# US 11,115,535 B2 · Techniques for sharing control of assigning tasks between an external pairing system and a task assignment system with an internal pairing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,535 B2 - Document ID: US11115535B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/168,597 - Filed: 2021-02-05 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-05 - Assignees: Afiniti, Ltd. - Applicants: Afiniti, Ltd. - Inventors: Ain Chishty; Hassan Afzal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115535B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/06311: {Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group} - H04M 3/5191: {interacting with the Internet} - H04M 3/5141: {Details of processing calls and other types of contacts in an unified manner (unified messaging in packet-switching networks H04L51/56)} - H04M 3/5232: {Call distribution algorithms} - H04M 3/5238: {with waiting time or load prediction arrangements} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract Techniques for sharing control of assigning tasks may be realized as a method for sharing control of assigning tasks between an external pairing system and a task assignment system with an internal pairing system comprising receiving, from the task assignment system, a plurality of task pairing requests and an agent pairing request, wherein each task request of the plurality of task pairing requests is assigned to one of a first pairing strategy and a second pairing strategy. The agent pairing request may indicate an agent that is available for pairing. The method may further comprise transmitting, to the task assignment system, a pairing recommendation being based in part on the plurality of task pairing requests, the first pairing strategy, the second pairing strategy, and the agent pairing request. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: determining, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in a contact center system, a first contact waiting in the contact center system; determining, by the at least one computer processor, a second contact waiting in the contact center system; pairing, by the at least one computer processor, the second contact based on information about the first contact; and after pairing the second contact, pairing, by the at least one computer processor, the first contact based on information about the second contact, wherein the information about the second contact comprises information other than the pairing of the second contact. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein pairing the first contact and pairing the second contact is based on a first pairing strategy. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: determining, by the at least one computer processor, at least one additional contact waiting in the contact center system; selecting, by the at least one computer processor, a pairing strategy from a plurality of pairing strategies, wherein the plurality of pairing strategies comprises the first pairing strategy; and pairing, by the at least one computer processor, the at least one additional contact based on the selected pairing strategy. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the pairing strategy is based on a tie-breaking strategy. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the tie breaking strategy is one of a queue flush strategy, a queue length strategy, a queue wait strategy, or a sequential strategy. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the information about the first contact and the information about the second contact comprises a time of arrival. ### Claim 7 A system comprising: at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in a contact center system, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to: determine a first contact waiting in the contact center system; determine a second contact waiting in the contact center system; pair the second contact based on information about the first contact; and after pairing the second contact, pair the first contact based on information about the second contact, wherein the information about the second contact comprises information other than the pairing of the second contact. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein pairing the first contact and pairing the second contact is based on a first pairing strategy. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to: determine at least one additional contact waiting in the contact center system; select a pairing strategy from a plurality of pairing strategies, wherein the plurality of pairing strategies comprises the first pairing strategy; and pair the at least one additional contact based on the selected pairing strategy. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein selecting the pairing strategy is based on a tie-breaking strategy. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the tie breaking strategy is one of a queue flush strategy, a queue length strategy, a queue wait strategy, or a sequential strategy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the information about the first contact and the information about the second contact comprises a time of arrival. ### Claim 13 An article of manufacture comprising: a non-transitory processor readable medium; and instructions stored on the medium; wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in a contact center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to: determine a first contact waiting in the contact center system; determine a second contact waiting in the contact center system; pair the second contact based on information about the first contact; and after pairing the second contact, pair the first contact based on information about the second contact, wherein the information about the second contact comprises information other than the pairing of the second contact. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein pairing the first contact and pairing the second contact is based on a first pairing strategy. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to: determine at least one additional contact waiting in the contact center system; select a pairing strategy from a plurality of pairing strategies, wherein the plurality of pairing strategies comprises the first pairing strategy; and pair the at least one additional contact based on the selected pairing strategy. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein selecting the pairing strategy is based on a tie-breaking strategy. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the tie breaking strategy is one of a queue flush strategy, a queue length strategy, a queue wait strategy, or a sequential strategy. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein at least one of the information about the first contact and the information about the second contact comprises a time of arrival.