U.S. patent application number 10/122632 was filed with the patent office on 2002-11-28 for monitoring system client with call center layout and design capabilities.
This patent application is currently assigned to MCI Communications Corporation. Invention is credited to Atkinson, Wesley J., Hunt, J. Wren.
Application Number | 20020175943 10/122632 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25475030 |
Filed Date | 2002-11-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020175943 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hunt, J. Wren ; et
al. |
November 28, 2002 |
Monitoring system client with call center layout and design
capabilities
Abstract
A monitoring system monitors calling activity within a call
center. The monitoring system includes a client program that may be
run on a workstation. The monitoring system also includes a
computerized tool for building a model of the call center's
physical layout. The client program displays a graphical user
interface that contains status information about agents in the call
center and statistics regarding calling activity within the call
center. The graphical user interface may depict a model of all or a
portion of the call center's physical layout. A builder prepares a
computerized model of the call center using the call center layout
tool. The builder may use the call center layout tool to update the
computerized model of the call center. Information about agents,
supervisors, and business clients may be obtained from the
graphical user interface.
Inventors: |
Hunt, J. Wren; (Colorado
Springs, CO) ; Atkinson, Wesley J.; (Woodland Park,
CO) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WORLDCOM, INC.
TECHNOLOGY LAW DEPARTMENT
1133 19TH STREET NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20036
US
|
Assignee: |
MCI Communications
Corporation
Washington
DC
|
Family ID: |
25475030 |
Appl. No.: |
10/122632 |
Filed: |
April 15, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10122632 |
Apr 15, 2002 |
|
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08940549 |
Sep 30, 1997 |
|
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6466663 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/771 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M 3/5175 20130101;
H04M 2242/30 20130101; H04M 2201/42 20130101; H04M 3/51 20130101;
Y10S 715/969 20130101; G06F 3/0481 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
345/771 |
International
Class: |
G09G 005/00 |
Claims
1. An authoring tool for aiding a builder in the preparation of a
call center, comprising: a graphical workspace upon which to
construct a computerized model of the call center; a first set of
computerized tools representing call center components; and a
second set of computerized tools configured to place and to
manipulate, selectively, the call center components on the
graphical workspace to create the computerized model of the call
center.
2. The authoring tool of claim 1 wherein the call center components
comprise agent stations, walls, and transports between the agent
stations, and wherein the first set of computerized tools displays
the call center components as graphical icons on an icon
palette.
3. The authoring tool of claim 1 wherein the second set of
computerized tools includes tools for copying, moving, and
manipulating graphical icons representing call center
components.
4. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a saving tool
to store the computerized model in a data repository.
5. The authoring tool of claim 1 wherein the computerized model may
be stored in a data repository and wherein the authoring tool
further comprises an update tool permitting updates to the
computerized model to reflect changes in the call center.
6. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a third set of
computerized tools for matching call center properties with call
center components, wherein call center properties include a logical
workstation number for an agent workstation within the call
center.
7. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a storing tool
for storing the computerized model in a data repository in a format
suitable for access by a system for monitoring calling activity
within the call center.
8. The authoring tool of claim 1 wherein the call center components
include a transport between the computerized model and another
computerized model and the first set of computerized tools displays
the transport as a transport icon, and wherein the authoring tool
further comprises a linking tool that provides a pointer that links
a first document file containing the computerized model with a
second document file containing the another computerized model.
9. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a third set of
computerized tools configured to link call center properties with
computerized information representing agents assigned to the call
center.
10. The authoring tool of claim 1 wherein the authoring tool is
configured for access by another program.
11. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a security
tool that restricts use of the first set of computerized tools and
the second set of computerized tools without a proper
authorization.
12. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a searching
tool configured to search through a call center database to locate
records for agents assigned to the call center.
13. The authoring tool of claim 1 wherein the authoring tool
provides a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) output based on
selected input.
14. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising another
graphical workspace configured for preparation of another
computerized model representing logical characteristics of the call
center; wherein the another computerized model may be linked to the
computerized model.
15. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a context
sensitive help tool.
16. The authoring tool of claim 1 wherein more than one builder may
concurrently access the first and second set of computerized tools
to create cooperatively the computerized model representing the
call center.
17. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a TCP/IP
socket for remotely accessing the authoring tool.
18. The authoring tool of claim 1, further comprising a retrieval
tool configured to retrieve a prepared computerized model
representing a call center and edit the prepared computerized model
using the first set of computerized tools and the second set of
computerized tools.
19. In a computer system, a method of modeling a call center,
comprising the computer-implemented steps of: displaying a
graphical workspace upon which to construct a computerized model of
the call center; providing a first computerized tool set having
call center components; providing a second computerized tool set
for manipulating the call center components; and receiving
instructions for positioning and manipulating the call center
components on the graphical workspace to construct the computerized
model of the call center.
20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein the call
center components comprise agent stations, walls, and transports
between the agent stations, wherein providing the first
computerized tool set includes presenting the call center
components as graphical icons on an icon palette.
21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein providing
the second computerized tool set includes providing tools for
copying, moving, and manipulating graphical icons representing call
center components.
22. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising
a step for storing the computerized model in a data repository and
a step for allowing updates to the computerized model to reflect
changes in the call center.
23. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising
providing a third computerized tool set configured for matching
call center properties with call center components, wherein call
center properties include a logical workstation number for a
workstation within the call center.
24. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein the call
center components include a transport that links the computerized
model with another computerized model, and wherein the
computer-implemented method further comprises the steps of:
receiving the instructions to place a transport between the
computerized model and the another computerized model; and placing
a pointer between a first document file representing the
computerized model and a second document file representing the
another computerized model.
25. In a computer system, a computer-readable medium holding
computer-executable instructions for performing a method for
creating a call center, comprising: displaying a graphical
workspace upon which to construct a computerized call center
physical model; generating and displaying a first tool set
containing call center components, wherein the call center
components include walls and agent cubes; and generating and
displaying a second tool set configured for placement and
manipulation of the call center components on the graphical
workspace to create the computerized call center physical
model.
