EP0817455A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Agent vectoring
Assignee: Nokia of America Corp
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Filing: 1997-06-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-06-23
Abstract
Abstract An ACD system (101) is programmable by an operator of the ACD system to automatically change the work of a call center agent (106-108) in order to maximize the agent's productivity and to provide a variety of work balanced with "breather" time in order to prevent agent burn-out. The conditions for changing the agent's work and the agent's alternative duties when the conditions are met are both programmed by the operator via a vectoring capability (150) of the ACD system and a scripting language for defining the vectors. When an agent becomes available to handle a call from a particular call queue (121-129), the agent's corresponding vector is executed, and the conditions specified by the vector are checked against the present status of the call center to determine if they are met. If the conditions are not met, the agent is caused to handle a call from the particular call queue. But if the conditions are met, the agent is caused to perform a function specified by the vector, other than handing a call from the particular call queue, even though a call may be waiting for an available agent in that call queue.
Inventors
- 👤 Joylee E. Kohler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 09:00
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/22; H04M3/36; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/523; H04M3/5232; H04M3/5233; H04M2203/00; H04M2203/40; H04M2203/402; H04M3/5234
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
An ACD system (101) for distributing calls for handling to available
ones of a plurality of agents (106-108) in a call center, CHARACTERISED BY programmable means (156-158) for specifying, under programming
control of an operator of the call center, any one of a plurality of conditions that is
selected by the operator; means (150: FIGS. 13-23) responsive to an agent becoming available to
handle a call while a call is waiting to be handled by an available agent, for
determining whether a present state of the call center satisfies the condition specified
by the programmable means; and means (150: FIGS. 2-12) responsive to a determination that the
condition is one of (a) satisfied and (b) not satisfied by the present state, for causing
the available agent to handle the waiting call, and responsive to a determination that
the condition is another of (a) satisfied and (b) not satisfied by the present state, for
causing the available agent to perform a function other than handling the waiting
call.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
The system of claim 1 wherein: the programmable means comprise means for storing, under control of the operator, a vector (156)
specifying the one condition and further specifying one of a plurality of alternative
functions that is selected by the operator; and the causing means are responsive to a determination that the condition is
another of (a) satisfied and (b) not satisfied by the present state, for causing the
available agent to perform the alternative function specified by the vector.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 1 wherein: the causing means are responsive to a determination that the condition is
another of (a) satisfied and (b) not satisfied by the present state, for causing (210-214
or 306-312) the available agent to take a break from handling calls.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
The system of claim 1 wherein: the programmable means comprise a plurality of programmable means (156-158) each corresponding to a
different agent and specifying any one of the plurality of conditions that is selected
for the corresponding agent by the operator; and the determining means are responsive to an agent becoming available,
for determining (204) whether the present state satisfies the condition specified by
the programmable means that correspond to the agent who has become available.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
238 words
The system of claim 2 wherein: the stored vector (156) comprises a plurality of steps (2400-2450) each
specifying a different condition, an alternative function to be performed by the agent
if the condition is met, and either a different one of the steps or an exiting of the
vector to be performed if the condition is not met; the determining means comprise vector-step executing means (101:150) for executing the steps of the
stored vector beginning with a first step in response to the agent becoming available,
responsive to the present state satisfying the condition specified by a presently-executing
step by indicating to the causing means that the condition is satisfied,
responsive to the present state not satisfying the condition specified by the
presently-executing step and the presently-executing step specifying a different one
of the steps by executing the different one of the steps, and responsive to the present
state not satisfying the condition specified by the presently-executing step and the
presently-executing step specifying an exiting of the vector by indicating to the
causing means that the condition is not satisfied; and the causing means are responsive to an indication that the condition is
satisfied for causing the available agent to perform the alternative function specified
by the vector step whose condition is indicated to have been satisfied, and responsive
to an indication that the condition is not satisfied for causing the available agent to
handle the waiting call.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
239 words
The ACD system for a call center that has a plurality of call queues
(121-129) each corresponding to a different one of a plurality of agent skills for
queuing waiting calls that need an agent having the corresponding skill for their
handling, wherein: the programmable means comprise programmable means for storing, under programming control of an
operator of the call center, a plurality of agent vectors (156-158) each corresponding
to a different agent and each specifying one of a plurality of conditions that is
selected by the operator and one of a plurality of alternative functions that is selected
by the operator; the determining means comprise means (150: FIGS. 13-23) responsive to an agent having at least one of
the skills becoming available to handle a call while a waiting call is enqueued in at
least one queue corresponding to the at least one skill of the agent, for determining
whether a present state of the call center satisfies the condition specified by the agent
vector that corresponds to the available agent; and the means for causing comprise means (150: FIGS. 2-12) responsive to a determination that the
condition is not satisfied, for causing the available agent to handle the waiting call,
and responsive to a determination that the condition is satisfied, for causing the
available agent to perform the alternative function specified by the agent vector that
corresponds to the available agent instead of handling the waiting call.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
62 words
The system of claim 6 wherein: the condition specified by the vector corresponding to the available
agent is a threshold for a waiting time of a call in a queue; and the determining means determine (FIG. 13 or 14) whether a present
waiting time of a call in the queue in which the waiting call is enqueued is exceeded
by the threshold.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
The system of claim 6 wherein: the condition specified by the vector corresponding to the available
agent is a threshold for a percentage of a workload of the corresponding agent; and the determining means determine (FIG. 16 or 17) whether handling of
calls from the queue in which the waiting call is enqueued presently exceeds the
threshold percentage of the workload of the available agent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The system of claim 6 wherein: the alternative function specified by the vector corresponding to the
available agent is either handling (FIG. 6, 7 or 9) of a call from a predetermined call
queue or a function (FIG. 2, 3 or 12) other than handling of a call.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
166 words
A method of automatically assigning work to individual ones of a
plurality of agents (106-108) of a call center, CHARACTERISED BY the steps of: an operator of the call center programmably specifying (156-158) any
one of a plurality of conditions that is selected by the operator; in response to an agent becoming available to handle a call while a call
is waiting to be handled by an available agent, determining (150: FIGS. 13-23)
whether a present state of the call center satisfies the condition specified by the
operator; in response to a determination that the condition is one of (a) satisfied
and (b) not satisfied by the present state, causing (150: FIG. 6, 7 or 9) the available
agent to handle the waiting call; and in response to a determination that the condition is another of (a)
satisfied and (b) not satisfied by the present state, causing (150: FIG. 2, 3 or 12) the
available agent to perform a function other than handling the waiting call.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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