Telephony system command scheduler and precedent processor

• US 6,266,407 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Davox Corporation (Aspect Software Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hamman, Rodney Paul, Flett, Aaron Bentley, Kneipp, Frederick Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/219,043
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 379/266, 379/265, 379/309, 379/34, 379/201, 379/218
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A command scheduling and precedent processing system especially suitable for use in a computer telephony system is provided. The system includes a command scheduler, which includes a graphical user interface that is configured to facilitate the input and scheduling of computer telephony system commands. A system supervisor selects commands from a list of available telephony system commands and assigns a command execution priority attribute to each selected command, both of which are provided by the graphical user interface. The system also includes a command server, including a command precedent processor, a command precedent database, an event database and at least one command table. Selected commands are forwarded by the command scheduler to the command precedent processor, which stores each received command in one of the provided command tables. The command precedent processor retrieves and executes a command if all the events that are precedent to the execution of a retrieved command have occurred. If all of the command precedent events have not occurred, then the command precedent processor either returns an unexecuted command to the appropriate command table for subsequent execution attempts or generates and forwards an alert message to an alert manager to notify the system supervisor that a command could not be executed due to the non-occurrence of at least one precedent event.

Claims

1. A computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system comprising:

a command scheduler graphical user interface running on at least one supervisor/manager terminal, said graphical user interface configured to facilitate the scheduling of computer telephony system commands, each said command including a command execution priority attribute;

a command server including a set of command tables, each command table responsive to a different command execution priority attribute;

a command precedent database containing a knowledge base of command precedent events;

an event database for maintaining a record of the occurrence of events; and

a command precedent processor, responsive to said command tables, said command precedent database and said event database, for directing said computer telephony system to execute each said telephony system command at a desired time subject to the occurrence of precedent events.

2. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said set of command tables comprises an immediate execution command table.

3. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said set of command tables comprises a normal execution command table.

4. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said set of command tables comprises a specified time execution command table.

5. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an alert manager for alerting a system supervisor in the event that at least one command precedent event has not occurred at the time of command execution.

6. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said command server comprises a UNIX workstation.

7. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each command further comprises an instance identifier to distinguish previously executed commands from duplicate, subsequently required commands.

8. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said command execution tables comprises a first-in, first-out command table.

9. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communications interface for interfacing a supervisor/manager workstation with said command server when said supervisor/manager workstation is located remote from said command server.

10. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said communications interface comprises a wide area network (WAN) device, which interfaces said supervisor/manager workstation with said command server over a wide area network.

11. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said communications interface comprises a modem for linking said supervisor/manager workstation with said command server over telephone lines.

12. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said wide area network comprises a global computer network.

13. The computer telephony system command scheduling and precedent processing system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said global computer network comprises the Internet World-Wide-Web and said command scheduler comprises a browser user interface.

14. A method of scheduling and processing telephony call system commands comprising the steps of:

selecting, using a graphical user interface running on a supervisor/manager workstation, a plurality of telephony system commands;

selecting, using said graphical user interface, a command execution priority attribute and associating said command execution priority attribute to each said selected command;

communicating each said selected command including said selected command execution priority attribute to a command server;

storing each said selected command in a command table, said command table corresponding to said command execution priority attribute associated with said selected command;

retrieving said stored commands in a hierarchical order based on said command priorities;

accessing a command precedent database and determining all required events precedent to executing each said retrieved command;

querying an event database to determine if all said required precedent events have occurred; and

forward each said telephony system command to said telephony system for execution if all said required precedent events have occurred.

15. The method of scheduling and processing telephony call system commands as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of alerting a system supervisor/manager if at least one of said command execution precedent events has not occurred at the desired time of command execution.

16. The method of scheduling and processing telephony call system commands as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the step of returning an unexecuted telephony system command to one of said command tables if said command cannot be executed due to the non-occurrence of at least one command execution precedent event.

17. A command scheduling and precedent processing system comprising:

a command scheduler for scheduling the execution of commands including absolute and relative command execution priorities utilizing command execution priority attributes assigned to each scheduled command;

a command server including a set of command tables, each command table responsive to a command execution priority attribute;

a communications interface for interfacing said command scheduler and said command server;

a command precedent database containing a knowledge base of command precedent events;

an event database for maintaining a record of the occurrence of events; and

a command precedent processor, responsive to said command tables, said command precedent database and said event database, for directing the execution of each scheduled command subject to the occurrence of precedent events.