26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:
displaying another graphical workspace upon which to construct a
computerized call center logical model; and linking the
computerized call center physical model to the computerized call
center logical model to form the computerized model of the call
center, wherein the first tool set includes logical call center
components and the second tool set permits entry of data into the
logical call center components.
27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:
performing a data integrity check which examines the computerized
call center physical model and call center agent data to determine
if the computerized model of the call center is suitable for
receiving statistical data pertaining to activity within the call
center.
28. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the second
tool set includes tools for copying, moving, and manipulating
graphical icons representing call center components.
29. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein the
computerized call center physical model may be stored in a data
repository.
30. A method for constructing a call center, comprising: building a
first computerized model representing physical structures in the
call center, wherein the first computerized model includes call
center components such as agent stations; building a second
computerized model representing logical relationships within the
call center, wherein the second computerized model includes
identification data for call center agents; and linking the first
and second computerized models together to form a computerized call
center model.
31. A method for constructing a computerized model of a structure
comprising: displaying a first graphical workspace upon which to
construct a computerized physical model of at least a portion of
the structure; displaying a second graphical workspace upon which
to construct a computerized logical model of at least a portion of
the structure, wherein the computerized logical model represents
logical relationships; generating and displaying a first tool set
containing at least one component of the structure; generating and
displaying a second tool set configured to place and to manipulate
the at least one component on the first and second graphical
workspaces to construct the computerized physical model of the
structure and the computerized logical model of the structure;
linking the computerized physical model of the structure and the
computerized logical model of the structure to form the
computerized model; and formatting the computerized model for
display.
32. The method of claim 31, further comprising generating and
displaying a third tool set configured to perform a data integrity
check by comparing the computerized physical model of the structure
and the computerized logical model of the structure.
33. The method of claim 31, wherein the computerized logical model
represents logical relationships within the structure.
34. The method of claim 31, wherein the structure is a call
center.
35. The method of claim 31, wherein at least one of the components
of the structure is an agent station.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 08/940,549, "Monitoring System Client For A
Call Center," filed Sep. 30, 1997, now pending.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to
telecommunications systems and, more particularly, to a
computerized call center layout tool for use with a call center
monitoring system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A typical call center includes a number of agents who field
inbound telephone calls and place outbound telephone calls. Each
agent has an associated station that includes a personal computer
or workstation, a phone pad and a head set. The agent may place
outbound sales calls or field inbound calls (such as 800 number
calls) from potential customers. The agents are organized into
groups, and the agents have supervisors, who are responsible for
supervising the agents. Each agent may receive or place calls for
different business clients.
[0004] One of the difficulties encountered in such a call center is
the difficulty of monitoring the phone activity of the agents. It
is difficult for a supervisor to obtain useful information about
the activities of agents in a timely fashion. Such a lack of
information makes it difficult for a supervisor to properly manage
the agents and increase the profitability of the call center. In
general, a supervisor must perform manual analysis and calculation
to obtain useful data regarding agent performance. The frequency
with which the physical layout within a call center changes and the
high turnover rates among the agents within a call center further
complicate a supervisor's analytical activities. Additionally, it
is difficult to construct the layout of the call center whether the
call center layout is being revised or newly established. Further,
it is difficult for a call center manager to monitor activities of
related agents, adjacent stations, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The invention addresses the limitations of the prior art by
providing a computerized call center layout tool that facilitates
constructing and updating a computerized model representing a call
center's physical and logical structures. A computerized monitoring
system utilizes the computerized call center model in monitoring
the call center's agents. The monitoring system may display status
information and statistics regarding agent activity superimposed
over a graphical depiction of the call center model.
[0006] The call center layout tool provides a first tool set,
comprising a graphically depicted toolbox including icons. The
icons in the first tool set represent call center components such
as agent workstations and cubicles. The call center layout tool
provides a second tool set that permits a call center layout
builder to access rapidly and to position intuitively the call
center components on a map. Using the first and second tool sets,
the builder constructs or updates a model of the call center's
physical and logical structures. The call center layout tool
provides a third tool set that allows the builder to link the call
center physical and logical structures together to complete the
call center model. While layout design tools exist, for example,
drag and drop drawing programs by Visio Corporation, such programs
fail to provide logical structures, as well as links to other data,
excluding statistical data.
[0007] The call center layout tool enables multiple builders to
construct a call center model cooperatively and to construct the
call center model from remote locations. The call center layout
tool allows builders to perform a data integrity check on the call
center model using a call center data repository that includes call
center information such as data regarding call center agents. The
call center layout tool further allows builders to save call center
models and update the call center model as changes occur within the
call center.
[0008] The monitoring system enables a supervisor to view
information regarding all of the agents under supervision. The
monitoring system may use the call center model to graphically
display status and statistical data regarding call center agents.
The supervisor may elect to alter the present arrangement of agents
in the call center based upon agent performance information
received from the monitoring system. The call center layout tool
allows the supervisor to update the call center model to reflect
changes in the call center.
[0009] The invention further provides a method for constructing a
computerized model of a structure. A first graphical workspace is
displayed upon which a builder may construct or update a
computerized physical model of at least a portion of the structure.
A second graphical workspace is displayed upon which a builder may
construct or update a computerized logical model of at least a
portion of the structure. The computerized logical model represents
logical relationships within the structure. A first tool set is
generated and displayed comprising at least one component of the
structure. A second tool set configured to place and to manipulate
at least one component on the first and second graphical workspaces
is generated and displayed for construction of the computerized
physical model of the structure and the computerized logical model
of the structure. The computerized physical model of the structure
and the computerized logical model of the structure are linked to
form the computerized model. The resulting computerized model is
formatted for display.
[0010] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method
for constructing a call center is provided. In this method, a first
computerized model is built representing physical structures in the
call center. The first computerized model includes call center
components such as agent stations. A second computerized model is
built representing logical relationships within the call center.
The second computerized model includes identification data for call
center agents. The first and second computerized models are linked
together to form a computerized call center model.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be
described below relative to the following figures.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portion of a
telecommunications system that is suitable for practicing a
preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 provides an illustrative embodiment of the call
center layout tool of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 3 depicts a transport object linking together two call
center models.
[0015] FIG. 4 depicts a series of agent detail objects used to
construct a detailed mode map.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates the
supervisor/control workstation of FIG. 1 in more detail.
