DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claim 20 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 16, 20, 22 of U.S. Patent No. 11,889,026 (hereinafter referred to as Patent ‘026). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims in the continuation are broader than the ones in patent. In re Van Ornum and Stang, 214 USPQ T61, broad claims in continuation application are rejected as obvious double patenting over previously patented narrow claims. For example, claim 20 of the present invention is functionally similar to claim 16 of Patent ‘026 except that claim 20 does not recite “automatically training the data-communications platform, by use of an AI/ML (artificial intelligence and/or machine learning) algorithm to handle forthcoming incoming interactions based at least in part on processing of the past incoming data-communication interactions” as recited in claim 16 of Patent ‘026. Claim 20 of the present invention recites “A method for use in a system including a data-communications platform having a set of one or more data-communications computer servers configured as a contact center to provide data-communications services in response to incoming data-communication interactions (“the incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications among which are incoming calls, the method comprising:” functionally similar to “A method comprising: receiving and processing, in a data-communications platform including a set of data-communications computer servers, incoming data-communication interactions (“incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications among which are incoming calls” as recited in claim 16 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “using a database manager circuit, including a data-processing computer and a database, to provide the data-communications platform access to the database via an access pathway that does not traverse more than one broadband gateway circuit and does not traverse more than one security-based firewall circuit” functionally similar to “wherein the set of data-communications computer servers are configured to work together by collectively operating as a single unified server having integrated read and write access to the database without having to pass through a set of one or more disparately-managed security-screening filtering or gateway circuits” as recited in claim 16 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “via the data-communications platform and the database manager circuit being cooperatively configured for” functionally similar to “the data-communications platform responding to a respective one of the incoming interactions and to the automatically training, while the data-communications platform is integrated with the memory circuit, by” as recited in claim 16 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “providing access to one or more information sets, as stored in the database, representative of past incoming data-communication interactions and associated with data aggregated and organized based on data collected from the database in response to previous ones of the incoming interactions” functionally similar to “providing access, in a database of information sets stored in a memory circuit that is integrated with the data-communications platform in terms of at least one of physical attributes and logical attributes characterizing authorized accesses to the memory circuit, to each of the information sets which represents aspects of past incoming data-communication interactions processed by the data-communications platform and which has data aggregated and organized based on data collected in response to previous ones of the incoming interactions” as recited in claim 16 of Patent ‘026; and claim 20 of the present invention recites “using an algorithm, trained to discern how to resolve an inquiry associated with the incoming interaction based on said one or more information sets and past ones of the incoming interactions, to predict how to best process a subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions by routing the subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions” functionally similar to “accessing, via the database, at least one of the information sets associated with the respective one of the incoming interactions; utilizing from past interactions and at least one other data source; and facilitating, in response to the utilization of the data and to the access of the database, an automated self-service experience for respective users or originators of the incoming interactions through their processing, the automated self-service experience including at least one of: resolution of inquiries discerned through the incoming interactions; and call-decision routing of the incoming interactions to designated call-center agents or specialists having specific knowledge of subject matter discerned through the incoming interactions” as recited in claim 16 of Patent ‘026.
Claim 20, of the present invention is functionally similar to claim 20 of Patent ‘026. For example, claim 20 of the present invention recites “A method for use in a system including a data-communications platform having a set of one or more data-communications computer servers configured as a contact center to provide data-communications services in response to incoming data-communication interactions (“the incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications among which are incoming calls, the method comprising:” functionally similar to “A method comprising: receiving and processing, in a data-communications platform including a set of data-communications computer servers, incoming data-communication interactions (“incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications among which are incoming calls” as recited in claim 20 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “using a database manager circuit, including a data-processing computer and a database, to provide the data-communications platform access to the database via an access pathway that does not traverse more than one broadband gateway circuit and does not traverse more than one security-based firewall circuit” functionally similar to “wherein the data-communications platform accesses the database via an access pathway to a database manager circuit, wherein the access pathway to the database manager circuit is characterized by at least one of the following: the access pathway to the database manager circuit does not traverse more than one broadband gateway circuit; and the access pathway to the database manager circuit does not traverse more than one security-based firewall circuit” as recited in claim 20 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “via the data-communications platform and the database manager circuit being cooperatively configured for” functionally similar to “the data-communications platform responding to a respective one of the incoming interactions, while the data-communications platform is integrated with the memory circuit, by” as recited in claim 20 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “providing access to one or more information sets, as stored in the database, representative of past incoming data-communication interactions and associated with data aggregated and organized based on data collected from the database in response to previous ones of the incoming interactions” functionally similar to “providing access, in a database of information sets stored in a memory circuit that is integrated with the data-communications platform, to each of the information sets which represents aspects of past incoming data-communication interactions processed by the data-communications platform and which has data aggregated and organized based on data collected in response to previous ones of the incoming interactions” as recited in claim 20 of Patent ‘026; and claim 20 of the present invention recites “using an algorithm, trained to discern how to resolve an inquiry associated with the incoming interaction based on said one or more information sets and past ones of the incoming interactions, to predict how to best process a subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions by routing the subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions” functionally similar to “accessing, via the database, at least one of the information sets associated with the respective one of the incoming interactions; utilizing from past interactions and at least one other data source; and facilitating, in response to the utilization of the data and to the access of the database, an automated self-service experience for respective users or originators of the incoming interactions through their processing, the automated self-service experience including at least one of: resolution of inquiries discerned through the incoming interactions; and call-decision routing of the incoming interactions to designated call-center agents or specialists having specific knowledge of subject matter discerned through the incoming interactions” as recited in claim 20 of Patent ‘026.
