System and method of changing entity configuration information while automatically monitoring and displaying such information in a call center

• US 6,987,846 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Electronics Commerce Technologies LLC
• Inventors: James, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh H.
• Application Number:
  US09/584,306
• Time in Patent Office: 2,057 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.06, 379/913, 379/265.03, 379/265.04
• US Class Current: 379/201.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/913 Person locator or person-specific

Abstract

A system and method of changing entity configuration information in a call center is disclosed. By automatically monitoring entities in a call center, selecting an entity in the call center, and modifying configuration information of the selected entity, keeping track of entities in a call center is automated. Agents and consoles are examples of entities monitored in the call center. When agents or consoles change physical location, the electronic floor plan is automatically updated to reflect the new physical location information for the agents and consoles. Further, a supervisor of a call center can change entity configuration information by selecting an entity on the electronic floor plan.

Claims

1. A method of changing entity configuration information in a call center comprising the steps of:

monitoring a database of the call center by an application within a supervisors workstation for log ons and log offs by entities of the call center to identify consoles being used by the entities;

detecting log ons and log offs of the entities with respect to the call center by the application;

modifying configuration information of the entities within a lookup table by the application based upon the detected log ons and log offs of the entities;

monitoring physical location information of entities within the lookup table by an event handler within the supervisors workstation based upon the configuration information within the lookup table to provide an electronic floor plan;

displaying the electronic floor plan containing pictorial images of the entities by the event handler on the workstation of the supervisor;

automatically updating the electronic floor plan by the event handler to provide and reflect a change in physical location information of the entities based upon the automatic monitoring of the log ons and log offs of the entities;

the supervisor selecting a pictorial image of an entity of the entities displayed on the electronic floor plan; and

displaying entity configuration information of the selected entity on the supervisors workstation in response to the selection.

2. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein physical location information includes Cartesian coordinates, latitude and longitude meridians, and radius vector and angle.

3. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein entities includes call center agents, consoles, printers, and facsimile machines.

4. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein the electronic floor plan includes a bit map image, vector graphics, object oriented graphics, and VRML representation of the call center.

5. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring changes further comprises comparing physical location at a second time with physical location at a first time.

6. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein dating further comprises notifying a supervisor if the physical location information has been changed.

7. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring physical location comprises:

recording physical location information; and

retrieving the recorded physical location information.

8. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 7 wherein the physical location information is entered by a call center user.

9. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 7 wherein the physical location information is entered by a server computer.

10. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 7 wherein updating further comprises:

retrieving the recorded physical location information;

translating the recorded physical location information to graphical form; and

drawing the graphical form on the electronic floor plan.

11. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 10 wherein the recorded physical location information is determined by getting physical location information from a database of call center information.

12. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 10 wherein the step of translating includes using a look-up table to create a relationship between physical location information and graphical form.

13. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 10 wherein the step of translating further comprises determining whether the recorded physical location information contains proper Cartesian coordinates.

14. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 12 wherein proper is information that can be graphically represented on the electronic floor plan.

15. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 12 wherein recorded physical location information that is improper is maintained in a list of entities without physical location information.

16. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 10 wherein the step of drawing further comprises the step of placing a graphical image on the electronic floor plan.

17. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 16 wherein the step of drawing is performed by using bit map drawing tools to produce a two-dimensional image of the electronic floor plan.

18. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 16 wherein the step of drawing is performed by using VRML code to produce a three-dimensional image of the electronic floor plan.

19. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein the step of monitoring further comprises identifying an entity which has physically moved.

20. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein the electronic floor plan is updated with a prediction of physical location information based upon a history of physical location information.

21. The method of changing entity configuration information as in claim 1 wherein the physical location information is archived and retrieved for later analysis.

