Method and system for automatic call distribution

• US 8,102,991 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Shmuel, Khouri, Joseph F., Chahrouri, Gebran G., Patel, Labhesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US10/937,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,693 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/265.13, 379/309, 379/266.01, 379/266.04, 379/265.04, 379/265.14
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A method for automatic call distribution includes detecting that a first agent is communicating on a first call and detecting that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication. The method includes transitioning the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call. The on-call ready state indicates that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call.

Claims

1. A method for automatic call distribution, comprising:

detecting that a first agent is communicating on a first call;

detecting that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication;

transitioning the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call, the on-call ready state indicating that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call; and

comprising receiving a command from the first agent through an agent interface to transition the first agent from the on-call ready state to a talking state, the talking state indicating that the first agent is communicating on a high priority call and is not able to receive additional incoming calls while communicating on the high priority call.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the first agent an indication that the first call is a high priority call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication comprises automatically detecting that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first call comprises a non-business call.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically transitioning the first agent from the talking state to a ready state when the high priority call is terminated.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the high priority call while the first agent is communicating on the first call in the on-call ready state; and

distributing the high priority call to the first agent.

22. The medium of claim 1, wherein the code is further operable to:

receive the high priority call while the first agent is communicating on the first call in the on-call ready state; and

distribute the high priority call to the first agent.

2. An automatic call distribution system, comprising:

a presence server operable to detect that a first agent is communicating on a first call;

a processor operable to detect that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication;

the presence server operable to transition the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call, the on-call ready state indicating that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call; and

wherein the presence server is operable to receive a command from the first agent through an agent interface to transition the first agent from the on-call ready state to a talking state, the talking state indicating that the first agent is communicating on a high priority call and is not able to receive additional incoming calls while communicating on the high priority call.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the presence server is further operable to receive from the first agent an indication that the first call is a high priority call.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein a processor operable to detect that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication comprises a processor operable to automatically detect that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the first call comprises a non-business call.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein the presence server is further operable to automatically transition the first agent from the talking state to a ready state when the high priority call is terminated.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive the high priority call while the first agent is communicating on the first call in the on-call ready state; and

distribute the high priority call to the first agent.

3. An automatic call distribution system, comprising:

means for detecting that a first agent is communicating on a first call;

means for detecting that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication;

means for transitioning the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call, the on-call ready state indicating that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call; and

further comprising means for receiving a command from the first agent through an agent interface to transition the first agent from the on-call ready state to a talking state, the talking state indicating that the first agent is communicating on a high priority call and is not able to receive additional incoming calls while communicating on the high priority call.

4. Logic embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

detect that a first agent is communicating on a first call;

detect that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication;

transition the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call, the on-call ready state indicating that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call; and

wherein the code is further operable to receive a command from the first agent through an agent interface to transition the first agent from the on-call ready state to a talking state, the talking state indicating that the first agent is communicating on a high priority call and is not able to receive additional incoming calls while communicating on the high priority call.

18. The medium of claim 4, wherein the code is further operable to receive from the first agent an indication that the first call is a high priority call.

19. The medium of claim 4, wherein code operable to detect that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication comprises code operable to automatically detect that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication.

20. The medium of claim 4, wherein the first call comprises a non-business call.

21. The medium of claim 4, wherein the code is further operable to automatically transition the first agent from the talking state to a ready state when the high priority call is terminated.

5. A method for automatic call distribution, comprising:

detecting that a first agent is communicating on a first call, the first call comprising a non-business call;

receiving an indication from the first agent through an agent interface that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication;

transitioning the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call, the on-call ready state indicating that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call;

receiving a second call for connection with an agent;

alerting the first agent of the second call through an on-call ready ring, the on-call ready ring extending for a longer period of time than a ring alerting a ready agent of an incoming call when the ready agent is not in the on-call ready state;

automatically transitioning the first agent to a not ready state if the first agent does not answer the second call, the not ready state indicating that the first agent is not ready to receive an incoming call; and

automatically transitioning the first agent from the not ready state to a ready state when the first call is terminated.

6. An automatic call distribution system, comprising:

a presence server operable to;

detect that a first agent is communicating on a first call, the first call comprising a non-business call;

receive an indication from the first agent through an agent interface that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication; and

transition the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call, the on-call ready state indicating that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call;

a processor operable to;

receive a second call for connection with an agent; and

alert the first agent of the second call through an on-call ready ring, the on-call ready ring extending for a longer period of time than a ring alerting a ready agent of an incoming call when the ready agent is not in the on-call ready state; and

the presence server operable to;

automatically transition the first agent to a not ready state if the first agent does not answer the second call, the not ready state indicating that the first agent is not ready to receive an incoming call; and

automatically transition the first agent from the not ready state to a ready state when the first call is terminated.

7. Logic embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

detect that a first agent is communicating on a first call, the first call comprising a non-business call;

receive an indication from the first agent through an agent interface that the first call involves a predefined low priority communication;

transition the first agent to an on-call ready state based on the first call, the on-call ready state indicating that the first agent is ready to receive an additional call while communicating on the first call;

receive a second call for connection with an agent;

alert the first agent of the second call through an on-call ready ring, the on-call ready ring extending for a longer period of time than a ring alerting a ready agent of an incoming call when the ready agent is not in the on-call ready state;

automatically transition the first agent to a not ready state if the first agent does not answer the second call, the not ready state indicating that the first agent is not ready to receive an incoming call; and

automatically transition the first agent from the not ready state to a ready state when the first call is terminated.