Cisco Technology, Inc.

Summa Four, Inc.

Paul Robert Schechinger

Michael Paul Lepore

Kenneth Jordan

Kevin T Collins

Lawrence E Johnson

David J Luneau

Paul J Russell

Khaled A Gouda

Steven Morrison

Victor L Voydock

John Hernandez

Rick Whitesel

Jay Ferrandini

William Finnerty

Michael E Cote

An apparatus for selecting contact center resources is provided. The apparatus includes a memory and a processor in communication with the memory. The memory includes computer code executable with the processor. The computer code is configured to obtain one or more user characteristics; map a user point on a spatial map that includes a first resource spatial point for a first contact center resource, the user point being located at a point that spatially defines the one or more user characteristics; and determine a first distance between the user point and the first resource spatial point.

Contact center routing using characteristic mapping

Particular embodiments provide intelligent overload control for contact centers. In one embodiment, an overload condition at a contact center is determined. When the overload condition exists, a contact evaluation metric for a connection to a contact is determined. The contact evaluation metric may evaluate the value of a contact, such as whether the contact is a high-value or low-value contact. An action to perform for the contact is then determined based on the contact evaluation metric. For example, if the contact is considered a high-value contact, then the contact may be serviced; however, if the contact is considered a low-value contact, then the contact may be gapped.

Intelligent overload control for contact center

In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) receiving a new contact in a contact center, where the new contact includes an expressed need; (ii) forming a resource set in response to the expressed need of the new contact, where the resource set includes one or more prospective resources; and (iii) sending a broadcast message to each of the prospective resources in the resource set.

Use of intelligent directed broadcast in contact center solutions

In one embodiment, a method can include: (i) receiving a contact center interaction request via a device coupled to a display screen; (ii) accessing information about the device or a user of the device from a customer database of a content provider; and (iii) establishing an interaction path between the contact center and a viewer. The method can further include providing information to the user via the interaction path in response to a request by the user for the information. The device can be a set-top box (STB) or a cable card and the display screen can be a television, for example. Also, the content provider can be a cable or satellite television provider, for example.

Set-top box initiated contact center interaction

A call processor (10) for processing integrated-services digital-network (ISDN) calls is subject to real-time control by a host computer (28) but stores rules specified ahead of time by a manual input device (32). By changing the entered rules, a user can adapt the call processor to a wide variety of applications without burdening the host (28) with operational details in real time. In particular, the behavior specifications represent choices among the ISDN data-channel messages and contents that the call processor (10) will forward to the host computer (28) in reporting receipt of those messages. The behavior specifications also represent choices for transmitted ISDN data-channel messages and contents generated by the call processor (10) either autonomously or in conjunction with the host computer (28).

Flexible call-processing apparatus for ISDN telephone channels

Growing community of inventors

Londonderry, NH, United States of America

Paul Robert Schechinger