[0017] FIG. 6 depicts an object architecture that is suitable for
practicing the preferred embodiment of the monitoring system of the
invention.
[0018] FIG. 7 shows a screen shot of a window produced by the
monitoring system client that contains a complete call center
view.
[0019] FIG. 8 depicts a pop-up window that displays information
about a business client.
[0020] FIG. 9 depicts hot spots for navigating to display a bay
view or pod view.
[0021] FIG. 10 is a screen shot that depicts a window produced by
the monitoring system client where a bay view is displayed that
contains call statistics.
[0022] FIG. 11 is a screen shot that depicts a window produced by
the monitoring system client where business client information is
displayed that contains call statistics.
[0023] FIG. 12 is a screen shot that depicts a window produced by
the monitoring system client that contains a pod view.
[0024] FIG. 13 is a screen shot that shows a window produced by the
monitoring system client wherein a supervisor view is
displayed.
[0025] FIG. 14 depicts a pop-up window that displays agent
information.
[0026] FIG. 15 depicts network ports for the call center layout
tool.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a
monitoring system for a call center. The monitoring system includes
a call center layout tool for building and updating computerized
models of the call center's physical layout and agent stations and
a client application program that displays information regarding
agent activity and call statistics on an intuitive user interface.
The user interface depicts a computerized call center model, which
has been built using the call center layout tool, and displays with
the computerized call center model useful information about agents
and calling activity. The client application program may provide
different views of the computerized call center model. In
particular, the client application program may display the entire
call center, a single bay of the call center, or a single pod of
the call center.
[0028] A builder constructs a computerized call center model using
the call center layout tool. The builder may be the call center
monitor or any knowledgeable person having the appropriate
authorization for accessing the call center layout tool. The call
center layout tool provides the call center builder with a palette
of graphical icons representing call center resources. These call
center resources, which will be further described below, include
agent stations, walls, and transports. By selecting icons and
placing them on a map, the builder may create a computerized call
center model that mirrors the physical layout of the monitored call
center and its agent stations. The call system monitor may then
monitor the real-time performance of the call center by viewing the
graphical display of the call center model.
[0029] The user interface of the related client application program
displays information regarding each agent, including agent name,
average handling time (AHT), average work time (AWT) and average
talk time (ATT). Information regarding how many calls an agent has
handled relative to a particular business client is also
maintained. Graphical information is displayed to indicate whether
an agent is available, unavailable, working on a call, or is in an
error or unknown state. This graphical information may be overlaid
on the computerized call center model that has been developed by
the call center layout tool.
[0030] The client application program also displays statistical
information regarding call types. For example, the statistical
information may be displayed that specifies the number of outbound
calls, the number of internal calls (i.e., within the call center)
and the number of inbound calls currently being handled.
Statistical information may also be displayed regarding calls on a
per business client basis. Statistics regarding how many calls were
received for each type of business client that is being serviced by
the call center may also be displayed. The statistics may be
displayed in graphical format to provide a visual tool for
analyzing activity within the call center. The statistical
information may also be displayed in conjunction with the
computerized call center model.
[0031] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a portion of a
telecommunications network that is suitable for practicing a
preferred embodiment of the invention. The telecommunications
network includes a call center 10 that is connected to a public
switched telephone network (PSTN) 12 via a voice trunk 14. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that the call center 10 may also
be alternately connected to other types of networks from which
calls may originate. The call center 10 includes an automatic call
distributor (ACD) 16 or other switching mechanism for distributing
incoming calls within the call center. The ACD 16 is connected via
a voice trunk 18 to agent stations 20. These agent stations 20
include a workstation or personal computer, a phone pad and a head
set. Agents are stationed at the stations 20 and the agents utilize
the resources contained therein to process calls. The ACD 16 is
also connected via a voice trunk 22 to a voice response unit (VRU)
24. The VRU 24 automates call processing. The VRU 24 may be used to
collect information such as account numbers, credit card numbers
and service requests from a caller. The VRU 24 is connected to a
computer/telephone integration (CTI) server 30 via a data link 26.
The CTI server 30 extracts call data from the ACD 16. In
particular, the CTI server 30 abstracts raw call data from the ACD
16 into useful statistical data. The CTI server 30 also distributes
data in the form of events. The CTI server 30 may run as a separate
process on a dedicated computer system. A suitable CTI server is
the T Server produced by Genesys Labs of San Bruno, Calif. The CTI
server 30 is connected to the ACD 16 via data link 28 and is
connected to the agent stations 20 via data link 32.
[0032] CTI monitoring server (CTIMS) 36 is connected to the CTI
server 30 via data link 34. The CTIMS 36 may be implemented on a
dedicated computer or on a shared computer. The CTIMS 36 compiles
statistical data that is collected from the CTI server 30 into
useful data for presentation and management at the
supervisor/control workstations 38. This data is utilized by the
client application program of the preferred embodiment of the
present invention, as will be described in more detail below. The
CTIMS 36 registers with the CTI server 30 to receive all events
that are output by the CTI server 30. Examples of events that are
output by the CTI server 30 include events indicating calls
received, calls routed, calls answered, and calls disconnected. The
CTIMS 36 categorizes the events into groups, such as by agent, by
supervisor, by call type, by business type and the like. The CTIMS
36 also calculates certain statistics such as average call handling
times. A suitable implementation of CTIMS is described in copending
application entitled, "Computer/Telephony Interface Monitoring
Server," U.S. application Ser. No. 08/940,547, which is explicitly
incorporated by reference herein.
[0033] The CTIMS 36 is connected to an automated resource
management system (ARMS) 44 via data link 46. The ARMS 44 provides
management of resource data for the call center. The ARMS 44 is
largely a database on a server that comprises interfaces for access
by CTIMS 36 and supervisor/control workstations 38.
[0034] A call center builder uses a call center layout tool 50 to
construct a computerized model of the physical layout of the call
center. The call center layout tool 50, which may be a PC-based
computer program, sends data representing the call center model to
the supervisor control workstation 38 through data link 51. The
call center layout tool 50 may also send data to the ARMS 44 and
receive data from the ARMS 44 along link 51. In some embodiments of
the invention, the call center layout tool 50 may link agent
station 20 data from the ARMS 44 to the computerized call center
model.
