Abstract: While using a communication system in which groups of destinations on a network are managed, and any one of the groups can be specified as a destination, if a group needs to be changed, added, or deleted, updating the system on the network is required, which increases load of maintenance. To address such a problem, an operation input receiving unit of a terminal receives selection of a group including destination information that represents destination candidates of communication. A destination management unit of the terminal determines a destination among the destination candidates represented by the destination information included in the selected group. A sending and receiving unit of the terminal makes a request for starting communication with the determined destination, to a management system.

Abstract: Among other things, embodiments of the present disclosure discussed herein help identify trending topics and generate customized data feeds that present trending topics to a user based on information in the user's social network profile. In some embodiments, users may select topics of interest to the user and the system can identity and present trending articles in the selected topic to the user via the user's newsfeed.

Abstract: The invention concerns a query response device comprising: an input adapted to receive user queries; a memory (106) adapted to store one or more routing rules; one or more live agent engines (116) configured to support interactions with one or more live agents; one or more virtual assistant engines (120) configured to support interactions with one or more virtual assistants instantiated by an artificial intelligence module (103); and a routing module (104) coupled to said live agent engines and to said virtual assistant engines, the routing module comprising a processing device configured: to select, based on content of at least a first user message from a first user relating to a first user query and on said one or more routing rules, a first of said live agent engines or a first of said virtual assistant engines; and to route one or more further user messages relating to the first user query to the selected engine.

Abstract: A system and method of issuing an alert through a voice assistant on behalf of a bank or other financial institution is disclosed. The alert through voice assistant enhances the channels of communication between the financial institution and the customer and enables a variety of information to be provided to the customer, including, but not limited to, fraud alerts. The alert through voice assistant satisfies two of the three security indicia, thus increasing the likelihood that the financial institution is in communication with its customer rather than a fraudster. The alert through voice assistant provides a mechanism in which information provided to the customer is clear, detailed, and interactive, increasing customer satisfaction and decreasing superfluous customer service calls.

Abstract: A first device may receive a request to establish a replication session between a second device and a third device, where the replication session is associated with replicating user interactions with a user interface of an application across a first instance and a second instance of the application. The first device may receive, after receiving the request, information identifying a set of interactions by a user of the second device with a first user interface provided for display by the first instance. The first device may determine, from the information, a set of instructions related to causing an indication for the set of interactions to be provided for display on a second user interface provided for display for the second instance based on the information being received from the second device. The first device may provide, after determining the set of instructions, the set of instructions to the third device.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer system, and a computer program product for mitigating conflicts. The present invention may include receiving communication by a recipient, wherein the received communication has a communicator sentiment associated with a communicator and a recipient sentiment associated with a recipient. The present invention may also include determining the communicator sentiment associated with the communicator message. The present invention may then include determining the recipient sentiment associated with a received communicator message. The present invention may further include determining that the determined recipient sentiment does not match the determined communicator sentiment based on the received communication. The present invention may include determining an appropriate response based on determining that the communicator sentiment does not match the recipient sentiment.

Abstract: A method for orchestrating a chat interaction with a customer and multiple sources that includes providing an animation library that includes conversational states, graphic stills corresponding to respective ones of the conversational states, animation templates, and source-based modifications corresponding to respective ones of the multiple sources. The method may include generating a source-informative animation by: determining a source of a chat message; determining a conversational state for the chat message; selecting a graphic still for the message; selecting an animation template for the chat message based on the selected graphic still; selecting a source-based modification that corresponds to the source; and modifying the animation template pursuant to the source-based modification so to generate the source-informative animation. The method may include sending a signal to the customer configured to generate thereon a chat interface having the chat message and source-informative animation.

Abstract: System and methods are described for managing references to master data within a multi-tenant architecture associated with an entity. In one implementation, a host database system defines a class of tenants within the multi-tenant architecture. The system designates a first tenant of a plurality of tenants as a master tenant, and defines the remaining tenants of the plurality of tenants as sub-tenants. The system further modifies data objects maintained by the sub-tenants to include references to data maintained by the master tenant.

