Grid-based contact center

• US 8,964,958 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Steiner, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEANE JR, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/469,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20100296417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501-26514, 37926601-2661, 379/309, 379/221.01
• US Class Current: 379/221.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers

Abstract

A grid-based contact center and method of managing tasks within such a contact center is provided. Nodes within the contact center are adapted to perform multiple tasks associated with the contact center, including the management of task assignment within the contact center. Accordingly, a truly distributed contact center is provided whereby the building blocks of the contact center include the use of nodes with a conference call SRTP based Operations, Administration, and Management system.

Claims

1. A communication method, comprising:

receiving a contact in a contact center;

identifying a task to be performed in connection with servicing the contact;

transferring by the processor in a contact center server to a mixer hosting a telephony conference the contact to a conference associated with the identified task;

assigning the contact to a first node from a plurality of nodes subscribing to the conference associated with the identified task; and

assigning a bot to the conference to perform one or more of the following functions;

(i) monitor real-time conference activity between the conference participants;

(ii) determine a real-time state of the conference;

(iii) upload software on nodes connected to the conference;

(iv) route work items received at the conference;

(v) reassign work items; and

(vi) report conference activity to a managing node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nodes have established an RTP stream with the conference, wherein the RTP stream is used by the plurality of nodes to bid on contacts transferred to the conference, wherein the first node was selected for the contact, and wherein assigning the contact to the first node comprises establishing a connection directly between the contact and the node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of nodes provides an attribute list to the conference via the RTP stream in connection with bidding on contacts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nodes are assigned to the conference by a management node, wherein the management node negotiates between at least one other node in the contact center to perform the task of managing nodes in the contact center, and wherein the management node provides each of the plurality of nodes with conference identification information allowing each of the plurality of nodes to locate and connect with the conference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the task comprises one or more of Touch Tone decoder services, Automatic Speech Recognition services, Conferencing services, Auto Agent services, Work Assignment services, Report Aggregation services, Monitoring service, Audit services, Recording services, Command and Control services, and Speech Analysis services.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first node performs services to support a human contact center agent in addition to performing one or more of Touch Tone decoder services, Automatic Speech Recognition services, Conferencing services, Auto Agent services, Work Assignment services, and Report Aggregation services.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising processor executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed, perform the steps of claim 1.

8. A communication device, comprising:

a user interface adapted to provide information to a contact center agent and receive inputs from the contact center agent;

a network interface; and

a set of attributes including a processing resource and a memory resource, wherein the set of attributes are used to support activity of the contact center agent while simultaneously performing a contact center task not associated with supporting activity of the contact center agent; and

at least one bot, that is assigned to at least some of the plurality of conference mechanisms, to perform one or more of the following functions;

(i) monitor real-time conference activity between the conference participants;

(ii) determine a real-time state of the conference;

(iii) upload software on nodes connected to the conference;

(iv) route work items received at the conference;

(v) reassign work items; and

(vi) report conference activity to a managing node.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the contact center task comprises one or more of Touch Tone decoder services, Automatic Speech Recognition services, Conferencing services, Auto Agent services, Work Assignment services, Report Aggregation services, Monitoring service, Audit services, Recording services, Command and Control services, and Speech Analysis services.

10. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the memory resource comprises non-motion based memory.

11. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the contact center task comprises managing the assignment of nodes to other contact center tasks.

12. The communication device of claim 8, wherein an RTP stream is established between the communication device and a conference via the network interface, and wherein information related to the set of attributes is provided to the conference via the RTP stream.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the information related to the set of attributes includes an identification of attributes in the set of attributes and one or more of an amount of processing historically performed in connection with supporting activity of the contact center agent, an amount of processing historically performed by the set of attributes, and an amount of resources currently being utilized.

14. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises a user output adapted to display information related to a contact to the contact center agent and a user input including one or more of a keyboard, mouse, roller ball, touch-pad, touch-screen, and stylus.

15. A contact center, comprising:

a plurality of nodes interconnected with one another via a plurality of conference mechanisms, the conference mechanisms being associated with different contact center tasks, wherein a first of the plurality of nodes negotiates to manage agent-based tasks and at least one contact center task; and

at least one bot, that is assigned to at least some of the plurality of conference mechanisms, to perform one or more of the following functions;

(i) monitor real-time conference activity between the conference participants;

(ii) determine a real-time state of the conference;

(iii) upload software on nodes connected to the conference;

(iv) route work items received at the conference;

(v) reassign work items; and

(vi) report conference activity to a managing node.

16. The contact center of claim 15, wherein the first node is connected to a first conference mechanism, wherein the first conference mechanism is used by other nodes to receive task assignments, wherein tasks assigned via the first conference mechanism have a same task type as the at least one contact center task.

17. The contact center of claim 16, wherein the task type of the at least one contact center task comprises at least one of Touch Tone decoder services, Automatic Speech Recognition services, Conferencing services, Auto Agent services, Work Assignment services, Report Aggregation services, Monitoring service, Audit services, Recording services, Command and Control services, and Speech Analysis services.

18. The contact center of claim 15, further comprising:

a management node adapted to assign nodes to conference mechanisms to perform different contact center tasks, wherein the management node comprises a processor resource and a memory resource, and wherein the memory resource comprises non-motion based memory.

19. The contact center of claim 18, wherein nodes are assigned to conference mechanisms based on attribute lists provided to the management node, wherein the attribute list of a node comprises information related to attributes of the node as well as usage history of the node.

20. The contact center of claim 15, wherein the plurality of nodes are connected to the conference mechanisms via RTP streams.