Automatic call distributor and method for routing incoming telephone calls based on proficiency ratings of agents
US6333980A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 28, 1994 |
| Grant date | Dec 25, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 28, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M3/5233
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An automatic call distributor 100 and method for selectively connecting incoming telephone calls from telephonic units 102 to a plurality of available agents located at agent telephonic units 308 is provided. The automatic call distributor 100 includes a central processing unit 302 which controls a multiport switch 300 to interconnect the incoming telephone calls and the agent telephonic units 308. Each agent is assigned one or more agent-skill indicators indicative of the agent's skills. A proficiency rating indicative of the skill level of the agent is also assigned for each agent-skill indicator. Skill groups 110a, 110b and 110n are formed from available agents having a common agent-skill indicator. Within the skill groups, the agents are arranged by decreasing proficiency rating. Agents with identical proficiency ratings are further arranged by the amount of time each agent has been available to accept an incoming telephone call. When received, an incoming telephone call is matched with a common agent-skill indicator deemed useful in satisfying a need of the caller and a minimum proficiency rating and the telephone call is routed to the skill group associated with the matched a…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.