Patents by Inventor Katherine Sobus

Katherine Sobus has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20190306317
    Abstract: A contact center is provided that can service customers on premises via a mobile kiosk. The mobile kiosk may be carried by the customer or by an on-site customer service representative. The mobile kiosk may be enqueued in the contact center contact queue such that enhanced customer service can be provided through interfacing with the enterprise database, vendor databases, as well as assigning an appropriately skilled contact center agent to the customer contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Deborah Hill, Sarah H. Kiefhaber, Joylee E. Kohler, Katherine A. Sobus, Rodney A. Thomson
  • Patent number: 10375244
    Abstract: A contact center is provided that can service customers on premises via a mobile kiosk. The mobile kiosk may be carried by the customer or by an on-site customer service representative. The mobile kiosk may be enqueued in the contact center contact queue such that enhanced customer service can be provided through interfacing with the enterprise database, vendor databases, as well as assigning an appropriately skilled contact center agent to the customer contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Deborah Hill, Sarah H. Kiefhaber, Joylee E. Kohler, Katherine A. Sobus, Rodney A. Thomson
  • Patent number: 9854095
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods including obtaining a location data of a source; obtaining at least one performance measure; correlating the location data and the at least one performance measure to obtain a correlation; and analyzing the correlation to obtain an analysis report. The present disclosure is further directed to systems that include a source related to a contact center, and a processor configured to: obtain a location data of the source; derive at least one performance measure; correlate the location data and the at least one performance measure to obtain a correlation; and analyze the correlation to obtain an analysis report.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney A. Thomson, Brian J. Reynolds, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Patent number: 9609130
    Abstract: A transaction is received in a contact center. The transaction can be an email, an incoming call, an outgoing call, a video call, a text message, and/or the like. A best agent is determined to handle the transaction. A time is determined for the best agent to handle the transaction. The time can be based on a projected time that the agent will be able to handle the transaction, based on a callback time or any criteria. A schedule of the best agent is searched. The schedule of the best agent contains a movable event. A movable event can be any event that can be rescheduled, such as a break. When it is determined that the time for the best agent to handle the transaction is during and/or close to the movable event, the movable event is rescheduled to allow the best agent to handle the transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Steiner, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Patent number: 9100486
    Abstract: A contact is received in a contact center. For example, an incoming voice call or email is received by the contact center. A complexity of the contact is determined. The complexity of the contact is how difficult the contact will be to process by an agent. For instance, the agent may have to do additional work outside the call based on the type of contact. In response to determining the complexity of the contact, the contact is routed to an agent of the contact center and a compensation of the agent is adjusted for servicing the contact. The systems and methods can also work for multiple contacts that are processed by multiple agents. In addition, the systems and methods will work with outbound contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Katherine A. Sobus, Robert C. Steiner
  • Patent number: 9083805
    Abstract: System and method for servicing a contact by a first agent while searching for a second agent to service the contact is provided. At least one agent attribute is used to produce a set of agent attribute values, and at least one contact attribute is used to produce a set of contact attribute values; relating agent attribute values to contact attribute values in order to search for at least one available first agent having at least a first predetermined level of matching attributes; delivering the contact to the first agent; relating agent attribute values to contact attribute values in order to search for at least one second agent having at least a second predetermined level of matching attributes, wherein the second predetermined level is greater than the first predetermined level; waiting until the second agent is available; and replacing the first agent with the second agent to service the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Russell K. Pierce, Joylee E. Kohler, Katherine Sobus
  • Publication number: 20150074170
    Abstract: A transaction is received in a contact center. The transaction can be an email, an incoming call, an outgoing call, a video call, a text message, and/or the like. A best agent is determined to handle the transaction. A time is determined for the best agent to handle the transaction. The time can be based on a projected time that the agent will be able to handle the transaction, based on a callback time or any criteria. A schedule of the best agent is searched. The schedule of the best agent contains a movable event. A movable event can be any event that can be rescheduled, such as a break. When it is determined that the time for the best agent to handle the transaction is during and/or close to the movable event, the movable event is rescheduled to allow the best agent to handle the transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Robert C. Steiner, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Publication number: 20150071428