[0035] It should be appreciated that data links 26, 32, 34, 40, 42,
48, and 51 may all be implemented as local area network (LAN)
connections. A suitable LAN is an Ethernet LAN.
[0036] FIG. 2 provides an illustrative embodiment of the call
center layout tool 50 of the invention. The call center layout tool
50 operates as a graphical user interface (GUI) application in this
embodiment and provides a "What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get" (WYSIWYG)
design tool for graphically constructing a computerized model of a
call center. The computerized call center model may then be
displayed on the supervisor/control workstation 38 in conjunction
with the call center agent monitoring program described below. The
call center layout tool's graphical design environment utilizes
well-known graphical techniques such as drag-and-drop,
rubber-banding, and stretchable controls (adjusting window size) as
tools for modeling a call center. The call center layout tool 50
provides the builder with a multiple document interface (MDI) for
concurrent modeling of an unlimited number of call centers.
[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the call center layout tool 50 provides
a screen display 201 that is used by a builder to construct a call
center model 219. The builder selects icons from an icon palette
202 and places them on a map 203. The icon palette 202 comprises a
first tool set that provides the builder with the components needed
for constructing the call center model 219. The first tool set
provides icons representing call center components, such as a cube
204, a wall 205, a transport 207, and an agent detail icon 208.
[0038] A cube icon, such as the cube 204, represents call center
agent cubicles or workstations. When the builder selects the cube
icon 204, the call center layout tool 50 enters a "cube mode" that
allows the builder to place multiple cube objects 209 on the map
203. In the cube mode, the builder may place and manipulate the
cube objects 209 by accessing an appropriate key, such as a mouse
button. The builder's ability to place and manipulate call center
components, such as the cube object 209, comprises a second tool
set within the call center layout tool 50.
[0039] When the builder first places a cube object 209 on the map
203, the cube object 209 has no assigned properties. If the builder
accesses an appropriate key, such as a right mouse key, the builder
receives a message stating "no properties assigned" for the cube
object 209. The builder may assign or modify properties of the cube
object 209 at this time or later. Once properties have been
assigned to the cube object 209, then when the builder accesses the
appropriate key, the cube object's properties will be displayed. A
cube object's properties include a logical workstation number (LWN)
for the agent workstation. As described in detail below, the call
center monitoring system uses the LWN to link statistics from the
CTIMS 36 and properties from the ARMS 44 for a given Agent Station
20 with the cube object 209 that represents an Agent Station 20.
The call center layout tool's ability to link the call center model
219 with other call center properties, such as agent properties,
comprises a third tool set.
[0040] The builder may place and manipulate a wall object 210 in a
manner similar to that which the builder emplaces the cube object
209. When the builder selects wall icon 205, the builder enters
into a "wall mode" and may draw walls 210 on the map 203. Wall
objects 210 represent barriers in the call center and have no
assigned properties, so the builder's task ends once he has
satisfactorily placed the wall object 210 on the map 203.
[0041] The builder uses a transport icon 207 to link two different
call center models. When the builder selects the transport icon
207, the builder enters into the "transport mode" and may place a
transport object on the map 203 by accessing an appropriate key,
such as a mouse button. The transport mode will be discussed
below.
[0042] The builder selects an agent detail icon 208 for the map 203
in the same way as the other icons. When the builder selects the
agent detail icon 208, the builder enters into the "agent detail
mode." In the agent detail mode, the builder then assigns an LWN as
a property to an agent detail object, as will be discussed
below.
[0043] The builder uses a reposition icon 206 for moving a
previously placed call center object to a new location on the map
203. When the builder selects the reposition icon 206, the builder
enters into the "reposition mode" in which the builder may
reposition any object on the map 203 by selecting it and dragging
it to a new position. In the reposition mode, the builder may also
select an object then engage an appropriate key, such as a right
mouse button, in order to display the object's properties.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the screen display of the call center
layout tool 50 presents the builder with additional tools for
constructing the call center model 219. The builder may use a data
lock icon 211 to specify that another builder has authorization for
changing the map 203 while excluding other potential builders. The
call center layout tool 50 provides the builder with a security
mechanism which includes access rights for both editing and
creating the call center model 219. Builders without the
appropriate access rights may not alter the call center model
219.
[0045] The builder uses an agent icon 212 to search through the
ARMS 44 database to locate a particular agent's name or to locate a
specific LWN. The call center layout tool 50 also provides the
builder with an option for automatically checking the ARMS 44
database to locate updates to a call center model 219, or document
files, subsequent to the loading of a particular call center
model.
[0046] The builder uses a pencil icon 213 to modify the shape of a
call center component, such as the wall 210. The pencil icon 213
enables the builder to accurately represent irregular shapes within
a call center's physical layout such as a curve. In a similar
manner, a hammer icon 214 may be used for making small
modifications to a call center component, such as the wall icon
210. For example, the hammer icon 214 may be utilized by the
builder to represent a small indentation in an otherwise smooth
wall in the call center.
[0047] The builder may use a map icon 215 as a means for locating
which portion of a large call center model is presently being
displayed on the map 203. Thus, for very large call center models,
the builder may only see a portion of the call center model 219 on
the map 203 at any one time, but may visually reference the map
icon 215 to determine which portion of the call center model 219 is
presently displayed in the map 203.
[0048] A multi-function knife icon 216 may be utilized by the
builder to modify various settings in the call center layout tool
50. For example, the builder may use the knife icon 216 to engage a
"snap-to-grid" setting. The builder may also use the knife icon 216
to engage other functionality, such as a context-sensitive help
function. The context-sensitive help function provides the builder
with information about each of the icons and other tools provided
for the builder's use in constructing the call center model
219.
[0049] The builder uses a flashlight icon 217 to illuminate or
highlight a portion of the map 203. For example, the builder may
wish to highlight the location of a call center manager's location.
The builder may use a camera icon 218 to make a computerized
snapshot of the call center model 219. The call center layout tool
50 stores the snapshot as a bit mapped object in one embodiment.
The builder may print out the computerized snapshot to compare the
computerized call center model 219 against the physical call center
or may send copies of the snapshot to call center management or
other supervisory personnel.
