diagram representing an exemplary architecture of a
system
for sequencing mobile communication devices in a selected queue of a selected
provider;
Figure 2 is a flow-chart of a method for call back sequencing;
Figure 3A is a flow-chart of a method for assigning a placeholder in a queue
for a
call back to a mobile communication device;
Figure 3B is a block diagram representing an exemplary architecture of a
system
for sequencing mobile communication devices in a selected queue of a selected
provider;
Figure 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary queue component;
Figure 5A is an exemplary mobile device adapted for operation;
Figure 5B is an exemplary mobile device adapted for operation in accordance
with
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a table representing an exemplary provider control and an
exemplary
service control in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
Figures 7A-7D represent exemplary messaging structures packaged with transport
layer and media layer information;
Figure 8A is a flow chart representing exemplary operation of an active
providers
service or method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 8B is an exemplary active providers data storage in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 8C is a flow chart representing exemplary operation of an active queues
service or method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 8D is an exemplary active queues data storage in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 8E is a flow chart representing exemplary operation of an expected wait
time service or method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the
present
invention; and
Figure 8F is a flow chart representing exemplary operation of an ad-to-queue
method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
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Detailed Description
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the
drawings. In the drawings, each element with a reference number is similar to
other
elements with the same reference number independent of any letter designation
following
5 the reference number. In the text, a reference number with a specific
letter designation
following the reference number refers to the specific element with the number
and letter
designation and a reference number without a specific letter designation
refers to all
elements with the same reference number independent of any letter designation
following
the reference number in the drawings.
It should also be appreciated that many of the elements discussed in this
specification may be implemented in a hardware circuit(s), a processor
executing
=
software code which is encoded within computer readable media accessible to
the
processor, or a combination of a hardware circuit(s) and a processor or
control block of an
integrated circuit executing machine readable code encoded within a computer
readable
media. As such, the term circuit, module, server, or other equivalent
description of an
element as used throughout this specification is intended to encompass a
hardware circuit
(whether discrete elements or an integrated circuit block), a processor or
control block
= executing code encoded in a computer readable media, or a combination of
a hardware
circuit(s) and a processor and/or control block executing such code.
It should also be appreciated that the table structures represented in this
application are exemplary only, and intended to show the mapping of
relationships
between various data elements. Other table structures may store similar data
elements in
= various manners. Further, the applicant's use of the, term "plurality" is
intended to
indicate not just "at least one", but one, two, three, or any other quantity.
The applicant's
use of the term "group" is intended to indicate not just "at least one", but
two, three, or
more of the items within the group.
Flgure 1 is a high level schematic illustration of a system 10 for placing a
mobile
communication device 11 in a queue and calling the mobile communication device
11.
The system 10 includes the mobile communication device 11, a network 25, a
call back
component 15, a queue component 20 and a sequence component 22.
The system 10 assigns a placeholder for a mobile communication device 11 (or
an
identifier for a mobile communication device 11 such as its telephone number
or other
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unique network identifier) in a selected queue (not shown in Figure 1) of the
queue
component 20. The system uses a sequence component 22 to execute a call back
sequence to a mobile communication device 11. When prompted, the call back
component 15 places an outgoing call to a mobile communication device 11. The
outgoing call attempts to establish a voice connection with the mobile
communication
device 11.
In some embodiments, prior to allowing communication between a mobile
communication device 11 and the system 10, the system 10 performs one or more
security checks. These security checks can be performed for a variety of
purposes
including to ensure that the software on the mobile communication device 11 is
authentic
and valid for use on the device and. that the device is authorized. Various
software
routines may be used by the system 10 and the mobile communication device 11
to
. perform security checks. Encryption keys may be assigned to the mobile
communication
devices 11 and used for the security check.
In an embodiment, the identifier for a mobile communication device 11 is an
encryption key. Each software application for communicating with the system 10
on a
mobile communication device 11 may have one or more unique encryption keys
that are
recognized by the system 10.
The network 25 (depicted by a cloud) can be any one or more of a variety of
networks. The system 10 shown can support 'many mobile communication devices
11 of
various types and many queues (not shown in Figure 1). The mobile
communication
device may communicate with the other components through the network using
available
techniques.
