System and method for managing multi-channel engagements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10469664-B2
Application number	US-201615272304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2016
Priority date	Sep 21, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A contact center system for switching a communication event from one communication medium to another in a contact center, the system includes: a processor; and memory, wherein the memory has stored therein instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a first interaction request via a first media channel from an endpoint device; identify a second media channel different from the first media channel; transmit a signal for reserving a resource associated with the second media channel; and transmit a unique identifier associated with the reservation request to the endpoint device for establishing a second interaction request via the second media channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact center system for switching a communication event from one communication medium to another in a contact center, the system comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memory units, wherein the memory units have stored therein instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to respectively:
receive, by a first server module hosted by one of the one or more processors, a first interaction request via a first media channel from an endpoint device, wherein the first media channel is an audio channel;
identify a plurality of media channels based on constraints for determining one or more candidate media channels that are different from the first media channel;
identify a predictive model for selecting media channels;
estimate, based on the predictive model, an expected value that is anticipated to be obtained in utilizing each of the one or more candidate media channels to handle an interaction;
select a second media channel from the one or more candidate media channels based on the estimating;
identify a resource associated with the second media channel based on a routing strategy; transmit a reservation request for reserving the resource associated with the second media channel, wherein the resource is reserved for a preset amount of time;
transmit, by the first server module, a unique identifier associated with the reservation request to the endpoint device for establishing a second interaction request via the second media channel;
transmit, by the first server module, first audio instructions to the endpoint device over the first media channel, and further transmit, by the first server module, a first message corresponding to the first audio instructions, to a second server module hosted by the one or more processors;
render, by the second server module, first visual instructions in response to the received first message, the first visual instructions being communicated over the second media channel;
receive, by the second server module, over the second media channel, a user interaction in response to the rendered first visual instructions;
transmit, by the second server module, a second message to the first server module relating to the received user interaction;
determine, by the first server module, a next action in response to the received second message; and
transmit, by the first server module, second audio instructions to the endpoint device over the first media channel based on the determined next action, and further transmit a third message corresponding to the second audio instructions, to the second server module; and
render, by the second server module, second visual instructions in response to the received third message.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is configured to expire after an expiration time has lapsed.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the reserved resource is released when the second interaction request associated with the unique identifier is not received before lapse of the expiration time.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
receive the second interaction request associated with the unique identifier via the second media channel; and
in response to identifying that the expiration time has not lapsed, route the second interaction request to the reserved resource.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
determine a wait time for interacting with a resource associated with the first media channel, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to identify the second media channel is in response to identifying that the wait time for the resource at the first media channel exceeds a threshold wait time, and identifying that the second media channel has a wait time satisfying the threshold wait time.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second media channel is identified based on a reward predicted to be achieved by handling an interaction via the second media channel.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second media channel is further identified based on at least one of service rules associated with the interaction, customer preference, or capacity of contact center resources.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first interaction request is for a first mode of communication and the second interaction request is for a second mode of communication different from the first mode.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the resource is a live agent, personnel, computer, software program, or telecommunications equipment.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the constraints include service rules and/or service agreements.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the estimate of the expected value is based on context data including at least one of profile data of the customer, intent of the customer, attributes of the candidate media channels, or profile data of agents of the contact center.

12. A method for switching a communication event from one communication medium to another in a contact center, the method comprising:
receiving, by a first server module hosted by one of the one or more processors, a first interaction request via a first media channel from an endpoint device, wherein the first media channel is an audio channel;
identifying, by the one or more processors, a plurality of media channels based on constraints for determining one or more candidate media channels that are different from the first media channel;
identifying, by the one or more processors, a predictive model for selecting media channels;
estimating, by the one or more processors, based on the predictive model, an expected value that is anticipated to be obtained in utilizing each of the one or more candidate media channels to handle an interaction;
selecting, by the one or more processors, a second media channel from the one or more candidate media channels based on the estimating;
identifying, by the one or more processors, a resource associated with the second media channel based on a routing strategy;
transmitting, by the one or more processors, a reservation request for reserving the resource associated with the second media channel, wherein the resource is reserved for a preset amount of time;
transmitting, by the first server module, a unique identifier associated with the reservation request to the endpoint device for establishing a second interaction request via the second media channel;
transmitting, by the first server module, first audio instructions to the endpoint device over the first media channel, and further transmit, by the first server module, a first message corresponding to the first audio instructions, to a second server module hosted by the one or more processors;
rendering, by the second server module, first visual instructions in response to the received first message, the first visual instructions being communicated over the second media channel;
receiving, by the second server module, over the second media channel, a user interaction in response to the rendered first visual instructions;
transmitting, by the second server module, a second message to the first server module relating to the received user interaction;
determining, by the first server module, a next action in response to the received second message; and
transmitting, by the first server module, second audio instructions to the endpoint device over the first media channel based on the determined next action, and further transmit a third message corresponding to the second audio instructions, to the second server module; and
rendering, by the second server m

Assignees

• Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Inc

Inventors

• Pirat Vincent
• Choel Clement
• Jacolot Christian
• Ramanujaiaha Vasudev
• Connolly Christopher
• Ristock Herbert Willi Artur

Classifications

• H04L51/04

  Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] · CPC title

• H04M3/58

  Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party (substation line holding circuits H04M1/80) · CPC title

• H04M7/0024

  Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services (arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012) · CPC title

• H04M3/5141

  Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner (unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56) · CPC title

• H04M3/5166

  in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends · CPC title