Apparatus and method for managing a call center

• US 6,952,470 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Issued: 10/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Brett D., Tioe, Thomas, Febles, Nester C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/935,955
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.04, 379/265.05, 379/265.06, 379/265.07, 379/265.08, 379/265.09, 379/266.01, 379/266.06, 379/32.01, 379/32.02, 379/32.04
• US Class Current: 379/265.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/08 Indicating faults in circuits or apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

An apparatus. The apparatus includes a processor adapted for communication via a communication network. The processor includes a monitoring module for requesting and receiving information associated with a device configured for communication via the communication network, and a warning module for generating a warning when the received information is indicative of a predetermined condition.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor adapted for communication via a communication network including;

a monitoring module for requesting and receiving information associated with a device configured for communication via the communication network;

an error counter to record the number of times a device does not reply to a information request;

a warning module for generating and transmitting a warning when the error counter exceeds a predefined tolerance level, and

a database server in which to store one or more device error count tolerance levels, a set of device identification information to identify the subject device in the warning, a set of device operating information to be included in the warning and a set of information associated with a desired action plan directing where the warning should be sent.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monitoring module includes:

an initiating module for querying a status of the device; and

a receiving module for receiving an indication of the status.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device includes a device selected from the group consisting of an automatic call distributor, an operator workstation, a voice response unit, a host computer, a database server, an automatic dialer, a wallboard, a readerboard, a command server, a reporting server, and an application server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication network includes a local area network.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication network includes a wide area network.

6. A processor adapted for communication via a communication network comprising:

means for requesting and receiving information associated with one or more devices configured for communication via the communication network;

means for incrementing an error counter associated with a device if the device does not reply to a request for information and comparing the error counter value to a series of increasing predetermined tolerance levels;

means for generating a warning of escalating urgency when the received information causes the error counter value to exceed a escalating set of predetermined tolerance levels wherein the warning includes a set of device identification information, a desired action plan and a set of device operational information; and

means for transmitting the warning.

7. The processor of claim 6, wherein the means for requesting and receiving information associated with a device configured for communication via the communication network includes:

means for querying a status of the device; and

means for receiving an indication of the status.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the device operational information comprises one or more of:

a value indicative of a period of time since the particular device last handled a call, a value indicative of a period of time since a particular voice line connected to the particular device last handled a call, a predefined latency threshold value stipulating the maximum allowable time since a particular voice line last handled a call associated with a particular device, a value associated with an error counter and a predefined tolerance value associated with the error counter.

8. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

requesting and receiving information associated with a device configured for communication via the communication network;

determining the existence of a predetermined condition for a device from the received information;

generating a warning when the received information is indicative of a predetermined condition being met, wherein the warning includes a set of device identification information, a desired action plan and a set of device operational information wherein the device operational information comprises one or more of;

a value indicative of a period of time since the particular device last handled a call, a value indicative of a period of time since a particular voice line connected to the particular device last handled a call, a predefined latency threshold value stipulating the maximum allowable time since a particular voice line last handled a call associated with a particular device, a value associated with an error counter representing the number of queries that did not receive a reply and a predefined tolerance value associated with the error counter; and

transmitting the warning.

9. A method for managing a call center, comprising:

monitoring one or more devices and their one or more associated voice lines, which are integral with the call center and which are connected to a communication network, by transmitting a Remote Procedure Call to the device and receiving a reply;

measuring an elapsed time since the last reply from a device;

comparing the elapsed time to a predefined latency threshold value assigned to the device;

repeating the monitoring, measuring and comparing steps until the device'"'"'s predefined latency threshold is surpassed;

generating a warning when the predefined latency threshold is surpassed wherein the warning includes a set of device identification information, a desired action plan and a set of device operational information; and

transmitting the warning.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the device operational information comprises one or more of:

a value indicative of a period of time since the particular device last handled a call, a value indicative of a period of time since a particular voice line connected to the particular device last handled a call, the predefined latency threshold value stipulating the maximum allowable time since a particular voice line last handled a call associated with a particular device, a value associated with an error counter and a predefined tolerance value associated with the error counter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring a device associated with a call center includes pinging the device and receiving a reply.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein generating a warning when a predetermined condition is indicated includes generating a warning when the device is not connected to the communication network.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein generating a warning when a predetermined condition is indicated includes generating a warning when a voice line of the device is not operational.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting a warning includes transmitting a warning to a desktop computer.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting a warning includes transmitting a warning to a wireless phone.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting a warning includes transmitting a warning to a personal digital assistant.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting a warning includes transmitting a warning to a pager.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting a warning includes transmitting a name and phone number associated with a designated contact person.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting device identification information includes transmitting an IP address associated with the device.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting a predefined tolerance value includes transmitting one of a series of increasing tolerance values.

22. A method for managing a call center, comprising:

means for monitoring one or more devices and their one or more associated voice lines, which are integral with the call center and which are connected to a communication network by requesting and receiving information from the device;

means for incrementing an error counter associated with a device if a device does not reply;

means for comparing the error counter value to a set of predetermined tolerance levels;

means for generating a warning when a predetermined condition is indicated by the error counter value based on the predetermine tolerance levels wherein the warning includes a set of device identification information, a desired action plan and a set of device operational information wherein the device operational information comprises one or more of;

a value indicative of a period of time since the particular device last handled a call, a value indicative of a period of time since a particular voice line connected to the particular device last handled a call, the predefined latency threshold value associated with the particular voice line connected to the particular device, a value associated with an error counter and a predefined tolerance value associated with the error counter; and

means for transmitting the warning.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the means for monitoring a device associated with the call center and connected to a communication network includes:

means for querying a status of the device; and

means for receiving an indication of the status.