Referring now to Figure 2, shown is a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of
a method for initiating a call-back sequence in a communication system, such
as a call
center or contact center, for example. The method 200 includes receiving data
from a
mobile communication device 11 (205), determining a queue for the data (210),
determining the expected wait time in the queue (215) for the data and sending
the
expected wait time in the queue to a mobile communication device 11 (220). The
method
further includes assigning a placeholder for the data in the queue (225). If a
call back
=
request is received from the mobile communication device 11, the method
includes
initiating a call back to a communication receiving device. The method
further, includes
=
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placing an outgoing call to a communication receiving device (235). The steps
of the
method may be performed in various different orders or chronology.
The communication receiving device may be any device that can receive a
telephone call. The communication receiving device is often the mobile
communication
device that sent the initial data requesting a telephone connection.
Figure 3A is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method 300 for assigning a
placeholder in a queue for a call back to a mobile communication device 11 in
a
communication system. The description of the method 300 in Figure 3A also
references
components and routines found in Figure 3B. The method 300 of Figure 3A
includes the
sequence component 22 receiving a request for a list of active providers from
a mobile
communication device 11. This may be in the form of an active provider remote
processing call 48 from a provider client routine 34 (305). The provider
client 34 is a
routine which is part of the session queuing component 24. The active provider
remote
processing call 48 originates from the mobile communication device 11 and
serves as the
request for a list of active providers. The active providers may be associated
with a user
of the mobile communication device 11. Upon receipt of the active provider
remote
processing call 48, the sequence component 22 launches an active provider
routine 26.
The routine generates a list of active providers associated with the user
(310) of the
mobile communication device 11.
The method 300 further includes active provider routine 26 sending a list of
active
providers to the mobile communication device 11 via an active providers
message 50.
More particularly, the provider client routine 34 in the session queuing
component 24
receives active providers message 50 (315).
The method 300 further includes receiving a request for active queues in the
queue component 20 via an active queue remote processing call 52 from the
mobile
communication device 11(320). The active queue remote processing call 52
serves as a
request for a listing of active queues associated with the selected provider
to an active
queue routine or process 28 of the sequence component 22. The listing is
populated into
the service control 40 of the session queuing component 24.
The exemplary method 300 of Figure 3A further includes sending active queues,
via an active queues message 54, from active queue routine 28 to service
client routine
38. The service client routine 38 in this example is resident on the mobile
communication
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device 11 (325). The. active queues message 54 includes active queues wherein
an
identifier of a mobile communication device 11 may be placed.
The method 300 further includes receiving a request for the expected wait time
for
receiving a call back from a provider. The expected wait time may be received
via an
expected wait time call 56 from the mobile communication device 11 (330). Upon
the
user selecting a queue using the service control 40, the expected wait time
client 42
generates an expected wait time call 56 to the sequence component 22. The
method 300
includes the expected wait time routine 30 sending a request 62 for the
expected wait time
to the expected wait time component 18 (within the queue component 20) (335)
and
receiving the expected wait time 64 (340) from the expected wait time
component 18.
With continuing reference to Figure 3A, the method 300 further includes
sending
an expected wait time message 58 to the mobile communication device 11 (345).
More
particularly, the expected wait time message 58 is sent from the expected wait
time
routine 30, of the sequence component 22, to an expected wait time client 42
of the
session queuing component 24. The
method 300 further includes receiving a
confirmation call 60 from the mobile communication device 11. More
particularly, the
confirmation call originates from confirmation client 46 (part of the= session
queuing
component 24) and is sent to the confirmation routine 32 (350) of the sequence
component 22. The method 300 further includes sending a request via a message
66 to
the queue component 20 to add user's identifier to the selected queue (355).
Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a telephone based system
10 showing multiple mobile devices 11a-11d and multiple business communication
centers 14a-14c. Each business communication center 14a-14c is typically
associated
with a company for which the business communication center 14a-14c is
operated. The
system 10 includes sequence component 22 and a session queuing component 24.
