Call Center Input/Output Agent Utilization Arbitration Method and System

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods that provide for maintenance of the status of availability of call-center agents through the use of local arbitration between processes and applications that may interact with more than one resource of telephone contacts between differing activities or work for these call-center agents. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of utilizing an arbitrator in a system that includes a terminal located on a network, the terminal capable of executing processes having a individual presentation on a display, said method comprising:
 recognizing the identity of a call agent;   executing processes that establish links of network communication between a recognized agent at an agent terminal and one of a plurality of automated call managers, each link of communication providing a relationship between the recognized agent and one of the plurality of automated call managers for assignment of communications with distant parties over a telephone set positioned for use by the recognized agent located at the agent terminal and utilizing the individual display associated with a process;   receiving assignments of telephone calls for a recognized agent from linked automated call managers;   maintaining the state of the recognized agent located at the agent terminal as to his availability for assignment of a telephone call;   running an arbitrator, and through the arbitrator, notifying processes operating on the network and having established relationships between the linked automated call managers and the recognized agent of his availability and unavailability, as assignment of a telephone calls are received and completed for that recognized agent; and   transferring items of activity-specific information onto the individual presentation associated with a process receiving an assignment from an automated call manager, said transferring optionally including transfer of the identity of a distant party.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 through the arbitrator, notifying linked automated call managers of the availability of the recognized agent at the terminal, as assignments of telephone calls are received or completed for that recognized agent.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said maintaining the state of the recognized agent includes both automatic state changes caused by system events and manual state changes caused by commanded events.