Rapid Assignment Dynamic Ownership Queue

• US 20130290460A1
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Cuff, Michael, Wang, Chih, Kasad, Farhad, Aryana, Firdaus, Hines, Gordon J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A rapid assignment dynamic ownership queue for text message sessions queues incoming text messages destined for a service bureau, at a network server. Simultaneous access is provided to any one text message of the queued incoming text messages to a plurality of operator terminals at the service bureau. Initial ownership of the one text message is assigned as a result of a first acting terminal of the plurality of operator terminals having completed an action in service to the text message, and ownership is re-assigned to a subsequent operator terminal having completed another action in service to the text message after the first acting terminal. A configurable escalation queue may be implemented to assign an escalation code to each queued item, regardless of its position in the queue list, to alter the presentation of the queue item.

Claims

1. Rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing of a text message session, comprising:

queuing incoming text messages destined for a service bureau, at a network server;

providing simultaneous access to any one text message of said queued incoming text messages to a plurality of operator terminals at said service bureau;

assigning initial ownership of said one text message in said queue consequent to a first acting terminal of said plurality of operator terminals having completed an action in service to said text message; and

re-assigning ownership of said text message to a subsequent one of said plurality of operator terminals having completed another action in service to said text message after said first acting terminal;

wherein said rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing enables work to happen first and assignment to instantly update as a result of said work.

2. The rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing of a text message session according to claim 1, wherein:

said service bureau is an emergency services public safety answering point (PSAP).

3. The rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing of a text message session according to claim 1, wherein:

said rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing is comprised in an emergency services call server.

4. The rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing of a text message session according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of text messages from a common originating texting device are assigned together in a single text message session.

5. The rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing of a text message session according to claim 1, wherein:

said first acting terminal communicates with said network server via a text-to-teletype converter.

6. A rapid assignment dynamic ownership queue for queuing text message sessions with a service bureau, said rapid assignment dynamic ownership queue comprising:

a queue item database table;

an application user database table to track online status of a given one of a plurality of terminals at said service bureau; and

a work entry database table, said work entry database table being a child database to both said queue item database table and to said application user database table, each work entry record in said work entry database table having only one reference to its parent queue item record in said queue item database table, and each work entry record in said work entry database table having only one reference to its application user record in said application user database table.

7. A rapid assignment dynamic ownership queue for text message sessions, comprising:

means for queuing incoming text messages destined for a service bureau, at a network server;

means for providing simultaneous access to any one text message of said queued incoming text messages to a plurality of operator terminals at said service bureau; and

means for assigning initial ownership of said one text message in said queue consequent to a first acting terminal of said plurality of operator terminals having completed an action in service to said text message, said means for assigning re-assigning ownership of said text message to a subsequent one of said plurality of operator terminals having completed another action in service to said text message after said first acting terminal;

wherein said rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing enables work to happen first and assignment to instantly update as a result of said work.

8. The rapid assignment dynamic ownership queue for text message sessions according to claim 7, wherein:

said service bureau is an emergency services public safety answering point (PSAP).

9. The rapid assignment dynamic ownership queue for text message sessions according to claim 7, wherein:

said rapid assignment dynamic ownership queuing is comprised in an emergency services call server.

10. The rapid assignment dynamic ownership queue for text message sessions according to claim 7, wherein:

said means for assigning assigns a plurality of text messages from a common originating texting device together in a single text message session.

11. The rapid assignment dynamic ownership queue for text message sessions according to claim 7, wherein:

said first acting terminal communicates with said network server via a text-to-teletype converter.