Generation of communication system control scripts

• US 6,819,754 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Lawrence, Velella, Alberto, Twitchell, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, KAREN L
• Application Number:
  US09/650,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/15, 700/99, 700/121, 379/265.02
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/12 Marking faulty circuits "busy"; Enabling equipment to disengage itself from faulty circuits ; Using redundant circuits; Response of a circuit, apparatus or system to an error
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5237 Interconnection arrangements between ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13051 Software generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0095 Specification, development or application of network management software, e.g. software re-use
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

Techniques are provided for use in generating call routing control scripts. The techniques permit call routing control scripts, initially generated for use in controlling a first communication system, to be adapted for use in controlling a second, different communication system. More specifically, in these techniques, values (e.g., numerical values) used to identify script-controlled objects (i.e., physical or logical entities in the first system) in the initially-generated script, are replaced with values identifying equivalent objects in the second system, to thereby facilitate creation of another script that is executable by the second system. The initially-generated script contains a section in which the object identification values used in the initially-generated script are grouped together, in association with respective logical handles/names and respective object classifications of the objects that they identify, in order to facilitate determination of the equivalent objects.

Claims

1. A computerized method for use in generating a call routing control script comprising instructions that, when executed by a communication system, control routing of a call in the system, the method comprising:

generating a first section in the call routing control script, the first section containing call routing instructions that reference object identification values that identify respective objects in the communication system, the objects comprising at least one of a physical and logical entity in the communication system, at least one instruction in the call routing script, when executed by the communication system, controlling the at least one entity; and

generating in the call routing script a second section in which the values are each associated with a respective logical handle and with a respective object classification.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising, storing in the communication system a database that correlates respective object identification values with respective logical handles and with respective object classifications.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the entity comprises at least one of an agent workgroup, an agent system, an automatic call distributor, and an interactive voice response unit.

4. A computerized method for use in generating a first control script that may be executed by a first communication system to control the system, the method comprising:

accessing a first section in a second control script to locate instructions in the first section that reference object identification values that identify objects in a second communication system, the objects comprising at least one of a physical and logical entity in the second communication system that may be controlled by execution of at least one instruction in the first section;

accessing a second section in the second control script in which the values are each associated with a respective logical handle and with a respective object classification;

accessing a database that correlates respective object identification values of respective objects in the first communication system with respective logical handles and with respective object classifications of the respective objects in the first communication system;

locating in the second section, based upon information contained in the database and the second section, at least certain object identification values of objects in the second communication system that correspond to objects in the first communication system; and

replacing in the second section the at least certain object identification values with respective object identification values of corresponding objects in the first communication system.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the entity comprises at least one of an agent workgroup, an agent system, an automatic call distributor, and an interactive voice response unit.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising, if a number of the at least certain object identification values is less than a total number of object identification values in the second section, prompting a user to supply additional object identification values.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the corresponding objects are determined based upon correspondences between the logical handles and object classifications of objects in the first and second communication systems.

8. An apparatus for use in generating a call routing control script comprising instructions that, when executed by a communication system, control routing of a call in the system, the apparatus comprising:

a first mechanism that generates a first section in the call routing control script, the first section containing call routing instructions that reference object identification values that identify respective objects in the communication system, the objects comprising at least one of a physical and logical entity in the communication system, at least one instruction in the call routing script, when executed by the communication system, controlling the at least one entity; and

a second mechanism that generates in the call routing script a second section in which the values are each associated with a respective logical handle and with a respective object classification.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising, a third mechanism that stores in the communication system a database that correlates respective object identification values with respective logical handles and with respective object classifications.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the entity comprises at least one of an agent workgroup, an agent system, an automatic call distributor, and an interactive voice response unit.

11. An apparatus for use in generating a first control script that may be executed by a first communication system to control the system, the apparatus comprising:

a first mechanism that accesses a first section in a second control script to locate instructions in the first section that reference object identification values that identify objects in a second communication system, the objects comprising at least one of a physical and logical entity in the second communication system that may be controlled by execution of at least one instruction in the first section;

a second mechanism that accesses a second section in the second control script in which the values are each associated with a respective logical handle and with a respective object classification;

a third mechanism that accesses a database that correlates respective object identification values of respective objects in the first communication system with respective logical handles and with respective object classifications of the respective objects in the first communication system;

a fourth mechanism that locates in the second section, based upon information contained in the database and the second section, at least certain object identification values of objects in the second communication system that correspond to objects in the first communication system; and

a fifth mechanism that replaces in the second section the at least certain object identification values with respective object identification values of corresponding objects in the first communication system.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the entity comprises at least one of an agent workgroup, an agent system, an automatic call distributor, and an interactive voice response unit.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising, a sixth mechanism that prompts if a number of the at least certain object identification values is less than a total number of object identification values in the second section, a user to supply additional object identification values.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the corresponding objects are determined based upon correspondences between the logical handles and object classifications of objects in the first and second communication systems.

15. Computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable instructions for use in generating a call routing control script comprising other instructions that, when executed by a communication system, control routing of a call in the system, the computer-executable instructions when executed causing:

generation of a first section in the call routing control script, the first section containing call routing instructions that reference object identification values that identify respective objects in the communication system, the objects comprising at least one of a physical and logical entity in the communication system, at least one instruction in the call routing script, when executed by the communication system, controlling the at least one entity; and

generation of, in the call routing script, a second section in which the values are each associated with a respective logical handle and with a respective object classification.

16. Memory according to claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions also cause storing in the communication system of a database that correlates respective object identification values with respective logical handles and with respective object classifications.

17. Memory according to claim 15, wherein the entity comprises at least one of an agent workgroup, an agent system, an automatic call distributor, and an interactive voice response unit.

18. Computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable instructions for use in generating a first control script that may be executed by a first communication system to control the system, the computer-executable instructions when executed causing:

accessing of a first section in a second control script to locate instructions in the first section that reference object identification values that identify objects in a second communication system, the objects comprising at least one of a physical and logical entity in the second communication system that may be controlled by execution of at least one instruction in the first section;

accessing of a second section in the second control script in which the values are each associated with a respective logical handle and with a respective object classification;

accessing of a database that correlates respective object identification values of respective objects in the first communication system with respective logical handles and with respective object classifications of the respective objects in the first communication system;

locating in the second section, based upon information contained in the database and the second section, of at least certain object identification values of objects in the second communication system that correspond to objects in the first communication system; and

replacing in the second section of the at least certain object identification values with respective object identification values of corresponding objects in the first communication system.

19. Memory according to claim 18, wherein the entity comprises at least one of an agent workgroup, an agent system, an automatic call distributor, and an interactive voice response unit.

20. Memory according to claim 18, wherein the computer-executable instructions also cause, if a number of the at least certain object identification values is less than a total number of object identification values in the second section, prompting of a user to supply additional object identification values.

21. Memory according to claim 18, wherein the corresponding objects are determined based upon correspondences between the logical handles and object classifications of objects in the first and second communication systems.

22. An apparatus for use in generating a call routing control script comprising instructions that, when executed by a communication system, control routing of a call in the system, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a first section in the call routing control script, the first section containing call routing instructions that reference object identification values that identify respective objects in the communication system, the objects comprising at least one of a physical and logical entity in the communication system, at least one instruction in the call routing script, when executed by the communication system, controlling the at least one entity; and

means for generating in the call routing script a second section in which the values are each associated with a respective logical handle and with a respective object classification.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising, means for storing in the communication system a database that correlates respective object identification values with respective logical handles and with respective object classifications.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the entity comprises at least one of an agent workgroup, an agent system, an automatic call distributor, and an interactive voice response unit.

25. An apparatus for use in generating a first control script that may be executed by a first communication system to control the system, the apparatus comprising:

means for accessing a first section in a second control script to locate instructions in the first section that reference object identification values that identify objects in a second communication system, the objects comprising at least one of a physical and logical entity in the second communication system that may be controlled by execution of at least one instruction in the first section;

means for accessing a second section in the second call control script in which the values are each associated with a respective logical handle and with a respective object classification;

means for accessing a database that correlates respective object identification values of respective objects in the first communication system with respective logical handles and with respective object classifications of the respective objects in the first communication system;

means for locating in the second section, based upon information contained in the database and the second section, at least certain object identification values of objects in the second communication system that correspond to objects in the first communication system; and

means for replacing in the second section the at least certain object identification values with respective object identification values of corresponding objects in the first communication system.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the entity comprises at least one of an agent workgroup, an agent system, an automatic call distributor, and an interactive voice response unit.

27. An apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising, means for if a number of the at least certain object identification values is less than a total number of object identification values in the second section, prompting a user to supply additional object identification values.

28. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the corresponding objects are determined based upon correspondences between the logical handles and object classifications of objects in the first and second communication systems.