IP Library Granted Patent US 11,068,304
Granted Patent B2
US 11,068,304 · App. 16/285,170 · Granted Jul 20, 2021

Intelligent scheduling tool

Inventors: Jinchao Li (Redmond, WA); Xinying Song (Redmond, WA); Ah Young Kim (Redmond, WA); Haiyuan Cao (Bellevue, WA); Yu Wang (Redmond, WA); Hui Su (Bellevue, WA); Shahina Ferdous (Redmond, WA); Jianfeng Gao (Redmond, WA); Karan Srivastava (Seattle, WA); Jaideep Sarkar (Redmond, WA)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
G06F9/4881G06F9/5005G06K9/6217G06N3/08G06N7/005G06N20/00G06Q10/04G06Q10/067G06Q10/1097H04M3/523G06N20/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,068,304
App. No.
16/285,170
Granted
Jul 20, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for intelligent scheduling of calls to sales leads, leveraging machine learning (ML) to optimize expected results. One exemplary method includes determining, using a connectivity prediction model, call connectivity rate predictions; determining timeslot resources; allocating, based at least on the call connectivity rate predictions and timeslot resources, leads to timeslots in a first time period; determining, within a timeslot and using a lead scoring model, lead prioritization among leads within the timeslot; configuring, based at least on the lead prioritization, the telephone unit with lead information for placing a phone call; and applying a contextual bandit (ML) process to update the connectivity prediction model, the lead scoring model, or both. During subsequent time periods, the updated connectivity prediction and lead scoring models are used, thereby improving expected results over time.

Claims (60)

1. A system for intelligent scheduling, the system comprising:

a telephone unit;

a processor coupled to the telephone unit; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions that are operative when executed by the processor to:

determine, using a connectivity prediction model, first call connectivity rate predictions;

determine timeslot resources for a first time period;

allocate, based at least on the first call connectivity rate predictions and timeslot resources for the first time period, leads to timeslots in the first time period using contextual bandit learning, the contextual bandit learning providing an option to exploit a current solution or to explore a new solution in order to identify a global optimal solution, wherein the contextual bandit learning analyzes context vectors to identify the global optimal solution;

determine, within a timeslot in the first time period and using a lead scoring model, a first lead prioritization among leads within the timeslot in the first time period;

configure, based at least on the first lead prioritization, the telephone unit with lead information for placing a phone call to a selected lead; and

update the connectivity prediction model using the contextual bandit learning.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions are further operative to:

control the telephone unit, based at least on the configuration, to place the phone call.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the time period comprises a day.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the time period comprises a plurality of days.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions are further operative to:

apply the contextual bandit learning to update the lead scoring model.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the timeslot resources comprise a plurality of available telephone units and a set of available time slots.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions are further operative to:

determine, using the updated connectivity prediction model, second call connectivity rate predictions; determine timeslot resources for a second time period;

allocate, based at least on the second call connectivity rate predictions and timeslot resources for the second time period, leads to timeslots in the second time period;

determine, within a timeslot in the second time period and using a lead scoring model, a second lead prioritization among leads within the timeslot in the second time period; and

configure, based at least on the second lead prioritization, the telephone unit with lead information for placing a phone call to a selected lead.

8. A method of intelligent scheduling, the method comprising:

determining, using a connectivity prediction model, first call connectivity rate predictions;

determining timeslot resources for a first time period;

allocating, based at least on the first call connectivity rate predictions and timeslot resources for the first time period, leads to timeslots in the first time period using contextual bandit learning, the contextual bandit learning providing an option to exploit a current solution or to explore a new solution in order to identify a global optimal solution, wherein the contextual bandit learning analyzes context vectors to identify the global optimal solution;

determining, within a timeslot in the first time period and using a lead scoring model, a first lead prioritization among leads within the timeslot in the first time period; configuring, based at least on the first lead prioritization, a telephone unit with lead information for placing a phone call to a selected lead; and

updating the connectivity prediction model using the context bandit learning.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

controlling the telephone unit, based at least on the configuration, to place the phone call.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the time period comprises a day.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the time period comprises a plurality of days.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

applying the contextual bandit learning to update the lead scoring model.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the timeslot resources comprise a plurality of available telephone units and a set of available time slots.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining, using the updated connectivity prediction model, second call connectivity rate predictions;

determining timeslot resources for a second time period;

allocating, based at least on the second call connectivity rate predictions and timeslot resources for the second time period, leads to timeslots in the second time period; determining, within a timeslot in the second time period and using a lead scoring model, a second lead prioritization among leads within the timeslot in the second time period; and

configuring, based at least on the second lead prioritization, the telephone unit with lead information for placing a phone call to a selected lead.

15. One or more computer storage devices having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for intelligent scheduling, which, on execution by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

determining, using a connectivity prediction model, first call connectivity rate predictions;

determining timeslot resources for a first time period;

allocating, based at least on the first call connectivity rate predictions and timeslot resources for the first time period, leads to timeslots in the first time period using contextual bandit learning, the contextual bandit learning providing an option to exploit a current solution or to explore a new solution in order to identify a global optimal solution, wherein the contextual bandit learning analyzes context vectors to identify the global optimal solution;

determining, within a timeslot in the first time period and using a lead scoring model, a first lead prioritization among leads within the timeslot in the first time period;

configuring, based at least on the first lead prioritization, a telephone unit with lead information for placing a phone call to a selected lead; and

updating the connectivity prediction model using the context bandit learning.

16. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise:

controlling the telephone unit, based at least on the configuration, to place the phone call.

17. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 15 wherein the time period comprises at least one selected from the list consisting of:

a day and a work shift of less than a day.

18. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise:

applying the contextual bandit learning to update the lead scoring model.

19. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 15 wherein the timeslot resources comprise a plurality of available telephone units and a set of available time slots.

20. The one or more computer storage devices of claim 15 wherein the operations further comprise:

determining, using the updated connectivity prediction model, second call connectivity rate predictions;

determining timeslot resources for a second time period;

allocating, based at least on the second call connectivity rate predictions and timeslot resources for the second time period, leads to timeslots in the second time period;

determining, within a timeslot in the second time period and using a lead scoring model, a second lead prioritization among leads within the timeslot in the second time period; and

configuring, based at least on the second lead prioritization, the telephone unit with lead information for placing a phone call to a selected lead.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE AN ASSIGNOR'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 049273 FRAME 0268. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Recorded Nov 10, 2019
From: GAO, JIANFENG
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 050977/0560 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2019
From: SARKAR, JAIDEEP
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 049682/0767 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2019
From: LI, JINCHAO; SONG, XINYING; KIM, AH YOUNG; CAO, HAIYUAN; WANG, YU; SU, HUI; FERDOUS, SHAHINA; GAO, JIANFENG GAO; SRIVASTAVA, KARAN
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 049273/0268 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200273000A1 · Aug 27, 2020