Proximity based interactions with wallboards

• US 10,362,167 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Thomson, Rodney A., Reynolds, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleischer, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US13/922,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/402 Agent or workforce management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

Proximity-based interactions with wallboards and mobile devices create an interactive and effective communication model, efficiently utilizing space and opportunities for communication between a contact center and its agents and supervisors. The system provides a dynamic, proximity-based location service including displays for agents and real-time message capabilities for supervisors.

Claims

1. A method for interaction with a wallboard, comprising:

obtaining, by a processor, location information for one or more individuals in a contact center;

determining, by the processor, based on the obtained location information, a first wallboard to display contact center information to the one or more individuals that is specifically directed to the one or more individuals, wherein the first wallboard is selected from among a plurality of wallboards in the contact center based on a proximity of the first wallboard with the one or more individuals; and

causing, by the processor, the first wallboard to display the contact center information that is specifically directed to the one or more individuals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more individuals include a contact center supervisor, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, an instruction from a device carried by the contact center supervisor to update the first wallboard with new contact center information; and

pushing, by the processor, the new contact center information to the first wallboard, thereby causing the first wallboard to display the new contact center information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more individuals further include a contact center agent, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a request from the contact center agent to display the new contact center information;

providing, by the processor, the device carried by the contact center supervisor with a request to display the new contact center information on the first wallboard;

receiving, by the processor, a response to the request granting permission to display the new contact center information on the first wallboard; and

causing, by the processor, the first wallboard to display the new contact center information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact center information that is displayed on the first wallboard comprises at least one of RSS feed data, contact center performance statistics, contact center metrics, graphs, announcements, alerts, thresholds, and messages.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, a first distance between the first wallboard and the one or more individuals;

identifying, by the processor, a second distance between a second wallboard and the one or more individuals;

determining, by the processor, that the first distance is smaller than the second distance; and

in response to determining that the first distance is smaller than the second distance, identifying, by the processor, the first wallboard as best suited to display the contact center information to the one or more individuals.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

causing, by the processor, the second wallboard to display information that is specifically directed to a second set of individuals and not specifically directed to the one or more individuals, the second set of individuals being closer to the second wallboard than the one or more individuals and the one or more individuals being closer to the first wallboard than the second set of individuals.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, that a new agent has logged into the contact center;

determining, by the processor, a distance from the new agent to each wallboard in the contact center;

determining, by the processor, that the new agent is closer to a second wallboard than the first wallboard; and

updating, by the processor, information displayed on the second wallboard to include metrics for the new agent'"'"'s performance.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first wallboard is not updated to display metrics for the new agent'"'"'s performance.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining location information for one or more individuals in a contact center;

determining based on the obtained location information, a first wallboard to display contact center information to the one or more individuals that is specifically directed to the one or more individuals, wherein the first wallboard is selected from among a plurality of wallboards in the contact center based on a proximity of the first wallboard with the one or more individuals; and

causing the first wallboard to display the contact center information that is specifically directed to the one or more individuals.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more individuals include a contact center supervisor, the operations further comprising:

receiving an instruction from a device carried by the contact center supervisor to update the first wallboard with new contact center information; and

pushing the new contact center information to the first wallboard, thereby causing the first wallboard to display the new contact center information.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more individuals further include a contact center agent, the operations further comprising:

receiving a request from the contact center agent to display the new contact center information;

providing the device carried by the contact center supervisor with a request to display the new contact center information on the first wallboard;

receiving a response to the request granting permission to display the new contact center information on the first wallboard; and

causing the first wallboard to display the new contact center information.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the contact center information that is displayed on the first wallboard comprises at least one of RSS feed data, contact center performance statistics, contact center metrics, graphs, announcements, alerts, thresholds, and messages.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

identifying a first distance between the first wallboard and the one or more individuals and identifying a second distance between a second wallboard and the one or more individuals;

determining that the first distance is smaller than the second distance; and

identifying the first wallboard, in response to determining that the first distance is smaller than the second distance, as best suited to display the contact center information to the one or more individuals.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, the operations further comprising:

causing the second wallboard to display information that is specifically directed to a second set of individuals and not specifically directed to the one or more individuals, the second set of individuals being closer to the second wallboard than the one or more individuals and the one or more individuals being closer to the first wallboard than the second set of individuals.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

determining that a new agent has logged into the contact center;

determining a distance from the new agent to each wallboard in the contact center;

determining that the new agent is closer to a second wallboard than the first wallboard; and

updating information displayed on the second wallboard to include metrics for the new agents performance.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first wallboard is not updated to display metrics for the new agent'"'"'s performance.

17. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of wallboards; and

a wallboard module comprising a processor and processor-executable instructions that enable the processor of the wallboard module to perform the following operations;

obtain, using the processor, location information for one or more individuals in a contact center;

determine, using the processor and based on the obtained location information, a first wallboard to display contact center information to the one or more individuals that is specifically directed to the one or more individuals and cause the first wallboard to display the contact center information that is specifically directed to the one or more individuals, wherein the first wallboard is selected from among the plurality of wallboards in the contact center based on a proximity of the first wallboard with the one or more individuals;

receive, using the processor, an instruction from a device carried by the contact center supervisor to update the first wallboard with new contact center information and push the new contact center information to the first wallboard, thereby causing the first wallboard to display the new contact center information;

receive, using the processor, a request from the contact center agent to display the new contact center information and provide the device carried by the contact center supervisor with a request to display the new contact center information on the first wallboard; and

receive, using the processor, a response to the request granting permission to display the new contact center information on the first wallboard and cause the first wallboard to display the new contact center information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor-executable instructions of the wallboard module further enable the processor to perform the following operations:

identify a first distance between the first wallboard and the one or more individuals and a second distance between a second wallboard and the one or more individuals;

determine that the first distance is smaller than the second distance;

in response to determining that the first distance is smaller than the second distance, identify the first wallboard as best suited to display the contact center information to the one or more individuals; and

cause the second wallboard to display information that is specifically directed to a second set of individuals and not specifically directed to the one or more individuals, the second set of individuals being closer to the second wallboard than the one or more individuals and the one or more individuals being closer to the first wallboard than the second set of individuals.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor-executable instructions of the wallboard module further enable the processor to perform the following operations:

determine that a new agent has logged into the contact center;

determine a distance from the new agent to each wallboard in the contact center;

determine that the new agent is closer to a second wallboard than the first wallboard; and

update information displayed on the second wallboard to include metrics for the new agent'"'"'s performance.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the device comprises at least one of a personal computer, laptop, tablet, cellular phone, smartphone, and telephone.