The
sequence component 22 performs the call back sequencing of the mobile
communication
devices 1 la-11d. The session queuing component 24 resides within a mobile
communication device 11 and can be loaded onto each mobile communication
device
11a-11d.
With continuing reference to Figure 3B, each business communication center
(using business communication center 14a for reference) may be associated with
a
company and comprise a group of service agents 12. Each of the service agents
12 may
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be a service representative system for enabling a service representative to
service a client.
More specifically, the service representative may participate in an audio
session with a
mobile communication device 11 and service the requests of each client, or
routine, of the
session queuing component 24. The service agents 12 may be organized in a
single service
agent set grouped into multiple service agent sets based on the skill set of
service agent
operators (e.g., the operators of the service agents 12 at a communication
system).
In an embodiment, the business communication center 14a has at least one
computer system including a processor operating the queue component 20, and
memory.
In general, the queue component 20 is adapted to maintain a group of queues
16a, 16b with
each queue 16a, 16b being associated with one of sets 12a, 12b of the group of
service
agents 12. For example the set of service agents 12a may be associated with
queue 16a
while the second set of service agents 12b may be associated with queue 16b.
In an embodiment, the queue component 20 identifies a sequential order of the
mobile devices 11w, 11x, 11 y, and 11z, which are queued for connection to one
of the
service agents 12.
Expected wait time component 18 is adapted to determine an expected wait time
value representing the time at which service agents 12 within the particular
service agent
group are expected to be available to service a client. The expected wait time
can be
calculated or determined in a number of different ways.
The expected wait time value may represent an estimated wait time calculated
using primary estimated wait time techniques such as projecting a wait time
based on the
quantity of clients in the queue and any of a historical, present, or
projected time allotment
for handling each such queued client. Alternatively, the expected wait time
value may be a
function of both a primary estimated wait time calculation and a wait time
augmentation
calculation made based on service agent availability and/or scheduled change
in service
agent availability as disclosed in United States Patent Application
Publication No. 2006-
0277550 Al filed on June 2, 2005 and assigned to the same assignee as the
present
invention.
The sequence component 22 may be embodied as a web services server. In one
embodiment, the sequence component is connected to the internet and includes
appropriate
web services messaging systems (i.e., Simple Object Access Protocol or SOAP)
for
communicating with the session queuing component 24 on the mobile devices
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1 la-11d. In an embodiment, the sequence component 22 communicates with queue
component 20.
The sequence component 22 may include a processor (not shown) for executing
the web services messaging systems as well as other applications stored on a
memory (not
5 shown). Such other applications may comprise an active provider routine
26, an active
queue routine 28, an expected wait time routine 30, and a confirmation routine
32.
The session queuing component 24 may include a number of routines including
for example, a provider client 34, a company or provider control 36, a queue
or service
client 38, a queue or service control 40, an expected wait time client 42, a
confirmation
10 control 44 and a confirmation client 46.
It should be appreciated that each of the routines of the session queuing
component 24 are exemplary and for illustrative purposes. Those skilled in the
art will
recognize that the systems and functions of each routine described herein may
be
implemented by way of other permutations of components and sub systems.
In an embodiment, the session queuing component 24 may be an embedded
application of a mobile communication device 11. In another embodiment, the
session
queuing component may be a java script, ActiveX, or other similar structure
downloaded
and executed by a browser and an applicable browser plug-in executing on the
telephone
11. In this embodiment, the session queuing component 24 may include a
combination of
the java script or ActiveX control and components of the browser and/or the
plug-in,
which in combination drive operation of the session queuing component 24.
In an embodiment, the session queuing component 24 communicates with the
sqquence component 22 using web service messages and internet protocol. In an
embodiment, the session queuing component 24 obtains user selection of a
provider (from
a group of providers) with which the user desires to communicate via a
telephone
communication session. The session queuing component 24 may also obtain user
selection of a service of the selected provider (from a group of services) and
an estimated
wait time representing a duration of time the user can be expected to wait
until connecting
to the selected services. Session queuing component 24 confirms, after
presenting the
expected wait time to the user, that the user desires to connect to a service
agent 12.
