Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7430290 | Virtual queuing support system and method A method and a Virtual Queuing Support System (VQSS) for optimizing end-user service for clients waiting for a service request to be responded and who are registered in various virtual queues of the VQSS. End-users register in a virtual queue of the VQSS, which moni... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7349534 | Call routing from first to second dialog of interactive voice response system A customer service call system that provides both manual (assisted by a service representative) and automated problem solving dialogs. A routing process determines which dialog is appropriate for incoming calls. The routing process determines a probability that the ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7236584 | Method and apparatus for providing fair access to agents in a communication center A system for granting access to agents at a communication center in response to requests for connection from network-level entities starts a fairness timer having a fairness time period when a first request is received for and agent, monitors any other requests for ... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7233980 | System and method for dynamic queuing in an automatic call distributor A method and system for dynamic queuing utilizes a SIP messaging structure within a call center's architecture for interacting with a caller. The method and system can be used for ACD services developed for IP telephony using SIP as the signaling protocol. A SIP sub... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7184541 | Method and apparatus for selecting an agent to handle a call A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for selecting an agent to handle a call are provided. According to some embodiments, multiple agents may take or handle calls. Each agent's off process time may be measured or determined. When an incoming... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7151826 | Third party coaching for agents in a communication system The method and apparatus improve transactions in a communication system, such as a communication system having an automatic call distributor. In one embodiment, an assessment is performed in substantially real time of respective stress levels of at least one of a ca... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7120244 | Call routing from manual to automated dialog of interactive voice response system A customer service call system that provides both manual (assisted by a service representative) and automated problem solving dialogs. A routing process determines which dialog is appropriate for incoming calls. The routing process determines a probability that the ... | 10/10/2006 |
| 6771764 | Schedule based transaction routing A method and apparatus are provided for reducing deviations between worked hours of an agent and a schedule of hours for the agent. The method includes the steps of determining a metric comparing a work status of the agent during a time period with a scheduled statu... | 08/03/2004 |
| 6741698 | Call management system using dynamic threshold adjustment A call center includes functionality for dynamically varying a threshold value associated with each of a number of different call types (i.e., skills) to be handled by the call center. A group of agents and a group of reserve agents are provided within the call cent... | 05/25/2004 |
| 6639982 | Method and apparatus for agent forcing and call distribution for large team call servicing The present invention finds particular applicability for use with large call centers. Force managers are continuously searching for ways to increase the efficiency of their agents. In response to this need, the present invention provides a method of dynam... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6628778 | Automatic relay method and storage medium containing automatic relay processing program A relay method for an automatic relay system to be connected via a public network to a node used by a customer, to relay an incoming call from the node to one of a plurality of telephone answering windows. In the automatic relay system, upon reception of ... | 09/30/2003 |
| 6563920 | Methods and apparatus for processing of communications in a call center based on variable rest period determinations A call center is configured to determine variable rest periods for one or more agents, based at least in part on factors such as call center service state and agent occupancy. The call center service states may include a number of designated service state... | 05/13/2003 |
| 6445788 | Method and apparatus for providing fair access to agents in a communication center A system for granting access to agents at a communication center in response to requests for connection from network-level entities starts a fairness timer having a fairness time period when a first request is received for and agent, monitors any other re... | 09/03/2002 |
| 6169798 | System and method for automatic call An automatic call system including a storage device, a private branch exchange, an originating equipment, and a plurality of operator apparatuses, wherein the private branch exchange originates a call in response to an instruction for call origination fro... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6141412 | Unscheduled event task processing system A task processing system such as a telephony call center and telephony call center management system downloads and processes unscheduled events such as inbound and outbound call records, in real time. A real time event server such as a real time call reco... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6055307 | System and method for selecting agent destinations and monitoring calls made to network customers A system of the present invention selects agent destinations and monitors calls made from a caller through an intelligent call processing network to a network customer. A plurality of home agents, such as part of a telemarketing system, are located at res... | 04/25/2000 |
| 6005932 | Dynamic schedule profiler for ACD A method and apparatus are provided for scheduling agents supporting operation of an ACD. The method includes the steps of establishing a scheduling period and identifying a plurality of agents to the ACD for supporting the operation of the ACD during the... | 12/21/1999 |
| 5864617 | Call queuing and distribution Incoming calls on a plurality of lines (Li) are distributed to a plurality of resources (Rn) by a queuing and distribution system which associates with each of the possible resource/line combinations a so called "pleasure value" that... | 01/26/1999 |
| 5684872 | Prediction of a caller's motivation as a basis for selecting treatment of an incoming call An improved method and apparatus (12) for handling calls in a call center predicts (206, 312, 410) a caller's level of motivation for making the call and uses (208-212, 314-330, 412-416) the prediction as a basis for determining how to handle the call. Th... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5642411 | Anticipatory call distributor A communications distribution system is disclosed for facilitating the handling of telephone calls within a plurality of groups. Each of the groups includes a line group and a channel group interconnected by an anticipatory call distributor (ANCD) for det... | 06/24/1997 |
| 5590188 | Rules-based call routing A method, using a call processor, for selecting one of a plurality of call centers in a telephone network. The method begins by generating a routing plan comprising one or more rules that control how calls are to be distributed among the call centers. For... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5546452 | Communications system using a central controller to control at least one network and agent system A communications system and method for automatically making telephone routing decisions with "global authority" based upon information gathered in real time from the entire communications system and global optimization criteria. The present invention perm... | 08/13/1996 |
| 4694483 | Computerized system for routing incoming telephone calls to a plurality of agent positions A telephone call routing system for routing incoming telephone calls assigns each such incoming call to a selected one or more of a plurality of agent display modules. The agent display module has a visual output indicating which of a plurality of telepho... | 09/15/1987 |
