Method and system to route a VoIP call to a representative at a provider's site

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9577843-B2
Application number	US-64065106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2006
Priority date	Dec 18, 2006
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A method and system to contact a provider are described. The system may include a communication module to detect a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call to a seller; a suitable representative associated with the seller; a decision module to determine, utilizing the detected VoIP call to the seller; and a call routing module to route the VoIP call to the suitable representative.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A call processing system comprising:
a pay per lead module, implemented using at least one processor to receive a request for a referral of a provider of a service type, the request for the referral indicated by a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call request;
a decision module, implemented using at least one processor, to determine, responsive to the VoIP call request and based on selection criteria stored in a data structure associated with an identification of a user, an identification of a suitable provider of the service type, the decision-module being to determine the suitable provider of the service type utilizing identification information associated with an initiator of the VoIP call request; and
a call routing module, implemented using at least one processor, to router a VoIP call to the suitable provider of the service type.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the decision module is to:
determine availability of representatives associated with the suitable provider; and
determine a suitable representative, utilizing the determined availability.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the decision module is to determine availability of the representatives based on on-line presence information associated with the representatives.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the decision module is to determine the suitable representative utilizing spoken language information associated with the representatives.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the decision module is to determine the suitable representative utilizing area of expertise information associated with the representatives.

6. A method comprising:
receiving, via a user interface, a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call request, the VoIP call request being indicative of a request for a referral of a provider of a service type;
responsive to the receiving of the VoIP call request determining, utilizing at least one processor and based on selection criteria stored in a data structure associated with an identification of a user who is an initiator of the VoIP call request, an identification of a suitable provider of the service type, the determining utilizing identification information associated with the initiator of the VoIP call request; and
routing a VoIP call to the suitable provider of the service type.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining availability of representatives associated with the suitable provider; and
determining a suitable representative, utilizing the determined availability of the representatives.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining the availability comprises utilizing on-line presence information associated with the representatives associated with the suitable provider.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining the identification comprises utilizing spoken language information.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining the identification comprises utilizing area of expertise information associated with the representatives.

11. A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium having instruction data to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:
receiving, via a user interface, a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call request, the VoIP call request being indicative of a request for a referral of a provider of a service type;
responsive to the receiving of the VoIP call request determining, based on selection criteria stored in a data structure associated with an identification of a user who is an initiator of the VoIP call request, an identification of a suitable provider of the service type, the determining utilizing identification information associated with the initiator of the VoIP call request; and
routing a VoIP call to the suitable provider of the service type.

12. An on-line transaction processing system, the system comprising:
a pay per lead module, implemented using at least one processor, to receive a request for a referral of a provider of a service type, the request for a referral indicated by a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call request;
a searchable listing index, implemented using at least one processor, to present voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) control to a user in response to a search request;
a VoIP module, implemented using at least one processor, to:
detect a VoIP call to a seller, the VoIP call initiated via the VoIP control;
determine based on selection criteria stored in a data structure associated with an identification of the user, a suitable provider of the service type, the determining utilizing identification information associated with an initiator of the VoIP call request; and
route a VoIP call to the suitable provider of the service type.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the search request is a referral request and the VoIP call is to a provider, the provider being selected in response to the referral request.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the search request is associated with an offering and the VoIP call is to a seller of the offering.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the search request is associated with an offering and the VoIP call is initiated with a web page to display data related to the offering.

16. A method comprising:
receiving, using at least one processor, a request for a referral of a provider of a service type, the request for the referral indicated by a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) call request;
presenting voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) control in response to a search request;
detecting a VoIP call to a seller, the VoIP call initiated via the VoIP control;
determining, utilizing at least one processor and based on selection criteria stored in a data structure associated with an identification of a user who is an initiator of the VoIP call request, a suitable provider of the service type representative associated with the seller, the determining utilizing identification information associated with the initiator of the VoIP call request; and
routing a VoIP call to the suitable provider of the service type.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the search request is a referral request and the VoIP call is to a provider, the provider being selected in response to the referral request.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the search request is associated with an offering and the VoIP call is to a seller of the offering.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the search request is associated with an offering and the VoIP call is initiated with a web page to display data related to the offering.

Assignees

• Stuart Erik Anderson
• Paypal Inc

Inventors

• Stuart Erik Anderson

Classifications

• H04L12/66 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways · CPC title

• H04M7/003

  Click to dial services · CPC title

• H04M7/006

  Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer (H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42) · CPC title