More specifically, it confirms that the user wishes to speak with a particular
type of =
service agent 12. The session queuing component 24 assists in placing the user
in a
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queue for the user to receive a call back from the service agent 12 at a
connection time.
The connection time may be when the user reaches the first position in the
queue
(i.e., after other clients in the selected queue prior to the client have all
been connected to
available service agents or abandoned their position in the queue selected)
and a service
agent becomes available, or at a specific scheduled time. The specific
scheduled time
may be a time calculated by adding the expected wait time to the time, at
which the
expected wait time was presented to the user. The specific scheduled time may
also be a
time selected by the user.
The term "provider" is used interchangeably with the term "business
communication center" or the "provider's business communication center" within
this
application, and the term "queue" is used interchangeably with the term
"service" or the
"queue for connection to a service agent providing the selected service."
Figure 4, is a block diagram of an embodiment of queue component 20. The
queue component 20 may include primary queue 17 (ACD) adapted to queue mobile
communication devices 11 while maintaining the telephony connection (e.g.,
mobile
communication devices "on-hold"), a secondary queue component 19, a call back
component 15 adapted to establish a telephony connection to mobile
communication
device 11 for which a telephony connection is not maintained by the primary
queue 17,
and an expected wait time component 18.
The primary queue 17 may be embodied in a primary automated call director
(ACD). In an embodiment, the ACD places in a queue client telephone
connections
which are "on-hold" waiting for a service agent 12. Such an ACD may use known
technology adapted to (1) receive incoming calls from the mobile communication
device
11 (e.g., establishing a client connection with each) (2) identify which group
of service
agents the caller desires to connect (including using primary voice prompts)
and (3) place
the call in a queue for connection to the identified service agent group. If
one of the
service agents 12 within a service agent group becomes available, the ACD
connects a
next client connection from the queue to the available service agent 12.
= The secondary queue component 19 may be coupled to a primary queue 17 as
an
= 30 accessory device. The secondary queue component 19 maintains the queue
position of
the mobile communication device 11 in a manner that does not require the
mobile
communication device 11 to remain "on hold" or otherwise maintain an active
telephone
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connection with the primary queue 17. More specifically, for a mobile
communication
device 11 calling the communication center utilizing the primary queue 17, the
secondary
queue component 19 may (1) obtain a network address for the mobile
communication
device 11 (e.g., a telephone network call back telephone number or other
telephone
network address) and (2) write the network address of the telephone connection
to a
record of the queuing table (for example record 224 in the event a user of
mobile
communication device 1 la calls the communication center in a primary manner).
Further, the secondary queue component 19 may, at the appropriate connection
time, (3)
induce the call back system 15 'to establish a connection to the mobile
communication
device 11 utilizing the call back number. Inducing the call back system 15 to
establish
the connection may include generating a call back message 220 to the call back
system
15.
The secondary queue component 19 may also (e.g., mobile communication
devices 11 being added to a queue utilizing telephone system 10), obtain a
network
address of a telephone connection to the mobile communication device 11
(e.g.,.a
telephone network call back telephone number or other telephone network
address) via
the messaging discussed above with respect to messages 62, 64, and 66 in
Figure 3B.
The secondary queue component 19 may write the network address of the
telephone
connection to a record of the queuing table (for example record 226 in the
event a user of
mobile device 1lb utilizing system 10 for being added to queue 16a), and at
the
appropriate connection time, induce the call back system 15 to establish a
connection to a
mobile communiaation device 11 utilizing the call back number. Inducing the
call back
system 15 to establish the connection may include generating a call back
message 220 to
the call back system 15. The call back message 220 may include identification
of the
telephone number to which the call back system 15 is to establish a telephone
connection
and identifying the queue 16a, 16b and/or service agent group 12a, 12b to
which the
telephone connection is to be connected.
After the call back system 15 has established a connection with the mobile
communication device 11, it may generate a priority connection to the
available service
agent 12 within the appropriate service agent group 12a, 12b.
