Abstract: Shipping containers for batteries are described herein. An example shipping container includes a base defining a cavity, a lid to be coupled to a top of the base to substantially seal the cavity, and an absorbent pad disposed within the cavity to absorb liquid from the battery if the battery leaks.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods provide for a displacement sensor with a multi-position image sensor. The displacement sensor includes an optical lens. The displacement sensor includes an image sensor configured to view an object through the lens along a plane of focus that is not parallel to an image plane of the image sensor. The displacement sensor includes a laser for illuminating the object by the displacement sensor, wherein the laser is: spaced from the lens at a fixed distance, and configured to project a line of light along the plane of focus of the image sensor. The displacement sensor comprises a first configuration wherein the image sensor is at a first location along an image plane with a first field of view along the plane of focus, and a second configuration at a second location with a different field of view.

Abstract: The disclosed apparatus, systems, and methods provide for a displacement sensor with a multi-position image sensor. The displacement sensor includes an optical lens. The displacement sensor includes an image sensor configured to view an object through the lens along a plane of focus that is not parallel to an image plane of the image sensor. The displacement sensor includes a laser for illuminating the object by the displacement sensor, wherein the laser is: spaced from the lens at a fixed distance, and configured to project a line of light along the plane of focus of the image sensor. The displacement sensor comprises a first configuration wherein the image sensor is at a first location along an image plane with a first field of view along the plane of focus, and a second configuration at a second location with a different field of view.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for routing a contact with a client to one of a plurality of automatic contact distributors, each having a plurality of agents, by a network router. The method includes the step of determining by each automatic contact distributor of the plurality of automatic contact distributors a largest relative difference between a target occupancy and actual occupancy of each agent among the plurality of agents of the automatic contact distributor and for each contact type processed by the automatic contact distributor.

Abstract: The method for and system or apparatus for forecasting future communication transaction traffic from a customer include the steps of or structure for: collecting communication channel data on at least first and second communication channels; performing a numeric transformation to the data; calculating a discrete choice probability for each communication channel; and forecasting future period usage values for a user on a communication channel.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for routing calls within an automatic contact distribution system comprising assessing at least two evaluators programmed to collect information about identified sets of attributes associated with a call. The system then initiates the collection of information to enable the evaluators to assign a value to those attributed for which information exists. A comparison is then performed of the values assigned to the attributes in each evaluator. The call is then routed to the agent selected by the comparison.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for processing information within a computing system. The method includes the steps of detecting a contact with a client of an organization that operates and uses the computing system for its own internal business purposes, providing a processing application within the computing system for distributing the detected contact to one of a plurality of human agents of the organization based upon a context of the contact, where said provided processing application has been previously divided into a sequence of separated software modules based upon a predetermined criteria, locating each software module of the sequence of software modules within a set of computers of the computer system where the set of computers are interconnected via a network and sequentially activating the sequence of software modules of the processing application by performing a search over the network to locate and activate each software module to process and distribute the contact to the human agent.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for automatic call distributors that route calls based in part on timely business information. The method includes providing a simulation model for calculating information and using this information from the model together with key process indicators information to generate decisions for routing calls.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for collecting session information from a packet routing device. The method includes the steps of detecting a header packet of a communication session within a communication stream passing through the packet routing device where the communication stream contains packets from a plurality of users, comparing a type of the detected header packet with a list of headers that are to be collected and storing a message header of the header packet and only the message header in a file indexed by an identifier of the session when the header matches an entry within the list of headers to be collected.

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus which in one embodiment provides for prioritizing and presenting calls routed from callers through a communication network to an agent station having an associated agent, where the calls are based on voice-dialog communication and/or text-dialog communication. The method includes the steps of receiving a call from the communication network, determining a contact evaluation parameter associated with the call, and applying one or more selected business rules to the contact evaluation parameter to generate a priority value corresponding to the call. The call is assigned the priority value and is routed to a selected agent station. The call is displayed with an indication of its assigned priority value so that the agent may service the calls in priority order.

