System and method for remote management of call center operations

• US 6,594,470 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1999
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Harris, Dean, Barnes, Jeff A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEREZ GUTIERREZ, RAFAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/428,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 455/424,67.7,423,67.1,517,69, 265.12, 265.13, 265.14, 266.01, 266.02, 266.03, 266.06, 266.1 379/265.01,265.02,265.03,265.04,265.05,265.06,265.07,265.08,265.1,265.11
• US Class Current: 455/67.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

A system and method to enable the remote supervision and operation of a call center over wireless network links. The invention pipes supervisory information from call centers, such as call waiting time, number of available of agents, oldest call waiting and other information and statistics to a remote transceiver which presents a supervisor with a user interface such as a graphical, textual or audible presentation depicting the state of the call center. The transceiver enables supervisors to remotely monitor the call center/network status, reconfigure and react to changes and exceptions on a real time basis no matter where they are located. A supervisor using the remote transceiver may transmit on the uplink to the call center a request for data, or commands for adjustment of the operation, such as rerouting of calls or direction to increase agents. The call center supervisor may therefore not just observe but supervise and adjust the operation of a call center, from within the site, across the country or internationally using network-enabled cellular or other wireless technology.

Claims

1. A call center operation, comprising:

a call center network;

an operations server communicating with the call center network, the operations server generating operations information representing a state of the call center operation; and

a remote supervisor server communicating with the call center network, the remote supervisor server operative to communicate via a wireless interface with at least one wireless transceiver to permit the at least one wireless transceiver to receive the operations information and transmit control information to the call center operation.

2. A system interface for the remote management of a call center operation, comprising:

a data interface to an operations server, the operations server generating operations information representing a state of the call center operation; and

a wireless interface communicating with the data interface, the wireless interface operative to communicate with at least one wireless transceiver to permit the at least one wireless transceiver to receive the operations information and transmit control information to the call center operation.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations information comprises at least one of number of agents, categories of agents, average call wait time, oldest call waiting, queue depth, skillset availability, service level, service quality, average speed of answer, queue delay, expected time and longest time, the number of calls abandoned before servicing by agents, number of calls abandoned after servicing by agents, the total number of pending calls, calls by skillset, calls by phone number, and agent work schedule adherence.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a remote supervisor server communicating with the data interface and the wireless interface, the remote supervisor server operative to receive the operations information from the operations server, and transmit the operations information to and receiving the control information from the at least one wireless transceiver.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless interface comprises a wireless duplex link for transmitting the operations information from the call center operation to the at least one wireless transceiver and for uploading the control information from the at least one wireless transceiver to the call center operation.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless interface comprises a wireless LAN operating according to at least one of the IEEE 802.11 protocol, the CDPD protocol, the Ardis protocol, the Mobitex protocol, the Richochet protocol, and the Tetra protocol.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver comprises at least one of a wireless network-enabled personal digital assistant, a network-enabled cellular telephone, and a wireless network-enabled portable computer.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the control information comprises at least one of keyboard input, voice input, touch pad input, pointing device input, speech input and biometric input.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver comprises an audible output device to output an indication associated with the operations information.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver comprises a user interface for displaying the operations information and the control information.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the call center operation comprises an (800) telephone line for receipt of incoming telephone calls.

12. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the call center operation comprises a network-enabled telephony port.

14. A method for the remote management of a call center operation, comprising:

(a) generating operations information representing a state of the call center operation; and

(b) communicating the operations information over a wireless interface to at least one wireless transceiver, and receiving control information from the at least one wireless transceiver to manage the call center operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the control information comprises at least one of number of agents, categories of agents, average call wait time, oldest call waiting, queue depth, skillset availability, service level, service quality, average speed of answer, queue delay, expected time and longest time, number of calls abandoned before servicing by agents, number of calls abandoned after servicing by agents, and the total number of pending calls.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a remote supervisor server communicates with the data interface and the wireless interface, the remote supervisor server operative to receive the operations information from the operations server, and transmit the operations information to and receiving the control information from the at least one wireless transceiver.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless interface comprises a wireless duplex link for transmitting the operations information from the call center operation to the at least one wireless transceiver and uploading the control information from the at least one wireless transceiver to the call center operation.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one wireless interface comprises a wireless LAN operating on at least one of the IEEE 802.11 protocol, the CDPD protocol, the Ardis protocol, the Mobitex protocol, the Richochet protocol, and the Tetra protocol.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver comprises at least one of a wireless network-enabled personal digital assistant, a network-enabled cellular telephone, and a wireless network-enabled portable computer.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of

(c) displaying the operations information on a user interface on the at least one wireless transceiver.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of

(d) receiving incoming telephone calls on an (800) telephone line.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of

(e) receiving incoming calls via a network-enabled telephony port.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of

(f) receiving at least one of keyboard input, voice input, touch pad input, pointing device input, speech input and biometric input as the control information.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of

(g) outputting an audible indication associated with the operations information.