Method and apparatus for allocating mixed transaction type messages to resources via an integrated queuing mechanism

• US 6,449,646 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1998
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tahiliani, Rajnish, Sikora, Scott E., Merrell, Timothy, Lele, Nakul M., Yeung, Henry Mingkeung, Yip, Ben L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/172,182
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/222, 709/224, 709/232, 709/226, 370/429, 380/25, 714/749, 379/265, 379/266
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24539 using cached or materialised query results
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0045 involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems

Abstract

An apparatus for routing a transaction message, such as for example a telephone call, e-mail, web chat request, video conferencing session, or non-call event, includes a queue engine and a transaction message router. The queue engine provides an integrated mechanism for queuing transaction messages of varying transaction types within a number of queues according to transaction type. Each queue within the queue engine may be dedicated to queuing transaction messages of a specific transaction type. The transaction message router functions to identify a queue within the queue engine within which a transaction message is to be stored. The identification of a queue by the router may be performed with reference to the transaction type of a transaction message, and with reference to context or addressing information associated with a transaction message. Transaction messages of all transaction types are serviced by a single resource allocator that distributes transaction messages from the queues of the queue engine 44 to a resource, such as an agent.

Claims

1. A method of routing multi-media transactions message, the method including:

storing a first transaction message of a first media type at a first transaction processing system, and storing a second transaction message of a second media at a second transaction processing system;

generating a first queue request, representative of the first transaction message, upon receipt of the first transaction message at the first transaction processing system;

generating a second queue request, representative of the second transaction message, upon receipt of the second transaction message at the second transaction processing system; and

queuing the first and second queue requests within a queuing mechanism; and

allocating each of the first and second transaction messages to a resource, wherein the allocating of the first and second transaction messages to the resource comprises issuing the first and second transaction messages from the first and second transaction processing systems to the resource upon respective allocations of the first and queue requests to the resource,

wherein the resource comprises first and second resource agents, and wherein the allocating includes allocating the first and second transaction messages from the queuing mechanism to the first and second resource agents according to respective first and second sets of rules associated with the first and second resource agents.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the allocating of the first transaction message to the resource comprises retrieving the first transaction message from the first transaction processing system upon allocation of the first queue request to the resource.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the allocating includes allocating each of the first and second transaction messages to the resource according to availability of the resource.

4. The method of claim 3 including maintaining an indication of the availability of the resource at a first location distinct from the queuing mechanism.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the first location comprises an Automatic Call Distributor that is distinct from the queuing mechanism.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the queuing mechanism includes first and second queues to queue queue requests representative of transactions of the first and second media types respectively, and wherein the queuing comprises routing the first queue request to the first queue and routing the second queue request to the second queue.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the queuing comprises routing the first and second queue requests according to the first and second transaction media types.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the queuing comprises routing the first and second queue requests according to transaction message content.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the queuing comprises routing the first and second queue requests according to source information identifying respective sources of the first and second transaction messages.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the queuing comprises routing the first and second queue requests according to destination information identifying respective destinations for the first and second transaction messages.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the queuing includes receiving the first transaction message at a first transaction processing system, issuing a routing request, representative of the first transaction message, from the first transaction processing system to a routing mechanism responsive to the receipt of the first transaction message at the first server.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the queuing includes issuing a queue request, representative of the first transaction message, from the routing mechanism to a first queue of a plurality of queues maintained within the queuing mechanism, the first queue being identified by the routing mechanism.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the allocating includes allocating the first queue request, representative of the first transaction message, from the first queue to a first agent of a plurality of agents comprising the resource according to rules associated with the plurality of agents.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the allocating includes retrieving the first transaction message from the first transaction processing system responsive to the allocation of the first queue request to the first agent.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the allocating includes propagating the first transaction message from the first transaction processing system to the first agent responsive to the allocation of the first queue request to the first agent.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the allocating includes allocating the first queue request, representative of the first transaction message, from the first queue to the first agent of a plurality of agents upon the first agent becoming available, the availability of the first agent being recorded at either one of the first or second transaction processing systems.

17. A machine-readable medium storing a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

store a first transaction message of a first media type at a first transaction processing system, and store second transaction message of a second media at a second transaction processing system;

generate a first queue request, representative of the first transaction message, upon receipt of the first transaction message at the first transaction processing system;

generate a second queue request, representative of the second transaction message, upon receipt of the second transaction message at the second transaction processing system; and

queue the first and second queue requests within a queuing mechanism; and

allocate each of the first and second transaction messages to a resource, wherein the allocating of the first and second transaction messages to the resource comprises issuing the first and second transaction messages from the first and second transaction processing systems to the resource upon respective allocations of the first and second queue requests to the resource,

wherein the resource comprises first and second resource agents, and wherein the allocating includes allocating the first and second transaction messages from the queuing mechanism to the first and second resource agents according to respective first and second sets of rules associated with the first and second resource agents.

18. A machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein a sequence of instructions when executed by a machine, cause the machine to allocate the first transaction message to the resource, said allocation comprising retrieving the first transaction message from the first transaction processing system upon allocation of the first queue request to the resource.

19. A machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein a sequence of instructions when executed by a machine, cause the machine to queue the first and second queue requests within a queuing mechanism wherein the queuing mechanism includes the first and second queues to queue queue requests representative transactions of the first and second media types respectively, and wherein the queuing comprises routing the first queue request to the first queue and routing the second queue request to the second queue.

20. A machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein a sequence of instructions when executed by a machine, cause the machine to queue the first and second queue requests within a queuing mechanism wherein the queuing mechanism includes receiving the first transaction message at a first transaction processing system, issuing a routing request representative of the first transaction message, from the first transaction processing system to a routing mechanism responsive to the receipt of the first transaction message at the first server.