Aspect Communications Corporation

Other

Michael A Chack

A method is provided for queuing requests for access to a software through a communication network having a limited amount of licenses to the software. In one embodiment, the invention includes a server having the software receiving requests for access to the software from a plurality of remote users and allowing access to the software on the server to some of the plurality of remote users such that the number of remote users allowed access does not exceed the set number of available licenses. The remainder of the plurality of remote users can be placed in a queue. The method can further include sending alerts to remote users as licenses become available, and allowing access to the software on the server to the queued remote users.

Method of queuing requests to access a communications network

A system is provided that responds to a received transaction. The system detects a received transaction generated by a transaction initiator and associates a resource locator, such as a uniform resource locator (URL), with the received transaction. The URL is then provided to the transaction initiator. The URL associated with the received transaction may identify an Internet web page, which can be generated in response to the received transaction. The received transaction includes a request to receive a URL. The received transaction can be a telephone call initiated by a telephone caller. The system is also capable of identifying the transaction initiator and associating a URL with the received transaction based on the transaction initiator's identity. The transaction is received on a first communication medium and the URL is associated with a second communication medium.

Method and apparatus for communicating information

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 implemented by an automated call distributor.

Method and apparatus for servicing queued requests

A system is provided for establishing communication between a transaction initiator and a transaction processing system, in which the transaction processing system has received a transaction from the transaction initiator. The system receives an identifier associated with the received transaction. This identifier is received from the transaction processing system. The transaction initiator is identified based on the identifier associated with the received transaction. A resource locator, such as a uniform resource locator (URL), is then provided to the transaction initiator. The resource locator is also provided to the transaction processing system. The system also determines a network address associated with the transaction initiator and provides the network address to the transaction processing system. The identifier associated with the received transaction can be the transaction initiator's telephone number, the transaction initiator's account number, or other information.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Michael A Chack