Notification system and method
AssigneeBellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
InventorsPatricia Ditcharo, James S. Wheeler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dispatch and notification system that can adjust resources to meet and accommodate real time changes in demand or load is disclosed. The system provides an automated assembly that includes provisions that provide an effective and low cost arrangement that notifies technicians of real time changes in their scheduled work. The system can determine if a real time intervention in a technician's schedule is necessary and can notify the technician in near real time of changes in assigned tasks.
Claims14
A system for dispatching technicians comprising:
- (a) a database including information as to availabilities of a plurality of technicians;
- (b) a dispatch unit;
- and
- (c) a plurality of access units, wherein
- the dispatch unit receives a first request for service, generates a work assignment in response to the first request for service, matches the work assignment to one of the plurality of technicians having availability, and sends the work assignment to one of the plurality of access units, said one of the plurality of access units being associated with the one of the plurality of technicians, and
- wherein the dispatch unit monitors a second request for service received after the first request for service by the system, analyzes the second request for service, and determines if real time intervention is required to modify previously assigned work assignments.
A method of notifying a technician comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving a first request for service;
- (b) creating a work order from the first request for service;
- (c) scheduling a technician to perform the work order and communicating the work order to the technician;
- (d) monitoring additional requests for service and requests to change service received after the first request and before performance of the work order;
- and
- (e) if it is determined that the assigned technician should be diverted from performing the work order as a result from the additional requests or requests to change, communicating a scheduling change message to the assigned technician before performance of the work order.
A method for dispatching technicians in response to service requests, comprising:
- receiving a request for service;
- generating a work assignment having a plurality of attributes associated with the request;
- comparing a plurality of attributes associated with the request with a plurality of qualifications associated with each of the plurality of technicians;
- and
- selecting a technician based upon a close matching of attributes and qualifications.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.