Method and apparatus for servicing queued requests
US6496580B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 3, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 17, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 3, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2201/14
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods for servicing queued requests include the step of queueing at least one request for an initial wait time until at least one agent is available for accepting the queued request. A delay element is provided so that assignment of the queued request is delayed for a delay time. The queued request is then assigned to an available agent. In one embodiment, the delay time is a pre-determined availability pendency time independent of the initial wait time. In another embodiment the request is delayed until a pre-determined queue time has elapsed. In another embodiment, the request may be delayed up to a pre-determined availability pendency time as long as a pre-determined queue time is not exceeded. The delay element need not change the queue discipline. Various queue disciplines including first-in-first-out (FIFO), group FIFO, and modified group FIFO are described for a queueing mechanism incorporating a delay element. The queued requests may represent requests for service to respond to any of a variety of sources including electronic mail communications, facsimile communications, internet communications, telephone communications, etc. In one embodiment, the methods are implemente…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.