Intelligent inbound/outbound communications blending
US7035927B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 12, 2002 |
| Grant date | Apr 25, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 4, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M3/5238
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a blended inbound/outbound call center (100), an outbound call-pacing function (122) decides whether or not to initiate an additional outbound call for a particular skill. It determines (206) whether the number of available agents for the skill plus the number of resting agents for the skill exceeds the number of available inbound calls for the skill plus the number of outstanding outbound calls for the skill. It also determines (312) whether a target service time for the skill exceeds an estimated wait time of each of the available inbound calls for the skill assuming that pending outbound calls for the skill plus one take precedence over the inbound calls. If both determinations are affirmative, the call pacing function initiates (318) an additional call for the skill. If either determination is negative, the function forbears (321) from initiating an additional call for the skill. The number of available and resting agents may be incremented (206) by (a) a difference between the target service time for the skill and the present waiting time of the last-enqueued inbound call for the skill divided by the average rate of advance through the skill's call queue, or (b) the average…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.