[0050] When the builder has completed the call center model 219 on
the map 203, he assigns the call center model 219 to an actual call
center by selecting a call center name from a list box. The call
center layout tool 50 then stores the call center model 219 as a
document file on the supervisor/control workstation 38.
[0051] The builder may next select an "apply to production
database" option provided by the call center layout tool 50. This
option causes the call center layout tool 50 to copy the document
file to the ARMS 44 database and perform a data integrity check.
The data integrity check matches the call center to which the
document file is assigned to a table of LWNs for the call center
stored in the ARMS 44. The integrity check ensures the validity of
all LWNs assigned to cubes 209 in the document file for the call
center and also ensures that the builder has assigned each LWN for
the call center to a cube 209 in the document file.
[0052] Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2 and the Microsoft Foundation
Classes (MFC) have been used to encode the software for the call
center layout tool 50. The MFC architecture simplifies
incorporation of advanced Windows features such as print preview,
floating dockable toolbars, context-sensitive help and property
pages. Of course, the call center layout tool 50 may be built using
any one of a variety of programming systems known to those skilled
in the computer modeling arts.
[0053] One embodiment of the call center layout tool 50 operates on
all 32-bit Microsoft operating systems, such as Windows 95, Windows
NT 3.51, and Windows NT 4.0. An Intersolve Oracle V7.0 ODBC driver
provides the call center layout tool 50 with access to the ARMS
database 44. The call center layout tool 50 may be designed to
operate on any computing system known to those skilled in the art
of computer programming. An exemplary embodiment of the call center
layout tool 50 may be constructed without third party OLE
controls.
[0054] In an alternate embodiment, the call center layout tool 50
uses MFC TCP/IP sockets to allow one or more distributed builders
to simultaneously edit the same call center model, with each
builder viewing the actions of the other builders in real time. For
example, a call center may be cooperatively constructed by builders
representing each of the call center's initial customers. Thus,
each builder may contribute to the construction of one call center
model. In another alternate embodiment, the builder may remotely
access the call center layout tool 50 to construct a new call
center model or to update an existing call center model. As shown
in FIG. 15, remote access to the call center layout tool 50 may be
provided through a mechanism such as network ports 1501.
[0055] FIG. 3 depicts a transport object linking two call center
models together. When the builder selects the transport icon 207,
the builder enters into the "transport mode" and may place a
transport object 301 on the map 203 by accessing an appropriate
key, such as a mouse button. Transport objects 301 represent both
physical and logical connections between parts of a call center.
For example, the transport object 301 may represent physical
connections between portions of a call center, such as a stairway
or passageway. On the other hand, the transport object 301 may
represent a logical connection between portions of a call center,
such as two portions of a call center that are both dedicated to a
single customer. The transport object's main property is a
destination map, or the location of another call center model to be
linked to the call center model 219 on the map 203. The builder
accesses a transport object property window 302 through an
appropriate key such as a right mouse key.
[0056] The builder stores call center models in a document file.
After placing the transport object 301 on the map 203, the builder
then assigns to the transport object property window 302 the name
of another destination map, which may represent another call
center, another floor of the same call center, another section of
the same call center floor, a detailed mode map, or any other type
of map. In an exemplary embodiment, the destination map assignment
property for the transport object property window 302 comprises a
pointer to the document file that comprises the other call center
model. Thus, the transport object 301 creates a pointer between the
document file for the call center model 219 on the map 203 and the
document file for another call center model. As will be discussed
later, a user may view the other call center model by accessing
appropriate keys, such as a double click on a mouse.
[0057] The builder may construct call center models on several maps
203 and then link those call center models together with transport
objects 301. The map 203 may include multiple links through
transport objects 301. This procedure may be helpful when the call
center supervisor has two groups of agents located in two different
call centers that both serve the same customer. In this situation,
the call center supervisor may view performance data for both
groups of agents together by utilizing a transport object 301 that
links the two call center models together.
[0058] FIG. 4 depicts a series of agent detail objects used to
construct a detailed mode map 403. The builder selects an agent
detail icon 208 in the same way as the other icons. When the
builder selects the agent detail icon 208, the builder enters into
the "agent detail mode" and may then place an agent detail object
401 on the map 203 by accessing an appropriate key, such as a mouse
button. Agent detail objects 401 comprise information pertaining to
specific agents within the call center.
[0059] To enter information for an agent represented by a
particular agent detail object 401, the builder accesses an
appropriate key, such as a right mouse click, which invokes an
agent detail window 402. The builder may enter an agent's name and
assign an LWN as a property of the agent detail object 401 by
entering the appropriate information in the agent detail window
402. The builder may place agent detail objects 401 on the map 203
and assign LWNs to those objects in addition to placing cubes, such
as cubes 209 of FIG. 2, on the map 203 to represent agents. By
placing agent detail objects 401 on the map 203, the builder
constructs the detailed mode map 403 for the call center. The
detailed mode map 403 includes logical information regarding the
call center, such as agent status information, and complements the
physical call center information in the call center model 219. The
builder may then link the physical call center model 219 to the
detailed mode map 403 using a transport 207.
[0060] The detailed mode map 403 is discussed in greater detail
below with reference to FIG. 10. In general, when a user accesses
an appropriate key, such as a right mouse click, the agent detail
icon 401 displays performance statistics for its respective LWN,
such average handling time (AHT), average work time (AWT), and
average talk time (ATT). The ARMS 44 prepares these statistics and
includes the name of the agent presently assigned to the LWN.
[0061] FIG. 5 depicts the format of a suitable supervisor/control
workstation 38 for practicing the preferred embodiment of he
present invention. The supervisor/control workstations 38 are the
personal computers or workstations that are used by the agent
supervisors. The workstation 38 includes a central processing unit
(CPU) 53 for overseeing operation of the workstation. The
workstation 38 may also include a number of peripheral devices,
including a keyboard 52, a mouse 54 and a video display 56. A modem
58 may be included for enabling the workstation 38 to communicate
with remote computing resources over conventional telephone lines.
