Digital Assistant Call Queue Management by Expected Response Time

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Users face a tedious process while waiting in call queues, listening to repetitive updates on their position and wait time, as they wait for a human representative to become available.

Innovation Solution

A digital assistant device detects the expected response time of a human representative and sets up or resumes the call at that time, allowing users to end their current call and engage in other activities, eliminating the need to listen to queue updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If users wait in call queues listening to queue updates, then they receive real-time information about their position and wait time, but they experience tedious waiting and cannot engage in other activities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequeue position informationVSAvoiduser waiting time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The digital assistant performs preliminary actions by detecting queue information, determining expected response times, and scheduling call resumption before the user needs to reconnect. The system proactively monitors the queue status and prepares the call resumption in advance, freeing the user from continuous waiting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The digital assistant acts as an intermediary between the call queue system and the user. It receives queue information from the telecommunication system, processes this information to determine expected response times, and manages the call resumption on behalf of the user, eliminating the need for the user to directly monitor queue updates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If users continuously monitor queue status, then they stay informed about wait time, but they cannot proceed with other tasks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewait time informationVSAvoiduser convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The digital assistant provides self-service by automatically monitoring the call queue status, detecting queue information from voice indications, determining expected response times, and initiating call resumption without requiring any continuous user intervention. The system handles the entire queue monitoring and call management process autonomously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by detecting queue information from voice indications during the call, processing this information to determine expected response times, and using this feedback to schedule appropriate call resumption. The digital assistant continuously monitors queue status and adjusts the resumption timing based on real-time queue conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If the digital assistant manages call queue automatically, then user convenience is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecall management convenienceVSAvoiddigital assistant system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The digital assistant performs multiple functions within a single integrated system: it manages call queue monitoring, detects queue information from voice indications, determines expected response times, schedules call resumption, and notifies users. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into one unified digital assistant platform.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4046371B1Call queue management by digital assistant
Publication Date: 2024.12.11 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP4046371B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4046371B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP4046371B1 patent drawingFigure 6~8

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a method of a digital assistant device (305) of managing a voice call established between a calling party (300) and a recipient (303), the voice call having been queued to await a response by a human representative (303a) of the recipient (303) of the voice call, and a digital assistant device (305) performing the method. In a first aspect, a method of a digital assistant device (305) of managing a voice call established between a calling party (300) and a recipient (303), the voice call having been queued to await a response by a human representative (303a) of the recipient (303) of the voice call, is provided. The method comprises detecting (S101), from a voice indication of the voice call, information indicating a point in time when the human representative (303a) of the recipient (303) is expected to be able to provide a response to the queued voice call, and setting (S102) the calling party (300) in contact with the recipient (303) at the determined point in time.