METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FURLOUGH, LEAVE, CLOSURE, SABBATICAL, HOLIDAY, OR VACATION GEO-LOCATION SERVICE

• US 20100153171A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: SKIBA, David, ERHART, George, MATULA, Valentine
• Application Number:
  US12/713,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153171A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups

Abstract

An interaction center system allows an enterprise to manage employees based on geo-location information, other characteristics of the employee, and/or company policies. The interaction center system is able to receive geo-location information about a person. The interaction center system can then identify the person and determine a status associated with the person. An exemplary status is any status for the employee while working with the enterprise or not working with the enterprise. For example, the status may be that the employee is on a furlough, is on vacation, is on leave, has been fired, is subject to a lay-off, is on sabbatical, is observing a religious holiday, or some other status associated with the employee. After determining the person and the status associated with the person, the interaction center system may determine an event rule or grammar that affects this person and deals with the status.

Claims

1. A method for responding to an event associated with geo-location information, the method comprising:

a processor receiving geo-location information for a first person;

the processor identifying the first person;

the processor determining a status associated with the first person;

the processor determining an event rule associated with the first person and the status associated with the first person;

the processor applying the event rule;

the processor determining an action to be conducted in response to applying the event rule; and

the processor sending an indication to cause the action to be conducted.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the status is one of a group consisting of furlough, leave, closure, sabbatical, holiday, and vacation.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the geo-location information comprises an identity for the first person and wherein identifying the first person comprises one of direct identification, indirect identification, determining an association for the first person, or locating the identity in an personal data database.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein determining the status associated with the first person comprises in response to locating the identity of the first person in the enterprise directory, retrieving the status associated with the first person associated with the identity as stored within the enterprise directory.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the event rule is created by an enterprise.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein applying the event rule comprises:

a decision support system retrieving at least one item of information about the first person;

the decision support system inserting the item of information and the status associated with the first person into the event rule; and

the decision support system calculating an outcome for the event rule.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the action is one of a group consisting of denying the first person access to a location associated with an enterprise, denying the first person access to a system associated with an enterprise, disabling a device, denying the first person operation of a system associated with an enterprise, denying operation of a system without the first person located at a location, sending a message to at least a second person to respond to a status associated with the first person, and alerting the first person of an obligation.

8. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computer to execute a method for conducting an action associated with a geo-location, the instructions comprising:

instructions to receive geo-location information for at least a first person and a second person;

instructions to identify the first person and the second person;

instructions to determine a relationship between the first person and the second person;

instructions to determine an event rule associated with the first person and the second person;

instructions to apply the event rule;

instructions to determine an action to conduct in response to applying the event rule; and

instructions to cause the action to be conducted, wherein the action requires a reaction by the second person in response to the status associated with the first person.

9. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the status is one of a group consisting of furlough, leave, closure, sabbatical, holiday, and vacation.

10. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein the action is one of a group consisting of assuming the duties of the first person for a period of time, waiting for the first person at a location before conducting an action, responding to an alert caused by the first person, retrieving an item of property associated with the first person, and locating the first person to provide assistance.

11. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the first person and second person are members of a geo-pod.

12. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8, further comprising instructions to determine a second status for the second person.

13. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

instructions to apply a second event rule, wherein the second event rule is associated with the status associated with the second person and the status associated with the first person;

instructions to determine a second action to conduct in response to applying the second event rule; and

instructions to conduct the second action, wherein the second action requires a response by a third person.

14. An interaction center system for an enterprise comprising:

a geo location service operable to provide geo location information for at least one person;

an enterprise server operable to provide personal information about at least one person and operable to provide at least one event rule associated with the person;

an interaction center server in communication with the geo location service and the enterprise server, the interaction center server operable to;

receive geo-location information for a first person associated with the enterprise;

identify the first person associated with the geo-location information;

provide an identity of the first person to the enterprise server;

in response to sending the identity of the first person to the enterprise server, receive the personal information from the enterprise server, wherein a status associated with the first person is part of the personal information;

in response to sending the identity of the first person to the enterprise server, receive an event rule associated with the first person from the enterprise server;

apply the event rule with the status and the geo-location information;

in response to applying the event rule, determine an action to be conducted; and

sending an indication that causes the action to be conducted.

15. The interaction center system as defined in claim 14, further comprising an enterprise data database in communication with the enterprise server, the enterprise data database operable to store personal information about the first person.

16. The interaction center system as defined in claim 14, wherein the interaction center server is further operable to:

receive geo-location information for a second person associated with the enterprise, wherein the first person and the second person are part of a geo-pod;

identify the second person associated with the geo-location information;

provide an identity of the second person to the enterprise server;

in response to sending the identity of the second person to the enterprise server, receive a second set of personal information from the enterprise server for the second person, wherein a status associated with the second person is part of the personal information;

in response to sending the identity of the second person to the enterprise server, receive an event rule associated with the first person and the second person;

apply the event rule with the status and the geo-location information;

in response to applying the rule, determine an action to conduct; and

conduct the action.

17. The interaction center system as defined in claim 14, wherein the interaction center server comprises:

a decision support system, the decision support system executing;

a person identifier module operable to identify the first person;

an action identifier module operable to identify an action to conduct;

a user application operable to send and received information with the enterprise server and operable to determine the event rule to apply; and

a work flow engine in communication with the person identifier module, action identifier module, and user application, the work flow engine operable to conduct the action, wherein the work flow engine conducts the action by at least communicating with a communication device.

18. The interaction center system as defined in claim 14, wherein the enterprise server is in communication with at least one of a personal data database, an enterprise policies database, and a historical data database.

19. The interaction center system as defined in claim 18, wherein the enterprise policies database includes a grammar associated with the event rule, wherein the interaction center server can apply the grammar to at least the geo-location information.

20. The interaction center system as defined in claim 18, wherein the personal data includes a person ID, a user preference that sets a parameter for the interaction center server, user information, and a user status.