Abstract: A method for conducting a communication session between a personal electronic device and a system operated by a call center agent, including establishing a communication session between the system and the personal electronic device, exchanging information between the system and the personal electronic device according to a workflow stored in the system, sending visual content from the server to the personal electronic device, the visual content is associated with a step in the workflow, receiving a feedback confirmation from the personal electronic device, the feedback confirmation defines a feedback detected at the personal electronic device regarding the visual content and advancing to a subsequent step in the workflow based on the feedback confirmation.

Abstract: A system for transitioning a telephony or in-person servicing to an artificial intelligence (AI) chat session is disclosed. The system may receive a phone call from a user device associated with a user, and transmit a voice request for personally identifiable information associated with the user. The system may also receive and authenticate the requested personally identifiable information and, in response, generate an authentication token. The system may further receive a servicing intent from the user device, and generate a corresponding servicing intent token. Also, the system may generate an API call to an AI chatbot model, transmit the authentication token and the servicing intent token to the AI chatbot model, and map the servicing intent token to a stored servicing intent. Finally, the system may transmit a message to the user device via the AI chat session.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of maintaining time information for a multi-tasking customer service agent is disclosed. One example method of operation may include maintaining time information allocated to a plurality of tasks. The method may include receiving a first task and starting a first timer at a computing device corresponding to the beginning of work performed on the first task. The method may also include receiving a second task and starting a second timer different from the first timer, which corresponds to the beginning of work performed on the second task. The method may further include transferring a total time allocation record representing a total time counted by the first timer and a total time counted by the second timer to a data record stored in memory, wherein the data record associates the total time counted by the first timer with a corresponding task, and associates the total time counted by the second timer with a different corresponding task.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product of managing and displaying online messages along timelines. In an embodiment, the present invention includes receiving a plurality of online messages from an online website, determining sets of similar online messages among the plurality of online messages, and displaying on a computer display each of the sets of similar online messages along a graphical representation of a timeline corresponding to the each of the sets of similar online messages, resulting in displayed timelines and displayed online messages. In a further embodiment, the present invention includes in response to receiving a new online message from the online website, determining each set among the sets of similar online messages to which the new online message is similar, and displaying on the computer display the new online message, resulting in a displayed new online message.

Abstract: A system and method for enabling a conversation to be shifted to different modalities. Optionally and preferably, the conversation between a customer and a customer representative is shifted from a voice phone call to a messaging-based system which may optionally be, for example, through SMS or short messaging system messages, self help tools or through other messaging systems, which may, for example, be operated through a mobile communication device such as a smartphone.

Abstract: A method for optimum utilization of a queue for calls is provided in a telecommunication system and is controlled by an application, as well as an appropriate telecommunication system. Each call that is in the queue has a particular queue property and can be assigned to an agent, to a two-way announcement that is played by an announcement memory and that is capable of interaction with a call, or to remain in the queue. The method is distinguished in that a call assigned to a two-way announcement is allocated a parameter that causes the queue property of the call to be retained.

Abstract: User interface integration across multiple clouds is achieved by hosting UI extensions for different services in the same browser window. The UI extensions are initialized by a shell with any necessary security context for the corresponding cloud. The shell provides versioning so that the newest version of the UI is presented to users for all versions of a service. A connector in a local cloud provides translation between APIs across different clouds.

Abstract: A computing system and method for request management receive an incoming customer request at a request management server. Components at the server identify a type of problem associated with the request and the customer sending the request. The system searches for a customer experience profile for the identified customer in a customer database stored in a computer memory and determines based on the customer experience profile if the customer has prior experience solving the type of problem identified. The system routes the customer to an abbreviated resolution process when the customer has prior experience solving the identified type of problem and resolves the request using the abbreviated resolution process.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, apparatus, methods, and computer readable media for interfacing with a phone system in an on-demand service environment. In one embodiment, a client machine is in communication with a data provider and the phone system. The phone system is operated by a phone provider separate from the data provider. A message is received at the client machine from the phone system. The message includes information regarding a phone event in relation to a phone call. The phone event information is provided in a first part of a user interface in a web browser on the client machine. A second part of the user interface is capable of displaying information received at the client machine from the data provider. The first part of the user interface and the second part of the user interface are adapted to communicate with one another. For example, the first part of the user interface is adapted to send a message including the phone event information to the second part of the user interface.

