US RE48,476 E1Granted

Balancing multiple computer models in a call center routing system

AssigneeAflnitl, Ltd.

InventorZia Chishti

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Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center utilizing a multi-layer processing approach to matching a caller to an agent. A first layer of processing may include two or more different computer models or methods for scoring or determining caller-agent pairs in a routing center. The output of the first layer may be received by a second layer of processing for balancing or weighting the outputs and selecting a final caller-agent match. The two or more methods may include conventional queue based routing, performance based routing, pattern matching algorithms, affinity matching, and the like. The output or scores of the two or more methods may be processed be the second layer of processing to select a caller-agent pair and cause the caller to be routed to a particular agent.

Claims62

Dependent claims

A method for routing callers to agents in a call-center routing environment, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, by one or more computers, input data associated with callers in a set of callers and agents in a set of agents at a first layer of processing;
processing, by the one or more computers communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the call-center routing environment, the input data associated with the callers in the a set of callers and the agents in the a set of agents using a first measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the a first layer of processing, to output respective first measurement data for each caller-agent pair of a first set of caller-agent pairs;
processing, by the one or more computers, the input data associated with the callers in the set of callers and the agents in the set of agents using a second measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the first layer of processing, to output respective second measurement data for each caller-agent pair of the first set of caller-agent pairs;
receiving, by the one or more computers, the output measurement data from each of the first measurement algorithm and the second measurement algorithm at a second layer of processing, the first measurement data and the second measurement data for each caller-agent pair of the set of caller-agent pairs;
processing, by the one or more computers, the caller-agent pair output measurement data from each of the first measurement algorithm and the second measurement algorithm by an first measurement data and the second measurement data for each caller-agent pair of the set of caller-agent pairs by a weighting algorithm to weight the caller-agent pair output first measurement data of one of the measurement algorithms for each caller-agent pair of the set of caller-agent pairs relative to the other of the measurement algorithms second measurement data for each caller-agent pair of the set of caller-agent pairs in the second layer of processing, to output a weighted caller-agent pair output measurement data;
selecting, by the one or more computers, a caller-agent pair based at least in part on the weighted caller-agent pair output measurement data;
and
mapping, by the one or more computers, the caller in the caller-agent pair selected to the agent in the caller-agent pair selected
establishing, by the one or more computers, in a switch module of the call-center routing environment, a communication channel between the caller and the agent in the selected agent-pair to optimize performance of the call-center routing environment attributable to the weighted caller-agent pair output measurement data.

6 more elements

A system for routing callers to agents in a call-center routing environment, comprising:

one or more computers configured with computer-readable program code to perform, when executed, the steps:
receiving, by the one or more computers, input data associated with callers in a set of callers and agents in a set of agents at a first layer of processing;
processing, by the one or more computers, the input data associated with the callers in the set of callers and the agents in the set of agents using a first measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the first layer of processing, to output respective measurement data for each of a first set of caller-agent pairs;
processing, by the one or more computers, the input data associated with the callers in the set of callers and the agents in the set of agents using a second measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the first layer of processing, to output respective measurement data for each of the first set of caller-agent pairs;
receiving, by the one or more computers, the output measurement data from each of the first measurement algorithm and the second measurement algorithm at a second layer of processing;
processing, by the one or more computers, the caller-agent pair output measurement data from each of the first measurement algorithm and the second measurement algorithm by an algorithm to weight the caller-agent pair output measurement data of one of the measurement algorithms relative to the other of the measurement algorithms in the second layer of processing;
selecting, by the one or more computers, a caller-agent pair based at least in part on weighted caller-agent pair output data;
and
mapping, by the one or more computers, the caller in the caller-agent pair selected to the agent in the caller-agent pair selected.

6 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code for carrying out, when executed by one or more computers, the steps:

receiving, by the one or more computers, input data associated with callers in a set of callers and agents in a set of agents at a first layer of processing;
processing, by the one or more computers, the input data associated with the callers in the set of callers and the agents in the set of agents using a first measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the first layer of processing, to output respective measurement data for each of a first set of caller-agent pairs;
processing, by the one or more computers, the input data associated with the callers in the set of callers and the agents in the set of agents using a second measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the first layer of processing, to output respective measurement data for each of the first set of caller-agent pairs;
receiving, by the one or more computers, the output measurement data from each of the first measurement algorithm and the second measurement algorithm at a second layer of processing;
processing, by the one or more computers, the caller-agent pair output measurement data from each of the first measurement algorithm and the second measurement algorithm by an algorithm to weight the caller-agent pair output measurement data of one of the measurement algorithms relative to the other of the measurement algorithms in the second layer of processing;
selecting, by the one or more computers, a caller-agent pair based at least in part on weighted caller-agent pair output data;
and
mapping, by the one or more computers, the caller in the caller-agent pair selected to the agent in the caller-agent pair selected.