Claim 20, of the present invention is functionally similar to claim 22 of Patent ‘026. For example, claim 20 of the present invention recites “A method for use in a system including a data-communications platform having a set of one or more data-communications computer servers configured as a contact center to provide data-communications services in response to incoming data-communication interactions (“the incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications among which are incoming calls, the method comprising:” functionally similar to “A method comprising: receiving and processing, in a data-communications platform including a set of data-communications computer servers, incoming data-communication interactions (“incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications among which are incoming calls” as recited in claim 22 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “using a database manager circuit, including a data-processing computer and a database, to provide the data-communications platform access to the database via an access pathway that does not traverse more than one broadband gateway circuit and does not traverse more than one security-based firewall circuit” functionally similar to “wherein the data-communications platform includes a plurality of data-communications servers respectively located in different physical locations, and the plurality of data-communications servers are configured to work together so that they collectively function as a single unified server having integrated read and write access to the database without having to pass through at least one of a gateway of a third party entity and a set of one or more disparately-managed security-screening filters” as recited in claim 22 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “via the data-communications platform and the database manager circuit being cooperatively configured for” functionally similar to “the data-communications platform responding to a respective one of the incoming interactions, while the data-communications platform is integrated with the memory circuit, by” as recited in claim 22 of Patent ‘026; claim 20 of the present invention recites “providing access to one or more information sets, as stored in the database, representative of past incoming data-communication interactions and associated with data aggregated and organized based on data collected from the database in response to previous ones of the incoming interactions” functionally similar to “providing access, in a database of information sets stored in a memory circuit that is integrated with the data-communications platform, to each of the information sets which represents aspects of past ones of the incoming interactions processed by the data-communications platform and which has data aggregated and organized based on data collected in response to the past ones of the incoming interactions” as recited in claim 22 of Patent ‘026; and claim 20 of the present invention recites “using an algorithm, trained to discern how to resolve an inquiry associated with the incoming interaction based on said one or more information sets and past ones of the incoming interactions, to predict how to best process a subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions by routing the subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions” functionally similar to “accessing, via the database, at least one of the information sets associated with the respective one of the incoming interactions; utilizing from past interactions and at least one other data source; and facilitating, in response to the utilization of the data and to the access of the database, an automated self-service experience for respective users or originators of the incoming interactions through their processing, the automated self-service experience including at least one of: resolution of inquiries discerned through the incoming interactions; and call-decision routing of the incoming interactions to designated call-center agents or specialists having specific knowledge of subject matter discerned through the incoming interactions” as recited in claim 22 of Patent ‘026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-14, 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown (US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0042988), and further in view of Kumar (US Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0227035).
