Testing using asynchronous automated virtual agent behavior

• US 7,822,803 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empirix Incorporated (Empirix Holdings I, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Empirix Incorporated (Empirix Holdings I, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shen, Lei, Kuzsma, Richard C. Jr., Seeley, Albert, Sturgeon, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thu Ha T
• Application Number:
  US11/157,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20060167970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/204, 379/88.16, 379/265.09, 455/90.2, 370/352, 370/353
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/323 for the arrangements providing the connection (test connection, test call, call simulation)
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/362 Traffic simulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet

Abstract

A method and computer program product for testing using asynchronous automated virtual agent behavior is presented. A communication including one of a web-based communication and a telephony-based communication is received at a contact center. The communication is responded to by a virtual agent simulating actions of an agent in a coordinated, asynchronous manner. The virtual agent is capable of providing a response to the web-based communication and to the telephony-based communication. At least one parameter of said contact center is measured and the results are presented to a contact center manager.

Claims

1. A method for testing a contact center, comprising the steps of:

receiving a communication at said contact center, said communication including one of a web-based communication and a telephony-based communication, said web-based communication generated by a virtual web user system and said telephony-based communication generated by a virtual telephone caller system;

responding to said communication with a virtual agent, said virtual agent simulating actions of an agent, said virtual agent providing a response to said web-based communication and to said telephony-based communication;

measuring at least one parameter of said contact center without coordinating said web-based communication generated by said virtual web user system with said virtual agent and without coordinating said telephony-based communication generated by said virtual telephone caller system with said virtual agent; and

providing results of said measuring of said at least one parameter of said contact center.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said responding comprises performing a sequence of steps for responding to the web-based communication.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said responding comprises performing a sequence of steps for responding to the telephony-based communication.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said responding comprises breaking a list of steps into a telephony-based portion and a web-based portion and simulating an action of said agent to each of said telephony-based portion and said web-based portion in a coordinated, asynchronous manner.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said responding to said communication includes emulating resultant events from CTI application interactions.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said emulating resultant events from CTI application interactions comprises implementing an event protocol that a CTI application uses to communicate with a CTI system.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said resultant events are selected from the group comprising logging in, answering a call, receiving a screen pop and logging out.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said measuring at least one parameter comprises measuring at least one of a time latency between functions of said virtual agent and an accuracy of responses by said virtual agent.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said measuring of said time latency between functions of said virtual agent is selected from the group comprising measuring said time latency for an action requesting connection to an agent, measuring said time latency to receiving a screen pop upon an agent computer, measuring said time latency for an Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) to answer a telephone call generated by the virtual telephone caller system, measuring said time latency of an IVR prompt response, measuring said time latency for Computer Telephone Interface (CTI) data to arrive at the agent computer, measuring said time latency for the agent computer display screen to complete, measuring said time latency for the agent computer to receive events from the CTI, measuring said time latency for the virtual telephone caller system to connect to the agent telephone once requested by the virtual telephone caller system, and measuring said time latency of a database server access.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said measuring accuracy of response is selected from the group comprising measuring a routing accuracy corresponding to a connection between the virtual telephone caller system and the agent upon a request from the virtual telephone caller system for connection to the agent, and measuring a display accuracy associated with the agent computer screen pop data integrity.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein said sequence of steps for responding to said web-based communication are selected from the group receiving web page requests from said virtual web user system, providing web pages to said virtual web user system, receiving emails from said virtual web user system, and responding to emails from said virtual web user system.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein said sequence of steps for responding to said telephony-based communication are selected from the group comprising receiving a call from said virtual telephone caller system, receiving a screen pop related to said virtual telephone caller system, and providing access to a database server for said virtual telephone caller system.

13. A physical computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon for measuring at least one parameter of a contact center, the medium comprising:

instructions for receiving a communication at said contact center, said communication including one of a web-based communication and a telephony-based communication, said web-based communication generated by a virtual web user system and said telephony-based communication generated by a virtual telephone caller system;

instructions for responding to said communication with a virtual agent simulating actions of an agent, said virtual agent providing a response to said web-based communication and to said telephony-based communication;

instructions for measuring said at least one parameter of said contact center without coordinating said web-based communication generated by said virtual web user system with said virtual agent and without coordinating said telephony-based communication generated by said virtual telephone caller system with said virtual agent; and

instructions for providing results of said measuring of said at least one parameter of said contact center.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instructions for responding comprise instructions for performing a sequence of steps for responding to said web-based communication.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instructions for responding comprise instructions for performing a sequence of steps for responding to said telephony-based communication.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instructions for responding comprise instructions for breaking a list of steps into a telephony-based portion and a web-based portion and simulating an action of said agent to each of said telephony-based portion and said web-based portion in a coordinated, asynchronous manner.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instructions for responding to said communication includes instructions for emulating resultant events from CTI application interactions.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instructions for emulating resultant events from CTI application interactions comprises instructions for implementing an event protocol that a CTI application uses to communicate with a CTI system.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein said resultant events are selected from the group comprising logging in, answering a call, receiving a screen pop and logging out.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said instructions for measuring said at least one parameter comprises instructions for measuring at least one of a time latency between functions of said virtual agent and an accuracy of responses by said virtual agent.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein said time latency is selected from the group comprising a time latency for an action requesting connection to an agent, a time latency to receiving a screen pop upon an agent computer, a time latency for an Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) to answer a telephone call generated by the virtual telephone caller system, a time latency of an IVR prompt response time, a time latency for Computer Telephone Interface (CTI) data to arrive at the agent computer, a time latency for the agent computer display screen to complete, a time latency for the agent computer to receive events from the CTI, a time latency for the virtual telephone caller system to connect to the agent telephone once requested by the virtual telephone caller system, and a time latency of a database server access.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein said accuracy of response is selected from the group comprising a routing accuracy corresponding to a connection between the virtual telephone caller system and the agent upon a request from the virtual telephone caller system for connection to the agent, and a display accuracy associated with the agent computer screen pop data integrity.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein said sequence of steps for responding to said web-based communication are selected from the group comprising receiving web page requests from said virtual web user system, providing web pages to said virtual web user system, receiving emails from said virtual web user system, and responding to emails from said virtual web user system.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said sequence of steps for responding to said telephony-based communication are selected from the group comprising receiving a call from said virtual telephone caller system, receiving a screen pop related to said virtual telephone caller system, and providing access to a database server for said virtual telephone caller system.