Method and apparatus for business time computation in a resource allocation system

• US 20050071212A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Flockhart, Andrew D., Steiner, Robert C., Roybal, Larry J.
• Application Number:
  US10/673,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071212A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for resource allocation in a system which includes work items which are to be completed in both business time and real time. Work items are placed in a delta queue which has a calendar associated therewith indicating business time and non-business time for resources associated with the delta queue. When the calendar associated with the delta queue enters into a non-business time, a scheduler pushes an item at the head of the delta queue which corresponds to the amount of non-business time. Work items in the delta queue are thus delayed by the appropriate amount of time corresponding to the non-business time.

Claims

1. A method for allocating resources, comprising:

providing a resource allocation system comprising at least one queue of work items, each of the work items having an associated service time, and at least one resource to service the work items;

placing a time delay corresponding to a non-business time period in at least one position of said queue; and

allocating resources associated with said queue according to predetermined algorithms.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said placing step comprises:

accessing a calendar associated with said queue, said calendar including entries corresponding to business time and non-business time;

determining when a non-business time period begins; and

placing a duration of said non-business time period in a first position in said queue when said non-business time begins.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said first position is at the head of said queue.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said first position is at a tail of said queue.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said queue is a delta queue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said resource allocation system includes a plurality of queues of work items, each of said plurality of queues having an associated calendar indicating business time and non-business time periods.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said predetermined algorithms perform resource allocation for each of said plurality of queues independently of the calendar associated with the queues.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying, at a user interface, a resource status associated with a first queue of said plurality of queues, the resource status being displayed in relation to a real time clock included in the resource allocation system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said displaying step comprises:

determining the service time for work items in said first queue;

selecting the calendar associated with said first queue;

indexing said calendar into a table having a real time index; and

computing said time commitments into a time interval according to said table.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said indexing step comprises:

selecting a minimum time interval;

determining the calendar start time;

subtracting from real time from the calendar start time; and

taking the modulus of the calendar time by the minimum time interval.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said computing step comprises:

determining the remainder of the modulus operation of said taking the modulus step.

12. A resource allocation system, comprising:

a scheduler operable to receive work items, determine a service time for said work items, place said work items into one of a plurality of queues, and allocate resources for each of said queues according to predetermined resource allocation algorithms;

a timer operable to time the duration of items in said plurality of queues;

a plurality of calendars corresponding to said plurality of queues, wherein each queue has an associated calendar, and wherein each calendar has entries corresponding to business time and non-business time,

wherein said scheduler is operable to monitor each of said calendars and, upon the start of a non-business time for a first calendar, place a time delay corresponding to the length of said non-business time into the queue associated with the first calendar.

13. The resource allocation system of claim 12, further comprising:

a user interface operable to display information related to current status of said plurality of queues; and

a conversion system operable to convert real time to business time for display on said user interface.

14. The resource allocation system of claim 13, wherein said conversion system is operable to:

determine the service time for work items in said plurality of queues;

select the calendar associated with each of said plurality of queues;

index said calendars into a table having a real time index; and

compute said service times into a time interval according to said table.

15. The resource allocation system of claim 14, wherein said conversion system creates said index according to the following steps:

selecting a minimum time interval;

determining the calendar start time;

subtracting from real time from the calendar start time; and

taking the modulus of the calendar time by the minimum time interval.

16. The resource allocation system of claim 15, wherein said service time is computed according to a remainder of the modulus operation of said taking the modulus step.

17. The resource allocation system of claim 12, wherein said scheduler is operable to:

access a business time calendar which includes information corresponding to business time and non-business time;

determine when a non-business time period begins; and

place a duration of said non-business time period into said queue when said non-business time begins.

18. The resource allocation system of claim 12, wherein said queues are delta queues.

19. The resource allocation system of claim 12, wherein said scheduler is operable to:

determine which of said plurality of queues into which said work item should be placed, each of said queues having an associated calendar including business time and non-business time periods; and

place said work item at the tail of one of said plurality of queues based on said determination.

20. The resource allocation system of claim 12, wherein said predetermined algorithms perform resource allocation of each of said plurality of queues independently of the calendar associated with the queues.

21. A computational component for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a work item at a resource allocation system;

determining a service time for said work item;

placing said work item into a queue;

placing a time delay corresponding to a non-business time period into said queue; and

allocating resources associated with said queue according to predetermined algorithms.

22. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 21, wherein said placing a time delay step comprises:

accessing a business time calendar which includes information corresponding to business time and non-business time;

determining when a non-business time period begins; and

placing a duration of said non-business time period into said queue when said non-business time begins.

23. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 21, wherein said queue is a delta queue.

24. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 21, wherein said placing said work item step comprises:

determining which of a plurality of queues in which said work item should be placed, each of said queues having an associated calendar including information related to business time and non-business time periods; and

placing said work item in one of said plurality of queues based on said determining step.

25. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 24, wherein said predetermined algorithms perform resource allocation of each of said plurality of queues independently of the calendar associated with the queues.

26. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 25, wherein said queues are delta queues.

27. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 25, further comprising:

displaying, at a user interface, a resource status associated with a first queue of said plurality of queues.

28. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 27, wherein said displaying step comprises:

determining the service time for work items in said first queue;

selecting the calendar associated with said first queue;

indexing said calendar into a table having a real time index; and

computing said service time into a time interval according to said table.

29. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 28, wherein said indexing step comprises:

selecting a minimum time interval;

determining the calendar start time;

subtracting from real time from the calendar start time; and

taking the modulus of the calendar time by the minimum time interval.

30. The computational component for performing a method according to claim 29, wherein said computing step comprises:

determining the remainder of the modulus operation of said taking the modulus step.