Automatic call distribution groups in call center management systems

• US 6,735,299 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2001
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Johns, Robert T., Krimstock, Roger I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US10/036,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20030086554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/265.1, 379/265.11, 379/266.01, 379/266.04, 379/266.05
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a multi-switch telecommunications system which propagates automatically entity changes for one switch group member to all members of the group and/or aggregates performance and other types of information for all members of a selected switch grouping.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system, comprising:

a plurality of telephony switches that receive incoming contacts and route each of the contacts to a corresponding agent;

a management system that interfaces with the plurality of telephony switches and maintains for each of the plurality of telephony switches entity information associated with at least one entity, at least two of the plurality of telephony switches defining a first group of switches, and at least two of the plurality of telephony switches defining a second group of switches, wherein at least one switch is in both of the first and second groups of switches, wherein each of the switches in the first and second switch group is associated with a plurality of entities, wherein each of the plurality of entities is associated with a corresponding entity identifier, and wherein each of the entity identifiers is unique among the entity identifiers in the first and second switch groups, the management system including at least one of the following;

a propagator that propagates automatically at least one of additions to, modifications of, and deletions of entity information associated with each entity to each member of the at least a first group of switches; and

an aggregator that receives queries for the entity information for the at least a first group of switches and retrieves automatically the entity information associated with each member of the at least a first group of switches and/or with the at least a first group of switches.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the first group of switches has at least one unique group identifier, wherein each of the entities associated with each of the switches in the first switch group is associated with the at least one unique group identifier, and wherein each switch has a corresponding queue of contacts to be handled by an agent and an automatic call distributor that manages the corresponding queue.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the management system includes a conflict checker that determines when a conflict exists between the at least one of additions to, modifications of, and deletions of the entity information and existing entity information.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 3, wherein, when a conflict is identified by the conflict checker, the propagator does not automatically propagate the at least one of additions to, modifications of, and deletions of the entity information.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 4, wherein the conflict checker determines when a conflict exists between at least one of an entity identifier and an entity name and an existing at least one of an entity identifier and entity name.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 4, wherein the management system determines when a switch is included in more than one group of switches and wherein the entity information includes user permission to access at least some of the other entity information.

45. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein at least one switch in the first and second groups of switches is different.

46. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of entities associated with the at least one switch comprise first and second sets of entities, wherein the first set of entities is in the first switch group and the second set of entities is in the second switch group, and wherein the first and second sets of entities are disjoint.

47. The telecommunications system of claim 46, wherein the entities in the first and second sets of entities are of the same type, with the type being one of agent, split/skill, trunk, trunk group, vector directory number, and vector.

53. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of entities is associated with at least one entity synonym name and wherein the entity synonym names are unique among the first and second switch groups.

7. A method for managing a multi-switch telecommunication system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to at least one of add, delete and modify first information corresponding to at least a first entity, the at least a first entity being associated with at least a first switch, wherein the at least a first entity is included within first and second switch groupings and wherein the first information is at least one of (a) and identity of the first entity and (b) an entity synonym name associated with the first entity;

determining when a conflict exists between the requested change to the first information and at least one of (a) second entity identity and (b) a second entity synonym corresponding to at least a second entity in the first and/or second switch grouping, the at least a second entity being associated with at least a second switch different from the first switch; and

when no conflict is identified in the determining step, making the requested change to the first information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a first set of switches defines the first switch grouping and a second set of switches defines the second switch grouping, and further comprising:

identifying each switch in the first and second switch groupings; and

determining whether a switch is in at least two switch groupings.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining when a conflict exists between a first identifier associated with the at least a first entity and a second identifier associated with the at least a second entity and wherein the first information includes user permission to access other switch-related information.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining when a conflict exists between a first name associated with the at least a first entity and a second name associated with the at least a second entity.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein, when a conflict is identified in the determining step, not making the requested change to the first information.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein each switch in the first and second switch groupings has a respective entity and the making step comprises:

making the requested change to the information corresponding to the respective entity for each switch in the first switch grouping.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step comprises:

determining when a conflict exists between the requested change and existing information associated with any switch in the first and second groupings of switches.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein each switch in the first and second groupings of switches has a respective entity name and entity id and the entity name and id of each switch in the first and second groupings is different from the entity name and id of the other switches in the first and second groupings.

