Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing – Network resource allocating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-01
2004-11-02
Winder, Patrice (Department: 2145)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
Network resource allocating
C709S244000, C379S265120, C379S266010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06813636
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to routing transactions within a network environment. More specifically, the present invention relates to the routing of transactions within a network environment using a virtual transactional processing center.
BACKGROUND
Transaction processing systems (TPS), such as, for example, automatic call distributors (ACDs), are typically used in transactional service systems to provide for the automatic routing of incoming transactions, such as telephone calls or other transactions, to an appropriate or select destination based upon information associated with the incoming transaction.
Currently, transactional service systems, which may, for example, comprise a series of ACDs interconnected through a series of communication links between the respective ACDs, along with a central processing office, have limited resources with respect to the efficient routing of transactions within the transactional service system.
In an exemplary prior art transactional service system
100
, as illustrated in
FIG. 1
, an incoming transaction
102
(e.g., phone call) is received by a central processing office
104
that identifies the request associated with the incoming transaction
102
and directs the incoming transaction
102
to an ACD
106
designated to service such a transaction
102
. Accordingly, the transaction
102
is routed to the selected ACD
106
(original ACD) for eventual servicing by a qualified transaction agent
108
associated with the selected ACD
106
. The transaction agents
108
associated with a particular ACD
106
may not be immediately available to service the transaction
102
, therefore, the transaction
102
may be placed into an associated queue
110
awaiting service by the transaction agents
108
.
In order to ensure that the transaction
102
does not remain within the queue
110
for an unacceptable service period, the transactional service system
100
may implement a specified quality of service (QoS) parameter. The quality of service parameter assists in monitoring the service period by essentially time stamping or time tracking the incoming transaction
102
and comparing the time stamp against an acceptable or standard service period. Accordingly, if the in-waiting service period (i.e., time period which the transaction waits until actual servicing) is within an acceptable range, as compared to the acceptable service period, the transaction
102
remains in the queue
110
to await service by a transaction agent
108
associated with the particular ACD
106
containing the queue
110
. Otherwise, if the in-waiting service period violates an acceptable range, as compared to the acceptable service period, the transaction is typically transferred to another ACD
112
(transfer ACD), via the communication link
114
, in order to be serviced by another transaction agent
118
associated with the transfer ACD
112
.
Likewise, the transaction agents
118
associated with the transfer ACD
112
may not be immediately available to service the transaction
102
, therefore, the transaction
102
may be placed into a second queue
116
, associated with the transfer ACD
112
, to await service by a transaction agent
118
. Accordingly, the transaction
102
placed into the transfer ACD queue
116
is still awaiting service by a transaction agent
118
, while the customer or originator of the transaction
102
waits to speak or interact with the next available transaction agent
118
. Ideally, a transaction agent
118
associated with the transfer ACD
112
is able to service the transaction
102
within the desired acceptable service period.
Provided a qualified transaction agent
118
associated with the transfer ACD
112
is able to service the transaction
102
, two separate communication links are necessary to support the servicing of the transaction
102
, a first communication link from the central processing office
104
to the original ACD
106
, and a second communication link from the original ACD
106
to the transfer ACD
112
.
If a qualified transaction agent
118
associated with the transfer ACD
116
is unable to service the transaction
102
, the transaction
102
may have to be sent back to the original ACD
106
which originally received the transaction
102
. As a result, three separate communication links would be necessary to support the servicing of this transaction
102
. The three communication links would consist of a first communication link from the central processing office
104
to the original ACD
106
, a second communication link from the original ACD
106
to the transfer ACD
112
, and a third communication link from the transfer ACD
112
back to the original ACD
106
. This triple routing over communication link
114
is sometimes referred to as a “trombone”.
One solution that has been offered in response to such redundant multiple routing problems is the employment of a transfer connect service. The transfer service allows for the reduction of redundant multiple routing problems by eliminating the redundant communications lines and providing the transaction to the final selected service location in response to a request generated by the transactional service system
100
. For instance, once the final selected service location is determined, the transactional service system
100
sends a request to the central processing office
104
to route the communications line directly from the central processing office
104
to the final selected service location, if possible. This solution provides an “after-the-fact” solution to the problem of redundant multiple routing, which in turn requires additional service costs the operator of the transactional service system
100
. The additional costs are not only in terms of monetary costs to implement such a service, but also in terms of resources being expended to initially support the usage of unnecessary communication lines in the first place.
As illustrated by the above transaction routing examples, a standard transaction serviced by the typical transactional service system may require excessive system resources or other costs to be expended in response to the routing of a transaction. As such, the typical transactional service system may suffer from the inefficient routing of transactions within the system. This inefficient routing of transactions within transactional service systems wastes system resources and results in increased costs associated with operating the system. As previously illustrated, the transaction can be subject to multiple transfers between ACDs which costs the operator of such transactional service systems both time and money. As such, a transaction which has been subjected to multiple routings between the ACDs may be forced to the next available transaction agent in order to service the transaction within a particular service period regardless of whether the particular agent has the proper qualifications to handle the transaction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention provides for a method and apparatus for routing a transaction. Initially, a resource is identified which is capable of servicing a transaction based upon resource data indicative of the capabilities of resources associated with a transactional processing system and a transaction request indicative of a request associated with the transaction. Upon identifying the resource capable of servicing the transaction, the transaction is supplied to the identified resource.
Another feature of the present invention provides for reserving the resource after determining the resource capable of servicing the transaction.
Yet another feature of the present invention provides for generating a routing message based upon the reservation response, the routing message indicating the identity of reserved resource.
Further, another feature of the present invention provides for supplying the transaction to the reserved resource based upon the routing message.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5274700 (1993-12-01), Gechter et al.
patent: 5825869 (1998-10-01), Bro
Bean Timothy
McPartlan Kevin
Aspect Communications Corporation
Blakely , Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman LLP
Winder Patrice
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