Method and system for updating real-time data between intervals

• US 8,400,948 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Owens, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutkowski, Jeffrey M
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOO, JUVENA W
• Application Number:
  US11/038,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,982 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370/252, 370/254, 370/259, 370/265, 370/270
• US Class Current: 370/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A method for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center, having a data source and a data collector, includes receiving, at the data collector, real-time data at intervals from a data source. The real-time data includes information on the availability of aspects of a communication network. The received real-time data is stored in a memory. The occurrence of a specified triggering event between the intervals is detected. The stored real-time data is updated based on information relating to the specified triggering event.

Claims

1. A method for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center having a plurality of data sources and a data collector, the method including:

receiving, by the data collector, real-time data at pre-defined intervals from the plurality of data sources, the real-time data including information regarding availability of aspects of a communication network;

storing the received real-time data in a memory;

detecting occurrence of a specified triggering event between the pre-defined intervals; and

updating, between the pre-defined intervals, the received stored real-time data automatically in response to detecting the triggering event by replacing the received stored real time data with calculated update data calculated based on information relating to the specified triggering event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving, by the data collector, of the real-time data at intervals from at least one of the data sources further includes receiving real-time data at pre-defined time intervals from the data source, with the data source including a publishing module which automatically pushes the real-time data to the data collector at the pre-defined time intervals from the data source and the data collector including a subscription module.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving, by the data collector, of the real-time data at intervals from the data sources further includes collecting data at pre-defined time intervals from the data sources, with the data collector including a polling module to pull the real-time data from the data source at the pre-defined intervals.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a communication routing request from a communication source and routing a communication to an agent in response, and updating the stored real-time data including agent availability data in response the routing to the agent.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising sending a communication routing decision, based on the updated stored real-time data, from a routing engine to the communication source.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the communication routing decision from the routing engine to the communication source is the specified triggering event.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center having a plurality of data sources, each having a plurality of associated agents, and a data collector, the method including:

receiving, by the data collector, real-time data at pre-defined intervals from the plurality of data sources, the real-time data including information regarding available agents of the plurality of agents;

storing the received real-time data in memory means;

detecting occurrence of a call routing event between the intervals; and

updating, between the intervals, the received stored real-time data automatically in response to detecting a call routing event by replacing the received stored real-time available agent data with a calculated update of available agent data calculated based on the call routing event.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the receiving, by the data collector, of the real-time data at intervals from the data sources further includes automatically receiving real-time data at pre-defined time intervals from the data sources, with the data sources including a publishing module and the data collector including a subscription module.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the receiving, by the data collector, of the real-time data at intervals from a data source further includes collecting data at regular or pre-defined time intervals from the data source, with the data collector including a polling module to collect the real-time data.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the method further includes receiving a communication routing request from a communication source.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the method further includes sending a communication routing decision from a routing engine to the communication source.

12. A system for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center, the system including:

a plurality of data sources to provide real-time data at pre-defined intervals, the data including information on availability of aspects of the communication network;

a plurality of data collectors, each respective data collector configured to receive the real-time data from at least one corresponding data source of the plurality of data sources;

a plurality of databases, each respective database coupled to a respective data collector to store the received real-time data of the respective data collector; and

a module to

detect occurrence of a specified triggering event between the intervals, and

update, between the intervals, the received stored real-time data in each database automatically in response to detecting the triggering event by replacing the received stored real-time data with update data calculated based on information relating to the triggering event.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a routing engine to receive a communication request from a communication source.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the routing engine is to route a communication decision based on the updated stored real-time data to the communication source.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one data source includes a publishing module and at least one data collector includes a subscription module automatically to send the real-time data from the data source, and automatically to receive the real-time data by the data collector.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one data collector includes a polling module to collect data at regular or pre-defined time intervals from the data source.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one data source is an automatic call distributor.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the data collectors are a real time system.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the database comprises a table of agent group assignment information and a table of automatic contact distribution state information.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the module includes a graphical programming environment.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein the communication source is one of a Public Switched Telephone Network carrier and an automatic call distributor.

22. A system for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center, the system including:

first means for collecting real-time data at periodic times from a plurality of data sources, the data including information on availability of aspects of the communication network;

second means for receiving the real-time data from the first means;

third means for storing the received real-time data; and

fourth means for detecting occurrence of a specified triggering event between the periodic times, and

updating, between the periodic times, the received stored real-time data automatically in response to detecting the triggering event by replacing the received stored real-time data with calculated update data calculated based on information relating to the triggering event.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising fifth means for receiving a communication request from a communication source.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the fifth means is for routing a communication decision based on the updated stored real-time data to the communication source.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein at least one of the data sources includes a publishing module and the first means includes a subscription module for automatically sending the real-time data by the data source, and for automatically receiving the real-time data by the second means.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the first means includes a polling module for collection data at regular or pre-defined time intervals from the data sources.