Regarding claim 1, Brown teaches an apparatus (Figs. 1, 2A-2D) comprising:
a data-communications platform (Figs. 2B, 2D, Paragraphs 0062, 0067-0068) including a set of one or more data-communications computer servers configured as a contact center to provide data-communications services in response to incoming data-communication interactions (“the incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications (Paragraphs 0005, 0048-0052 variety of call centers with variety of servers serving omni-channel devices);
a database manager circuit including a data-processing computer and a database (Fig. 2B 10, Fig. 2D item 30, Fig. 6 item 10, 80), wherein the database manager circuit is integrated with the data-communications platform by providing the data-communications platform access to the database (Paragraphs 0077-0084) via an access pathway that does not traverse more than one broadband gateway circuit and does not traverse more than one security-based firewall circuit (Fig. 3 item 34, Paragraphs 0049 in any combination of gateway, 0068-0070, 0079 only one firewall between item 30 and item 32); and
the data-communications platform and the database manager circuit being cooperatively configured to:
provide access to one or more information sets, as stored in the database, representative of past incoming data-communication interactions and associated with data aggregated and organized based on data collected from the database in response to previous ones of the incoming interactions (Paragraphs 0044-0045 adaptive features adjusting behaviors for improving responses, stateful features of past conversations, 0051, 0054 data collected and optimized over time, 0068-0070, and elsewhere in the art);
respond to one of the incoming interactions (“the incoming interaction”), via an algorithm configured to be trained using said one or more information sets, to discern how to resolve an inquiry associated with the incoming interaction, wherein the algorithm configured to be trained at least in part from past ones of the incoming interactions and from at least one other data source; and process a subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions by using the algorithm once the algorithm is trained (Paragraphs 0003-0004, 0043-0044, 0051-0054 provide response/ respond to discerned query using AI engine trained with past interactions, use trained model for responding future/ subsequent queries, Paragraph 0145 queries routed to responses, and commands routed to actions) (Paragraphs 0042-0317 for complete details on variety of manners training AI engine machine learning model to respond to queries).
Brown teaches using telephone and landline device as a client device (Paragraphs 0048, 0075-0076) and calling users or collecting data via phone calls (Paragraph 0080), but Brown does not explicitly teach common knowledge of incoming calls as interactions.
However, in the similar field of communication, Kumar teaches incoming calls as interactions in call center (Abstract, Paragraphs 0005, 0013-0017, 0219, 0225, 0232).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Brown to include incoming calls as interactions in call center as taught by Kumar so that “The call handling platform matches the caller to a human agent at a call center based on one or both of the historical data and the agent scores, and routes the call to the human agent” (Kumar, Abstract).
Regarding claim 2, Brown teaches wherein the algorithm is a machine-learning algorithm (Paragraphs 0035-0036, 0050-0051, 0054, 0105, 0119, 0123, 0206 and elsewhere throughout the art).
Regarding claim 3, Brown teaches wherein the algorithm is an artificial-intelligence and machine-learning algorithm that is trained, based on using said one or more information sets, for predicting how to best route the subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions (Paragraphs 0003-0004, 0043-0044, 0051-0054, 0206, 0288-0292, 0299).
Regarding claim 4, Brown teaches wherein the access pathway is situated so that access to the database does not traverse any broadband gateway circuit and does not traverse any security-based firewall circuit (Fig. 2B, Paragraph 0062 AI system within enterprise system).
Regarding claim 5, Brown teaches wherein the data-processing computer is to train the algorithm to discern how to resolve an inquiry associated with the incoming interaction based on said one or more information sets and on past ones of the incoming interactions and from at least one other data source (Paragraphs 0003-0005, 0036, 0044, 0050-0054, 0101, 0104, 0131, 0185-0186, 0206, 0211-0233 continuous improvement for better responses).
Regarding claim 6, Kumar teaches wherein the algorithm is to analyze and predict an ability for certain transferees of routed calls to handle such calls (Paragraphs 0005, 0009-0010, 0047, 0089-0092 ability based on skills).
Regarding claim 7, Kumar teaches wherein the algorithm is to predict whether to route the incoming interaction to a particular destination (Paragraphs 0005, 0009-0010, 0047, 0089-0092, 0187-0188 agent with specific skill, to a particular expert).
Regarding claim 8, Kumar teaches wherein the algorithm is to predict whether one or more agents can handle the incoming interaction being routed to the one or more agents (Paragraphs 0014-0015, 0047 based on availability, 0005, 0009-0010, 0047, 0089-0092, 0187-0188 based on specific skill or a particular expertise).
Regarding claim 9, Kumar teaches wherein the algorithm is to predict whether to route the incoming interaction to a particular destination based on at least one of data analytics and archived data in the database (Abstract, Paragraphs 0005, 0011-0014, 0018-0019, 0040, 0047, 0078, 0134, 0085, 0154-0155, 0161, 0171, 0185, 0204, 0206, 0215-0216, 0241, 0260, 0263-0264 based on analysis of historical data about pass calls/ interactions).