48. The method of claim 7, wherein a first set of entities associated with the first switch is included within the first switch grouping and a second set of entities associated with the first switch is included within the second switch grouping and wherein the first and second sets are disjoint.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein entities in the first and second sets are of the same type, with the type being one of agent, split/skill, trunk, trunk group, vector directory number, and vector.

51. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one of(a) an identity of the first entity end (b) an entity synonym name associated with the first entity is the first entity identity and the at least one of(a) a second entity identity and (b) a second entity synonym is a second entity identity.

52. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one of (a) the first entity identity and (b) an entity synonym name associated with the first entity is the first entity synonym name and the at least one of (a) a second entity identity and (b) a second entity synonym is the second entity synonym name.

15. A system for managing a multi-switch telecommunication system, comprising the steps of:

an input for receiving a request to at least one of add, delete and modify at least first entity information related to a first entity, the at least a first entity being associated with at least a first switch, wherein a first set of switches defines a first switch grouping and a second set of switches defines a second switch grouping, wherein the at least a first switch is in the first switch grouping and the second switch grouping, wherein each of the switches in the first and second switch groupings is associated with a plurality of entities, and wherein each of the entities has at least one of a corresponding entity synonym name and entity identifier;

a conflict checker operable to determine when a conflict exists, wherein a conflict exists when different entities in the first and/or second switch groupings have a same at least one of an entity identifier and entity synonym name; and

when no conflict is identified by the conflict checker, a propagator operable to make a requested change to the first entity information.

16. The system of claim 15,

wherein the conflict checker is operable to identify each switch in the first and second switch groupings; and

determine whether a switch is in at least two switch groupings.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the

conflict checker is operable to determine when a conflict exists between a first entity identifier associated with the at least a first entity and a second entity identifier associated with the at least a second entity.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one of a corresponding entity synonym name and entity identifier is an entity synonym name and wherein

the conflict checker is operable to determine when a conflict exists between the first entity synonym name and the second name.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein, when a conflict is identified by the conflict checker, the propagator does not make the requested change to the first information.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the propagator makes the requested change to first entity information in the first and/or second switch grouping.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the propagator makes the requested change to the at least a first entity information only for the first switch grouping.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the conflict checker is operable to determine when a conflict exists between the first entity synonym name and the second entity synonym name.

23. A method for managing a multi-switch telecommunication system, a first set of switches in the system defining a first switch grouping and a second set of switches defining a second grouping, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a type of information associated with at least one switch;

determining whether the at least one switch is a member of the first switch grouping;

when the at least one switch is a member of the first switch grouping, retrieving, for each switch in the first switch grouping, information, if any, corresponding to the type of information, wherein the at least one switch is also a member of the second switch grouping, wherein each of the switches in the first and second switch groupings are associated with a plurality of entities, wherein each of the entities corresponds to at least one of an entity synonym name and an entity identifier, and wherein the at least one of an entity synonym name and identifier is unique among the first and second switch groupings.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a request to at least one of add, delete and modify at least a first entity, the at least a first entity being associated with at least a first switch;

determining when at least two entities in the first and/or second switch groupings have a same at least one of an entity identifier and entity synonym name; and

when at least two entities in the first and/or second switch groupings do not have a same at least one of an entity identifier and entity synonym name, making the requested change to the at least a first entity.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

identifying each switch in the first and second switch groupings; and

determining whether a switch is in at least two switch groupings.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one of an entity synonym name and an entity identifier is an entity identifier and wherein the second determining step comprises:

determining when a conflict exists between a first identifier associated with the at least a first entity and a second identifier associated with the at least a second entity.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one of an entity synonym name and an entity identifier is an entity synonym name and wherein the second determining step comprises:

determining when a conflict exists between a first synonym name associated with the at least a first entity and a second synonym name associated with the at least a second entity.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein, when a conflict is identified in the conflict determining step, not making the requested change to the at least a first entity.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the making step comprises:

making the requested change to the at least a first entity for each switch in the first switch grouping.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the making step comprises:

making the requested change to the at least a first entity for the first switch grouping.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein each switch in the first and second groupings of switches has a respective entity identifier and the entity identifier of each switch in the first and second groupings is different from the entity identifier of the other switches in the first and second groupings.

