Use of intelligent directed broadcast in contact center solutions

• US 7,729,277 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Collins, Kevin, Johnson, Lawrence, Schechinger, Paul, Jordan, Kenneth D., Lepore, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, CHI HO A
• Application Number:
  US11/711,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20080205428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/468
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• 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 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) receiving a new contact in a contact center, where the new contact includes an expressed need; (ii) forming a resource set in response to the expressed need of the new contact, where the resource set includes one or more prospective resources; and (iii) sending a broadcast message to each of the prospective resources in the resource set.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a new contact in a contact center, the new contact having an expressed need to be satisfied by a resource that is associated with the contact center;

forming a resource set in response to the expressed need of the new contact, the resource set having one or more prospective resources;

sending a broadcast message to each of the prospective resources in the resource set;

determining accepting resources based on responses from among the prospective resources that received the broadcast message; and

applying selection criteria to the accepting resources to select the resource for satisfaction of the expressed need by allowing connection to the new contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the accepting resources from the resource set comprises waiting up to a predetermined period of time after the broadcast message is sent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying selection criteria to the accepting resources comprises selecting the accepting resources when only a single resource from among the prospective resources responds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the selection criteria comprises selecting a first to respond from among at least a subset of the accepting resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the selection criteria comprises applying a ranking to each of the accepting resources.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting a group of selected resources from the accepting resources to the new contact.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the connection between the selected resource and the new contact.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the broadcast message comprises using an application layer to simultaneously send the broadcast message to each of the prospective resources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast message comprises information usable by the prospective resources in making decisions to accept or reject an offered task to satisfy the expressed need of the new contact.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more computational results from the prospective resources, wherein:

the one or more computational results are in response to an offered task related to the expressed need of the new contact; and

the selection criteria uses the one or more computational results to select the resource to satisfy the expressed need of the new contact.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the processor, and when executed operable to;

receive a new contact in a contact center, the new contact having an expressed need to be satisfied by a resource that is associated with the contact center;

form a resource set in response to the expressed need of the new contact, the resource set having one or more prospective resources;

send a broadcast message to each of the prospective resources in the resource set;

determine accepting resources based on responses from among the prospective resources that received the broadcast message; and

apply selection criteria to the accepting resources to select the resource for satisfaction of the expressed need by allowing connection to the new contact.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic operable to determine the accepting resources from the resource set comprises waiting up to a predetermined period of time after the broadcast message is sent.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic operable to apply selection criteria to the accepting resources comprises logic operable to select the accepting resources when only a single resource from among the prospective resources responds.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic when executed that is operable to apply the selection criteria comprises logic operable to select a first to respond from among at least a subset of the accepting resources.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic when executed that is operable to apply the selection criteria comprises logic operable to apply a ranking to each of the accepting resources.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to form the connection between the a selected resource and the new contact.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the broadcast message is configured to use an application layer to simultaneously send the broadcast message to each of the prospective resources.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the broadcast message comprises information usable by the prospective resources in making decisions to accept or reject an offered task to satisfy the expressed need of the new contact.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to receive one or more computational results from the prospective resources, wherein:

the one or more computational results are in response to an offered task related to the expressed need of the new contact; and

the selection criteria is configured to use the one or more computational results to select the resource to satisfy the expressed need of the new contact.

20. A system for directing broadcasts for contacts the system comprising:

means for receiving a new contact in a contact center, the new contact having an expressed need to be satisfied by a resource that is associated with the contact center;

means for forming a resource set in response to the expressed need of the new contact, the resource set having one or more prospective resources;

means for sending a broadcast message to each of the prospective resources in the resource set;

means for determining accepting resources based on responses from among the prospective resources that received the broadcast message; and

means for applying selection criteria to the accepting resources to select the resource for satisfaction of the expressed need by allowing connection to the new contact.