Limiting contact in a networked contact center environment
Assignee8x8, Inc.
InventorRobert Townsend
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This document discusses, among other things, limiting contact to a networked contact center that is a host to multiple tenants. In an example embodiment, a communication is received by a networked contact center. In determining whether to allow the communication to reach contact center resources, a contact rate value may be examined. The contact rate value may represent an allowable quantity of contact within a time interval. For some example embodiments, a determination of whether the network contact center is to accept or reject the communication is made based on the contact rate value.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- an interface circuit configured and arranged to receive communications associated with a plurality of tenants hosted by a networked contact center configured to operate using a plurality of platform layers;
- a contact regulation circuit configured to:
- monitor events between the plurality of platform layers of the networked contact center;
- adjust, based upon the monitored events, contact parameter values for the platform layers;
- a limiter circuit, that is communicatively coupled with a database and the interface circuit, and that is configured and arranged to:
- identify a plurality of communication layers associated with the communications;
- retrieve a set of rate values for the communication layers of the plurality of communication layers associated with the communications;
- modify the set of rate values to account for the communications;
- and
- control, responsive to the set of rate values and the contact parameter values, communication access to the tenants.
A networked contact center that hosts a plurality of tenants, the networked contact center comprising:
- an interface circuit configured and arranged to receive a communication associated with a particular tenant of the plurality of tenants;
- a limiter circuit, that is communicatively coupled with a database containing a plurality of contact rates, and that is configured and arranged to:
- receive the communication;
- responsive to receiving the communication, access the database to retrieve an active contact rate value associated with a dialed number identification service layer for the particular tenant;
- and
- determine, based on the active contact rate, whether the networked contact center is to accept the communication;
- and
- a contact regulation circuit configured to send commands to the limiter circuit, the commands instructing the limiter circuit to:
- replace a first contact rate value within the database with a second contact rate;
- and
- designate the second contact rate as being active.
A method of using a networked contact center that hosts a plurality of tenants and includes a plurality of platform layers, the method comprising:
- receiving, at an interface circuit, communications associated with the plurality of tenants;
- at a contact regulation circuit:
- monitoring events between platform layers of the networked contact center;
- adjusting, based upon the monitored events, contact parameter values for the platform layers;
- at a limiter circuit that is communicatively coupled with a database and the interface circuit:
- identifying a plurality of communication layers associated with the communications;
- retrieving a set of rate values for the communication layers of the plurality of communication layers associated with the communications;
- modifying the set of rate values to account for the communications;
- and
- controlling, responsive to the set of rate values and the contact parameter values, access to the tenants.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.