Contact center integration into virtual environments
AssigneeAvaya Inc.
InventorsMichael Hartman, Tony McCormack, Neil O'Connor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A contact center has an interface with a virtual environment implemented in a computer system. The operation of the contact center includes receiving, from the virtual environment, spatial information relating to the spatial position within the virtual environment of an inhabitant of the virtual environment, and queuing a contact relating to that inhabitant in a queuing system of the contact center. Queuing decisions are based, at least in part, on the spatial information of the inhabitant in the virtual environment.
Claims36
A method of operating a contact center having an interface with a virtual environment implemented in a computerized system, comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving from the virtual environment spatial information relating to the spatial position within the virtual environment of an inhabitant of the virtual environment;
- b) creating and maintaining contact information in said contact center, said contact information being associated with said inhabitant and including said spatial information;
- c) providing said contact information to a queuing system of the contact center;
- and
- d) said queuing system making a queuing decision based on said spatial information.
A computer program product comprising a data carrier having encoded thereon machine readable instructions which when executed in a computer system of a contact center having an interface with a virtual environment, are effective to cause said computer system to:
- a) receive from the virtual environment spatial information relating to the spatial position within the virtual environment of an inhabitant of the virtual environment;
- b) create and maintaining contact information in said contact center, said contact information being associated with said inhabitant and including said spatial information;
- c) provide said contact information to a queuing system of the contact center;
- and
- d) said queuing system making a queuing decision based on said spatial information.
A contact center computer system having an interface with a virtual environment, said computer system operating a computer program thereon which causes said contact center to:
- a) receive from the virtual environment spatial information relating to the spatial position within the virtual environment of an inhabitant of the virtual environment;
- b) create and maintaining contact information in said contact center, said contact information being associated with said inhabitant and including said spatial information;
- c) provide said contact information to a queuing system of the contact center;
- and
- d) said queuing system making a queuing decision based on said spatial information.
A method of operating a contact center having an interface with a virtual environment implemented in a computerized system, comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving from the virtual environment spatial information relating to the spatial position within the virtual environment of an inhabitant of the virtual environment;
- b) creating and maintaining contact information in said contact center, said contact information being associated with said inhabitant;
- c) providing said contact information to a queuing system of the contact center, such that said inhabitant is queued to interact with a live agent of the contact center;
- d) estimating an expected wait time for a live agent to become available to interact with said inhabitant;
- e) using said spatial information to estimate a time delay for said inhabitant to require live agent intervention following an automated interaction;
- f) comparing said estimated time delay with said expected wait time;
- and
- g) providing to said inhabitant an automated interaction designed to reduce the difference between said estimated time delay and said expected wait time.
A computer program product comprising a data carrier having encoded thereon machine readable instructions which when executed in a computer system of a contact center having an interface with a virtual environment, are effective to cause said computer system to:
- a) receive from the virtual environment spatial information relating to the spatial position within the virtual environment of an inhabitant of the virtual environment;
- b) create and maintaining contact information in said contact center, said contact information being associated with said inhabitant;
- c) provide said contact information to a queuing system of the contact center, such that said inhabitant is queued to interact with a live agent of the contact center;
- d) estimate an expected wait time for a live agent to become available to interact with said inhabitant;
- e) use said spatial information to estimate a time delay for said inhabitant to require live agent intervention following an automated interaction;
- f) compare said estimated time delay with said expected wait time;
- and
- g) provide to said inhabitant an automated interaction designed to reduce the difference between said estimated time delay and said expected wait time.
A contact center computer system having an interface with a virtual environment, said computer system operating a computer program thereon which causes said contact center to:
- a) receive from the virtual environment spatial information relating to the spatial position within the virtual environment of an inhabitant of the virtual environment;
- b) create and maintaining contact information in said contact center, said contact information being associated with said inhabitant;
- c) provide said contact information to a queuing system of the contact center, such that said inhabitant is queued to interact with a live agent of the contact center;
- d) estimate an expected wait time for a live agent to become available to interact with said inhabitant;
- e) use said spatial information to estimate a time delay for said inhabitant to require live agent intervention following an automated interaction;
- f) compare said estimated time delay with said expected wait time;
- and
- g) provide to said inhabitant an automated interaction designed to reduce the difference between said estimated time delay and said expected wait time.
A method of operating a computerized system implementing a virtual environment and having an interface with a contact center, comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving from the contact center information regarding a queuing system maintained by said contact center;
- b) providing within the virtual environment a virtual queue representation of said queuing system, based on said received information;
- c) providing an inhabitant of said virtual environment with access to said virtual queue representation when a contact is queued for said inhabitant in said queuing system of the contact center;
- d) providing within said virtual queue representation one or more entities with which said inhabitant may interact with a variable result;
- e) upon said inhabitant interacting with one of said entities, determining a result of said interaction;
- and
- f) notifying the result of said interaction to said queuing system of the contact center whereby the queuing position of said inhabitant in the queuing system of the contact center may be modified based on said result.
