IP Library Granted Patent US 8,712,821
Granted Patent B2
US 8,712,821 · App. 12/331,161 · Granted Apr 29, 2014

Separate matching models based on type of phone associated with a caller

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,712,821
App. No.
12/331,161
Granted
Apr 29, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for routing callers to agents in a contact center. Exemplary methods and systems include using one of a plurality of different methods or computer models for matching callers to agents, the method or model selected based on a type of phone or phone number associated with a caller (e.g., residential, business, or mobile). The models may include queue routing, performance based matching, adaptive pattern matching algorithms, or the like. In one example, similar adaptive models may be used for two or more different types of phones, but trained differently, e.g., based on data and outcomes for the particular type of phone. Different models for routing callers to agents may perform differently for different types of phones. Further, training correlation or adaptive pattern matching algorithms based on different types of phones may improve performance compared to a single algorithm for all types of phones.

Claims (48)

1. A method for routing incoming callers to agents in a call-center routing environment, the method comprising the acts of:

determining, by one or more computers, a type of phone associated with a caller, from among a plurality of types including a residential type and a business type;

selecting a measurement algorithm, by the one or more computers, from among at least a first measurement algorithm and a second measurement algorithm for matching a caller to an agent, wherein at least two of the measurement algorithms are pattern matching algorithms, wherein when the type of phone associated with the caller is determined, the respective measurement algorithm is selected based at least in part on the type of phone associated with the caller; and

matching, by the one or more computers, the caller to an agent based at least in part on the selected measurement algorithm,

wherein the at least two pattern matching algorithms are optimized for different output performances, and

wherein the output performance for at least one of the two pattern matching algorithms comprises at least one selected from the group of cost, revenue, sales, handle time, and customer satisfaction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of phone is determined from a phone number associated with the caller.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of phone comprises one or more of a residential phone, mobile phone, or business phone.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the type of phone is determined from Billing Telephone Number (BTN) data associated with the caller.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the type of BTN data comprises one or more of residential phone number, mobile phone number, or business phone number.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least two of the at least two different measurement algorithms each comprise a pattern matching algorithm, and each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained differently.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained on past caller data and agent data for agent-caller pairs matched according to the pattern matching algorithm.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained on past caller data and agent data for a respective type of BTN data.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the two pattern matching algorithms comprises a neural network algorithm.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the measurement algorithms comprises a performance based matching algorithm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the measurement algorithms does not comprise a pattern matching algorithm.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating an additional caller data based on the determined caller data.

13. A system for routing callers to agents in a call center routing environment, comprising:

one or more computers with a memory configured with computer-readable program code, that when executed, causes performance by the one or more computers of the steps:

determining, by the one or more computers, a type of phone associated with a caller, from among a plurality of types including a residential type and a business type;

selecting a measurement algorithm, by the one or more computers, from among at least a first measurement algorithm and a second measurement algorithm for matching a caller to one of a plurality of agents, wherein at least two of the measurement algorithms are pattern matching algorithms, wherein when the type of phone associated with the caller is determined, the respective measurement algorithm is selected based at least in part on the type of phone associated with the caller; and

matching, by the one or more computers, the caller to an agent based at least in part on the selected measurement algorithm,

wherein the at least two pattern matching algorithms are optimized for different output performances, and

wherein the output performance for at least one of the two pattern matching algorithms comprises at least one selected from the group of cost, revenue, sales, handle time, and customer satisfaction.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the type of phone is determined from a phone number associated with the caller.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the type of phone comprises one or more of a residential phone, mobile phone, or business phone.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the type of phone is determined from Billing Telephone Number (BTN) data associated with the caller.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein at least two of the at least two different measurement algorithms each comprise a pattern matching algorithm, and each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained differently.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained on past caller data and agent data for agent-caller pairs matched according to the pattern matching algorithm.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained on past caller data and agent data for a respective type of BTN data.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the two pattern matching algorithms comprises a neural network algorithm.

21. The system of claim 13 , wherein one of the measurement algorithms comprises a performance based matching algorithm.

22. The system of claim 13 , wherein one of the measurement algorithms does not comprise a pattern matching algorithm.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions for carrying out the method of:

determining, by one or more computers, a type of phone associated with a caller, from among a plurality of types including a residential type and a business type;

selecting a measurement algorithm, by the one or more computers, from among at least a first measurement algorithm and a second measurement algorithm for matching a caller to one of a plurality of agents, wherein at least two of the measurement algorithms are pattern matching algorithms, wherein when the type of phone associated with the caller is determined, the respective measurement algorithm is selected based at least in part on the type of phone associated with the caller; and

matching, by the one or more computers, the caller to an agent based at least in part on the selected measurement algorithm,

wherein the at least two pattern matching algorithms are optimized for different output performances, and

wherein the output performance for at least one of the two pattern matching algorithms comprises at least one selected from the group of cost, revenue, sales, handle time, and customer satisfaction.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the type of phone is determined from a phone number associated with the caller.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the type of phone comprises one or more of a residential phone, mobile phone, or business phone.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the type of phone is determined from Billing Telephone Number (BTN) data associated with the caller.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 26 , wherein at least two of the at least two different measurement algorithms each comprise a pattern matching algorithm, and each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained differently.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27 , wherein each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained on past caller data and agent data for agent-caller pairs matched according to the pattern matching algorithm.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27 , wherein each of the pattern matching algorithms is trained on past caller data and agent data for a respective type of BTN data.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27 , wherein at least one of the two pattern matching algorithms comprises a neural network algorithm.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein one of the measurement algorithms comprises a performance based matching algorithm.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein one of the measurement algorithms does not comprise a pattern matching algorithm.

Assignments (12)
RELEASE AND TERMINATION OF PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 16, 2025
From: VCP CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC
To: AFINITI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 070866/0614 →
PATENT ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: AFINITI AI HOLDINGS LLC
To: AFINITI AI LIMITED
Reel/Frame 069817/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: AFINITI AI LIMITED
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 069816/0858 →
PATENT ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: AFINITI, LTD.
To: AFINITI AI HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 069816/0656 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 26, 2024
From: AFINITI, LTD.
To: VCP CAPITAL MARKETS, LLC
Reel/Frame 068793/0261 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 14, 2020
From: AFINITI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: AFINITI, LTD.
Reel/Frame 054046/0775 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2019
From: ORIX GROWTH CAPITAL, LLC (F/K/A ORIX VENTURES, LLC)
To: AFINITI, LTD. (F/K/A SATMAP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.)
Reel/Frame 049444/0836 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT TO REMOVE PATENT NUMBER 6996948 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 036917 FRAME: 0627. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jul 28, 2017
From: SATMAP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: ORIX VENTURES, LLC
Reel/Frame 043452/0193 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 11, 2016
From: SATMAP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: AFINITI INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 038664/0965 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2015
From: SATMAP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: ORIX VENTURES, LLC
Reel/Frame 036917/0627 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2013
From: THE RESOURCE GROUP INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: SATMAP INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 031705/0498 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 12, 2009
From: SPOTTISWOODE, S. JAMES P.
To: THE RESOURCE GROUP INTERNATIONAL LTD
Reel/Frame 022252/0710 →