Method and system for automatic contact distribution utilizing presence detection

• US 20040218749A1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khouri, Joseph F., Shaffer, Shmuel
• Granted Patent: US 6,934,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A method for automatic contact distribution includes receiving a contact for connection with an agent and distributing the contact to a first agent. The method includes automatically transferring the first agent from a ready state to a second state if the first agent does not answer the contact and detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent when the first agent is in the second state. The method may include transferring the first agent from the second state to the ready state after detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent. The second state may comprises a system initiated not ready (SINR) state.

Claims

1. A method for automatic contact distribution, comprising:

receiving a contact for connection with an agent;

distributing the contact to a first agent;

automatically transferring the first agent from a ready state to a second state if the first agent does not answer the contact; and

detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent when the first agent is in the second state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the first agent from the second state to the ready state after detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an additional contact for connection with an agent; and

distributing the additional contact to the first agent after transferring the first agent from the second state to the ready state.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing a script to determine a third state to transfer the first agent to after detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent; and

transferring the first agent from the second state to the third state.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an additional contact for connection with an agent; and

distributing the additional contact to the first agent after transferring the first agent from the second state to the third state, the third state comprising the ready state.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the third state comprises a not ready state.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent comprises detecting the presence of the first agent at a personal computer (PC) of the first agent or at a phone of the first agent.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a message to the first agent after detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent, the message comprising a notification that the first agent has been transferred to the second state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the message further comprises a query asking the first agent to which state the first agent desires to be transferred.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing the contact to a second agent if the first agent does not answer the contact.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second state comprises a system initiated not ready (SINR) state.

12. An automatic contact distribution system, comprising:

at least one input port operable to receive a contact for connection with an agent;

a distributor operable to distribute the contact to a first agent;

a presence server operable to;

automatically transfer the first agent from a ready state to a second state if the first agent does not answer the contact; and

detect the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent when the first agent is in the second state.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the presence server is further operable to transfer the first agent from the second state to the ready state after detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one input port is further operable to receive an additional contact for connection with an agent; and

the distributor is further operable to distribute the additional contact to the first agent after the first agent is transferred from the second state to the ready state.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a processor operable to execute a script to determine a third state to transfer the first agent to after the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent is detected, wherein the presence server is further operable to transfer the first agent from the second state to the third state.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one input port is further operable to receive an additional contact for connection with an agent; and

the distributor is further operable to distribute the additional contact to the first agent after the first agent is transferred from the second state to the third state, the third state comprising the ready state.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the device associated with the first agent comprises a personal computer (PC) of the first agent or a phone of the first agent.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the presence server is further operable to transmit a message to the first agent after presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent is detected, the message comprising a notification that the first agent has been transferred to the second state.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the message further comprises a query asking the first agent to which state the first agent desires to be transferred.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the second state comprises a system initiated not ready (SINR) state.

21. An automatic contact distribution system, comprising:

means for receiving a contact for connection with an agent;

means for distributing the contact to a first agent;

means for automatically transferring the first agent from a ready state to a second state if the first agent does not answer the contact; and

means for detecting the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent when the first agent is in the second state.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for transferring the first agent from the second state to the ready state after the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent is detected.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for receiving an additional contact for connection with an agent; and

means for distributing the additional contact to the first agent after the first agent is transferred from the second state to the ready state.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for executing a script to determine a third state to transfer the first agent to after the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent is detected; and

means for transferring the first agent from the second state to the third state.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for receiving an additional contact for connection with an agent; and

means for distributing the additional contact to the first agent after the first agent is transferred from the second state to the third state, the third state comprising the ready state.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for transmitting a message to the first agent after the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent is detected, the message comprising a notification that the first agent has been transferred to the second state.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the message further comprises a query asking the first agent to which state the first agent desires to be transferred.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the second state comprises a system initiated not ready (SINR) state.

29. Software embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

receive a contact for connection with an agent;

distribute the contact to a first agent;

automatically transfer the first agent from a ready state to a second state if the first agent does not answer the contact; and

detect the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent when the first agent is in the second state.

30. The medium of claim 29, wherein the code is further operable to transfer the first agent from the second state to the ready state after the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent is detected.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the code is further operable to:

receive an additional contact for connection with an agent; and

distribute the additional contact to the first agent after the first agent is transferred from the second state to the ready state.

32. The medium of claim 29, wherein the code is further operable to:

execute a script to determine a third state to transfer the first agent to after the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent is detected; and

transfer the first agent from the second state to the third state.

33. The medium of claim 32, wherein the code is further operable to:

receive an additional contact for connection with an agent; and

distribute the additional contact to the first agent after the first agent is transferred from the second state to the third state, the third state comprising the ready state.

34. The medium of claim 29, wherein the code is further operable to transmit a message to the first agent after the presence of the first agent at a device associated with the first agent is detected, the message comprising a notification that the first agent has been transferred to the second state.

35. The medium of claim 34, wherein the message further comprises a query asking the first agent to which state the first agent desires to be transferred.

36. The medium of claim 29, wherein the second state comprises a system initiated not ready (SINR) state.