Waiting-call selection based on anticipated wait times
First Claim
1. A method of selecting one of a plurality of items that are waiting to be selected, comprising the steps of:
- anticipating how long each one of the plurality of items that are waiting to be selected will have waited to be selected if said item is not selected first from among the waiting items; and
first selecting the one of the waiting items that has a longest anticipated wait time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The maximum wait time for callers in a call center (FIG. 10) is lowered by selecting, for an agent (25) who has just become available to handle a call, a highest-priority waiting call that would most likely wait the longest if it were not selected at this time. Anticipated wait times are computed for the calls at the heads of the non-empty highest-priority call queues that correspond to the agent'"'"'s skills or splits (202-210). The anticipated wait time of a call is computed as the call'"'"'s present (elapsed) wait time plus the average rate of advance of calls in the call'"'"'s queue (210). The call with the longest anticipated wait time is then selected first and is assigned to the available agent for handling (212-216). The process is repeated each time that any agent becomes available.
390 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of selecting one of a plurality of items that are waiting to be selected, comprising the steps of:
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anticipating how long each one of the plurality of items that are waiting to be selected will have waited to be selected if said item is not selected first from among the waiting items; and first selecting the one of the waiting items that has a longest anticipated wait time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16)
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7. A method of selecting for processing one of a plurality of communications that are waiting to be processed, comprising the steps of:
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anticipating how long each one of the plurality of communications that are waiting to be processed will have waited before being processed if said communication is not processed first from among the waiting communications; and first processing the one of the waiting communications that has a longest anticipated wait time. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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17. An apparatus for selecting one of a plurality of items that are waiting to be selected, comprising:
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means for anticipating how long each one of the plurality of items that are waiting to be selected will have waited to be selected if said item is not selected first from among the waiting items; and means cooperative with the anticipating means, for first selecting the one of the waiting items that has a longest anticipated wait time.
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18. An apparatus for selecting one of a plurality of items that are waiting to be selected, comprising:
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an effector of anticipating how long each one of the plurality of items that are waiting to be selected will have waited to be selected if said item is not selected first from among the waiting items; and an effector, cooperative with the effector of anticipating, of first selecting the one of the waiting items that has a longest anticipated wait time.
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Specification