A network adapter 60 may be included to enable the workstation 38
to be connected to a local area network. The workstation 38
includes both primary memory 64 and secondary storage 62. The
primary memory 64 may hold a number of different types of data and
programs. These programs may include an operating system 66 and a
client application program 68 that is responsible for providing a
graphical user interface (GUI) to the user of the workstation 38 to
display information regarding call center activity. The application
program 68 retrieves the computerized call center model, such as
the call center model shown in FIG. 2, and overlays additional call
center information on this model. The client application program 68
is known as the monitoring system client. The secondary storage may
hold data 70 that is used by the monitoring system client.
[0062] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the call
center 10 may have a different configuration than that depicted in
FIG. 1. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the
workstation depicted in FIG. 5 is intended to be merely
illustrative and not limiting of the invention. The invention may
be practiced with different call center configurations and
workstation configurations.
[0063] In an alternate embodiment, the call center design tool 50
may be included as an optional series of commands on the client
application program 68.
[0064] Before reviewing operation of the monitoring system client
68 in more detail, it is useful to review how calls are processed
by the call center. Initially, a call originates from the PSTN 12
and is sent over the voice trunk 14 to the ACD 16. The ACD 16
decides where the call should be sent. The call is routed over
voice trunk 22 to the VRU 24. The VRU 24 includes voice messages
for obtaining information from the caller. As was mentioned above,
the VRU 24 may collect information such as account numbers, credit
card numbers and service requests. The gathered information is
passed over the data link 26 to the CTI server 30. The CTI server
30, in turn, passes the data to the agent workstation 20 that will
be servicing the call. The ACD 16 then switches the call to the
agent station 20 that is to handle the call. An application may be
run on the agent workstation to provide a screen pop with the
information that has been collected by the VRU 24 so that the agent
at the agent station 20 has the collected information available.
The agent accepts the call and processes it accordingly. Additional
information about the caller may be retrieved from ARMS 44.
[0065] As was mentioned above, the ACD 16 outputs information
regarding the routing and processing of calls over data link 28 to
the CTI server 30. The CTI server 30 outputs events that are
received by CTIMS 36 over data link 34. These events are processed
and categorized by CTIMS 36 and sent over data link 40 to the
monitoring system client 68. The monitoring system client 68 uses
this information to generate the GUI on the video display 56 to
help the supervisor monitor activity within the call center. The
GUI will be described in more detail below.
[0066] It should be appreciated that the monitoring system client
68 receives two types of information from the CTIMS 36. Sockets,
such as found in the UNIX operating system, are used for
interprocess communication between the monitoring system client 68
and CTIMS 36. A separate socket is provided for each type of
information. The first type of information is state change
information that indicates a change in the state of an agent. An
agent may generally be in one of the following states: unavailable,
available, call work, on call, error or unknown. When the agent is
in an unavailable state, the agent is not available for processing
calls. When the agent is in an available state, the agent is not
currently processing a call and is available to process calls. When
the agent is in the on call state, the agent is handling a call.
When the agent is in the call work state, the agent is done
handling a call but is working on the call data. When the agent is
in an error state, an error has occurred. An agent also may be in
an unknown state. The system also monitors call type. Examples of
call type are outbound call, conference call, internal call or
business call (wherein the business is known).
[0067] When an agent changes states (e.g., completes a call), CTIMS
36 sends an event that specifies the change in state. For example,
if an agent changes from being unavailable to available, CTIMS 36
generates an event that is sent to the monitoring system client
68.
[0068] The CTIMS 36 also provides a second type of information:
statistical information. This statistical information is used by
the monitoring system client 68 and is displayed as part of the GUI
produced by the monitoring system client. For purposes of
efficiency, the statistical information is not continuously fed to
the workstation 38; rather, the monitoring system client 68 polls
CTIMS 36 on a periodic basis (such as every 5 seconds) to receive
updated statistical information from the CTIMS. The monitoring
system client 68 includes code for receiving the statistics and
updating information accordingly.
[0069] The monitoring system adopts an object-oriented
architecture. FIG. 6 illustrates a number of the object classes
that are utilized within this architecture. Business objects are
provided for each business client that is being serviced by the
call center. The business objects are of the business object class
74. Agent objects are created for each agent within the call
center. The agent objects are of the agent object class 76 and hold
information regarding specific agents in the call center. The agent
objects may hold information regarding the identity of the agent,
the supervisor of the agent, telephone information for the agent,
statistical information regarding the agent, state information
regarding the agent and the identity of businesses for which the
agent may process calls. Information regarding supervisors of
agents is stored in the objects of the supervisor object class 78.
Each call center may have an associated center object of the center
object class 82.
[0070] The group object class 80 is provided and serves as an
abstract base class from which classes can be derived to maintain
statistical information pertaining to a defined group of agents.
Each group may have an associated object of the group object type
80. Each center object holds information regarding the associated
call center.
[0071] The CTIMonitor object class 84 is for objects that are
responsible for receiving and broadcasting information from and to
the CTI server 30. This information may include agent user IDs and
passwords, directory numbers assigned to agents and phone pads used
by agents. The config object class 88 is for objects that maintain
configuration information. Each socket has an associated instance
of the IS ("intelligence service") object class 89. These sockets
are used to communicate with instances of the monitoring system
client that are of the UA ("user agent") object class 91.
[0072] The ARMS 44 maintains information regarding the agents,
supervisors, and business information. The ARMS 44 may also include
call center model information, such as that shown in FIG. 2. As was
mentioned above, this information is encapsulated into objects of
different object classes. In particular, agent information is
encapsulated into instances of the agent object type 76,
information regarding supervisors is encapsulated into instances of
the supervisor object type 78 and business information is
encapsulated into objects of the business object type 74. The CTIMS
36 maintains information about these objects and passes this
information along with the statistical data to the monitoring
system client 68 around on the supervisor/control workstations
38.
[0073] The monitoring system client 68 generates a GUI that depicts
a portion or all of the call center model. The call center layout
tool 50 has prepared the display of the call center shown. The
monitoring system client 68 may retrieve information regarding the
computerized call center model. The monitoring system client 68 is
also aware of what agents are currently processing calls in the
call center and where the agents are stationed based upon
information retrieved from the ARMS 44. The monitoring system
client 68 additionally maintains statistical information regarding
agents, supervisors and business segments. This information is
utilized by the monitoring system client 68 to display appropriate
information in the GUI.