    Abstract: A contact is received in a contact center. For example, an incoming voice call or email is received by the contact center. A complexity of the contact is determined. The complexity of the contact is how difficult the contact will be to process by an agent. For instance, the agent may have to do additional work outside the call based on the type of contact. In response to determining the complexity of the contact, the contact is routed to an agent of the contact center and a compensation of the agent is adjusted for servicing the contact. The systems and methods can also work for multiple contacts that are processed by multiple agents. In addition, the systems and methods will work with outbound contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Katherine A. Sobus, Robert C. Steiner
  • Patent number: 8923503
    Abstract: Methods for enabling call center agents to adapt their servicing of incoming calls based on the estimated value of the calls are disclosed. In accordance with the first illustrative embodiment, when there is a “high-value” call waiting in the queue while one or more agents are currently servicing lower-value calls, an agent who is servicing a lower-value call is informed that there is a higher-value call waiting in the queue, and is prompted to provide an estimate of how much longer he or she will be servicing his or her current call. The call center system selects which agent the high-value call will be routed to based on: (i) the agents' responses to the prompts, and (ii) for each of the responding agents, a measure of how closely prior responses from the agent compared to the actual amount of time taken by the agent to complete servicing the call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Robin H. Foster, Hongguang Li, Lynn R. Smith, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Patent number: 8731182
    Abstract: A data store (e.g., a relational database, an object-oriented database, an unstructured file system, an in-memory data structure, etc.) and associated methods are disclosed for predicting the accuracy of agent responses in a call center. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, agents in a call center are prompted at different times during their workday for estimates of how much longer they will be servicing their current call, and the estimates are stored in the data store along with the actual times required for completion of the call. Statistics for each agent's prediction accuracy are computed and stored in the data store along with the raw data, and can then be used to assess the accuracy of subsequent agent responses to queries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Robin H. Foster, Hongguang Li, Lynn R. Smith, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Patent number: 8565412
    Abstract: Methods for enabling call center agents to adapt their servicing of incoming calls based on the estimated value of the calls are disclosed. In accordance with the first illustrative embodiment, when there is a “high-value” call waiting in the queue while one or more agents are currently servicing lower-value calls, an agent who is servicing a lower-value call is informed that there is a higher-value call waiting in the queue, and is prompted to provide an estimate of how much longer he or she will be servicing his or her current call. The call center system selects which agent the high-value call will be routed to based on: (i) the agents' responses to the prompts, and (ii) for each of the responding agents, a measure of how closely prior responses from the agent compared to the actual amount of time taken by the agent to complete servicing the call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Robin H. Foster, Hongguang Li, Lynn R. Smith, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Publication number: 20130230163
    Abstract: Methods for enabling call center agents to adapt their servicing of incoming calls based on the estimated value of the calls are disclosed. In accordance with the first illustrative embodiment, when there is a “high-value” call waiting in the queue while one or more agents are currently servicing lower-value calls, an agent who is servicing a lower-value call is informed that there is a higher-value call waiting in the queue, and is prompted to provide an estimate of how much longer he or she will be servicing his or her current call. The call center system selects which agent the high-value call will be routed to based on: (i) the agents' responses to the prompts, and (ii) for each of the responding agents, a measure of how closely prior responses from the agent compared to the actual amount of time taken by the agent to complete servicing the call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Robin H. Foster, Hongguang Li, Lynn R. Smith, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Publication number: 20130058475
    Abstract: System and method for servicing a contact by a first agent while searching for a second agent to service the contact is provided. At least one agent attribute is used to produce a set of agent attribute values, and at least one contact attribute is used to produce a set of contact attribute values; relating agent attribute values to contact attribute values in order to search for at least one available first agent having at least a first predetermined level of matching attributes; delivering the contact to the first agent; relating agent attribute values to contact attribute values in order to search for at least one second agent having at least a second predetermined level of matching attributes, wherein the second predetermined level is greater than the first predetermined level; waiting until the second agent is available; and replacing the first agent with the second agent to service the contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Russell K. Pierce, Joylee E. Kohler, Katherine Sobus
  • Patent number: 8000989
