WEB-BASED NETWORK MONITORING TOOL

• US 20070286394A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leatherman, Bruce, Hahn, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,005 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 Network testing or monitoring arrangements

Abstract

A monitoring tool for use with one or more automatic call distributors (ACD) which automatically and continuously polls or queries the ACDs to monitor not only alarm conditions but other conditions, such as agent staffing levels, call answering time, call routing and traffic conditions. Such continuous and automatic monitoring and querying of the ACD in accordance with the present invention is thus able to improve the overall efficiency of such ACDs by improving the service response time of such ACDs. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the status records of the ACDs maybe directed to a website, for example, on an enterprise Intranet website to enable any of the company representatives with access rights to access the performance of the ACD network from any location. Other data, such as the trunk inventory record keeping system (TIRKS) may also be displayed on the website to facilitate troubleshooting of alarm conditions. Another aspect of the invention is the ability to provide automatic paging for predetermined alarm status condition.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for providing information regarding the status of an automatic call distributor (ACD), the method comprising:

retrieving status data from an ACD;

responsive to a request from a web browser, providing a web page indicative of at least a portion of the retrieved status data to the web browser.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the status data includes traffic load information pertaining to a trunk group selected from the group of trunk groups consisting of an inbound trunk group and an outbound trunk group.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the traffic load information includes percent occupancy information pertaining to the trunk group.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein providing said web page includes providing a web page including a graphical portion and a text portion.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the percent occupancy information is presented in the graphical portion.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein providing said web page includes providing a web page including a hyperlink and wherein, responsive to a user selecting the hyperlink, said method further includes providing additional ACD status information to the user.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein status data includes alarm condition data for alarms associated with the ACD, and wherein the web page is indicative of said alarm conditions and wherein, responsive to determining from the web page that a predetermined alarm condition is asserted, paging an administrator.

24. A method for providing information regarding the status of an automatic call distributor (ACD), the method comprising:

retrieving status data from an ACD including traffic load data pertaining to trunk groups associated with the ACD and alarm data indicative of alarms associated with the ACD;

responsive to a request from a web browser, providing a web page indicative of at least a portion of the retrieved status data to the web browser.

25. A computer program product comprising executable instructions, stored on a computer readable mediums for use with an automatic call distributor (ACD), comprising:

instructions to retrieve ACD status data including data indicative of a loading of a trunk group connected to the ACD; and

instructions to generate a web page including a graphical portion displaying said loading of said trunk group in a graphical format in response to receiving a request for the status data.