22. A system of changing entity configuration in a call center, such system comprising:

means for monitoring a database of the call center for log ons and log offs by entities of the call center to identify consoles being used by entities of the call center, said identified consoles being used by the means for monitoring to determine physical location information of entities of the call center based upon the log ons and log offs of the entities with respect to the call center to provide an electronic floor plan;

means for producing defined versions of the electronic floor plan containing pictorial images of the entities on a supervisor workstation;

means for updating the electronic floor plan to provide and reflect the changes in physical location information of the entities based upon the log ons and log offs of the entities

means on the supervisors workstation for selecting a pictorial image of an entity of the entities; and

means for displaying entity configuration information of the selected entity on the supervisors workstation in response to selection of the entity.

23. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 22 wherein entities includes call center agents, consoles, printers, and facsimile machines.

24. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 22 wherein the electronic floor plan includes a bit map image, vector graphics, object oriented graphics, and VRML representation of the call center.

25. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 22 further comprising means for comparing physical location at a second time with physical location at a first time.

26. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 22 wherein the means for updating further comprises means for notifying a supervisor if the physical location information has been changed.

27. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 22 wherein the means for monitoring physical location information further comprises:

means for recording physical location information; and

means for retrieving the physical location information.

28. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 27 wherein the physical location information is entered by a call center user.

29. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 27 wherein the physical location information is entered by a server computer.

30. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 27 wherein the means for updating further comprises:

means for reading the recorded physical location information;

means for translating the recorded physical location information to graphical form; and

means for drawing the graphical form on the electronic floor plan.

31. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 30 wherein the physical location information is stored in a database of call center information.

32. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 30 wherein the means for reading further comprises means for retrieving physical location information from a database of call center information.

33. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 30 wherein the means for translating includes a look-up table of relationships between physical location information and graphical form.

34. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 30 wherein the means for translating further comprises means for determining whether the recorded physical location information contains proper Cartesian coordinates.

35. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 33 wherein proper is information that can be graphically represented on the electronic floor plan.

36. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 33 wherein recorded physical location information that is improper is maintained in a list of entities without physical location information.

37. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 33 wherein the means for drawing further comprises means of placing a graphical image on the electronic floor plan.

38. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 33 wherein the means for drawing includes bit map and VRML drawings tools.

39. The system of changing entity configuration as, in claim 22 wherein the means for monitoring further comprises means for identifying an entity which has physically moved.

40. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 22 further comprising means for predicting physical location information based upon a history of physical location information.

41. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 22 further comprising means for storing archived physical location information.

42. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 41 further comprising means for retrieving the archived physical location information.

43. A system of changing entity configuration in a communication system, such system comprising:

an entity monitor which monitors a database of the communication system for log ons and log offs by entities of the call center to identify consoles being used by the entities, said identified consoles being used by the entity monitor to determine physical location information based upon the log ons and log offs of the entities with respect to the communication system to provide an electronic floor plan that contains pictorial images of the entities;

a supervisors workstation that displays the electronic floor plan; and

an informer within the supervisors workstation that automatically updates the electronic floor plan displayed on the supervisors workstation to provide and reflect changes in physical location information of the entities based upon the log ons and log offs of the entities;

a selection device for selecting a pictorial image of an entity of the entities displayed on the electronic floor plan; and

an entity configuration information table that is displayed on the supervisors workstation in response to selection of the pictorial image of the entity.

44. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 43 wherein the call monitor comprises a programmable computer.

45. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 43 wherein entities includes call center agents, consoles, printers, and facsimile machines.

46. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 43 wherein the electronic floor plan includes a bit map image, vector graphics, object oriented graphics, and representation of the call center.

47. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 43 wherein the entity monitor further comprises an evaluator which compares physical location at a second time with physical location at a first time.

48. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 43 wherein the informer further comprises a notifier which alerts a supervisor if the physical location information has changed.

49. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 43 wherein the entity monitor further comprises:

a recorder for storing physical location information; and

a retriever for getting the stored physical location information.

50. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 49 wherein the informer further comprises:

a reader which retrieves the recorded physical location information;

a translator for relating the recorded physical location information to graphical form; and

a drawer which places the graphical form on the electronic floor plan.

51. The system of changing entity configuration as in claim 50 wherein the translator includes a look-up table of relationships between physical location information and graphical form.