Unscheduled event task processing system

• US 6,141,412 A
• Filed: 04/19/1996
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Davox Corporation (Aspect Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, B. Scott, Melillo, George R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banankhah, Majid A.
• Application Number:
  US08/635,028
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 395/103, 709/100-108, 379/355, 379/265, 379/266, 379/112, 379/279
• US Class Current: 379/265.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

A task processing system such as a telephony call center and telephony call center management system downloads and processes unscheduled events such as inbound and outbound call records, in real time. A real time event server such as a real time call record server receives unscheduled events such as call records from an external record source, and places them in a real time call record table. The outbound campaign manager requests call records, and processes the real time call records in the same manner as other call records. A method for processing such real time events includes scheduling an ordered list of tasks, and commencing processing. When an unexpected event occurs, a predetermined task is selected in response to the event. The predetermined task is then integrated into the ordered list of scheduled tasks and processed.

Claims

1. A task processing system comprising:

an ordered list of scheduled tasks including a plurality of tasks organized in a predetermined order;

a scheduled task processor, responsive to said ordered list of scheduled tasks, for processing said tasks according to said predetermined order;

at least one unscheduled task; and

an unscheduled event task scheduler, responsive to said at least one unscheduled task, for inserting said at least one unscheduled task into said ordered list of said scheduled tasks.

2. The task processing system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of tasks have a predetermined scheduling priority.

3. The task processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one unscheduled task has a predetermined scheduling priority.

4. The task processing system of claim 3, wherein said unscheduled event task scheduler is responsive to said predetermined scheduling priority of said at least one unscheduled task.

5. The task processing system of claim 4, wherein said unscheduled event task scheduler inserts said at least one unscheduled task into a predetermined location within said ordered list of scheduled tasks based on said predetermined scheduling priority of said at least on unscheduled task.

6. A method of processing exceptional events in a data processing system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a predetermined ordered list of scheduled tasks to be performed;

detecting the occurrence of an unscheduled event that results in the generation of at least one unscheduled task; and

integrating said at least one unscheduled task into said predetermined ordered list of scheduled tasks to be performed.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said data processing system includes a telephony system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said one task of a particular type includes processing outbound calls.

9. A telephone call center with real-time call record processing comprising:

a call table manager, for controlling at least one call table including at least one ordered list of call records to be dialed;

an outbound campaign manager, responsive to said at least one call table, for controlling at least outbound call activities of said telephony call center;

a call record feed server, coupled to said outbound campaign manager and responsive to said at least one call table, for retrieving call records from said at least one call table and for providing said retrieved call records to said outbound campaign manager; and

a real time call record server, responsive to a source of call records, for receiving at least one real time call record to be handled and for inserting said at least one received call record into said at least one call table in real time, when said at least one real time call record to be handled is received by said real time call record server.

10. The telephony call center of claim 9, wherein said campaign record feed server is responsive to said outbound call manager for retrieving call records from said at least one call table.

11. A telephone call center management system configured for real-time call record processing, said system comprising:

a call table manager including at least one variable-length real time call table;

a real time call record server, responsive to a source of call records, for receiving call records in real time from said source of call records and for inserting said call records received in real time into said at least one variable-length real time call table; and

a call record feed server, responsive to said at least one variable-length real time call table and said real time call record server, for providing said call records from said at least one variable-length real time call table to an outbound campaign manager.

12. The telephone call center management system of claim 11, wherein said call table manager further includes at least one fixed-length call table.

13. A method for real-time call record processing at a telephony resource server, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a real time call record server, at least one real time call record;

creating at least one real time call table in a call table manager;

inserting said at least one received real time call record into said at least one real time call table;

informing a call record feed server that said at least one real time call table contains at least one real time call record; and

processing said real time call records using an outbound campaign manager.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of creating at least one real time call table in a call table manager comprises creating a real time call table in said call table manager if a first real time call record is received and a real. time call record table does not exist.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of creating at least one real time call table in a call table manager comprises creating a real time call table in said call table manager preprogramming an empty real time call table and inserting said empty real time call table into said call table manager prior to processing a call campaign.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of processing said real time call records using an outbound campaign manager comprises:

a) requesting a number of call records from said call record feed server;

b) sending said requested number of call records to said outbound campaign manager if at least one real time call table includes said requested number of call records;

c) processing said requested number of call records in a batch mode; and

d) repeating steps a) through c) until said call table manager no longer contains a call table including said requested number of call records.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of processing said real time call record s using an outbound campaign manager further comprises:

a) sending, to said outbound campaign manager, all call records in said at least one call table if said call table includes less than said number of call records requested;

b) leaving an outstanding request for call records with said call record feed server;

c) sending new call records to said outbound campaign manager when said new call records are received at said at least one real time call table; and

d) processing, at said outbound campaign manager, said call records when said call records are received.