Autonomous dispatcher method and apparatus

• US 20030233402A1
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Mullen, David C., Frare, Steven A., Hunter, Chad D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,170,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

The present invention provides for the allocation of agents to channels associated with the contact center. In particular, the present invention provides a contact center that allows agents to be efficiently allocated among channels, without requiring centralized control applications. Instead, the contact center of the present invention provides centralized agent and channel information fields to permit coordination between independent channel and agent work station applications. The present invention allows channels to be added to a contact center without requiring extensive modifications to the various components of the contact center.

Claims

1. A method for assigning agents to tasks in a contact center, comprising:

determining at a first channel a need for an agent;

in response to said step of determining at a first channel a need for an agent, querying a central agent control block to determine whether a first agent is available;

in response to determining that said first agent is available, setting in said central agent control block a transition field value of said first agent maintained in said central agent control block equal to said first channel;

detecting in a first workstation associated with said first agent said transition field value;

completing tasks pending with respect to said first workstation; and

assigning work from said first channel to said first agent.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting an agent state in said central agent control block corresponding to said first agent equal to said first channel.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting an agent qualified to perform tasks in association with said first channel; and

determining that said first agent is qualified to perform tasks in association with said first channel.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that said first agent is qualified to perform tasks in association with a second channel; and

determining that said first channel has a greater priority than said second channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that said first channel no longer requires said first agent; and

setting a transition field of said first agent in said central agent control block equal to a value other than said first channel.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

completing tasks assigned to said first agent in connection with said first channel; and

setting an agent state in said agent control block equal to available.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating a second channel with said contact center, said step of integrating comprising;

assigning a priority of said second channel relative to said first channel; and

providing an indication of said priority assigned to said second channel in a channel control block.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating a second agent with said contact center, said step of integrating comprising;

creating a central agent control block associated with said second agent.

9. A computer readable medium comprising instructions to perform the steps of claim 1.

10. A method for coordinating contact center operations, comprising:

receiving at a central agent control block a request for an agent from a first channel;

in response to said request for an agent, setting a first status of a first agent equal to said first channel; and

in response to an indication in said central agent control block that no work items are pending, changing a second status of the first agent to said first channel, wherein work from the first channel is assigned to said first agent.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein prior to receiving said request for an agent, said first status of said first agent is set to a second channel, and wherein in response to said step of changing a first status of a first agent to a first channel said second channel does not send a task to said first agent.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

setting a channel status in a channel status control block equal to an indication that additional agents are required;

determining a need for additional agents in connection with a second channel;

comparing a priority of said first channel to a priority of said second channel; and

in response to said priority of said first channel being greater than said priority of said second channel, maintaining said first status of said first agent.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

setting a channel status in a channel status control block equal to an indication that additional agents are required;

determining a need for additional agents in connection with a second channel;

comparing a priority of said first channel to a priority of said second channel;

in response to said priority of said second channel being greater than said priority of said first channel, setting said first status of said first agent equal to said second channel.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said first status comprises a transition status.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said second status comprises a current status.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

in said first channel, determining that an agent is no longer required; and

setting said second status of said agent not equal to said first channel.

17. A contact center, comprising:

agent workstation means;

means for recruiting an agent to a first channel;

means for maintaining channel status information;

means for indicating an availability of an agent, comprising;

means for indicating a scheduled transition, wherein said means for recruiting is capable of changing a value held by said means for indicating a scheduled transition; and

means for indicating an agent state, wherein said agent workstation means controls a value held by said means for indicating an agent state;

communication network means, wherein said agent work station means is interconnected to said means for recruiting, at least through said means for indicating an availability of an agent, and wherein said means for recruiting an agent to a first channel is in communication with said means for maintaining channel status information.

18. The contact center of claim 17, further comprising:

a first communication channel means.

19. The contact center of claim 17, further comprising:

means for dispatching an agent from a first channel.

20. The contact center of claim 17, further comprising:

means for recruiting an agent to a second channel, wherein said means for recruiting an agent to a first channel is in communication with said means for recruiting an agent to a second channel through said means for maintaining channel status information.

21. The contact center of claim 20, further comprising:

a second communication channel means.

22. The contact center of claim 21, wherein said first communication channel means comprises a first communication media, and wherein said second communication channel comprises a second communication media.

23. The contact center of claim 22, wherein said first communication media comprises the public switched telephony network, and wherein said second communication media comprises the Internet.

24. A contact center system, comprising:

a first channel server;

a first agent workstation;

a contact center server, wherein status information regarding said first channel server is maintained;

an agent data unit server, wherein status information regarding said first agent workstation is maintained;

a communication network interconnecting said contact center server, said agent data unit server, said channel server, and said agent workstation.

25. The contact center system of claim 24, further comprising:

a second channel server;

a second agent workstation, wherein said contact center server additionally maintains status information regarding said second channel server, and wherein said agent data unit server additionally maintains status information regarding said second agent workstation.

26. The contact center system of claim 25, wherein each of said first channel server and said second channel server comprises an agent recruiter application and an agent dispatcher application.

27. The contact center system of claim 26, wherein operation of said first channel server and said second channel server is coordinated by said status information held by said contact center server.

28. The contact center system of claim 27, wherein an agent available to said first channel server and said second channel server is at least partially determined by said agent workstation information held by said agent data unit server.

29. The contact center system of claim 28, wherein at least a first value comprising said agent workstation information is controlled by a corresponding agent workstation.

30. The contact center system of claim 29, wherein at least a second value comprising said agent workstation information is controlled by a channel server.

31. A central table for coordinating the operation of a contact center, comprising:

a current agent status data field; and

a scheduled agent transition data field.

32. The table of claim 31, further comprising:

a data field indicating a status of an agent with respect to an assigned channel.

33. The table of claim 31, further comprising:

a number of pending work items data field.

34. The table of claim 31, further comprising:

an agent qualification data field.