Patent US5316586A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP1017216A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Call selection and agent selection in a call centre based on agent staffing schedule
Assignee: Nokia of America Corp
•
Filing: 1999-12-10
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2019-12-10
Abstract
Abstract A call center is configured such that call selection and/or agent selection processes may be based at least in part on stored information regarding agent schedules, such as scheduled break times, training sessions, ends of shifts or other events for the agents. In an illustrative embodiment, schedule information is stored for at least one of the call center agents, and a communication is selected for delivery to the agent based at least in part on the stored schedule information for that agent. For example, a call selection process in the call center may be modified for a designated period of time before a scheduled break of a given agent such that the call selected for delivery to that agent is likely to be completed in the time remaining until the scheduled break. As another example, an agent selection process in the call center may be modified for a designated period of time before a scheduled break such that the agent selected to process a given call is one likely to complete the call in the time remaining until the scheduled break. The designated time period may vary depending on factors such as the type of scheduled event, or the type of agent. As another example, the modified selection process may run continuously, such that the stored agent schedule information is always active as a consideration in call selection and agent selection. The call center may be configured to select a call or other communication without reference to the stored agent schedule information under specified conditions, such as, for example, a staffing shortfall or an unusually heavy call volume.
Inventors
- 👤 Robin H. Foster
- 👤 William E. Gourlay
- 👤 Eugene P. Mathews
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 14:37
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F15/00; G06F15/16; H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/523; H04M3/5232; H04M3/5233
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of selecting communications for delivery to one of a
plurality of agents in a call center, the method comprising the steps of: storing schedule information for at least one of the agents; and selecting a communication for delivery to the agent based at least in part
on the stored schedule information for the agent.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus for processing communications in a call center, the
apparatus comprising: a memory for storing schedule information for at least one of the agents;
and a processor coupled to the memory and operative to select a
communication for delivery to the agent based at least in part on the stored schedule
information for the agent.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step includes storing
schedule information which includes at least one of a scheduled break for the agent, an
end of a scheduled shift for the agent, a scheduled training session for the agent, and a
scheduled period of non-call work for the agent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
193 words
The method of claim 1, or the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the
selecting step either includes modifying a call selection process in the call center such
that the call selected for delivery to a given agent is likely to be completed in an amount
of time which is not substantially greater than an amount of time remaining until a
scheduled event for the agent as indicated in the stored schedule information, or
includes modifying or the processor is operative to modify, an agent selection process in
the call center such that the agent selected to process a given call is one likely to
complete the call in an amount of time which is not substantially greater than an amount
of time remaining until a scheduled event for the agent as indicated in the stored
schedule information, or includes selecting based at least in part on a function involving
an expected handling time determined using at least one of an average across a given
number of the agents and an average for a given type of communication, or includes
selecting based on an expected handling time determined for individual ones of the
agents.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method or apparatus of claim 4, or the apparatus of claim 2,
wherein an amount of time for which the call is permitted to extend beyond a start time
of the scheduled event is user-defined based on at least one of a type of skill involved in
handling the call, a characteristic of the agent and the type of scheduled event.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, further including the step of designating a
time period prior to a scheduled event for which calls will be directed utilizing the
stored agent schedule information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 6, wherein the time period either varies
depending upon the type of scheduled event, or is different for different agents.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1, further including the step of continuously
modifying at least one of a call selection process and an agent selection process in the
call center to reflect changes in the stored agent schedule information.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the function is a designated
percentage of the expected handling time.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
109 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of selecting the
communication without reference to the stored agent schedule information under
specified conditions, and/or further including the step of continuing to direct
communications to the agent beyond a starting time of the scheduled event if conditions
associated with at least one of a particular skill and the call center exceed a predefined
threshold, and/or further including the step of limiting a number of communications
directed to the agent or an amount of time for which such communications are directed
to the agent, beyond the starting time of the scheduled event, in the presence of one of
the conditions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus of claim 2, wherein the schedule information includes at
least one of a scheduled break for the agent, an end of a scheduled shift for the agent, a
scheduled training session for the agent, and a scheduled period of non-call work for the
agent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
294 words
Apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further operative to
either modify a call selection process in the call center such that the call selected for
delivery to a given agent is likely to be completed in an amount of time which is not
substantially greater than an amount of time remaining until a scheduled event for the
agent as indicated in the stored schedule information, and/or is further operative to
designate a time period prior to a scheduled event for which calls will be directed
utilizing the stored agent schedule information, and/or is further operative to
continuously modify at least one of a call selection process and an agent selection
process in the call center to reflect changes in the stored agent schedule information,
and/or is further operative to select the communication based at least in part on a
function involving an expected handling time determined using at least one of an
average across a given number of the agents and an average for a given type of
communication, and/or is further operative to select the communication based on an
expected handling time determined for individual ones of the agents, and/or is further
operative to select the communication without reference to the stored agent schedule
information under specified conditions, and/or is further operative to continue to direct
communications to the agent beyond a starting time of the scheduled event if conditions
associated with at least one of a particular skill and the call center exceed a predefined
threshold, and/or is further operative to limit a number of communications directed to
the agent or an amount of time for which such communications are directed to the agent,
beyond the starting time of the scheduled event, in the presence of one of the conditions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus of claim 12, wherein the time period either varies
depending upon the type of scheduled event, or is different for different agents.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
An article of manufacture containing software which, when executed
in a processor, causes the processor to perform the steps of: storing schedule information for at least one of the agents; and selecting a communication for delivery to the agent based at least in part
on the stored schedule information for the agent.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
53 words
A method of selecting communications for delivery to one of a
plurality of agents in a call center, the method comprising the steps of: storing schedule information for at least one of the agents; and selecting an agent for processing a given communication based at least in
part on the stored schedule information.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
53 words
An apparatus for processing communications in a call center, the
apparatus comprising: a memory for storing schedule information for at least one of the agents;
and a processor coupled to the memory and operative to select an agent for
processing a given communication based at least in part on the stored schedule
information.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the function is a
designated percentage of the expected handling time.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.