Method and apparatus for servicing queued requests

• US 6,496,580 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chack, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US09/325,502
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 379/212.01, 379/266.01, 379/265.02, 379/309
• US Class Current: 379/266.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

Methods for servicing queued requests include the step of queueing at least one request for an initial wait time until at least one agent is available for accepting the queued request. A delay element is provided so that assignment of the queued request is delayed for a delay time. The queued request is then assigned to an available agent. In one embodiment, the delay time is a pre-determined availability pendency time independent of the initial wait time. In another embodiment the request is delayed until a pre-determined queue time has elapsed. In another embodiment, the request may be delayed up to a pre-determined availability pendency time as long as a pre-determined queue time is not exceeded. The delay element need not change the queue discipline. Various queue disciplines including first-in-first-out (FIFO), group FIFO, and modified group FIFO are described for a queueing mechanism incorporating a delay element. The queued requests may represent requests for service to respond to any of a variety of sources including electronic mail communications, facsimile communications, internet communications, telephone communications, etc. In one embodiment, the methods are implemented by an automated call distributor.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

a) queueing a request for an initial wait time until at least one agent is available for accepting the queued request;

b) delaying assignment of the queued request for a delay time; and

c) assigning the queued request to an available agent, wherein an elapsed time between queueing and assigning the queued request is a queue time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the delay time is a pre-determined availability pendency time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the delay time does not exceed a pre-determined availability pendency time, wherein the delay time is computed such that the queue time does not exceed a pre-determined limit if at least one agent is available.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the delay time is computed such that the queue time is not less than a pre-determined queue time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the queued request is assigned to an agent other than the first available agent in step c).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the request is a selected one of a voice telephone call, electronic mail message, facsimile transmission, and an internet communication.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein steps a)-c) are performed by an automated call distributor.

8. A method comprising the steps of:

a) queueing at least one request; and

b) assigning the queued request to an available agent only after a pre-determined queue time has elapsed.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the queued request is assigned to an agent other than a first available agent in step b).

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the queued request is a selected one of a voice telephone communication, electronic mail communication, facsimile transmission, and an internet communication.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein steps a)-b) are performed by an automated call distributor.

12. A method comprising the steps of:

a) queueing a plurality of requests for service;

b) delaying the queued requests for a delay time after agents become available; and

c) assigning each queued request to an available agent.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein a request having a greatest initial wait time before any agent is available is assigned to an agent other than the first available agent in step c).

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of requests comprise at least a selected one of a voice telephone communication, electronic mail communication, facsimile transmission, and an internet communication.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein step a) further comprises the step of implementing a first-in-first-out queue discipline such that the requests are assigned in request order to available agents.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein step a) further comprises the step of implementing a group first-in-first-out queue discipline, wherein each request of a first group of requests is assigned to an available agent no later than when each request of a second group of requests is assigned to an available agent when the second group of requests is queued subsequent to the first group of requests, wherein each request of a selected group of queued requests is assigned to a corresponding available agent substantially simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein step a) further comprises the step of implementing a group first-in-first-out queue discipline, wherein for a group of requests having a first request queued before a second request the first and second requests are assigned agents substantially simultaneously when agents are available, wherein if no agent is available for the first request but at least one agent is available for the second request then the second request is assigned to the at least one available agent and the first request remains in the queue.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the delay time of at least one queued request is a predetermined availability pendency time after at least one agent is available.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the delay time of at least one queued request is selected to provide a queue time not less than a pre-determined queue time.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the delay time of at least one queued request is no greater than a pre-determined availability pendency time, and does not result in a queue time in excess of a pre-determined limit when agents are available.