Abstract: Generating an automated agent enabled to engage in a multi-turn discussion with a user in response to a received request. For example, the automated agent is operative to provide a response on behalf of an agent owner. A knowledge database is generated based on the agent owner's context (e.g., email conversations, calendar data, organizational chart, document database). A request for information is received and analyzed for understanding the request and for gauging a level of frustration of the requesting user. An urgency level of the request is determined based at least in part on the level of frustration of the requesting user. A query of the knowledge database is made for determining a response to the request, wherein the determined response is based at least in part on the urgency level of the request. A response is generated and provided to the requesting user.

Abstract: A system and method for managing interactions of a customer contact center. A contact center processor receives a request to reserve a contact center resource for handling an interaction. The processor also receives data about the interaction. The processor identifies a routing point for routing the interaction based on the received data. The routing point is associated with routing logic controlled by a customer instead of the contact center. The processor routes the interaction to the identified routing point for giving the customer control of the routing of the interaction.

Abstract: A server computer system for parsing non-uniformly presented data from a variety of unique non-uniform third-party web portals can comprise a scripting processor configured to automatically execute a web-portal specific script for each of the one or more third-party web portals accessed by a network communication device. Each of the web-portal specific scripts can be configured to imitate inputs from a user input device and to automatically adapt interactions with each of the one or more third-party web portals to access and parse data elements from one or more non-uniformly available data fields. Further, the server computer system can comprise a database processor configured to compare a first set of data received from the one or more non-uniformly available data fields with a second set of data, which is stored within the local database device.

Abstract: In a system for managing blended agent and automated chat in a contact center setting, the system includes: a chat orchestration server invoking natural language processing on a received communication, selecting a standardized text communication responsive to the natural-language-processed communication, and transmitting the standardized text communication to an agent device; and a knowledge management server for determining confidence values and populating ranked lists of responsive standardized text communications.

Abstract: In a system for managing an interaction flow, the system includes: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory has stored thereon, instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a communication from a user device; store data corresponding to one or more topics of the communication in the memory; compare the data with parameters a plurality of predesigned interaction flows for identifying one or more of the predesigned interaction flows relevant to the communication; and route the communication to a corresponding contact center resource in response to identifying the one or more of the predesigned interaction flows relevant to the communication.

Abstract: In accordance with an example embodiment a computer-implemented method and an apparatus for predicting and tracking of mood changes in textual conversations are provided. The method includes determining, by a processor, one or more mood metrics in each of two or more chat stages of a real-time textual conversation between an agent and a customer. Changes in the one or more mood metrics across the two or more chat stages of the real-time textual conversation are tracked by the processor. Further, the method includes determining, by the processor, at least one action associated with the real-time textual conversation based on the changes in the one or more mood metrics.

Abstract: A conversation-based computing system may include a back-end computing module, a design module, and an execution module. The design module may be configured to provide a graphical user interface through which different conversation models are defined in metadata. Each model may include a topic containing respective goals, where the goals are associated with respective conversation flows that define respective dialogs that directs conversations toward the associated goals. Each model may also define references to topic-specific content stored in the back-end module. The execution module may be configured to execute a particular model between the system and a front-end computing device and set up integration of a live agent into the model. Execution of the model may involve, in part, carrying out, in an at least partially-automated fashion, the flow for the model according to the dialog, the topic-specific content corresponding to the model, and communicating using a specific communication protocol.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide for the automated retrieval of contextual relevant data in an in-person meeting. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for the automated retrieval of contextual relevant data in an in-person meeting includes capturing speech audio in an in-person meeting through a transducer coupled to a personal computing device and speech recognizing the captured speech audio without regard to any speaker of the captured speech audio so as to produce a corpus of speech recognized text. The method also includes parsing the corpus of speech recognized text in order to identify a multiplicity of keywords and mapping the keywords to one or more records of an enterprise application. Finally, the method includes displaying a user interface to the enterprise application in the personal computing device and displaying in the user interface the one or more records.

