Custom data display

• US 8,533,234 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: James, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hosseini, Reza
• Application Number:
  US12/287,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 707/602, 707/634, 707/706, 707/731, 707/736, 707/752, 707/767, 707/769, 707/770, 707/791, 707/793, 707/802, 707/804, 707/805, 707/999.001, 707/999.01, 707/999.1, 707999101-999107, 7079992-999, 345/594, 345/650, 345/661, 345/674, 345/676, 345/688, 345/520, 705/26, 705/27, 715/212, 715/215, 715217-225, 715/234, 715/271, 715/713, 715/718, 715/726, 715/735, 715744-746, 715/748, 715/760, 715/762, 715/765, 715/784, 715/809, 715/810, 715/819, 715/820, 715/825, 715828-831, 715/833, 715/841, 715/845, 715/861, 715/866, 715/961, 715/968
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence

Abstract

Method and system for providing an open-ended and modifiable ability to customize the display of data for current viewing of the display for purposes such as, but not limited to, Contact Center administration and management.

Claims

1. A method of providing an ability to define a plurality of system independent custom displays of computer-readable data from multiple different target systems each having entity categories that have some attributes that are unique, the method comprising:

providing, by a communication processor, a list of identifiers of entity categories available to be queried for information to be collected for a current view of the display whenever requested, each of the entity categories comprising at least one data field with actual values of the respective data fields for any one member of one of the entity categories representing actual properties of the one member that can be measured against user-specified conditions;

providing a list of the data fields that exist respectively for each user selection of one of the entity categories to be queried;

providing a list of types of conditions that are appropriate respectively for each user selection of one of the data fields;

receiving a user-specified value for each user selection of one of the data fields;

a condition, corresponding with any one particular user selection of one of the data fields, comprising a user-selected type of condition and a user-specified value for the one particular user selection of one of the data fields;

for each user selection of one of the entity categories, permitting an end user of a plurality of users to select any number of the data fields and respectively corresponding conditions;

permitting the user to associate any number of sets to define a respective system independent custom display definition and to define custom metadata for viewing the system independent custom display, each one of the sets comprising one particular user selection of one of the entity categories together with user-selected data fields and respectively corresponding conditions for the one particular user selection of one of the entity categories and storing the respective custom display definition including the custom metadata for future access, such that adding to or revising the target systems does not require rewriting code for defining custom displays; and

retrieving the stored respective custom display definition and stored custom metadata transparent to the user for accessing the entity categories and dynamically creating the system independent custom display using the retrieved respective custom display definition and the retrieved custom metadata upon request by any user of the plurality of users.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a list of condition qualifications for each one of the sets;

a user-selected condition qualification for any one particular set indicating which conditions of the one particular set need to be satisfied for a member of a user-selected entity category of the one particular set to qualify for inclusion in the display.

3. The method according to claim 2, at least one of the lists of the condition qualifications comprising at least one condition qualification selected from a group consisting of:

all, any, at least two, and a first condition plus one other condition.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

permitting the user to select a relationship between operation of a first one of the sets and operation of a second one of the sets.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first one of the sets operates on one particular entity category, the method further comprising:

permitting the user to limit operation of a second one of the sets to screening only results of operation of the first one of the sets;

being included among the results of the operation of the first one of the sets not alone being a sufficient basis for including a particular one of the members of the one particular entity category in the display.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing a custom display identifier in association with the sets and associated user defined custom metadata access information including updated metadata to allow viewing of the system independent custom display; and

obtaining a current view of one of the plurality of system independent custom displays by identifying entity category members that have values in the selected fields that satisfy the corresponding conditions.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the list of the identifiers of the entity categories available to be queried;

storing the lists of the data fields that exist for each of the entity categories available to be queried;

storing the lists of the types of conditions appropriate for each of the data fields that exists for each of the entity categories available to be queried.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing information necessary for accessing the entity categories available to be queried.

9. The method according to claim 1, at least one of the entity categories available to be queried comprising constantly changing information being tracked by a real-time system that can be accessed.

10. The method according to claim 1, at least one of the entity categories available to be queried being selected from a group consisting of:

agents, agent groups, agent super groups, trunk groups, ANIs, DNISs, supervisor teams, agent supervisors, announcements, categories of contact subject matter, classes of service, clients of a central administering system, system managers, technicians, agent performance, agent productivity, services that can be provided by agents, agent availability states, contact processing times, contact backlogs, contact types, and current status of contacts.

11. The method according to claim 1, at least one of the lists of the types of conditions comprising at least one type of condition selected from a group consisting of:

contains, does not contain, is, is not, starts with, ends with, is greater than, is less than, and is in the range.