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a contact center 100 comprising (a) an input operable to receive a contact from a customer, the customer having an associated value to the contact center 100 and (b) a contact selector 216 operable to select a resource of the contact center 100 to service the contact based, at least in part, on the associated value. The associated value reflects one or more of a historic, predicted, and current monetary expense of the contact center to service the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah H. Kiefhaber, Joylee E. Kohler, Henry R. Paddock, Katherine A. Sobus, Rodney A. Thomson
  • Patent number: 7936867
    Abstract: A contact center that includes: (a) an input 200 operable to receive a contact; (b) a task expert module 232 to (i) identify a plurality of tasks 400 associated with the contact; (ii) group the tasks 400 into first and second task sets; and (iii) queue the first and second task sets at different positions in at least one queue 208; and (c) an agent and work item selector 220 to assign the first task set to a first agent for servicing while maintaining the second task set in the at least one queue 208.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Deborah Jeanne Hill, Sarah Hildebrandt Kiefhaber, Joylee E. Kohler, Henry R. Paddock, Katherine A. Sobus, Rodney A. Thomson
  • Publication number: 20100322408
    Abstract: A data store (e.g., a relational database, an object-oriented database, an unstructured file system, an in-memory data structure, etc.) and associated methods are disclosed for predicting the accuracy of agent responses in a call center. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, agents in a call center are prompted at different times during their workday for estimates of how much longer they will be servicing their current call, and the estimates are stored in the data store along with the actual times required for completion of the call. Statistics for each agent's prediction accuracy are computed and stored in the data store along with the raw data, and can then be used to assess the accuracy of subsequent agent responses to queries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: AVAYA INC.
    Inventors: Robin H. Foster, Hongguang Li, Lynn R. Smith, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Publication number: 20100322406
    Abstract: Methods for enabling call center agents to adapt their servicing of incoming calls based on the estimated value of the calls are disclosed. In accordance with the first illustrative embodiment, when there is a “high-value” call waiting in the queue while one or more agents are currently servicing lower-value calls, an agent who is servicing a lower-value call is informed that there is a higher-value call waiting in the queue, and is prompted to provide an estimate of how much longer he or she will be servicing his or her current call. The call center system selects which agent the high-value call will be routed to based on: (i) the agents' responses to the prompts, and (ii) for each of the responding agents, a measure of how closely prior responses from the agent compared to the actual amount of time taken by the agent to complete servicing the call.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: AVAYA INC.
    Inventors: Robin H. Foster, Hongguang Li, Lynn R. Smith, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Publication number: 20100274637
    Abstract: A contact center includes a real time threshold prediction module that determines that a selected performance measure will, during a future time interval, likely cross a selected threshold and, in response, performs at least one of the following operations: (i) determines, for the likely crossing of the selected threshold, a consequence in a selected service level agreement and determines a set of corrective actions to reduce a likelihood that the selected performance measure will cross the selected threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: AVAYA INC.
    Inventors: Hongguang Li, Henry R. Paddock, Lynn R. Smith, Katherine A. Sobus
  • Patent number: 7809127
    Abstract: A contact center is provided that includes a plurality of agents for servicing incoming contacts and a target behavior identification module operable to (i) process a set of events to yield a corresponding measure; (ii) compare the measure to a plurality of rule sets, each of the rule sets corresponding to a different type of target behavior; and (iii) when the measure is defined by the a selected rule set, associate the measure with a type of target behavior corresponding to the selected rule set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth R. Hackbarth, Jr., Murray Jenson, Joylee E. Kohler, Henry R. Paddock, Katherine A. Sobus, David Zanoni
  • Patent number: 7734032
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a contact center for servicing contacts having (a) an input to receive a first contact from a first customer; (b) a selector (i) to determine whether the first contact is related to another contact with the first customer and (ii) when the first contact is related to another contact with the first customer, to service the contact differently than when the first contact is unrelated to another contact with the first customer; and/or (c) a repeat contact determining agent (i) to track, a set of the plurality of agents over a selected time period, a number of contacts serviced by the agent set that are related to another contact serviced by the plurality of agents and (ii) to maintain, for each of the plurality of agents, an indicator indicating one or more of (a) a number of contacts, serviced by the agent set during the selected time period, that are not related to another contact serviced by the agent and (b) a number of contacts, serviced by the agent set during the selec
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Sarah H. Kiefhaber, Joylee E. Kohler, Henry R. Paddock, Katherine A. Sobus, Rodney A. Thomson