Regarding claim 10, Brown teaches wherein the database manager circuit is to store the data in the database by organizing the data as being specific to respective client entities (Paragraphs 0050, 0052-0054, 0088, 0097, 0106-0107, 0171, 0183-0189, 0191 business/ industry specific).
Regarding claim 11, Kumar teaches wherein the algorithm is to predict whether to route the incoming interaction to a particular destination based on identification of average call times (Paragraphs 0229-0230, 0269-0273, 0284, tracking agent idle time and call engagement time i.e. agent with least call time and using it as call history of interactions. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to use average call time as an implementation choice.).
Regarding claim 12, Brown teaches wherein the algorithm is to predict whether to route the incoming interaction to a particular destination based on system level issues (Paragraphs 0078, 0163).
Regarding claim 13, Kumar teaches wherein the algorithm is to predict whether agents are available to receive calls and to route the incoming interaction to a particular destination based on at least one of the agents being available to receive the incoming interaction (Paragraphs 0014-0015, 0047, 0197, 0199, 0211-0212 based on availability/ most idle, 0005, 0009-0010, 0047, 0089-0092, 0187-0188 based on specific skill or a particular expertise).
Regarding claim 14, Kumar teaches wherein the algorithm is to predict whether agents are available to receive calls in response to or based on a scheduled event (Paragraphs 0181 not in agent break time, 0226 agent check-in time i.e. scheduled work time event).
Regarding claim 17, Kumar teaches wherein the algorithm is to predict on where to route or reroute the incoming interaction based on data analytics (Abstract, Paragraphs 0005, 0011-0014, 0018-0019, 0040, 0047, 0078, 0134, 0085, 0154-0155, 0161, 0171, 0185, 0204, 0206, 0215-0216, 0241, 0260, 0263-0264 based on analysis of historical data about pass calls/ interactions).
Regarding claim 18, Brown teaches wherein the algorithm is trained based on a machine-learning model, and the data-communications platform and the database manager circuit are to process the subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions by using the algorithm as trained based on the machine-learning model, to discern how to resolve an inquiry associated with the subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions (Paragraphs 0003-0004, 0043-0044, 0051-0054 provide response/ respond to discerned query using AI engine trained with past interactions, use trained model for responding future/ subsequent queries, Paragraph 0145 queries routed to responses, and commands routed to actions).
Regarding claim 19, Brown teaches a data-communications platform (Figs. 1, 2A-2D, Paragraphs 0004, 0046, 0049, 0303) comprising:
a set of one or more data-communications computer servers configured as a contact center to provide data-communications services in response to incoming data-communication interactions (“the incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications (Paragraphs 0005, 0048-0052 variety of call centers with variety of servers serving omni-channel devices);
a database manager circuit including a data-processing computer and a database (Fig. 2B 10, Fig. 2D item 30, Fig. 6 item 10, 80), wherein the database manager circuit is integrated with the data-communications platform by providing the data-communications platform access to the database (Paragraphs 0077-0084) via an access pathway that does not traverse more than one broadband gateway circuit and does not traverse more than one security-based firewall circuit (Fig. 3 item 34, Paragraphs 0049 in any combination of gateway, 0068-0070, 0079 only one firewall between item 30 and item 32); and
the data-communications platform and the database manager circuit being cooperatively configured to:
provide access to one or more information sets, as stored in the database, representative of past incoming data-communication interactions and associated with data aggregated and organized based on data collected from the database in response to previous ones of the incoming interactions (Paragraphs 0044-0045 adaptive features adjusting behaviors for improving responses, stateful features of past conversations, 0051, 0054 data collected and optimized over time, 0068-0070, and elsewhere in the art),
train an algorithm to discern how to resolve an inquiry associated with the incoming interaction, based on multiple ones of: said one or more information sets, past ones of the incoming interactions, and at least one other data source, and use the algorithm by processing a subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions by routing the subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions (Paragraphs 0003-0004, 0043-0044, 0051-0054 provide response/ respond to discerned query using AI engine trained with past interactions, use trained model for responding future/ subsequent queries, Paragraph 0145 queries routed to responses, and commands routed to actions) (Paragraphs 0042-0317 for complete details on variety of manners training AI engine machine learning model to respond to queries).
Brown teaches using telephone and landline device as a client device (Paragraphs 0048, 0075-0076) and calling users or collecting data via phone calls (Paragraph 0080), but Brown does not explicitly teach common knowledge of incoming calls as interactions.
