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US 6,115,462 AGranted
Method and apparatus for efficient call routing
AssigneeGTE Laboratories Incorporated
InventorsLeslie David Servi, Salal Humair
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus to calculate probabilistic routing parameters to more efficiently route telephone calls from an origin to one of a plurality of call centers. In particular, the rate of calls routed to each gate of each call center is measured for a previous time frame and used to estimate the rate of calls routed to input nodes of a routing network from an origin for a next time frame. Using these estimated rates of calls routed to the input nodes, a quadratic programming technique is used to calculate probabilistic routing parameters. These parameters are modified either automatically or by a network manager to improve the routing efficiency.
Claims20
A method for modifying probabilistic routing parameters in a routing network for a next time frame, comprising the steps, performed on a processor, of:
- receiving information regarding a measured number of calls routed to each of a plurality of output nodes for a previous time frame;
- estimating a number of calls routed to each of a first plurality of input nodes origins for the next time frame based on the measured number;
- calculating a first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters for the next time frame based on the estimated number;
- and
- displaying the first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters to a network manager, wherein the network manager modifies the first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters.
2 more elements
A method for modifying probabilistic routing parameters in a routine network for a next time frame, comprising the steps, performed on a processor, of:
- receiving information regarding a measured number of calls routed to each of a plurality o output nodes for a previous time frame;
- estimating a number of calls routed to each of a first of a plurality of input nodes origins for the next time frame based on the measured number;
- calculating the first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters for the next time frame based on the estimated number wherein the calculating step includes constraining a second plurality of calculated probabilistic routine, parameters to be equal, said second plurality of calculated probabilistic routine parameters being a subset of the first plurality of calculated probabilistic routing parameters, and wherein the calculating step further comprises the steps of:
- determining a first efficiency increase associated with a first node;
- storing the first efficiency increase in a location associated with the first input node;
- determining the next efficiency increase associated with a next input node;
- storing the next efficiency increase in a location associated with the next input node;
- repeating the determining and steps for each next input node;
- selecting a second plurality of input nodes that provide higher efficiency increases than the other input nodes, the second plurality of input nodes being subset of the first plurality of input nodes;
- and
- calculating a third plurality of probabilistic routing parameters for only the selected second plurality of input nodes and constraining the remaining probabilistic routing parameters to be unchanged from the previous time frame;
- and
- displaying the first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters to a network manager, wherein the network manager modifies the first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters.
10 more elements
A method for modifying probabilistic routing parameters in a routing network for a next time frame, comprising the steps, performed on a processor, of:
- receiving information regarding a measured number of calls routed to each of a plurality of output nodes for a previous time frame;
- estimating a number of calls routed to each of a plurality of input nodes for the next time frame based on the measured number;
- calculating a first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters for the next time frame based on the estimated number;
- and
- automatically modifying the first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters.
2 more elements
An apparatus for modifying probabilistic routing parameters of a routing network for a next time frame, comprising:
- means for receiving information regarding a measured number of calls routed to each of a plurality of output nodes for a previous time frame;
- means for estimating a number of calls routed to each of a plurality of input nodes for the next time frame based on the measured number;
- means for calculating a first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters for the next time frame based on the estimated number;
- and
- means for displaying the first plurality of probabilistic routing parameters to a network manager, wherein the network manager modifies the probabilistic routing parameters.
2 more elements
An apparatus for modifying probabilistic routing parameters of a routing network for a next time frame, comprising:
- a measuring device to measure a number of calls routed to each of a plurality of output nodes during a previous time frame;
- an estimator to estimate for the next time frame a number of calls routed to each of a plurality input nodes based on the measured number;
- and
- a probability calculator to calculate a plurality of probabilistic routing parameters to route calls.
1 more element
A computer program product comprising:
- a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for processing data for a routing network to route calls along communication paths, the computer usable medium comprising:
- a receiving module configured to receive information regarding a measured number of calls routed to each of a plurality of output nodes for a current time frame;
- an estimating module configured to estimate, based on the measured number, a number of calls routed to each of a plurality of input nodes for the next time frame;
- a calculating module configured to calculate a plurality of probabilistic routing parameters for the next time frame based on the estimated number;
- and
- a displaying module configured to display the probabilistic routing parameters to a network manager based on the calculated plurality of probabilistic routing parameters, wherein the network manager modifies the plurality of probabilistic routing parameters.
3 more elements
A method for setting probabilistic routing parameters at a call center for a next time frame, comprising the steps, performed on a processor, of:
- measuring for each of a plurality of output nodes a number of calls routed to the output node;
- storing each measured number at a first plurality of storage locations in a memory, each one of the first plurality of storage locations being associated with one of the plurality of output nodes;
- estimating, for each of a plurality of input nodes, a number of calls routed to each input node from the plurality of numbers stored in the first plurality of storage locations;
- storing each estimated number at a second plurality of storage locations in the memory, each one of the second plurality of storage locations being associated with one of the plurality of input nodes;
- calculating a plurality of probabilistic routing parameters for the next time frame based on the numbers stored at the second plurality of storage locations;
- and
- modifying the probabilistic routing parameters based on the calculated plurality of probabilistic routing parameters.
4 more elements
A computer program product comprising:
- a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for processing data for a routing network to route calls along communication paths, the computer usable medium comprising:
- a receiving module configured to receive information regarding a measured number of calls routed to each of a plurality of output nodes;
- a first storing module configured to store each measured number at a first plurality of storage locations in a memory, each one of the first plurality of storage locations being associated with one of the plurality of output nodes;
- an estimating module configured to estimate from the plurality of numbers stored in the first plurality of storage locations for each of a plurality of input nodes a number of calls routed to each of the plurality of input nodes;
- the first storing module further configured to store each estimated number at a second plurality of storage location in the memory, each one of the second plurality of storage locations being associated with one of the plurality of input nodes;
- a calculating module configured to calculate a plurality of probabilistic routing parameters for the next time frame based on the plurality of measured numbers stored at the second plurality of storage locations;
- and
- a modifying module configured to set the probabilistic routing parameters based on the calculated plurality of probabilistic routing parameters.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.