Abstract: The method and apparatus teach agents in a communication system, such as an automatic call distribution system. In a first step of one embodiment of the method, a previously stored call transaction having a plurality of dialog portions and decision points is provided to the agent. The call transaction is replayed, and at least one decision of the respective decision point in the call transaction is simulated. This simulation is different than an original decision at the respective decision point in the call transaction. The results are evaluated and presented to the agent. In one embodiment at least one decision is a best practice decision. Also, the method further may overlay preferred paths of a call transaction based on stored best practice call transactions. The apparatus implements the method for replaying call transactions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for measuring a time of considering an e-mail message received by an agent of an automatic contact distribution system. The method includes the steps of detecting each opening and closing of the e-mail received by the agent, measuring an elapsed time between each detected opening and closing of the e-mail and summing the measured elapsed times between the openings and closings of the e-mail to provide a cumulative total time for preparing the response to the e-mail.

Abstract: The method or system for conferencing an email message such that two or more individuals can simultaneously answer an email message and input their individual expertise on a solution or answer to the email message comprising the steps of or software and circuitry for: receiving and processing an email message at an email server, supplying the email message to a custom SIP user agent to initiate an email session which simultaneously delivers the email message to client agents each containing a custom SIP user agent for processing/answering the email.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for expediting subject matter evolution of an information exchange during a contact through a communication system between a client and an agent of an organization that possesses an expertise in the subject matter of the contact. The method includes the steps of providing a state map of subject matter progression of the subject matter of the contact from a starting point to subject matter resolution along a plurality of parallel subject matter paths, fitting a subject matter progression of the contact within a progression of subject matter of a most likely one of the plurality of parallel subject matter paths of the state map and prompting the agent with prospective subject matter from the most likely one of the plurality of subject matter paths.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for routing calls within an automatic contact distribution system comprising assessing at least two evaluators programmed to collect information about identified sets of attributes associated with a call. The system then initiates the collection of information to enable the evaluators to assign a value to those attributed for which information exists. A comparison is then performed of the values assigned to the attributes in each evaluator. The call is then routed to the agent selected by the comparison.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for guiding a conversation between an agent of a call center and a client of the call center towards one of a plurality of goals of an organization controlling the call center. The method includes the steps of recognizing a voice content of the client of the call center, correlating the recognized voice content with a first goal of the plurality of goals of the call center and presenting script to the agent of the call center based upon the correlated goal of the call center.

Abstract: The method and apparatus improves call transactions in a communication system having an automatic call distribution system. A personality profile of each agent of a plurality of agents in the system is determined. A respective personality profile is one of a plurality of predetermined personality profile types. The determined personality profile type for respective agents are stored as personality profile records in a database. A personality profile of a caller is then determined, the personality profile of the caller being one of the plurality of personality profile types. A priority hierarchy is provided for matching a personality profile types of the caller to personality profile types of the agents. The personality profile type of the caller is then compared to the personality profile type of the agents according to this priority hierarchy. An agent is selected from the plurality of agents based on the comparison of the personality profile types.

Abstract: The method and apparatus improve transactions in a communication system, such as a communication system having an automatic call distributor. In one embodiment, an assessment is performed in substantially real time of respective stress levels of at least one of a caller and an agent in a call transaction. A third party is engaged in the transaction when at least one of the stress levels of the caller and the agent exceeds a threshold. This third party may include, for example, a virtual party or an automated input source. The third party may engage in the background of the transaction or in the foreground of the transaction, thus communicating either only with the agent or with both the caller and the agent, respectively.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for routing a contact with a client to one of a plurality of automatic contact distributors, each having a plurality of agents, by a network router. The method includes the step of determining by each automatic contact distributor of the plurality of automatic contact distributors a largest relative difference between a target occupancy and actual occupancy of each agent among the plurality of agents of the automatic contact distributor and for each contact type processed by the automatic contact distributor.

Abstract: The apparatus and method provide assistance to an agent in a communication system, such as a communication system having an automatic call distributor. The method has the steps of determining skills of each agent of a plurality of agents, storing the determined skills for respective agents of the plurality of agents as skill records in a database, retrieving the skill record of a predetermined agent from the database, comparing the skill record of the predetermined agent to the skill records of the other agents in the database, selecting an agent from the plurality of agents based on the comparison of skill records, and establishing communication between the predetermined agent and the selected agent. The skill record of a predetermined agent is retrieved when the predetermined agent of the plurality of agents requests to communicate with another of the agents of the plurality of agents. The apparatus implements the method.