32. A system for managing a multi-switch telecommunication system, a first set of switches in the system defining a first switch grouping and a second set of switches defining a second switch grouping, wherein at least one switch is in both of the first and second switch groupings, wherein each of the switches in the first and second switch groupings is associated with a plurality of entities, and wherein each of the entities has a corresponding at least one of an entity synonym name and entity identifier, comprising:

an input for receiving a request for a type of information associated with the at least one switch, the type of information being associated with at least one of a first entity name and first synonym name corresponding to a first entity;

a conflict checker operable to determine whether the at least one switch is a member of the first switch grouping and whether the at least one of a first entity name first synonym name conflicts with at least one of the entity name and synonym name of at least a second entity in the first and second switch groupings;

when the at least one switch is a member of the first switch grouping and when no conflict exists with the at least one of an entity name and synonym name of the at least a second entity, an aggregator operable to retrieve, for each switch in the first switch grouping, information, if any, corresponding to the type of information.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the input receives a request to at least one of add, delete and modify at least a first entity, the at least a first entity being associated with at least a first switch and

wherein the conflict checker determines that no conflict exists; and further comprising;

a propagator operable to make the requested change to the at least a first entity.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein a second set of switches defines a second switch grouping, and

wherein the conflict checker is operable to identify each switch in the first and second switch groupings;

and

whether a switch is in at least two switch groupings.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the conflict checker determines when a conflict exists between a first identifier associated with the at least a first entity and a second identifier associated with the at least a second entity.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one of an entity synonym name and entity identifier is a synonym name and wherein the conflict checker determines when a conflict exists between a first synonym name associated with the at least a first entity and a second synonym name associated with the at least a second entity.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein, when a conflict is identified by the conflict checker, the propagator does not make the requested change to the at least a first entity.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the propagator makes the requested change to the at least a first entity for each switch in the first switch grouping.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the propagator makes the requested change to the at least a first entity for the first switch grouping.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein each switch in the first and second groupings of switches has a respective entity identifier and the entity identifier of each switch in the first and second groupings is different from the entity identifier of the other switches in the first and second groupings.

41. A memory of a management system for a multi-switch telecommunications system, comprising:

a first switch grouping attribute associated with a first grouping of switches; and

a second switch grouping attribute associated with a second grouping of switches, wherein the first and second switch groupings have at least one switch in common, wherein the first switch grouping attribute requires a switch associated with the first switch grouping attribute to be in the first switch grouping, wherein the second switch grouping attribute requires a switch associated with the second switch grouping attribute to be in the second switch grouping, wherein each of the switches in the first and second switch groupings corresponds to a plurality entities, wherein each entity has at least one of an entity name and a synonym name, and wherein the at least one of an entity name and synonym name of a first entity associated with the common switch is unique among the at least one of an entity name and synonym name of each entity associated with a switch in the first and second switch groupings.

42. The memory of claim 41, wherein the second grouping of switches is different from the first grouping of switches, and wherein each of the first and second switch grouping attributes corresponds to at least one of a group name and a group identifier.

43. The memory of claim 41, wherein each of the first and second groupings each comprise a plurality of switches, each switch in the first and second groupings being associated in memory with a respective plurality of entities.

44. The memory of claim 43, wherein the respective plurality of entities include at least two of agent, split/skill, trunk, trunk group, vector directory number, and vector.

50. The memory of claim 41, wherein at least one switch in the first and second groups of switches is different.

54. The memory of claim 41, wherein the at least one of an entity name and a synonym name is an entity name.

55. The memory of claim 41, wherein the at least one of an entity name and a synonym name is a synonym name.