Presence enabled queue management

• US 20040125941A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoakum, John H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,257,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/266.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

The present invention allows a queue management system (QMS) to use presence information from a presence system to efficiently match requesters of information with qualified resources capable of providing the necessary response. The resources for information may be humans or automated systems, which may be configured to facilitate communications with the requesters using different types of communication technologies. Further, these resources may be associated with different skill sets, experience, or areas of expertise. Thus, the resources may provide different roles, and any given resource may provide multiple roles, in addition to facilitating communications using different mediums.

Claims

1. A method for handling resource requests comprising:

a) receiving from a presence system presence information for resource agents, which are associated with resources, the presence information derived from state information associated with the resource agents and bearing on availability of the resource agents to provide the resources;

b) receiving requests for the resources from requesters;

c) placing the requests in a queue; and

d) assigning the resource agents to the requesters based on the presence information for the resource agents.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering the resource agents in association with a role, which defines a particular resource provided by the resource agent.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the resource agents can provide a plurality of different roles and a given resource agent is assigned to the requester based on the role provided by the resource agent and the resource requested by the requestor.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of the resource agents can provide a plurality of different roles and a particular resource agent is assigned to a particular requestor based on the role provided by the particular resource agent and the resource requested by the particular requester.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the role represents at least one of a group consisting of a skill set, authority level, and resource type.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the state information is provided to the presence system from devices associated with the resource agents, the state information bearing on the state of the devices, and the presence system processing the state information to create the presence information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning the resource agents to the requesters comprises effecting connections between the requestors and the resource agents.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein assigning the resource agents to the requesters comprises sending the requests to the resource agents.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

a) identifying from the resource agents an available resource agent capable of providing a resource responsive to the request of the requester; and

b) selecting the available resource agent to assign to the requester.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource agent is assigned to the requestor based on a length of time the resource agent has been available.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource agent is assigned to the requestor based on recent activity of the resource agent.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein certain resource agents can provide the resources via a plurality of different media types and the resource agents are assigned based on a best media type to facilitate a response to the request.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the state information for a given resource agent is obtained from a plurality of devices associated with the resource agent.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein different ones of the resource agents are associated with different devices.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein different ones of the resource agents are capable of providing the resources via different types of communication media.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource agents include both human resources and automated resources.

17. A system for handling resource requests comprising:

a) an interface; and

b) a control system associated with the interface and adapted to;

i) receive from a presence system presence information for resource agents, which are associated with resources, the presence information derived from state information associated with the resource agents and bearing on availability of the resource agents to provide the resources;

ii) receive requests for the resources from requestors;

iii) place the requests in a queue; and

iv) assign the resource agents to the requesters based on the presence information for the resource agents.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the control system is further adapted to register the resource agents in association with a role, which defines a particular resource provided by the resource agent.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the resource agents can provide a plurality of different roles and a given resource agent is assigned to the requester based on the role provided by the resource agent and the resource requested by the requester.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein at least one of the resource agents can provide a plurality of different roles and a particular resource agent is assigned to a particular requester based on the role provided by the particular resource agent and the resource requested by the particular requester.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the role represents at least one of a group consisting of a skill set, authority level, and resource type.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the state information is provided to the presence system from devices associated with the resource agents, the state information bearing on the state of the devices, and the presence system processing the state information to create the presence information.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the control system is further adapted to assign the resource agents to the requesters by effecting connections between the requesters and the resource agents.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the control system is further adapted to assign the resource agents to the requestors by sending the requests to the resource agents.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) identify from the resource agents an available resource agent capable of providing the resource responsive to the request of the requester; and

b) select the available resource agent to assign to the requester.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein the resource agent is assigned to the requester based on a length of time the resource agent has been available.

27. The system of claim 17 wherein a resource agent is assigned to the requester based on recent activity of the resource agent.

28. The system of claim 17 wherein certain resource agents can provide the resources via a plurality of different media types and the resource agents are assigned based on a best media type to facilitate a response to the request.

29. The system of claim 17 wherein at least some of the state information for a given resource agent is obtained from a plurality of devices associated with the resource agent.

30. The system of claim 17 wherein different ones of the resource agents are associated with different devices.

31. The system of claim 17 wherein different ones of the resource agents are capable of providing the resources via different types of communication media.

32. The system of claim 17 wherein the resource agents include both human resources and automated resources.

33. A computer readable media comprising software for instructing a computer to:

a) receive from a presence system presence information for resource agents, which are associated with resources, the presence information derived from state information associated with the resource agents and bearing on availability of the resource agents to provide the resources;

b) receive requests for the resources from requesters;

c) place the requests in a queue; and

d) assign the resource agents to the requesters based on the presence information for the resource agents.