The priority connection 222 may be a transfer 222a of the mobile communication
device 11 connection to the primary queue 17. Transfer 222a may occur via a
command
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such that the primary queue 17 connects the client to the next available one
of the service
agents 12 within the required service agent group 12a-12b (e.g., places the
client at the
front of the queue). The priority connection 222 may also be a connection 222b
directly
to the next available service agent 12, bypassing primary queue 17.
The secondary queue system 19 may comprise a secondary queue application 91
and a secondary queue table 93. The secondary queue table 93 maintains, for
each
mobile communication device 11 being handled by the secondary queue component
19,
call back information. In more detail, secondary queue table 93 may comprise a
plurality
of records 95. Each record 95 associates a client identifier 97 with a call
back telephone
number 101 (or other network identifier) to which a, telephone connection may
be
established with the subject mobile communication device 11, or other
communication
= receiving device at a connection time 103. Secondary queue table 93 may
also include a
service agent ID 99 identifying the service agent 120, or subset of the group
of service
agents to which the client 11 is to be connected. --
In one aspect, the secondary queue application 91 monitors the passage of time
and, upon determining that time has advanced to the connection time 103 of one
of the
records 95 of the secondary queue table 93, drives the call back system 15 to
establish a
telephony connection to the subject client. Again, the telephony connection
may be a
primary PSTN connection or a telephony connection using an alternative
technology such
as VoIP.
After establishing the telephony connection, the priority connection to a
service
agent 12 within the required service agent group is generated.
The expected wait time component 18 may be part of the secondary queue system
19, part of the primary queue (ACD) 17, or a separate accessory system
interoperating
with the secondary queue system 19 and the primary queue (ACD) 17.
Referring now to Figure 5A, each mobile device 11 may include user interface
90
inclusive of display screen 92 and controls 94 (such as keys, touch panel, or
other
controls) for operation of controls rendered on the display screen (keys are
represented),
memory 96, and processor 98 for executing applications encoded in the memory
96.
The applications encoded in memory 96 may include a telephone application 100,
and/or appropriate systems adapted to drive operation of the user interface,
and the
session queuing component 24.
=
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The telephone application 100 may be adapted to signal, establish, and
maintain
an audio communication session (either as the session initiator or receiver)
with remote
endpoint devices over compatible networks (PSTN, VoIP, and other networks
utilized for
audio communication sessions). The endpoint devices include the business
communication center systems 14 for signaling, establishing, and maintaining
audio
communication sessions between each service agent. 12 and the business
clients, each of
which may utilize one of the mobile devices 11 for communication with the
business.
The session queuing component 24 may include a launch object 74 rendered as a
"My Providers" icon on the display screen 92 and adapted to launch operation
of the
session queuing component 24 upon detecting user selection of the launch
object 74.
Referring now to Figure 5B, for purposes of performing the above described
functions, visible objects of the session queuing component 24 (following
activation by
selection of the launch icon 74 as depicted in Figure 5A) include a provider
control 36, a
service control 40, and a confirmation control 44.
The confirmation control 44 may include a window 44a for confirming the
identifier of a mobile communication device 11 (i.e., the call back telephone
number
utilized to establish an inbound telephone call to the mobile communication
device 11 or
other unique. "call back" identifier used to establish an audio session with
the mobile
communication device 11), an accept control object 44b and a cancel control
object 44c.
In an exemplary embodiment, the telephone number of the mobile communication
= device 11 may be pre-populated to the window object 44a with the window
object being
active to enable the user to modify the telephone number in the event he or
she desires the
call back to be at a different telephone station.
The cancel control object 44c may be a selection button adapted to detect user
selection. Upon detecting user selection, cancel control object 44c may be
adapted to
terminate operation of the session queuing component.
The accept control object 44b may be a selection button adapted to launch the
confirmation client 46 upon user selection.
Upon launch of the session queuing component 24 the visible objects of the
session queuing component 24 may be rendered on the display screen 92 as
depicted in
Figure 5B.
