Telephony control system with intelligent call routing

• US 7,023,979 B1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Patent Armory Inc. (Jeffrey M. Gross)
• Original Assignee: Steven Mark Hoffberg, Toby Heller, Wai Wu
• Inventors: Wu, Wai, Heller, Toby, Hoffberg, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US10/385,389
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/265.06, 379/265.12, 379/266.01, 379/309, 379/265.11
• US Class Current: 379/265.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

A communications management system comprising an input for receiving a communications classification; a database of skill weights with respect to the communications classification; a database of agent skill scores; and a processor, for computing, with respect to the received communication classification, an optimum agent selection, the processor directly controlling a routing of the information representing the received call.

Claims

1. A communications control system, having a common operating environment, comprising:

(a) an input for receiving call classification information;

(b) a data structure representing agent characteristics; and

(c) a processor, for (a) determining, with respect to the received call classification information, an optimum agent for association with a call corresponding to call classification information, based on a multivariate cost function comparing at least three agents, the selection being based on at least a correspondence of said call classification and said data structure of agent characteristics, and (b) controlling a call routing of the call in dependence on the determination, said determining and routing functions of said processor being performed within the common operating environment.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of central processor units (CPUs).

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the common operating environment comprises consolidated operating system.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the determination and control by the processor employ a common message queue within a common operating system.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said process maintains a data structure representing skill weights with respect to said call classification information, and applies said weights to determine an optimum agent selection.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said optimization may be extrinsically perturbed to provide discrimination in control of call routing.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein a cost function is provided for each agent, said processor optimizing a cost benefit of a routing.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of call classification vectors are received, said processor determining, with respect to the received plurality of call classification vectors, an optimum set of agents and associated call classification vectors.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the optimization comprises performing a cost-benefit analysis.

10. A communications method comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of communications, each having associated classification information;

(b) storing information representing characteristics of a plurality of potential targets;

(c) determining an optimum target for each communication based on the communication classification and target characteristics using a multivariate cost function comparing at least three potential targets; and

(d) routing the communication to the optimum target,

said determining step and said routing step being performed within a common operating environment.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the determination and routing employ a common message queue in an operating system.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein a data structure representing skill weights with respect to the communication classification is applied to determine an optimum agent selection.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of perturbing the determining step to provide discrimination in routing.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein said determining step comprises providing a cost function for each target, and optimizing a cost benefit of a routing.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the determining comprises performing a cost-benefit analysis.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the determining of an optimum target is sensitive to a training benefit of a target.

17. A communications control software system, comprising:

(a) a multithreaded operating system, providing support for applications and for passing messages between concurrently executing applications;

(b) a communications control server application executing under said multithreaded operating system, for controlling real time communications; and

(c) at least one dynamically linkable application, executing under said multithreaded operating system, communicating with said communications control server application to receive call characteristic data and transmit a resolved communications target.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said at least one dynamically linkable application performs an optimization according to a multivariate cost function.

19. A method of remediating discrimination, comprising:

(a) measuring a set of performance metrics for a population;

(b) comparing performance metrics of subgroups of the population, each subgroup being defined with respect to a suspected discriminatory classification;

(c) defining a remediation mode wherein a member of a subgroup having an inferior performance metric is presented with an opportunity to apply skills associated with the inferior performance metric under circumstances wherein improvement in the inferior performance metric is anticipated;

(d) defining a cost-benefit of the remediation mode sufficient to offset the inferior performance metric as compared to another population subgroup in a cost benefit analysis; and

(e) allocating opportunities using a cost benefit optimization to members of the population.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the cost benefit analysis comprises analysis of a multivariate cost function.