Common message area for a customer interaction center user interface

• US 7,281,201 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Kumar, Janaki, Bhanuprakash, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn; Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US10/723,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/500.1, 715/512, 715/514, 715/515, 715/526
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Various implementations for a common message area for a customer interaction center user interface are provided. One implementation provides presenting, on an interaction center agent display device, a single user interface panel having, firstly, a work area that displays information pertaining to a particular customer with whom an interaction center agent is interacting, and secondly, a common message area for displaying electronic messages to be viewed by one or more interaction center agents.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for use in a customer interaction center system, the method comprising:

receiving by an interaction center agent device, for presentation in a single user interface panel work area, information pertaining to a particular customer with whom a human interaction center agent viewing the user interface panel is interacting in an interaction session;

receiving, by the interaction center agent device, for presentation in a common message area on the user interface panel, an electronic broadcast message from a supervisor work station, the electronic broadcast message being received both by the interaction center agent device and by one or more other interaction center agent devices;

displaying the electronic broadcast message in the common message area by automatically scrolling the electronic broadcast message across the common message area, wherein automatically scrolling the electronic broadcast message comprises displaying a text or graphical element of the electronic broadcast message as moving across the common message area; and

receiving input from a pointing device associated with the interaction center agent device, the input specifying a cursor location over the common message area, wherein the automatic scrolling action of the electronic broadcast message is paused upon receiving the input.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes a visual identifier to indicate a priority associated with the electronic broadcast message.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic broadcast message is displayed according to a criterion including at least one of date/time information related to when the electronic broadcast message is to expire or a priority associated with the electronic broadcast message.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that the electronic broadcast message is new and not read by the human interaction center agent, when the electronic broadcast message is first added to the common message area.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that the electronic broadcast message has been read by the interaction center agent and marked as read, whereby the read electronic broadcast message is subsequently removed from the common message area.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that a time period of the electronic broadcast message has expired, whereby the expired electronic broadcast message is subsequently removed from the common message area.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user selection of the electronic broadcast message from the common message area, wherein the selected electronic broadcast message includes status information that is controllable by the interaction center agent.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the user selection includes clicking on the electronic broadcast message in the message area with a computer input device including a mouse or keyboard.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the user selection includes activating a message window to allow the interaction center agent to search/sort a list of electronic messages according to criteria including at least one of date/time a message was created, priority of a message, creator of a message, and one or more terms/phrases in a message.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the common message area is separate from the work area in the single user interface panel, such that the information in the work area and the electronic broadcast message in the common message area are simultaneously viewable by the human interaction center agent during the interaction session.

11. A customer interaction center system comprising one or more computers configured to:

receive, at an interaction center agent device, for presentation in a single user interface panel work area, information pertaining to a particular customer with whom a human interaction center agent viewing the user interface panel is interacting in an interaction session;

receive, at the interaction center agent device, for presentation in a common message area on the user interface panel, an electronic broadcast message from a supervisor work station, the electronic broadcast message being received both by the interaction center agent device and by one or more other interaction center agent devices;

display the electronic broadcast message in the common message area by automatically scrolling the electronic broadcast message across the common message area, wherein automatically scrolling the electronic broadcast message comprises displaying a text or graphical element of the electronic broadcast message as moving across the common message area; and

receive input from a pointing device associated with the interaction center agent device and pause the automatic scrolling action of the electronic broadcast message when the input specifies a cursor location over the common message area.

12. The system of claim of 11, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes a visual identifier to indicate a priority associated with the electronic broadcast message.

13. The system of claim of 11, wherein the electronic broadcast message is displayed according to a criterion including at least one of date/time information related to when the electronic broadcast message is to expire or a priority associated with the electronic broadcast message.

14. The system of claim of 11, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that the electronic broadcast message is new and not read by the human interaction center agent, when the electronic broadcast message is first added to the common message area.

15. The system of claim of 11, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that the electronic broadcast message has been read by the interaction center agent and marked as read, whereby the read electronic broadcast message is subsequently removed from the common message area.

16. The system of claim of 11, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that a time period of the electronic broadcast message has expired, whereby the expired electronic broadcast message is subsequently removed from the common message area.

17. The system of claim of 11, further configured to receive a user selection of the electronic broadcast message from the common message area, wherein the selected electronic broadcast message includes status information that is controllable by the interaction center agent.

18. The system of claim of 17, wherein the user selection includes clicking on the electronic broadcast message in the message area with a computer input device including a mouse or keyboard.

19. The system of claim of 17, wherein the user selection includes activating a message window to allow the interaction center agent to search/sort a list of electronic messages according to criteria including at least one of date/time a message was created, priority of a message, creator of a message, and one or more terms/phrases in a message.

20. The customer interaction center system of claim 11, wherein the common message area is separate from the work area in the single user interface panel, such that the information in the work area and the electronic broadcast message in the common message area are simultaneously viewable by the human interaction center agent during the interaction session.

21. An article comprising a machine-readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

receiving by an interaction center agent device, for presentation in a single user interface panel a work area, information pertaining to a particular customer with whom a human interaction center agent is interacting in an interaction session;

receiving, by the interaction center agent device, for presentation in a common message area in the user interface panel, an electronic broadcast message from a supervisor work station, the electronic broadcast message being received both by the interaction center device and by one or more other interaction center agent devices;

displaying the electronic broadcast message in the common message area by automatically scrolling the electronic broadcast message across the common message area, wherein automatically scrolling the electronic broadcast message comprises displaying a text or graphical element of the electronic broadcast message as moving across the common message area; and

receiving input from a pointing device corresponding to the interaction center agent device, the input being associated with the common message area, and pausing the automatic scrolling upon receiving the input.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes a visual identifier to indicate a priority associated with the electronic broadcast message.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the electronic broadcast message is displayed according to a criterion including at least one of date/time information related to when the electronic broadcast message is to expire or a priority associated with the electronic broadcast message.

24. The article of claim 21, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that the electronic broadcast message is new and not read by the human interaction center agent, when the electronic broadcast message is first added to the common message area.

25. The article of claim 21, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that the electronic broadcast message has been read by the interaction center agent and marked as read, whereby the read electronic broadcast message is subsequently removed from the common message area.

26. The article of claim 21, wherein the electronic broadcast message includes status information indicating that a time period of the electronic broadcast message has expired, whereby the expired electronic broadcast message is subsequently removed from the common message area.

27. The article of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a user selection of the electronic broadcast message from the common message area, wherein the selected electronic broadcast message includes status information that is controllable by the interaction center agent.

28. The article of claim 27, wherein the user selection includes clicking on the electronic broadcast message in the message area with a computer input device including a mouse or keyboard.

29. The article of claim 27, wherein the user selection includes activating a message window to allow the interaction center agent to search/sort a list of electronic messages according to criteria including at least one of date/time a message was created, priority of a message, creator of a message, and one or more terms/phrases in a message.

30. The article of claim 21, wherein the common message area is separate from the work area in the single user interface panel, such that the information in the work area and the electronic broadcast message in the common message area are simultaneously viewable by the human interaction center agent during the interaction session.