# US 2021/0243306 A1 · 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 2021/0243306 A1 - Document ID: US20210243306A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/168,699 - Filed: 2021-02-05 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-05 - Assignees: Afiniti, Ltd. - Applicants: Afiniti, Ltd. - Inventors: Ain CHISHTY; Hassan AFZAL - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243306A1 ## 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 between an external pairing system and a task assignment system with an internal pairing system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the techniques 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: receiving, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in a contact center system, a first plurality of contacts associated with a first pairing strategy; receiving, by the at least one computer processor, a second plurality of contacts associated with a second pairing strategy; receiving, by the at least one computer processor, a third plurality of contacts associated with the first pairing strategy; receiving, by the at least one computer processor, a plurality of available agents, pairing, by the at least one computer processor, each of the plurality of available agents to contacts of the first or third pluralities of contacts using the first pairing strategy; wherein a number of the plurality of available agents is greater than a number of the first plurality of contacts, wherein the second plurality of contacts is received after the first plurality of contacts, wherein the third plurality of contacts is received after the second plurality of contacts, wherein any prioritization applied to the third plurality of contacts does not imply an assignment of the third plurality of contacts prior to the second plurality of contacts, wherein no other contacts were received between the receiving of the first and second pluralities of contacts, wherein, if an agent of the plurality of agents becomes available after pairing each of the plurality of available agents, pairing said agent to contacts of the first, second, or third pluralities of contacts based on a tie-breaking strategy. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization arises from a number of contacts pending assignment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritization arises from an expected wait time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tie-breaking strategy comprises one of a queue length strategy or a queue wait strategy. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the tie-breaking strategy comprises: generating a random number; and selecting a contact for pairing based on the generated random number. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the random number is weighted according to a proportion of contacts associated with either the first pairing strategy or the second pairing strategy. ### 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: receive a first plurality of contacts associated with a first pairing strategy; receive a second plurality of contacts associated with a second pairing strategy; receive a third plurality of contacts associated with the first pairing strategy; receive a plurality of available agents, pair each of the plurality of available agents to contacts of the first or third pluralities of contacts using the first pairing strategy; wherein a number of the plurality of available agents is greater than a number of the first plurality of contacts, wherein the second plurality of contacts is received after the first plurality of contacts, wherein the third plurality of contacts is received after the second plurality of contacts, wherein any prioritization applied to the third plurality of contacts does not imply an assignment of the third plurality of contacts prior to the second plurality of contacts, wherein no other contacts were received between the receiving of the first and second pluralities of contacts, wherein, if an agent of the plurality of agents becomes available after pairing each of the plurality of available agents, pairing said agent to contacts of the first, second, or third pluralities of contacts based on a tie-breaking strategy. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the prioritization arises from a number of contacts pending assignment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the prioritization arises from an expected wait time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the tie-breaking strategy comprises one of a queue length strategy or a queue wait strategy. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the tie-breaking strategy comprises: generating a random number; and selecting a contact for pairing based on the generated random number. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the random number is weighted according to a proportion of contacts associated with either the first pairing strategy or the second pairing strategy. ### 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: receive a first plurality of contacts associated with a first pairing strategy; receive a second plurality of contacts associated with a second pairing strategy; receive a third plurality of contacts associated with the first pairing strategy; receive a plurality of available agents, pair each of the plurality of available agents to contacts of the first or third pluralities of contacts using the first pairing strategy; wherein a number of the plurality of available agents is greater than a number of the first plurality of contacts, wherein the second plurality of contacts is received after the first plurality of contacts, wherein the third plurality of contacts is received after the second plurality of contacts, wherein any prioritization applied to the third plurality of contacts does not imply an assignment of the third plurality of contacts prior to the second plurality of contacts, wherein no other contacts were received between the receiving of the first and second pluralities of contacts, wherein, if an agent of the plurality of agents becomes available after pairing each of the plurality of available agents, pairing said agent to contacts of the first, second, or third pluralities of contacts based on a tie-breaking strategy. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the prioritization arises from a number of contacts pending assignment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the prioritization arises from an expected wait time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the tie-breaking strategy comprises one of a queue length strategy or a queue wait strategy. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the tie-breaking strategy comprises: generating a random number; and selecting a contact for pairing based on the generated random number. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the random number is weighted according to a proportion of contacts associated with either the first pairing strategy or the second pairing strategy.