However, in the similar field of communication, Kumar teaches incoming calls as interactions in call center (Abstract, Paragraphs 0005, 0013-0017, 0219, 0225, 0232).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Brown to include incoming calls as interactions in call center as taught by Kumar so that “The call handling platform matches the caller to a human agent at a call center based on one or both of the historical data and the agent scores, and routes the call to the human agent” (Kumar, Abstract).
Regarding claim 20, Brown teaches a method for use in a system including a data-communications platform (Figs. 1, 2A-2D, Paragraphs 0004, 0046, 0049, 0303) having a set of one or more data-communications computer servers configured as a contact center to provide data-communications services in response to incoming data-communication interactions (“the incoming interactions”) including different types of digitally-represented communications (Paragraphs 0005, 0048-0052 variety of call centers with variety of servers serving omni-channel devices), the method comprising:
using a database manager circuit, including a data-processing computer and a database (Fig. 2B 10, Fig. 2D item 30, Fig. 6 item 10, 80), to provide the data-communications platform access to the database (Paragraphs 0077-0084) via an access pathway that does not traverse more than one broadband gateway circuit and does not traverse more than one security-based firewall circuit (Fig. 3 item 34, Paragraphs 0049 in any combination of gateway, 0068-0070, 0079 only one firewall between item 30 and item 32); and
via the data-communications platform and the database manager circuit being cooperatively configured for:
providing access to one or more information sets, as stored in the database, representative of past incoming data-communication interactions and associated with data aggregated and organized based on data collected from the database in response to previous ones of the incoming interactions (Paragraphs 0044-0045 adaptive features adjusting behaviors for improving responses, stateful features of past conversations, 0051, 0054 data collected and optimized over time, 0068-0070, and elsewhere in the art), and
using an algorithm, trained to discern how to resolve an inquiry associated with the incoming interaction based on said one or more information sets and past ones of the incoming interactions, to predict how to best process a subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions by routing the subsequently-received one of the incoming interactions (Paragraphs 0003-0004, 0043-0044, 0051-0054 provide response/ respond to discerned query using AI engine trained with past interactions, use trained model for responding future/ subsequent queries, Paragraph 0145 queries routed to responses, and commands routed to actions) (Paragraphs 0042-0317 for complete details on variety of manners training AI engine machine learning model to respond to queries).
Brown teaches using telephone and landline device as a client device (Paragraphs 0048, 0075-0076) and calling users or collecting data via phone calls (Paragraph 0080), but Brown does not explicitly teach common knowledge of incoming calls as interactions.
However, in the similar field of communication, Kumar teaches incoming calls as interactions in call center (Abstract, Paragraphs 0005, 0013-0017, 0219, 0225, 0232).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Brown to include incoming calls as interactions in call center as taught by Kumar so that “The call handling platform matches the caller to a human agent at a call center based on one or both of the historical data and the agent scores, and routes the call to the human agent” (Kumar, Abstract).
Claims 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brown and Kumar as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Balasaygun (US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0163741).
Regarding claim 15, Brown and Kumar do not teach wherein the algorithm is to predict whether agents are available to receive calls in response to or based on a publically-known calendar-based time.
However, in the similar field of communication. Balasaygun teaches the algorithm is to predict whether agents are available to receive calls in response to or based on a publically-known calendar-based time (Paragraphs 0025, 0027, 0038 publically-known current call and time, 0032 using calendar information in determining probable communication contacts).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Brown and Kumar to include the algorithm to predict whether agents are available to receive calls in response to or based on a publically-known calendar-based time as taught by Balasaygun in order to determine “the likelihood that a contact is the intended communication recipient at 11 AM” (Balasaygun, Paragraph 0033).
Regarding claim 16, Brown and Kumar do not teach wherein the algorithm is to predict whether agents are available to receive calls in response to or based on a particular region of a client entity associated with the incoming interaction.
However, in the similar field of communication. Balasaygun teaches the algorithm is to predict whether agents are available to receive calls in response to or based on a particular region of a client entity associated with the incoming interaction (Paragraphs 0024, 0027, 0032 geographic preference).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Brown and Kumar to include the algorithm to predict whether agents are available to receive calls in response to or based on a particular region of a client entity associated with the incoming interaction as taught by Balasaygun to enable it as “additional relevant factors” of “the potential contacts” (Balasaygun, Paragraph 0027).
Conclusion
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HEMANT PATEL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2694
/HEMANT S PATEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694
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