12. A system for defining a system independent custom display of computer-readable data from a plurality of different target systems and obtaining a current view of the display whenever requested, the system comprising:

a communication processor, the communication processor comprising user access and access to entity categories available to be queried for information to be collected for the current view, each of the entity categories comprising at least one data field with actual values of the respective data fields for any one member of one of the entity categories representing actual properties of the one member that can be measured against user-specified conditions;

storage for storing a definition of the display including user defined custom metadata for viewing the system independent custom display, for storing a list of identifiers of the entity categories available to be queried, for storing lists of the data fields that exist for each of the entity categories, for storing lists of types of conditions appropriate for each of the data fields that exists for each of the entity categories, and for storing information necessary for accessing the entity categories including updated metadata which is transparent to the user;

a screen generator for generating screens that are used for defining the display;

a configurator for collecting members of entity categories that qualify for inclusion in the display based on the stored definition of the display including the user defined custom metadata, whenever the current view of the display is requested and for using the stored updated metadata for accessing entity categories such that adding or revising the target systems does not require rewriting code for defining the custom display;

wherein the definition of the display can comprise any number of sets, each one of the sets comprising an identifier of a user-selected one of the entity categories together with any number of user-selected data fields and their respectively corresponding user-specified conditions.

13. The system according to claim 12, the entity categories comprising a plurality of entity categories that can accessed respectively in different systems.

14. The system according to claim 12, at least one of the entity categories available to be queried comprising constantly changing information being tracked by a real-time system that can be accessed.

15. The system according to claim 12,

a particular condition corresponding with a particular data field comprising a user-specified value for the particular data field and a user-selected one of the types of conditions appropriate for the particular field;

each one of the sets further comprising a condition qualification;

the condition qualification for a particular one of the sets indicating which of the conditions of the one particular set need to be satisfied for a member of the one of the entity categories identified for the one particular set to qualify for inclusion in the display.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising storage for storing a list of the condition qualifications, the list of condition qualifications comprising at least one condition qualification selected from a group consisting of:

all, any, at least two, and a first condition plus one other condition.

17. The system according to claim 12, the definition of the display further comprising:

wherein a first one of the sets operates on one particular entity category;

operation of a second one of the sets comprising screening only results of operation of the first one of the sets;

being included among the results of the operation of the first one of the sets not alone being a sufficient basis for including a particular one of the members of the one particular entity category in the display.

18. The system according to claim 12, at least one of the entity categories available to be queried being selected from a group consisting of:

agents, agent groups, agent super groups, trunk groups, ANIs, DNISs, supervisor teams, agent supervisors, announcements, categories of contact subject matter, classes of service, clients of a central administering system, system managers, technicians, agent performance, agent productivity, services that can be provided by agents, agent availability states, contact processing times, contact backlogs, contact types, and current status of contacts.

19. The system according to claim 12, at least one of the lists of the types of conditions comprising at least one type of condition selected from a group consisting of:

contains, does not contain, is, is not, starts with, ends with, is greater than, is less than, and is in the range.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable tangible medium having code embedded in the medium for providing an ability to define a system independent custom display of data for a plurality of different target systems each system having entity categories that have some attributed that are unique, the computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions for the following;

providing a list of identifiers of entity categories available to be queried for information to be collected for a current view of the display whenever requested, each of the entity categories comprising at least one data field with actual values of the respective data fields for any one member of one of the entity categories representing actual properties of the one member that can be measured against user-specified conditions;

providing a list of the data fields that exist respectively for each user selection of one of the entity categories to be queried;

providing a list of types of conditions that are appropriate respectively for each user selection of one of the data fields;

receiving a user-specified value for each user selection of one of the data fields;

a condition, corresponding with any one particular user selection of one of the data fields, comprising a user-selected type of condition and a user-specified value for the one particular user selection of one of the data fields;

for each user selection of one of the entity categories, permitting a user to select any number of the data fields and respectively corresponding conditions;

permitting the user to associate any number of sets with the display to define the system independent custom display and to defile custom metadata for viewing the system independent custom display, each one of the sets comprising one particular user selection of one of the entity categories together with user-selected data fields and respectively corresponding conditions for the one particular user selection of one of the entity categories and storing the sets including the user customized metadata with a custom displaying identifier and access information including user transparent updated metadata for accessing the entity categories.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20, the computer-readable medium further comprising:

instructions for the following;

providing a list of condition qualifications for each one of the sets;

a user-selected condition qualification for any one particular set indicating which conditions of the one particular set need to be satisfied for a member of a user-selected entity category of the one particular set to qualify for inclusion in the display;

at least one of the lists of the condition qualifications comprising at least one condition qualification selected from a group consisting of;

all, any, at least two, and a first condition plus one other condition.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20, the computer-readable medium further comprising:

instructions for permitting the user to select a relationship between operation of a first one of the sets and operation of a second one of the sets.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20, the computer-readable medium further comprising:

instructions for the following;

wherein a first one of the sets operates on one particular entity category;

permitting the user to limit operation of a second one of the sets to screening only results of operation of the first one of the sets;

being included among the results of the operation of the first one of the sets not alone being a sufficient basis for including a particular one of the members of the one particular entity category in the display.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20, at least one of the entity categories available to be queried comprising constantly changing information being tracked by a real-time system that can be accessed.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20, at least one of the entity categories available to be queried being selected from a group consisting of:

agents, agent groups, agent super groups, trunk groups, ANIs, DNISs, supervisor teams, agent supervisors, announcements, categories of contact subject matter, classes of service, clients of a central administering system, system managers, technicians, agent performance, agent productivity, services that can be provided by agents, agent availability states, contact processing times, contact backlogs, contact types, and current status of contacts.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 20, at least one of the lists of the types of conditions comprising at least one type of condition selected from a group consisting of:

contains, does not contain, is, is not, starts with, ends with, is greater than, is less than, and is in the range.