Limiting contact in a networked contact center environment

• US 9,838,539 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Townsend, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S
• Application Number:
  US15/250,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20160366278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8027 based on network load situation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/12 Counting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, limiting contact to a networked contact center that is a host to multiple tenants. In an example embodiment, a communication is received by a networked contact center. In determining whether to allow the communication to reach contact center resources, a contact rate value may be examined. The contact rate value may represent an allowable quantity of contact within a time interval. For some example embodiments, a determination of whether the network contact center is to accept or reject the communication is made based on the contact rate value.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an interface circuit configured and arranged to receive communications associated with a plurality of tenants hosted by a networked contact center configured to operate using a plurality of platform layers;

a contact regulation circuit configured to;

monitor events between the plurality of platform layers of the networked contact center;

adjust, based upon the monitored events, contact parameter values for the platform layers;

a limiter circuit, that is communicatively coupled with a database and the interface circuit, and that is configured and arranged to;

identify a plurality of communication layers associated with the communications;

retrieve a set of rate values for the plurality of communication layers associated with the communications;

modify a rate value of the set of rate values to account for the communications; and

control, responsive to the set of rate values and the contact parameter values, communication access to the tenants.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication layers include a dialed number identification service layer, a cluster layer, a site layer and a carrier layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dialed number identification service layer includes a plurality of dialed number identification service numbers and the cluster layer includes a plurality of clusters that are each associated with at least some of the plurality of dialed number identification service numbers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the limiter circuit is further configured and arranged to modify a plurality of rate values from the set of rate values based upon respective and different time intervals for each of the plurality of rate values.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact parameter values indicate a call rate that defines a quantity of calls that the networked contact center may accept in a specific quantity of time.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the events include contact statistics, and system resource events.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact regulation circuit is configured to subscribe to statistics captured by an event monitor.

8. A networked contact center that hosts a plurality of tenants, the networked contact center comprising:

an interface circuit configured and arranged to receive a communication associated with a particular tenant of the plurality of tenants;

a limiter circuit, that is communicatively coupled with a database containing a plurality of contact rate values, and that is configured and arranged to;

receive the communication;

responsive to receiving the communication, access the database to retrieve an active contact rate value associated with a dialed number identification service layer for the particular tenant; and

determine, based on the active contact rate value, whether the networked contact center is to accept the communication; and

a contact regulation circuit configured to send commands to the limiter circuit, the commands instructing the limiter circuit to;

replace a first contact rate value within the database with a second contact rate value; and

designate the second contact rate value as being active.

9. The networked contact center of claim 8, wherein the limiter circuit is further configured and arranged to determine whether the networked contact center is to accept the communication based on a plurality of contact parameters associated with the particular tenant.

10. The networked contact center of claim 9, wherein the plurality of contact parameters include a specific number of calls allowed to be routed to the dialed number identification service layer within a time interval.

11. The networked contact center of claim 8, wherein the limiter circuit is communicatively coupled with a decrementer and an incrementer, and wherein the limiter circuit is further configured and arranged to use the decrementer to decrement the first contact rate value to a second contract rate value in response to accepting a communication.

12. The networked contact center of claim 11, wherein the limiter circuit is communicatively coupled with a decrementer and an incrementer, and wherein the limiter circuit is further configured and arranged to use the incrementer to increment the first contact rate value to the second contract rate value in response to passage of a time interval.

13. The networked contact center of claim 11, wherein the limiter circuit is configured and arranged to accept the communication based on the active contact rate value being greater than a threshold value.

14. A method of using a networked contact center that hosts a plurality of tenants and includes a plurality of platform layers, the method comprising:

receiving, at an interface circuit, communications associated with the plurality of tenants;

at a contact regulation circuit;

monitoring events between platform layers of the networked contact center;

adjusting, based upon the monitored events, contact parameter values for the platform layers;

at a limiter circuit that is communicatively coupled with a database and the interface circuit;

identifying a plurality of communication layers associated with the communications;

retrieving a set of rate values for the plurality of communication layers associated with the communications;

modifying a rate value of the set of rate values to account for the communications; and

controlling, responsive to the set of rate values and the contact parameter values, access to the tenants.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of communication layers include a dialed number identification service layer, a cluster layer, a site layer and a carrier layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dialed number identification service layer includes a plurality of dialed number identification service numbers and the cluster layer includes a plurality of clusters that are each associated with at least some of the plurality of dialed number identification service numbers.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, using the limiter circuit to modify a plurality of rate values from the set of rate values based upon respective and different time intervals for each of the plurality of rate values.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the contact parameter values indicate a call rate that defines a quantity of calls that the networked contact center may accept in a specific quantity of time.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring events include contact statistics, and system resource events.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising subscribing, using the contact regulation circuit, to statistics captured by an event monitor.