# US 9,438,736 B2 · Limiting contact in a networked contact center environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,736 B2 - Document ID: US9438736B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/505,989 - Filed: 2014-10-03 - Published: 2015-01-22 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-29 - Assignees: 8x8, Inc. - Applicants: 8×8, Inc. - Inventors: Robert Townsend - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438736B2 ## CPC - H04M 3/5175: {Call or contact centers supervision arrangements} - H04M 3/436: Arrangements for screening incoming calls {, i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it (based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54)} - H04M 3/51: Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention {, e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing} - H04M 3/5183: {Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements} - H04M 3/5232: {Call distribution algorithms} - H04M 3/5233: {Operator skill based call distribution} - H04M 15/80: {Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects} - H04M 15/8027: {based on network load situation} - H04M 3/5235: {Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]} - H04M 2201/12: Counting circuits - H04M 2201/14: Delay circuits; Timers - H04M 2201/18: Comparators - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract This document discusses, among other things, limiting contact to a networked contact center that is a host to multiple tenants. In an example embodiment, a communication is received by a networked contact center. In determining whether to allow the communication to reach contact center resources, a contact rate value may be examined. The contact rate value may represent an allowable quantity of contact within a time interval. For some example embodiments, a determination of whether the network contact center is to accept or reject the communication is made based on the contact rate value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A circuit-based apparatus including a networked contact center that is hosting a plurality of tenants, the apparatus comprising: an interface circuit configured and arranged to receive communications associated with the plurality of tenants; a limiter circuit, that is communicatively coupled with a database and the interface circuit, and that is configured and arranged to: identify, responsive to a particular communication to a particular tenant of the plurality of tenants and based upon data stored in the database, a plurality of communication layers associated with the particular communication; retrieve a set of rate values for the communication layers of the plurality of communication layers associated with the particular communication; modify the set of rate values to account for the particular communication, control, responsive to the set of rate values, access to the particular tenant; and modify, in response to expiration of a time interval, at least one rate value of the set of rate values. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication layers include a dialed number identification service layer, a cluster layer, a site layer and a carrier layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dialed number identification service layer includes a plurality of dialed number identification service numbers and the cluster layer includes a plurality of clusters that are each associated with at least some of the plurality of dialed number identification service numbers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the limiter circuit is further configured and arranged to modify a plurality of rate values from the set of rate values based upon respective and different time intervals for each of the plurality of rate values. ### Claim 5 A networked contact center that hosts a plurality of tenants, the networked contact center comprising: an interface circuit configured and arranged to receive a communication associated with a particular tenant of the plurality of tenants; a limiter circuit, that is communicatively coupled with a database, and that is configured and arranged to: receive the communication; responsive to receiving the communication, access the database to determine a first contact rate value associated with a dialed number identification service layer for the particular tenant, the first contact rate value representing a quantity of contact within a first time interval; responsive to receiving the communication, access the database to determine a second contact rate value associated with, a platform layer for the particular tenant, the second contact rate value representing a quantity of contact within a second time interval; and determine, based on the first contact rate value and the second contact rate value whether the networked contact center is to accept the communication. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The networked contact center of claim 5, wherein the limiter circuit is further configured and arranged to determine whether the networked contact center is to accept the communication based on a plurality of contact parameters associated with the particular tenant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The networked contact center of claim 6, wherein the plurality of contact parameters include a specific number of calls allowed to be routed to the dialed number identification service layer within the first time interval. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The networked contact center of claim 5, wherein the limiter circuit is communicatively coupled with a decrementer and an incrementer, and wherein the limiter is further configured and arranged to use the decrementer to decrement the first contact rate value in response to accepting the communication. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The networked contact center of claim 8, wherein the incrementer is configured and arranged to increment the first contact rate value in response to passage of the first time interval. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The networked contact center of claim 5, wherein the limiter circuit is configured and arranged to accept the communication based on the first contact rate value being greater than a threshold value.