Abstract: A conversation-based computing system may include a back-end computing module, a design module, and an execution module. The design module may be configured to provide a graphical user interface through which different conversation models are defined in metadata. Each model may include a topic containing respective goals, where the goals are associated with respective conversation flows that define respective dialogs that directs conversations toward the associated goals. Each model may also define references to topic-specific content stored in the back-end module. The execution module may be configured to execute a particular model between the system and a front-end computing device and set up integration of a live agent into the model. Execution of the model may involve, in part, carrying out, in an at least partially-automated fashion, the flow for the model according to the dialog, the topic-specific content corresponding to the model, and communicating using a specific communication protocol.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method that includes receiving customer identification information, verifying a customer identity using the customer identification information, receiving inputs related to customer intent from a predictive intent module, processing the inputs related to the customer intent to select a customer service representative from a plurality of customer service representatives, delivering the inputs related to the customer intent to the customer service representative, and connecting a customer device to the customer service representative to facilitate an interaction.

Abstract: In an example of this disclosure, a method may include storing, by a first database server, first call session information in a data structure in a memory of the first database server. The first call session information may correspond to a unique identifier that corresponds to a caller. The method may include replicating the first call session information stored in the data structure in the memory of the first database server to a data structure in a memory of a second database server.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for providing near real-time feedback to an originating agent on one or more instances initiated by the originating agent during a text-based communication being conducted between the originating agent and a remote party. In various embodiments, a determination is made that the one or more instances initiated by the originating agent for the text-based communication require verification and as a result, a verification agent is located to review the instances before they are delivered to the remote party. Accordingly, upon the verification agent editing the text of one of the instances, the instance is delivered to the remote party displaying the edited text and the edited text is also displayed to the originating agent at virtually the same time to provide the originating agent with near real-time feedback on the instance.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for facilitating interactions via automatic agent responses is provided. A request for information for an agent is received from a user during an interaction with the agent. A list of candidate responses to the request is generated and one of the candidate responses is automatically selected when the agent fails to respond to the request within a predetermined time period. The selected response is provided to the user on behalf of the agent.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a mobile-specific intermediary replacement for the toll free service. This mobile intermediary entity or service can provide four primary call invocation types. Namely, calls can be invoked through a dialer of the mobile device, through a web interface accessed through the mobile device, through a mobile application executing on the mobile device, or through a personal assistant of similar service. The mobile intermediary entity or service can also provide rich, supplementary services for mobile callers. These services can include but are not limited to menu navigation, call continuity, caller geo-location awareness, and awareness of the caller's mobile network operator's identifier. Services natively provided by the called enterprise, such as call conferencing, can also be provided within the call.

Abstract: Systems are provided to manage pauses, including on-hold, conditions in communications, such as text-based communications. Users may be provided with messages at a pace that, among other things, allows a particular cadence of messages to be maintained, even if a reply has been created. Accordingly, resources of a contact center may be better allocated to other matters requiring attention without causing undue customer dissatisfaction or the burden of handling additional messages. While voice-based “hold” conditions may be managed with messages or music on hold, text-based communications may be managed with social messaging content and/or comfort messages.

Abstract: A system and method for increasing meta data with a call center system to provide increased caller ID and agent skill matching. A system may include pre-populated meta data from a given phone number. A processor may include pre-programmed logic sequences for increasing meta data for the system by providing signal outputs to other sources and vendors to request the missing meta data. The information obtained from the other sources is input into the memory of the system for another logic sequence to act upon to provide the phone number or a call to the best possible and available agent based on agent skills and other information. Agents are able to access all the meta data prior to, during or after the call. Inbound and outbound calls may each utilize the system.