The provider control 36 may be rendered in an active state with the group of
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providers 78 (Figure 6) populated into its drop down menu. From this menu, the
user
may select providers from the selected business communication center. The
service
control 40 is shown in an active state. The service control 40 and the
confirmation
control 44 may be rendered in an inactive state (i.e., rendered with no
populated data,
5 inoperable, and rendered with a gray tint to indicate the inactive
state). In an
embodiment, the provider client 34 (shown in Figure 3B) populates the provider
control
36 with a listing of the providers from the group of providers 78.
Referring now to Figure 6, shown is an illustration of the provider control
36. The
provider control 36 may be a drop down menu control which displays a group of
10 providers 78. From this menu, the user may select a provider from the
selected business
communication center.
The service control 40 may be a drop down menu control (as represented by
40a,"
40b) which displays, for the selected provider, the services/queues of a group
of
services/queues 80a, 80b associated with the selected provider's business
communication
15 center. A user may select a service from this menu.
Exemplary providers include Company A and Company B. For purposes of
illustration, Company A may be a utility company and its services/queues
associated with
its business communication center may include a service/queue for reporting
loss of
services, a service/queue for handling billing matters, and a default
service/queue for
handling other matters.
Company B, for illustration, may be a bank and its services/queues associated
with its business communication center may include a service for handling of
checking,
savings, or other deposit accounts, a service for handling credit card
accounts, a service
for handling mortgage accounts, and a default service for handling other
matters.
Figure 7A, shows an exemplary embodiment of a structure for communications or
messages passing between the mobile communication devices 11 and service
providers.
In this example, the structure of an active providers remote processing call
48 is shown.
The structure may be an XML structure 100 with applicable SOAP or other remote
processing call protocol information 102. The exemplary structure includes at
least a
method identifier 104, which identifies the active provider routine or process
26 as the
remote process, and data arguments 106 for the active provider routine 26. The
data
arguments 106 may include at least identification of the user.
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16
The remote processing call 48 may be encapsulated within appropriate TCP/IP
and 1-1TTP headers and other transport layer information 108 such as source IP
address
and source port number of the requesting device 11 and destination IP address
and =
destination port number of the sequence component 22. Such combination may be
encapsulated within appropriate media layer protocols 110 for transmission
across
. physical communication media via various physical layer segments
interconnecting the
requesting device 11 and the sequence component 22.
Figures 7B-7D show exemplary structures of other messages or communications
within system 10 similar to that of active providers remote processing call
48. The other
communioations that may be similarly structured, encapsulated, and transported
may
= include the active queue remote processing call 52 (Figure 7B), expected
wait time call
56 (Figure 7C), add-to-queue remote processing ,call 154, the active providers
message
50, the active queue message 54, the expected wait time message 58, and the
confirmation remote processing call 60 (Figure 7D), for example.
More specifically, referring to Figure 8A and Figure 8B, the active provider
routine 26 includes a looking up (at step 112) in an active providers data
store 200, a list
of active providers associated with the user. The active providers data store
200 and may
include a group of records 202, with each record associating a user ID 204
with
identification of a group of active providers 202 associated with the user ID
204. Step
114 represents building an active providers message 50 (shown in Figure 3A)
for return to
the device generating the active providers remote processing call 48 (shown in
Figure
3A).
It should be appreciated that the above described structure and processes for
populating the provider control 36 is exemplary only. Those skilled in the art
will also
recognize that the list of providers could be obtained and stored within the
mobile
communication device 11. A list of providers stored within the mobile
communication
device 11 may then be used for populating both the provider control 36 and the
active
queue control 40. Upon a user selecting a provider from the list of active
providers 78
rendered or shown within the provider control, the service client routine 38
requests a
listing of active queues from the active queue routine or process 28 of the
sequence
component 22. The service client routine 38 populates the service control 40
with a
listing of active queues associated with the selected provider.
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17
More specifically, referring to Figure 8C and Figure 8D, the active queue
routine
or process 28 includes looking up (at step 126) in an active queues data store
208, a list of
active queues associated with the selected provider. The active queues data
store 208
may include a group of records 210, with each record associating a company ID
212
(identifying a provider) with identification of a group of active queues 214
associated
with the company ID 212. The build active queues list (step 128) represents
building an
active queues message 54 (described above) for return to the device generating
the active
queue remote processing call 52 (described above).