A computer program product comprising a data carrier having encoded thereon machine readable instructions which when executed in a computerized system implementing a virtual environment and having an interface with a contact center, are effective to cause said computerized system to:
- a) receive from the contact center information regarding a queuing system maintained by said contact center;
- b) provide within the virtual environment a virtual queue representation of said queuing system, based on said received information;
- c) provide an inhabitant of said virtual environment with access to said virtual queue representation when a contact is queued for said inhabitant in said queuing system of the contact center;
- d) provide within said virtual queue representation one or more entities with which said inhabitant may interact with a variable result;
- e) upon said inhabitant interacting with one of said entities, determine a result of said interaction;
- and
- f) notify the result of said interaction to said queuing system of the contact center whereby the queuing position of said inhabitant in the queuing system of the contact center may be modified based on said result.
A computerized system implementing a virtual environment and having an interface with a contact center, said system executing a program which is effective to cause said computerized system to:
- a) receive from the contact center information regarding a queuing system maintained by said contact center;
- b) provide within the virtual environment a virtual queue representation of said queuing system, based on said received information;
- c) provide an inhabitant of said virtual environment with access to said virtual queue representation when a contact is queued for said inhabitant in said queuing system of the contact center;
- d) provide within said virtual queue representation one or more entities with which said inhabitant may interact with a variable result;
- e) upon said inhabitant interacting with one of said entities, determine a result of said interaction;
- and
- f) notify the result of said interaction to said queuing system of the contact center whereby the queuing position of said inhabitant in the queuing system of the contact center may be modified based on said result.
A method of operating a system comprising a virtual environment implemented in a computerized system and a contact center having an interface with said virtual environment, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing within the virtual environment an interface with an external website having an offer for sale;
- b) providing to an inhabitant of the virtual environment a mechanism to request live agent assistance with a purchasing decision;
- c) upon said inhabitant requesting live agent assistance, providing said request from said virtual environment to said contact center;
- d) upon said contact center allocating said request to an agent of said contact center, placing said agent and said inhabitant in communication with one another.
A computer program product comprising a data carrier having encoded thereon machine readable instructions which when executed in a computerized system implementing a virtual environment and having an interface with a contact center, are effective to cause said computerized system to:
- a) provide within the virtual environment an interface with an external website having an offer for sale;
- b) provide to an inhabitant of the virtual environment a mechanism to request live agent assistance with a purchasing decision;
- c) upon said inhabitant requesting live agent assistance, provide said request from said virtual environment to said contact center;
- and
- d) upon said contact center allocating said request to an agent of said contact center, place said agent and said inhabitant in communication with one another.
A computerized system implementing a virtual environment and having an interface with a contact center, said computerized system operating a program effective to cause the computerized system to:
- a) provide within the virtual environment an interface with an external website having an offer for sale;
- b) provide to an inhabitant of the virtual environment a mechanism to request live agent assistance with a purchasing decision;
- c) upon said inhabitant requesting live agent assistance, provide said request from said virtual environment to said contact center;
- and
- d) upon said contact center allocating said request to an agent of said contact center, place said agent and said inhabitant in communication with one another.
A method of operating a contact center having an interface with a virtual environment implemented in a computerized system, comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving from the virtual environment a request issued by or on behalf of an inhabitant of said virtual environment;
- b) identifying said request as being a request to act as an agent of the contact center;
- c) authorizing said inhabitant to act as an agent of the contact center;
- d) adding, to a stored record of agents available to the contact center, information relating to said inhabitant;
- e) receiving from said virtual environment contact requests from inhabitants of said virtual environment for contact with an agent;
- and
- f) allocating said contact requests among said agents identified in said stored record.
A computer program product comprising a data carrier having encoded thereon machine readable instructions which when executed in a computerized system of a contact center having an interface with a virtual environment, are effective to cause said computerized system to:
- a) receive from the virtual environment a request issued by or on behalf of a first inhabitant of said virtual environment;
- b) identify said request as being a request to act as an agent of the contact center;
- c) authorize said first inhabitant to act as an agent of the contact center;
- d) add, to a stored record of agents available to the contact center, information relating to said first inhabitant;
- and
- e) receive from said virtual environment contact requests from further inhabitants of said virtual environment for contact with an agent;
- and
- f) allocate said contact requests among said agents identified in said stored record.
A computerized system of a contact center having an interface with a virtual environment, said computerized system operating a program effective to cause the computerized system to:
- a) receive from the virtual environment a request issued by or on behalf of a first inhabitant of said virtual environment;
- b) identify said request as being a request to act as an agent of the contact center;
- c) authorize said first inhabitant to act as an agent of the contact center;
- d) add, to a stored record of agents available to the contact center, information relating to said first inhabitant;
- and
- e) receive from said virtual environment contact requests from further inhabitants of said virtual environment for contact with an agent;
- and
- f) allocate said contact requests among said agents identified in said stored record.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.