Abstract: Disclosed is an approach for allowing an entity to perform semantic analysis upon private data possessed by an enterprise, and to automatically perform categorization of that data for processing within the enterprise. A semantic API can be provided to allow the enterprise to provide the private data to a semantic analysis system, even when the semantic analysis system is configured as a multi-tenant system that handles other items of public or private data. A rules-based routing architecture may be provided to facilitate analysis and routing of analyzed messages to the appropriate destination within the organization.

Abstract: A method is provided for making available an assistance suggestion for a user of a motor vehicle. The method determines information on the availability of helpers and displays the available helpers based on that information. After selecting a helper by the user, the method sets up a communication link between the user and the selected helper, makes available assistance information to the selected helper, and receives an assistance suggestion which is based on the assistance information made available.

Abstract: An image processing system including at least one processor configured to receive real-time image data captured by an image sensor of a mobile device. The real-time image data includes at least one image of an inoperative product. The processor is further configured to perform image recognition on the real-time image data to identify a likely source product inoperability; cause the mobile device to display sequential instructions for mitigating the inoperability; determine that an error was made when a particular one of the instructions is not complied with; cause the mobile device to display an error notification when the particular instruction is not complied with and before a subsequent instruction is displayed; determine that the particular instruction was subsequently complied with based on real-time image data captured following the notification; and cause the mobile device to display the subsequent instruction after the particular instruction is determined to have been complied with.

Abstract: Methods and systems for multiple channel authentication are described. In one embodiment, a request for an interaction is initiated from within a mobile application. The request may include authentication information and contextual information relating to a current exchange between the mobile application and an organization. The user may be authenticated with the authentication information and the request may be routed to a representative based on the contextual information to continue the exchange.

Abstract: A method includes providing a server including a memory and a processor coupled to the memory; defining a plurality of databases in the memory, the databases including fields for respective client matters, and the databases including a plurality of notes for respective matters, the notes including text, and the databases including a plurality of buzzwords; associating respective buzzwords with descriptive pages; generating a user interface including a text editing screen area in which a user can type text for a note, the text including a plurality of terms; comparing terms to the buzzwords and, in response to a term matching a buzzword, indicating that the matching term is a buzzword in the user interface; and displaying the descriptive page associated with the typed buzzword in response to the user interacting with the buzzword indicating area of the user interface.

Abstract: A system and method for aggregating state information in a contact center. Agent-owner nodes aggregate state information for the agents they own, and, upon request from a client-side adapter, provide partial agent-group state information to the client side adapter. The client-side adapter aggregates the partial agent-group state information to form full agent-group state information and provides this full agent-group state information to clients upon request.

Abstract: A system for providing integrated contact information with search results, comprising a plurality of contact centers, each comprising at least a plurality of contact agents; a callback cloud, comprising at least a plurality of contact agents; a queue manager, comprising at least a software components operating and stored on a computing device; wherein the contact agents receive and respond to customer interactions; further wherein the queue manager monitors contact agent availability; further wherein the queue manager receives interaction requests; and further wherein the queue manager provides queue information to interaction requestors.

Abstract: A method has steps for receiving at a call center implemented in a network, a first call from a caller using a first telephony-enabled device, connecting the received first call to an agent in the call center, creating and storing in a data repository at the call center a live call record associating an identity of the caller or a device of the caller with the agent to whom the first call is connected, receiving, while the first call is active, a second call from the same caller using a second telephony-enabled device, querying the data repository and discovering the live call record, routing the second call to the same agent to whom the first call is routed, and terminating the first call, but leaving the live call record in place.

