Autonomous dispatcher method and apparatus
AssigneeAvaya Inc.
InventorsDavid C. Mullen, Chad D. Hunter, Steven A. Frare
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides for the allocation of agents to channels associated with the contact center. In particular, the present invention provides a contact center that allows agents to be efficiently allocated among channels, without requiring centralized control applications. Instead, the contact center of the present invention provides centralized agent and channel information fields to permit coordination between independent channel and agent work station applications. The present invention allows channels to be added to a contact center without requiring extensive modifications to the various components of the contact center.
Claims34
A method for assigning agents to tasks in a contact center, comprising:
- determining at a first channel a need for an agent;
- in response to said step of determining at a first channel a need for an agent, querying a central agent control block to determine whether a first agent is available;
- in response to determining that said first agent is available, setting in said central agent control block a transition field value of said first agent maintained in said central agent control block equal to said first channel;
- detecting in a first workstation associated with said first agent said transition field value;
- completing tasks pending with respect to said first workstation;
- and
- assigning work from said first channel to said first agent.
A method for coordinating contact center operations, comprising:
- receiving at a central agent control block a request for an agent from a first channel;
- in response to said request for an agent, setting a first status of a first agent equal to said first channel;
- and
- in response to an indication in said central agent control block that no work items are pending, changing a second status of the first agent to said first channel, wherein work from the first channel is assigned to said first agent.
A contact center, comprising:
- agent workstation means;
- means for recruiting an agent to a first channel;
- means for maintaining channel status information;
- means for indicating an availability of an agent, comprising:
- means for indicating a scheduled transition, wherein said means for recruiting is capable of changing a value held by said means for indicating a scheduled transition;
- and
- means for indicating an agent state, wherein said agent workstation means controls a value held by said means for indicating an agent state;
- communication network means, wherein said agent work station means is interconnected to said means for recruiting, at least through said means for indicating an availability of an agent, and wherein said means for recruiting an agent to a first channel is in communication with said means for maintaining channel status information.
A contact center system, comprising:
- a first channel server;
- a first agent workstation;
- a contact center server, wherein status information regarding said first channel server is maintained;
- an agent data unit server, wherein status information regarding said first agent workstation is maintained;
- a communication network interconnecting said contact center server, said agent data unit server, said channel server, and said agent workstation.
A central table for coordinating the operation of a contact center, comprising:
- a current agent status data field;
- and
- a scheduled agent transition data field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.