Patent ID: 8306209
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
1. A method for implementing customized rules for controlling customer communications, comprising: receiving a request to build a customized rule for controlling customer communications; providing a main menu for building customized rules for controlling customer communications based upon receipt of the request to build a customized rule for controlling customer communications, the main menu including an option to modify an existing customized rule for controlling customer communications and an option to build a new customized rule for controlling customer communications; receiving, via the main menu, a request to build a new customized rule for controlling customer communications; providing, based upon receipt of the request to build a new customized rule for controlling customer communications, initial selection criteria to build the new customized rule for controlling customer communications, the initial selection criteria indicating whether the new customized rule will be built using a preexisting template or starting from initial blank rule criteria; receiving a response to the initial selection criteria indicating whether the new customized rule will be built using a preexisting template or starting from initial blank rule criteria; determining from the response to the initial selection criteria whether the new customized rule will be built using a preexisting template; when the new customized rule will be built using a preexisting template, providing a list of preexisting templates for building new customized rules for controlling customer communications, receiving a selection of a preexisting template from the list of preexisting templates, providing the selected preexisting template, accepting changes to the selected preexisting template, and storing a new customized rule based on the selected preexisting template and including accepted changes; when the new customized rule will be built without using a preexisting template, providing initial blank rule criteria for building a new customized rule for controlling customer communications, receiving a selection of initial criteria from the initial blank rule criteria, providing a list of rule conditions for the selected initial criteria for the new customized rule, receiving a selection of rule conditions for the selected initial criteria for the new customized rule, and storing a new customized rule based on the selected initial criteria and the selected rule conditions, wherein the initial criteria comprise selectable independent conditions to be met by customer communications in order to invoke the new customized rule, and wherein the rule conditions comprise selectable dispositions for processing the customer communications meeting selected initial criteria; providing a display describing the new customized rule contemporaneously with receiving the selected initial criteria and selected rule conditions; providing at least one variable in the display; receiving a selection defining the at least one variable in the display; and processing communications in accordance with the stored new customized rule; wherein the selectable independent conditions and the selectable dispositions do not have a predetermined relationship.