Abstract: Aspects of systems and methods for maintaining and operating agent nodes are provided. In some embodiments, calls, contacts, and other work units may be routed to individual customer service agents via a centralized queue based on a variety of factors. Some embodiments may provide market-based call pricing and customer service agent compensation.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided and includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that when executed from a non-transitory physical medium by the processor cause the processor to detect when a request for interaction that is configured for a scheduled processing is received or otherwise registered at a service access point associated with a contact center, identify schedule data from the request and add the schedule data along with a request identification and a location identifier to a scheduling and reporting application, consult a contact center interaction routing system in response to determining that the scheduled interaction request is to be processed, and route or cause processing of the interaction request based on the schedule data. According to one embodiment, the schedule data includes a scheduled time and date for processing the request.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for routing a communication in a contact center. Specifically, a treatment is selected for a communication from a plurality of treatments. Here, each treatment includes a plurality of agents to handle communications placed in the treatment and a set of queues in which each queue includes a value range. A determination is made as to whether the communication is using a chaining or non-chaining channel. If the communication is using a chaining channel, then a target agent designated to handle communications placed in the treatment using the chaining channel and corresponding queue are identified based on a value of the communication. If the communication is using a non-chaining channel, then a queue is selected from the set of queues for the treatment based on the value of the communication falling within the value range for the queue.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and an apparatus facilitate management of customer interactions on multiple interaction channels. A communication quality metric and a contextual environment are tracked for an ongoing customer interaction executed on a first interaction channel. A closure of the first interaction channel is effected based on at least one of: a detected change in a current value associated with the communication quality metric to be below a preset threshold value, a detected or an anticipated change in the contextual environment, and a receipt of a customer request for closing the first interaction channel. The effecting of the closure of the first interaction channel includes a transitioning of the ongoing customer interaction from the first interaction channel to a second interaction channel.

Abstract: A method for connecting a website user to a contact center includes: establishing a communication channel between a user and an agent of the contact center, the communication channel comprising a voice communication channel; establishing a supplemental channel between the user and the contact center for exchanging data between the user and the contact center; and storing the data exchanged in the supplemental channel in association with the communication channel.

Abstract: A method comprising: establishing a first session with a user; determining a unique identifier of the first session; generating a session identifier to identify the first session and storing it in a cache in association with the unique identifier; outputting an address and the session identifier, for delivery to the user; receiving an authentication request transmitted to the address from the user's first device, and in response, outputting a message to the first device, the message comprising the session identifier and an address at which a request for authentication by an authentication service can be directed; receiving an authentication success message comprising the session identifier and indicating authentication of the user; establishing a second session with a service agent; and in response to receiving the message, querying the cache with the session identifier to determine the unique identifier, and connecting the first and second sessions together using the unique identifier.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique can include detecting, by a first computing device, a set of user communications at least one of transmitted to and received by from a second computing device via a first communication mode, identifying a second communication mode that is available for communication between the first and second computing devices, and obtaining an appropriateness score for the first and second communication modes based on a contextual feature of the set of user communications, wherein the contextual feature relates an appropriateness of a particular communication mode for the set of user communications, and wherein each appropriateness score is indicative of a level of the appropriateness of a particular communication mode for the set of user communications. The technique can also include selectively outputting a suggestion to switch from the first communication mode to the second communication mode.

Abstract: Methods and systems route requests for service in a call center. A non-transitory computer-readable medium stores data representative of a queue of customers waiting to be serviced. A processor queues a request for service initiated by a customer. Data output is sent to the customer to ascertain the customer's cause for the request via a data communication channel. Data input is received from the customer via the data communication channel. The data input indicates the customer's cause for the request. An agent is identified from a plurality of agents suitable to address the customer's cause for the request. The customer's position is adjusted in the queue based on the identified agent. A routing instruction is determined about routing the request to the identified agent.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer program products for providing near real-time feedback to an originating agent on one or more instances initiated by the originating agent during a text-based communication being conducted between the originating agent and a remote party. In various embodiments, a determination is made that the one or more instances initiated by the originating agent for the text-based communication require verification and as a result, a verification agent is located to review the instances before they are delivered to the remote party. Accordingly, upon the verification agent editing the text of one of the instances, the instance is delivered to the remote party displaying the edited text and the edited text is also displayed to the originating agent at virtually the same time to provide the originating agent with near real-time feedback on the instance.