DYNAMIC STAFFING USING POPULATION COUNT

• US 20080300951A1
• Filed: 06/04/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: KELLY, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/757,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300951A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group

Abstract

In one embodiment, data is received from a monitoring device that monitors population at a location within a facility. Then the data is used to determine a staffing count. A list of employees is then requested from a staffing application. Coordination then occurs with a call manager application to notify employees on the list of employees that their presence is requested, the coordinating using the staffing count to determine when to stop notifying employees.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data from a monitoring device that monitors population at a location within a facility;

determining, using the data, a staffing count;

requesting a list of employees from a staffing application; and

coordinating with a call manager application to notify one or more employees on the list of employees that their presence is requested, the coordinating using the staffing count to determine when to stop notifying employees.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is an Internet Protocol (IP) enabled video camera.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining also utilizes data from another IP enabled video camera.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes examining the data for traffic bursts, wherein traffic bursts indicate increases in population at the location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes:

examining image information in the data; and

performing pattern recognition on the image information to determine population count at the location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is a door monitoring device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the call manager application utilizes a voice portal to notify employees via a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of the method are performed by an application oriented networking application.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, via a graphical user interface, information relating to population at locations within a facility.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving notifications from one or more employees that they accept the request for their presence; and

alerting the staffing application of the notifications.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a monitoring device data receiving component configured to receive data from a monitoring device that monitors population at a location within a facility;

a staffing count determination component configured to determine, using the data, a staffing count;

a staffing application interface configured to request a list of employees from a staffing application; and

a call manager interface configured to coordinate with a call manager application to notify one or more employees on the list of employees that their presence is requested, the coordinating using the staffing count to determine when to stop notifying employees.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the monitoring device is an Internet Protocol (IP) enabled video camera.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the determining also utilizes data from another IP enabled video cameras.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the determining includes examining the data for traffic bursts, wherein traffic bursts indicate increases in population at the location.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the determining includes:

examining image information in the data; and

performing pattern recognition on the image information to determine population count at the location.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data from a monitoring device that monitors population at a location within a facility;

means for determining, using the data, a staffing count;

means for requesting a list of employees from a staffing application; and

means for coordinating with a call manager application to notify one or more employees on the list of employees that their presence is requested, the coordinating using the staffing count to determine when to stop notifying employees.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the monitoring device is an Internet Protocol (IP) enabled video camera.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the means for determining also utilizes data from another IP enabled video camera.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining includes means for examining the data for traffic bursts, wherein traffic bursts indicate increases in population at the location.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining includes:

means for examining image information in the data; and

means for performing pattern recognition on the image information to determine population count at the location.