Two dimensional routing apparatus in an automatic call director-type system

• US 5,335,269 A
• Filed: 03/12/1992
• Issued: 08/02/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Steinlicht, Joseph C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Application Number:
  US07/850,110
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/210, 379/211, 379/213
• US Class Current: 379/266.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

In an automatic call director-type system, it is often more desirable to direct an incoming call to an immediately available agent who has less than perfect knowledge of the subject matter rather than forcing a caller to wait for the best qualified agent. The present invention relates to an algorithm implemented in computer software for placing an incoming call in a plurality of queues and then offering the call to primary and secondary desirability agents in each of the queues in a prescribed order if any one of these groups of agents has an agent standing by and able to accept a call. Otherwise, the call is offered to the next available agent regardless of the capability of that agent. The concept includes the capability of expanding the pool of potential agents in the queue with age of a call when the incremental expansion pool of agents selected can be based on their backlog of calls for other applications where they may have primary responsibility.

Claims

1. The method of directing incoming calls, received by a call directing switching system that is handling a plurality of applications where a given first application is normally handled by an agent in a given first group of agents trained to handle said first application, to an agent in another group of agents when all agents in said given first group are unavailable at the time of receipt of the call comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a call;

b. placing the call in at least first and second queues;

c. checking a primary service (first choice) group of agents in said first queue to see if any primary service group agents are available and, IF an agent is found to be available, proceeding to step (f);

d. checking a further primary service (second choice) group of agents in said first queue to see if any primary service group agents are available and, IF an agent is found to be available, proceeding to step (f);

e. checking a secondary service (third choice) group of agents in said first queue to see if any secondary service group agents are available;

f. marking the call as being offered to an agent IF an agent is found to be available in one of steps (c) through (e) OTHERWISE;

g. leaving the call in the queues until offered to and connected with an agent OR a delay timeout is exceeded for an agent becoming available.

2. A method for directing incoming calls to an agent in a group of lower choice agents when all agents in a preferred first group are unavailable at the time of receipt of the call comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a call;

b. placing the call received by said receiving step in at least first and second queues;

c. checking a (first choice) primary service group of agents in said first queue to see if any primary service group agents are available and, IF an agent is found to be available, proceeding to the steps accomplished by step (f);

d. checking a (second choice) primary service group of agents in said second queue to see if any primary service group agents are available and, IF an agent is found to be available, for proceeding to the steps accomplished by step (f);

e. checking a (third choice) secondary service group of agents in said first queue to see if any secondary service group agents are available and, IF an agent is found to be available, for proceeding to the steps accomplished by step (f);

f. marking the call as being offered to an agent IF an agent is found to be available via the actions of one of the steps (c) through (e); and

g. leaving the call in the queues until offered to and connected with an agent IF the call is not marked as offered by step (f).

3. Apparatus for directing a given type of incoming call to an available agent, logged into an agent terminal, categorized as belonging in one of at least first and second groups of agents where it is more desirable for said given type calls to be taken by a less qualified agent of said second group than to make the caller wait until a more qualified agent of said first group is available comprising, in combination:

receiving means for receiving calls of a given type;

primary queuing means for placing a received call of said given type in a primary queue;

secondary queuing means for placing a received call of said given type in a secondary queue;

first primary service agent terminal means for providing primary quality responses to incoming calls of said given type connected to said primary queueing means;

expanded primary service agent terminal means, connected to said secondary queueing means, for providing primary quality responses to incoming calls of said given type when said first primary service agent terminal means is marked as busy upon receipt of said call of said given type;

secondary service agent terminal means, connected to said primary queueing means, for providing secondary quality responses to incoming calls of said given type when all of said primary service agent terminal means are marked as busy upon receipt of said call of said given type; and

logic means, interacting with said primary and secondary queueing means, for directing an incoming call of said given type to an available agent terminal means, of said first primary sevice agent terminal means, said expanded primary sevice agent terminal means, and said secondary sevice agent terminal means, when all of said terminal means are marked as busy at the time a call of said given type is first received.