[0074] The GUI generated by the monitoring system client 68 may
display a number of different views of the call center model
created by the call center layout tool 50. The call center is
composed of a number of bays. Each bay typically includes two pods,
and each pod includes a number of agent stations. The GUI may
display an entire call center view, a bay view, or a pod view. Each
of these views displays a different respective portion of the call
center. These views allow a supervisor to view the entire call
center or to focus on particular portions of the call center that
are of interest.
[0075] FIG. 7 depicts an example window 90 that is generated by the
monitoring system client 68. The window 90 includes a statistics
section 92 that displays statistics regarding calling activity and
a call center section 94 that has a graphic layout taken from the
computerized call center model. Agent stations are depicted as
rectangular buttons 100 in FIG. 7. Each button may display an icon
that indicates the agent state, call type or business type. For
example, rectangle 110 holds an icon that provides a visual cue
that the agent is unavailable. Rectangle 111 holds a letter (e.g.,
"O") that indicates that an outbound call is being processed by the
agent at the associated agent station. Rectangle 112 holds an icon
that indicates that the business client for which the agent is
servicing a call. In general, if an agent is in the available
state, the unavailable state or the error/unknown states, the icon
associated with that state is displayed in the rectangle associated
with the agent. If the agent is placing an outbound call, an
internal call or an unknown call, the letter associated with that
type of call is displayed in the rectangle for the agent. If the
agent is processing a call that is associated with a given
business, the icon for the business will be displayed in the
rectangle for the agent. Those skilled in the art will appreciate
that other types of activatable user interface elements, other than
buttons, may be used to depict agent stations.
[0076] The statistics section 92 of the window 90 holds various
statistics regarding calling activity within the current view. The
state table 114 of the statistic section 92 specifies the number of
agents that are currently available, unavailable, processing calls
or in an error or unknown state. The percentage of these totals is
also displayed. The call type area 116 displays statistics by call
type. The number of outbound calls, the number of internal calls,
the number of unknown calls and the number of consulting calls are
all totaled and displayed within the call type area 116.
[0077] The business type area 118 of the statistics section 92
displays information regarding calls by business type. The icon
associated with the business client and the name of the business
client are displayed along with the total number of calls processed
for the business, the current number of calls being processed for
the business and percentages.
[0078] Summary statistics may also be displayed in the statistics
section 92. For example, statistics 117 regarding the number of
agents currently logged on in the call center and statistics 119
indicating the number of agents that are currently processing calls
may be displayed.
[0079] Window 90 may also include a section 124 that holds call
center statistics such as the number of abandoned calls, the number
of ghost calls, the number of hang-ups and the number of calls
handled. Graphical information 122 may also be displayed that shows
the percentage of agents that are either on call, unavailable,
available or call work.
[0080] The window 90 includes a menu bar that holds an entry 120 to
access a view menu. The view menu enables a user to alter the view
displayed within the window 90. As will be described in more detail
below, the user may request the displaying of a call center view, a
bay view, a pod view or a supervisor view.
[0081] The monitoring system client 68 also enables certain pop-up
windows to be displayed. One of these pop-up windows is a window
regarding information that is particular to a given business
client. If a user positions a mouse cursor over the entry for the
business type within the statistic section 92 and clicks, a pop-up
window for the business client is displayed. FIG. 8 shows an
example of such a pop-up window 126. The pop-up window 126 holds
information that identifies the business client and holds summary
statistics regarding calls processed for that business type. These
summary statistics may include the number of agents on call for the
business calls in the queue that are waiting for an agent,
abandoned calls, ghost calls, hang-up calls, handled calls and
available agents.
[0082] As was mentioned above, a user may activate the view menu to
change to the view displayed within the window 90. The user may
also change the view by positioning a mouse cursor at locations
within a section of the view displayed within the window 90 and
clicking a mouse button. FIG. 9 identifies the hot spots within the
depiction of the call center that may be used to change the view
from a call center view to a bay view or a pod view. FIG. 9 shows
the depiction of a bay 132 and indicates that positioning a mouse
cursor in proximity to the area pointed to by arrow 134 and
clicking results in a bay view being displayed within the window
90. If, however, a user positions a mouse cursor to point to the
hot spots indicated by arrows 136A or 136B and clicks, a pod view
for the pod associated with a respective hot spot is displayed
within the window 90.
[0083] FIG. 10 shows an example of a bay view. The bay view may
either hold statistical information or business client information.
In FIG. 10, the bay view holds statistical information. As can be
seen in FIG. 10, the entire call center model is not displayed
within the window 90 but rather only a single bay 140 is depicted
within the window 90. The statistics section 92 holds information
only as to activity relative to the bay that is shown. Information
142 regarding each agent within the bay is shown. This information
includes the name 150 of the agent and an icon 152 on a button that
indicates either the state of the agent, the call type or the
business type. This icon is like that found for agents in the call
center view. A set of statistics 154 is also displayed for each
agent. The statistics include the average handling time (AHT),
which specifies the time it takes on average for an agent to handle
(i.e., fully process) a call. The statistics 154 also include the
average work time (AWT), which identifies the time at which the
agent is processing the call but not talking, and the average talk
time (ATT), which specifies the average amount of time that the
agent is talking on a call. The AHT is the sum of the AWT and
ATT.
[0084] Graphical data 148 depicting the percentage of agents that
are on call, unavailable, available or in an error state is
depicted within the bay view. The bay view also includes a
condensed view 144 of the call center. The bay 146 currently being
displayed is highlighted in the condensed view 144 to indicate
position of the bay within the call center. A "Business" button 156
may be displayed and activated to change the view to show business
segment information for the bay rather than call statistics for the
bay.
[0085] FIG. 11 depicts an example of an instance wherein the
business client information is shown for a bay view. Graphical data
148 and a condensed view 144 of the call center layout are still
displayed. Similarly, the statistics section 92 holds statistical
information regarding calling activity for the bay. The information
that is displayed per agent, however, differs. The name 170 of the
agent is still displayed but only information regarding business
clients are displayed. In particular, an icon identifying a
business client and the associated number of calls that have been
processed for the business client are displayed. For example, icon
166 is associated with the first business and the display shown in
FIG. 11 indicates that nine calls have been processed by the given
agent for that business. Icon 168 is associated with a different
business and the display indicates that only a single call has been
processed by the agent for that business. The window 90 may include
a "CallStats" button 164 that may be activated to show call
statistics information for the bay view rather than business client
information.
