Accessory queue management system and method for interacting with a queuing system

• US 8,514,872 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virtual Hold Technology Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Virtual Hold Technology LLC (Medallia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): CATTUNGAL, AJAY P
• Application Number:
  US11/820,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20080317058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,254 Days
• Field of Search: 370412-418, 370/429, 379/266.01, 379/266.02, 379/266.03, 379/266.04, 379/309
• US Class Current: 370/412
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A virtual queuing system and method provides for dynamic control of queue data in accordance with queue control instructions provided by a separate queue control source. The virtual queuing system comprises an interface to a queuing system and an interface to the separate queue control source. The interface to the queuing system provides for obtaining queue data and controlling the queue data in accordance with the queue control instructions provided by a separate queue control source. The interface to the separate queue control source for: i) providing the queue data to the separate queue control source; and ii) obtaining the queue control instructions there from.

Claims

1. A virtual queuing system for dynamic control of queue data in accordance with queue control instructions provided by a separate queue control source available to a second resource, the virtual queuing system comprising:

an interface to a queuing system for;

obtaining queue data for a queue for a first resource, wherein the first resource is the first resource for which clients are being queued; and

controlling the queue data for the first resource in accordance with the queue control instructions provided by the separate queue control source; and

an interface to the separate queue control source for;

providing the queue data for the first resource; and

obtaining the queue control instructions from the second resource for controlling the queue data for the first resource, wherein the second resource is the second resource for which clients are being queued.

2. The virtual queuing system of claim 1, wherein the queue data is a real time indication of queue activity.

3. The virtual queuing system of claim 1, wherein the queue data comprises data representing historical queue activity.

4. The virtual queuing system of claim 1, wherein the queue data comprises data representing projected queue activity.

5. The virtual queuing system of claim 1, wherein the separate queue control source is controlled by the second resource for which clients are being queued by the queuing system.

6. The virtual queuing system of claim 1, wherein:

the interface to the separate queue control source comprises a TCP/IP network connection;

providing queue data comprises embedding the queue data in a web document provided to a web browser client of the second resource; and

obtaining the queue control instructions comprises obtaining a post of the queue control instructions from the web browser client of the second resource.

7. The virtual queuing system of claim 6, wherein the queue control instructions comprise instructions to add a client to the queue for the first resource.

8. The virtual queuing system of claim 6, wherein the queue control instructions comprise instructions to reposition a client within the queue for the first resource.

9. The virtual queuing system of claim 6, wherein the queue control instructions comprise instructions to remove a client from the queue for the first resource.

10. The virtual queuing system of claim 1, wherein the queue data for the first resource is controlled by the separate queue control source to maintain the position of a client in the queue for the first resource while the client is connected to the second resource.

11. The virtual queuing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions for controlling the queue data for the first resource are provided by the second resource;

and

wherein the instructions for controlling the queue data for the first resource include instructing the separate queue control source to generate a priority connection to the first resource.

12. The virtual queuing system of claim 1, wherein the queue control instructions are provided by the client through the separate queue control source.

13. A virtual queuing system for dynamic control of queue data in accordance with queue control instructions provided by a separate queue control source available to a second resource, the virtual queuing system comprising:

an interface to the separate queue control source for;

obtaining an indication of a selected resource, wherein the selected resource is the resource for which clients are being queued;

providing queue data associated with a queue of the selected resource; and

obtaining the queue control instructions from the second resource; and

an interface to a queuing system for;

obtaining the queue data associated with the queue of the selected resource; and

controlling the queue data associated with the selected resource in accordance with the queue control instructions provided by the separate queue control source, wherein the separate queue control source obtains the queue control instructions from the second resource for controlling the queue data for the selected resource.

14. The virtual queuing system of claim 13, wherein the queue data is a real time indication of queue activity.

15. The virtual queuing system of claim 13, wherein the queue data comprises data representing historical queue activity.

16. The virtual queuing system of claim 13, wherein the queue data comprises data representing projected queue activity.

17. The virtual queuing system of claim 13, wherein the separate queue control source is controlled by the resource for which clients are being queued by the queuing system.

18. The virtual queuing system of claim 17, wherein:

the interface to the separate queue control source comprises an TCP/IP network connection;

providing queue data comprises embedding the queue data in a web document provided to a web browser client of the resource; and

obtaining the queue control instructions comprises obtaining a post of the queue control instructions from the web browser client of the resource.

19. The virtual queuing system of claim 18, wherein queue control instructions comprise instructions to add a client to the queue for the selected resource.

20. The virtual queuing system of claim 18, wherein the queue control instructions comprise instructions to reposition a client within the queue for the selected resource.

21. The virtual queuing system of claim 18, wherein the queue control instructions comprise instructions to remove a client from the queue for the selected resource.

22. The virtual queuing system of claim 13, wherein the queue control instructions include maintaining the position of a client in the queue for the selected resource while the client is connected to the resource.

23. The virtual queuing system of claim 13, wherein the queue control instructions are provided by the client through the separate queue control source.

24. A method of operating a virtual queuing system for dynamic control of a queuing system, the method comprising:

obtaining queue data for a queue for a first resource from the queuing system, wherein the first resource is the first resource for which clients are being queued;

presenting the queue data to a separate queue control source that is available to a second resource;

obtaining queue control instructions from the separate queue control source from the second resource, wherein the second resource is the second resource for which clients are being queued; and

controlling the queuing system in accordance with the queue control instructions obtained from the separate queue control source, wherein the separate queue control source obtains the queue control instructions from the second resource for controlling the queue data for the first resource.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the queue data is a real time indication of queue activity.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the queue data comprises data representing historical queue activity.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the queue data comprises data representing projected queue activity.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein:

presenting queue data to a separate queue control source comprises;

embedding the queue control data in a web document; and

providing the web document to the separate queue control source over a TCP/IP network; and

obtaining the queue control instructions comprises obtaining a post of the queue control data from a web browser client of the second resource.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein queue control instructions comprise instructions to add a client to the queue for the selected resource.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the queue control instructions comprise instructions to reposition a client within the queue for the selected resource.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the queue control instructions comprise instructions to remove a client from the queue for the selected resource.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein obtaining queue control instructions comprises instructions for maintaining the position of a client in the queue for the first resource while the client is connected to the second resource.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the obtaining queue control instructions comprises providing the instructions by the second resource, and instructing the separate queue control source to generate a priority connection to the first resource.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the obtaining queue control instructions comprises receiving the instructions from a client through the separate queue control source.