Method and apparatus for managing data

• US 6,356,948 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1997
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aspect Communications Corporation (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barnett, Gary E., Barnett, Philip W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Chuong
• Application Number:
  US08/915,367
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.49, 395/200.31, 395/865, 370/426, 705/5, 348/2, 709/219, 709/201, 709/236, 709/200, 709/202, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/227, 710/45, 704/260, 379/265.09, 379/265.01, 379/265.14, 379/266.01, 379/266.09
• US Class Current: 709/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

A system is provided for receiving, managing, and distributing data to multiple data destinations. Data is received from at least one data source normalized into a standard configuration. An identifier is associated with the normalized data. The identifier associated with the normalized data indicates the type of data included in the normalized data. The normalized data is transmitted along with the associated identifier to the multiple of data destinations. Each data destination determines whether to retrieve or ignore the normalized data based on the identifier associated with the normalized data. The normalized data may be transmitted in a data packet that includes the identifier associated with the normalized data. In certain instances, the normalized data represents a two-dimensional array of data elements.

Claims

1. A method of distributing customer interaction statistical data within a customer interaction environment to a plurality of data destinations, the method comprising:

formatting data, received from a plurality of data sources within the customer interaction environment and concerning customer interaction parameters, into a predetermined format;

associating an identifier with the formatted data; and

transmitting a single transmission of the formatted data and the associated identifier to the plurality of data destinations,

wherein the identifier identifies at least one statistical data type of the formatted data within the context of the customer interaction environment and wherein the at least one statistical data type is selected from a group comprising a number of customer calls waiting, a longest waiting time for customer calls in a queue, data concerning a customer call that has been waiting the longest, an average wait time for a customer call, a status of cases open, a number of cases opened during a first predetermined period, a number of cases closed during a second predetermined period and a number of cases to remain open.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of data destinations determines whether to retrieve the formatted data based on the at least one statistical data type of the formatted data identified by the identifier associated with the formatted data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the formatted data is transmitted in a data packet, and wherein the data packet includes the identifier associated with the formatted data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the formatted data represents a two-dimensional array of data elements.

5. A method for selectively retrieving data packets, containing statistical data, at a data destination within a customer interaction environment, wherein the data packets are distributed from at least one data source, the method comprising:

determining an identifier associated with a data packet, the identifier identifying at least one statistical data type of the data packet within the context of the customer interaction environment;

determining whether the data packet is of interest to the data destination based on the at least one statistical data type of the data packet as identified by the identifier associated with the data packet;

retrieving the data packet if the data packet is of interest to the data destination for the purposes of generating a statistical report; and

ignoring the data packet if the data packet is not of interest to the data destination for the purposes of generating the statistical report,

wherein the at least one statistical data type is selected from a group comprising a number of customer calls waiting, a longest waiting time for customer calls in a queue, data concerning a customer call that has been waiting the longest, an average wait time for a customer call, a status of cases open, a number of cases opened during a first predetermined period, a number of cases closed during a second predetermined period and a number of cases to remain open.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the identifier is included within the data packet.

7. A method of managing statistical data gathered from multiple data sources within a customer interaction environment, the method comprising:

receiving data, concerning customer interaction parameters, from a plurality of data sources within the customer interaction environment, wherein at least two data sources generate different types of data;

formatting the received data into a predetermined format; and

associating an identifier with the formatted data, wherein the identifier indicates at least one statistical data type of data included in the formatted data,

wherein the formatted data is transmitted to a destination in a data packet, the data packet includes the identifier associated with the formatted data, and the at least one statistical data type is selected from a group comprising a number of customer calls waiting, a longest waiting time for customer calls in a queue, data concerning a customer call that has been waiting the longest, an average wait time for a customer call, a status of cases open, a number of cases opened during a first predetermined period, a number of cases closed during a second predetermined period and a number of cases to remain open.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the formatted data represents a two-dimensional array of data elements.

9. Apparatus for distributing customer interaction statistical data to a plurality of data destinations, the apparatus comprising:

a data receiver coupled to receive data, concerning customer interaction parameters, from a plurality of data sources within a customer interaction environment;

a data formatter, coupled to the data receiver, to format the data received by the data receiver, wherein the data formatter is to format the received data into a predetermined format, and wherein the data formatter is to associate an identifier with the formatted data, wherein the identifier identifies at least one statistical data type of the formatted data within the context of the customer interaction environment; and

a data hub server, coupled to the data formatter, to transmit the formatted data and the associated identifier to the plurality of data destinations,

wherein the at least one statistical data type is selected from a group comprising a number of customer calls waiting, a longest waiting time for customer calls in a queue, data concerning a customer call that has been waiting the longest, an average wait time for a customer call, a status of cases open, a number of cases opened during a first predetermined period, a number of cases closed during a second predetermined period and a number of cases to remain open.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of data destinations determines whether to retrieve or ignore the formatted data based on the at least one statistical data type of the formatted data as indicated by the identifier associated with the formatted data.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the data hub server transmits the formatted data in a data packet, and wherein the data packet includes the identifier associated with the formatted data.

12. Apparatus for distributing customer interaction statistical data to a plurality of data destinations within a customer interaction environment, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data, concerning customer interaction parameters, from a plurality of data sources within the customer interaction environment;

means for formatting the received data into a predetermined format, wherein the means for formatting associates an identifier with the formatted data, the identifier identifying at least one statistical data type of the formatted data within the context of the customer interaction environment; and

means for transmitting the formatted data and the associated identifier to the plurality of data destinations,

wherein the at least one statistical data type is selected from a group comprising a number of customer calls waiting, a longest waiting time for customer calls in a queue, data concerning a customer call that has been waiting the longest, an average wait time for a customer call, a status of cases open, a number of cases opened during a first predetermined period, a number of cases closed during a second predetermined period and a number of cases to remain open.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of data destinations determines whether to retrieve or ignore the formatted data based on the at least one statistical data type of the formatted data as identified by the identifier associated with the formatted data.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the means for transmitting the formatted data transmits the formatted data in a data packet, and wherein the data packet includes the identifier associated with the formatted data.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to:

receive data, concerning customer interaction parameters, from at least one data source within a customer interaction environment;

format the received data into a predetermined format;

associate an identifier with the formatted data, the identifier identifying at least one statistical data type for the formatted data within the context of the customer interaction environment; and

transmit the formatted data and the associated identifier to the plurality of data destinations,

wherein the at least one statistical data type is selected from a group comprising a number of customer calls waiting, a longest waiting time for customer calls in a queue, data concerning a customer call that has been waiting the longest, an average wait time for a customer call, a status of cases open, a number of cases opened during a first predetermined period, a number of cases closed during a second predetermined period and a number of cases to remain open.

16. The computer software product of claim 15 wherein the processor receives data from multiple data sources.

17. The computer software product of claim 15 wherein the formatted data is transmitted in a data packet, and wherein the data packet includes the identifier associated with the formatted data.