[0086] As was mentioned above, the view may also show only a single
pod (i.e., half of a bay). FIG. 12 depicts an instance wherein a
pod view for a pod 182 is displayed. The information is like that
shown for the bay view but includes only information for the agents
within the given pod. The statistics section 92 holds information
for the pod and the graphical data 148 is for the pod. The
condensed view 144 of the call center model shows a highlighted
section 180 that is associated with the pod. As in the bay view, a
user may choose to show call statistics information or business
client information for the agents. A "Business" button 184 may be
activated to toggle to the business segment information for the
pod.
[0087] A supervisor view for a given supervisor may also be
displayed (see FIG. 13). The supervisor view shows a statistic
section 92 that holds statistics for the agents under the
supervisor. A graphical section 500 shows statistics regarding each
of the agents. The information includes the name 502 of the agent
and a phone identifier 503 for the agent. A table of call
information is displayed that includes a column 504 that may hold
icons 506 for the given business client, a column 508 that
identifies the total number of calls processed by the agent for the
business and the average talk time (ATT) for the calls processed
for the business. Totals 512 for the table are displayed as well.
Statistics 514 regarding the average working time (AWT) are
displayed along with statistics 516 for the average handling time
(AHT). The percentage of time which the agent is unavailable 518 is
displayed along with the percentage of time the agent is available
520.
[0088] It should be appreciated that in any of the views,
information regarding an agent may be obtained by positioning a
mouse cursor over the button (i.e., rectangle) associated with an
agent in the given view and activating the button by clicking a
mouse button. FIG. 14 shows an example of an agent view window 240.
The name 241 of the agent is displayed in the title bar of the
window 240. The social security number 242 of the agent may be
displayed along with a phone identifier 244. The total time in
which the agent has been logged in 246 is displayed. The name of a
supervisor 248 is displayed as well. A table summarizing call
processing for the agent by business segments is displayed. Each
row 250, 252 and 254 holds information about the associated
business segment. The total number of calls and the average time to
handle a call are displayed within the associated row. The total
amount of time spent on handling calls for the business are also
displayed.
[0089] The window 240 includes a table 256 that summarizes how much
time the agent has spent in a respective agent state. The window
240 also includes a graph 258 that shows the number of calls
processed by the agent by business segment and a graph 260 that
shows the time in which an agent has been in the respective agent
states is included in the window 240. Lastly, a "Close" button 262
is provided to enable the pop-up window 240 to be closed.
[0090] The present invention has the benefit of enabling a
supervisor or other party to view information regarding call
processing activity within the call center. The supervisor may
readily change the view as needed and information contained within
the views is updated regularly to be ensured to be current.
Moreover, the information is shown in a variety of different
formats that are useful to a supervisor.
[0091] While the present invention has been described with
reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, those skilled in the
art will appreciate that various changes in form and detail may be
made without departing from the intended scope of the present
invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the user
interface may differ from that shown in the figures. Moreover, the
monitoring system client may be run on agents workstations or other
workstations that differ from the supervisor/control workstations.
Still further, the monitoring system client may be run at a remote
computer outside of the call center.
[0092] The computerized call center layout tool of the invention
may be applied in connection with systems and methods for call
center monitoring. As already stated hereinabove, the present
application is a continuation-in-part from a patent application
entitled, "Monitoring System Client For A Call Center," of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 08/940,549, filed Sep. 30, 1997, and
assigned to a common assignee. In addition, a suitable
implementation of the CTIMS used in accordance with the invention
is described in copending application entitled, "Computer/Telephony
Interface Monitoring Server," U.S. application Ser. No.
08/940,547.
[0093] Further aspects of the present invention are described in
the following copending patent applications, each of which is
assigned to a common assignee: U.S. application Ser. No.
08/940,546, "Monitoring System For Telephony Resource In A Call
Center," filed Sep. 30, 1997; U.S. application Ser. No. 08/934,167,
"Desktop Telephony Application Program For A Call Center Agent,"
filed on Sep. 19, 1997; U.S. application Ser. No. 08/934,166,
"Telephony Server Application Program Interface (API)," filed on
Sep. 19, 1997; U.S. application Ser. No. 08/940,548, "Automated
Resource Management System (ARMS) For Call Center," filed on Sep.
30, 1997; U.S. 0.30 application Ser. No. 08/933,767, "Configurable
Application Program For Call Center Sales and Services," filed on
Sep. 19, 1997; U.S. application Ser. No. ______, "Data Archiving Of
Call Data In Call Center," filed on ______, and U.S. application
Ser. No. ______, "Failover Mechanism For Computer/Telephony
Integration Monitoring Server," filed on ______.
[0094] Although specific embodiments of, and examples for, the
invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various
equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the
invention, as will be recognized by those skilled in the relevant
art. The teachings provided herein of the invention may be applied
to other modeling systems, not necessarily the exemplary
computerized call center layout tool for call center monitoring
systems described above. Various exemplary computing systems, and
accordingly, various other system configurations can be employed
under the invention.
[0095] The embodiments of the invention disclosed herein have been
discussed with regard to computerized call center installations,
such as those using large centralized computing systems. However,
the invention finds equal applicability in other computing systems,
such as small, portable computerized graphics tablets and other
hand-held computing devices.
[0096] All of the above U.S. patents and applications are
incorporated herein by reference. While the invention focuses on
modeling physical elements within a telephone call center, the
invention can similarly operate with regard to modeling physical
elements within other types of structures, including other types of
building structures and mechanical devices.
[0097] These and other changes can be made to the invention in
light of the above detailed description. In general, in the
following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit
the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the
specification and the claims, but should be construed to include
all computerized layout tools and computerized design tools that
operate under the claims to provide a method for guiding a builder
through the process of constructing a computerized model of a
structure, providing rapid access to data associated with objects
in the structure, and linking objects between structures.
Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but
instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following
claims.
* * * * *