= Upon receipt of the active queues message 54, by service client routine
38, the
service control 40 is populated by the list of active queues 80a as discussed
with respect
to Figure 5B and Figure 6.
It should be appreciated that the above described structure and processes for
populating the service control 40 is exemplary only. Those skilled in the art
will also
recognize that lists of active queues for each provider could be obtained and
stored within
the mobile communication device 11 utilizing one or more remote processing
calls prior
to user selection. As such, list of providers and active queues stored within
the mobile
communication device 11 may then be used to populate both the provider control
36 and
the active queue control 40. It is further envisioned that both the provider
control 36 and
the service control 40 may be combined within a single control listing
combinations of a
provider and a service.
More specifically, referring to Figure 8E, the expected wait time routine or
= process 30 includes obtaining (at step 134) from the expected wait time
component 18
associated with the selected queue of the selected provider, the expected wait
time for the
selected queue. Such step may include sending a remote processing call to the
expected
wait time component with data arguments (of the remote processing call)
including
identification of the selected queue. The return expected wait time to calling
device (step
136) represents the expected wait time component 18 building an expected wait
time
message 58. The expected wait time message can then be sent to the device
generating
the expected wait time remote processing call 56.
. Referring back to Figure 5B, upon receipt of the expected wait time
response
message 58, the expected wait time value 148 identifying the expected wait
time duration
of time is rendered on the display screen as depicted by reference numeral 82.
Following
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18
display of the identification of the duration of time, the confirmation
control 44 may be
activated for obtaining user input.
As discussed, the confirmation control may include a window 44a for confirming
a telephone number of the mobile device (i.e., the telephone number utilized
to establish
an inbound telephone call to the mobile device 11), a confirmation control 44b
and a
= cancel control 44c.
In an exemplary embodiment, the telephone number of the mobile device 11 may
be pre-populated to the window object 44a with the window object being active
to enable'
the user to modify the telephone number in the event he or she desires the
call back to be
at a different telephone station.
The cancel control 44c may be a selection button adapted to detect user
selection.
Upon detecting user selection, the cancel control object may be adapted to
terminate
operation of the session queuing component.
The accept control object 44b may be a selection button adapted to launch the
confirmation client 46 upon user selection.
The confirmation client 46 (shown in Figure 3A) may be adapted to send a
confirmation remote processing call 60 to the sequence component 22 via the
message
structure described above. In this instance, the data arguments may include at
least the=
identification of a telephone number or other telephone network address or the
communication receiving device or mobile communication device 11 that the user
desires
for use in the connection to the service agent. Typically such identification
will be a
PSTN telephone number that the provider systems will use as a "call back
number" to
establish a telephone connection between the user and a service agent at the
appropriate
call back time.
Further, the arguments of the confirmation remote processing call may include
identification of the selected provider and selected queue which the user
desires to join.
Alternatively, the arguments may include a session ID matched to previous
remote
processing calls such that the sequence component may determine the selected
provider
and selected queue which the user desires to join.
More specifically, referring to Figure 8F, the confirmation routine or process
32
includes (at step 216) generating an add-to-queue instruction 217. The
instruction may
include for example, a queue ID of the selected queue and the call back number
(e.g., the
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19
telephone network identifier of the mobile communication device 11) in a
format
compatible for transmission to the selected business communication center's
systems.
The step 218 of passing the add-to-queue instruction 217 to the queue
component 20 of
the selected provider is shown in Figure 8F. This 'step includes packaging the
SOAP
formatted add-to-queue instruction with applicable transport layer and media
layer for
transmission as discussed above. Upon receipt, the queue component 20 of the
selected
provider may add the user to the selected queue.
The above described system represents an exemplary embodiment of a connection
system for sequencing mobile device identifiers in a selected queue for
connection to a
service agent of a group of service agents at a business communication center.
The
present invention includes all such equivalents and modifications, and is
limited only by
the scope of the following claims.
=
