METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSIGNING AGENT-LED CHAT SESSIONS HOSTED BY A COMMMUNICATION CENTER TO AVAILABLE AGENTS BASED ON MESSAGE LOAD AND AGENT SKILL-SET

• US 20020060988A1
• Filed: 12/01/1999
• Published: 05/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: SHTIVELMAN, YURI
• Granted Patent: US 6,535,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

In a communication center system wherein agents participate in and host communication sessions, a session management system has a data repository storing parameters regarding individual sessions in progress in the communication center system and agent parameters including one or both of minimum and maximum load capabilities for individual agents. A management software executes on a server associated with the communication center system, and calculates agent load level over chat sessions hosted by an individual agent, compares the calculated load level with one or both of minimum and maximum load for said agent, and adjusts agent assignment to sessions accordingly. In the case where agents are overloaded, additional agents are assigned to open sessions, and in the case where agents are underutilized, additional sessions may be assigned to the under-utilized agents. The sessions in a preferred embodiment are chat sessions.

Claims

1. In a communication center system wherein agents participate in and host communication sessions, a session management system, comprising:

a data repository storing parameters regarding individual sessions in progress in the communication center system and agent parameters including one or both of minimum and maximum load capabilities for individual agents; and

a management software executing on a server associated with the communication center system;

characterized in that the management software calculates agent load level over sessions hosted by an individual agent, compares the calculated load level with one or both of minimum and maximum load for said agent, and adjusts agent loading or wait time accordingly.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sessions managed are chat sessions.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the session management system, upon determining a first agent'"'"'s load level is above maximum, increases wait time or assigns one or more sessions hosted by the first agent to a second agent, or both, reducing the first agent'"'"'s load.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the session management system, upon determining a first agent'"'"'s load level is below minimum, assigns one or more addition sessions to the first agent.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the session management system operates in a call center having multiple agents interconnected on a communication network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the management software determines agent loading by both traffic and agent capability level.

7. In a communication center system wherein agents participate in and host communication sessions, a method for managing agent load in the sessions, comprising steps of:

(a) storing parameters regarding individual sessions in progress in the communication center system and agent parameters including one or both of minimum and maximum load capabilities for individual agents in a data repository;

(b) calculating agent load level by a management software;

(c) comparing calculated agent load level with stored minimum of maximum allowed agent load level; and

(d) adjusting agent assignment to sessions according to the comparison in step (c).

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the sessions are chat sessions.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the session management system, upon determining a first agent'"'"'s load level is above maximum, assigns one or more sessions hosted by the agent to a second agent, reducing the first agent'"'"'s load.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the session management system, upon determining a first agent'"'"'s load level is below minimum, assigns one or more additional sessions to the first agent.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the session management system operates in a call center having multiple agents interconnected on a local area network (LAN).

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the management software determines agent loading by both traffic and agent capability level.

14. The communication center of claim 13 wherein the communication sessions are chat sessions.

15. The communication center of claim 13 wherein individual agents are assigned a maximum load level, and the management software, upon determining a first agent'"'"'s load level is above maximum, assigns one or more sessions hosted by the first agent to a second agent, reducing the first agent'"'"'s load level.

16. The communication center of claim 13 wherein individual agents are assigned a minimum load level, and the management software, upon determining a first agent'"'"'s load level is below minimum, assigns one or more additional sessions to the first agent.

17. The communication center of claim 13 wherein the management software determines agent loading by both traffic and agent capability level.

13. A data-network telephony (DNT)-capable communication center comprising:

multiple agent stations having individual session-capable computer stations interconnected on a local area network (LAN); and

a server connected on the LAN and executing a management software;

characterized in that the management software calculates agent load-level and manages agent assignment to sessions based on the calculated load level.