27. A method for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center having a plurality of data sources and a data collector, the method including:

receiving, by the data collector, real-time data at pre-defined intervals from the plurality of data sources, the real-time data including information on availability of aspects of a communication network;

storing the received real-time data in a memory; and

updating, between the intervals, the received stored real-time data automatically by replacing the received stored real-time data with calculated update data calculated based on a predictive algorithm.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the receiving, by the data collector, of the real-time data at intervals from at least one of the data sources further includes automatically receiving real-time data at regular or pre-defined time intervals from the data source, with the data source including a publishing module and the data collector including a subscription module.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the receiving, by the data collector, of the real-time data at intervals from the data sources further includes collecting data at pre-defined time intervals from the data sources, with the data collector including a polling module to collect the real-time data.

30. The method of claim 27 further including receiving a communication routing request from a communication source in a pre-call routing system and wherein the predictive algorithm uses percent of pre-call routed calls and percent of default routed calls to update the stored real time data.

31. The method of claim 30 further including sending a communication routing decision from a routing engine to the communication source.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the predictive algorithm utilizes at least one of the following parameters:

metrics of the data source, trends relating to the stored real-time data, carrier routing algorithms, availability aspects of the communication processing center, and communication routing decisions from the routing engine to the communication source.

33. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center having a plurality of data sources and a data collector, the method comprising:

receiving, by the data collector, real-time data at pre-defined intervals from the plurality of data sources, the real-time data including information on availability of aspects of a communication network;

storing the received real-time data in a memory; and

updating, between the intervals, the received stored real-time data automatically by replacing the received stored real-time data with calculated update data calculated based on a predictive algorithm.

34. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the receiving, by the data collector, of the real-time data at intervals from the data sources further includes automatically receiving real-time data at regular or pre-defined time intervals from the data sources, with the data sources including a publishing module and the data collector including a subscription module.

35. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the receiving by the data collector, of the real-time data at intervals from a data source further includes collecting data at regular or pre-defined time intervals from the data source, with the data collector including a polling module to collect the real-time data.

36. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 33 wherein the method further includes receiving a communication routing request from a communication source, and wherein the predictive algorithm uses correlation of activity on one contact center with activity of another contact center to calculate the update data.

37. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 36 wherein the method further includes sending a communication routing decision from a routing engine to the communication source.

38. A system for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center, the system including:

a plurality of data sources to periodically provide real-time data at a pre-defined interval, the data including information regarding availability of aspects of the communication network;

a data collector to receive the real-time data from the data sources;

a memory to store the received real-time data; and

a module to update, between the intervals, the received stored real-time data automatically by replacing the received stored real-time data with calculated update data calculated based on a predictive algorithm.

39. The system of claim 38 further including a routing engine to receive a communication request from a communication source.

40. The system of claim 38 wherein the routing engine is to route a communication decision based on the updated stored real-time data to the communication source.

41. The system of claim 38 wherein the data sources include a publishing module and the data collector includes a subscription module to automatically send the real-time data from the data sources, and to automatically receive the real-time data by the data collector.

42. The system of claim 38 wherein the data collector includes a polling module to collect data at pre-defined time intervals from the data sources.

43. The system of claim 38 wherein at least one data source is an automatic call distributor.

44. The system of claim 38 wherein the data collector is a real time system.

45. The system of claim 38 wherein the system includes at least two contact processing centers and the predictive algorithm correlates activity of one of the contact centers with another one of the contact centers.

46. The system of claim 38 wherein the module includes a graphical programming environment.

47. The system of claim 38 wherein the communication source is at least one of a Public Switched Telephone Network carrier and an automatic call distributor.

48. The system for updating real-time data between intervals in a communication processing center, the system comprising:

first means for collecting real-time data at pre-defined intervals from a plurality of data sources, the data including information regarding availability of aspects of the communication network;

second means for receiving the real-time data from the first means;

third means for storing the received real-time data; and

fourth means for updating, between the intervals, the received stored real-time data automatically by replacing the received, stored real-time data with calculated update data calculated based on a predictive algorithm.

49. The system of claim 48 further comprising fifth means for receiving a communication request from a communication source.

50. The system of claim 48 wherein the fifth means is for routing a communication decision based on the updated stored real-time data to the communication source.

51. The system of claim 48 wherein at least one of the data sources includes a publishing module and the first means includes a subscription module for automatically sending the real-time data from the data source, and for automatically receiving the real-time data by the second means.

52. The system of claim 48 wherein the first means includes a polling module for collecting data at regular or pre-defined time intervals from the data sources.