US 6,327,364 B1 · Reducing resource consumption by ACD systems

Abstract

A system and a method for managing incoming calls within a call queue include a network bandwidth monitor for monitoring network bandwidth availability on a call center and a queue call rate monitor for determining a total of all call charge rates associated with the calls. A queue manager determines the order of advancement of the calls within the queue. If the network bandwidth monitor determines that network bandwidth availability is below a predetermined threshold, high network bandwidth calls are preferentially advanced to free up additional network bandwidth. Calls with high charge rates are preferentially advanced if the total call charge rate in the queue exceeds a predetermined maximum threshold. If the maximum total call charge rate threshold is exceeded and the network bandwidth availability level is below the minimum threshold, a relative priority for maintaining network bandwidth availability and reducing total call charge rates will determine the order of call advancement. In a preferred embodiment, a router resource monitor determines whether router resource availability is above a minimum threshold level. Different priority sets are configured for each combination of a low network bandwidth availability state, a low router resource availability state, and/or a high total call charge rate state. Call advancement within the queue is at least partially determined by the priority sets.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of systematically advancing calls for a call center comprising steps of:

determining system resource requirements for processing each call of said call center, said system resource requirements being related to use of call-handling equipment resources available to said call center;
monitoring a current level of said call-handling equipment resources currently unavailable for receiving incoming calls to said call center;
and
executing a predefined strategy for advancing said calls through said call center, including utilizing said determinations of system resource requirements of said calls and said monitoring of said current level as factors in implementation of said predefined strategy, including selecting call-advancement priorities to preferentially advance calls having relatively high system resource requirements whenever said current level is above a preselected level.

1 more element

A method for managing incoming calls received at a call center comprising the steps of:

determining network bandwidth requirements for each of said incoming calls, said network bandwidth requirements being specific to requirements for telecommunication equipment;
identifying a current level of network bandwidth availability for a network on which said call center is located, including basing identifications upon collective network bandwidth requirements for said incoming calls to said call center;
in response to detecting a condition of low network bandwidth availability, identifying a first set of a plurality of sets of priorities, said first set being preferential to advancing said incoming calls which are determined as having high network bandwidth requirements;
and
routing said incoming calls according to said first set of priorities.

2 more elements

A system for handling incoming calls to a call center comprising:

means for identifying call-specific system equipment requirements for maintaining each said incoming call by said call center;
means for monitoring current availability of system equipment of said call center with respect to maintaining said incoming calls;
and
means, responsive to said monitoring means, for advancing said incoming calls through said call center with a preference toward advancing incoming calls having high system equipment requirements when said monitoring means detects a condition in which said current availability is below a predetermined threshold level of availability.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reducing resource consumption by ACD systems

Life of this patent

Reducing resource consumption by ACD systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19