5 more elements

A method for handling contacts and agents in a contact center system comprising:

determining, by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, a first ability of a first agent to influence outcomes of contact-agent interactions, wherein the first ability of the first agent is determined based at least in part upon:
processing, by the at least one computer processor, input data associated with contacts in a set of contacts and agents in a set of agents using a first measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in a first layer of processing, to output first measurement data for each contact-agent pair of a set of contact-agent pairs;
processing, by the at least one computer processor, the input data associated with the contacts in the set of contacts and the agents in the set of agents using a second measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the first layer of processing, to output second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs;
receiving, by the at least one computer processor, at a second layer of processing, the first measurement data and the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs;
processing, by the at least one computer processor, the first measurement data and the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs by a weighting algorithm to weight the first measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs relative to the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs in the second layer of processing, to output a weighted contact-agent pair output measurement data;
and
selecting, by the at least one computer processor, a contact-agent pair based at least in part on the weighted contact-agent pair output measurement data;
matching, by the at least one computer processor, the first agent with a first contact based at least in part on the first ability of the first agent;
and
establishing, by the at least one computer processor, in a switch module of the contact center system, a communication channel between the first agent and the first contact to optimize performance of the contact center system attributable to the first ability of the first agent.

7 more elements

A system for handling contacts and agents in a contact center system comprising:

at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:
determine a first ability of a first agent to influence outcomes of agent-contact interactions, wherein the first ability of the first agent is determined based at least in part upon:
processing, by the at least one computer processor, input data associated with contacts in a set of contacts and agents in a set of agents using a first measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in a first layer of processing, to output first measurement data for each contact-agent pair of a set of contact-agent pairs;
processing, by the at least one computer processor, the input data associated with the contacts in the set of contacts and the agents in the set of agents using a second measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the first layer of processing, to output second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs;
receiving, by the at least one computer processor, at a second layer of processing, the first measurement data and the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs;
processing, by the at least one computer processor, the first measurement data and the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs by a weighting algorithm to weight the first measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs relative to the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs in the second layer of processing, to output a weighted contact-agent pair output measurement data;
and
selecting, by the at least one computer processor, a contact-agent pair based at least in part on the weighted contact-agent pair output measurement data;
match the first agent with a first contact based at least in part on the first ability of the first agent;
and
establish, in a switch module of the contact center system, a communication channel between the first agent and the first contact to optimize performance of the contact center system attributable to the first ability of the first agent.

8 more elements

An article of manufacture for handling contacts and agents in a contact center system comprising:

a non-transitory processor readable medium;
and
instructions stored on the medium;
wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the medium by at least one computer processor communicatively coupled to and configured to operate in the contact center system and thereby cause the at least one computer processor to operate so as to:
determine a first ability of a first agent to influence outcomes of agent-contact interactions, wherein the first ability of the first agent is determined based at least in part upon:
processing, by the at least one computer processor, input data associated with contacts in a set of contacts and agents in a set of agents using a first measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in a first layer of processing, to output first measurement data for each contact-agent pair of a set of contact-agent pairs;
processing, by the at least one computer processor, the input data associated with the contacts in the set of contacts and the agents in the set of agents using a second measurement algorithm in a pair-wise fashion in the first layer of processing, to output second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs;
receiving, by the at least one computer processor, at a second layer of processing, the first measurement data and the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs;
processing, by the at least one computer processor, the first measurement data and the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs by a weighting algorithm to weight the first measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs relative to the second measurement data for each contact-agent pair of the set of contact-agent pairs in the second layer of processing, to output a weighted contact-agent pair output measurement data;
and
selecting, by the at least one computer processor, a contact-agent pair based at least in part on the weighted contact-agent pair output measurement data;
match the first agent with a first contact based at least in part on the first ability of the first agent;
and
establish, in a switch module of the contact center system, a communication channel between the first agent and the first contact to optimize performance of the contact center system attributable to the first ability of the first agent.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.