Patents by Inventor S. James P. Spottiswoode

S. James P. Spottiswoode 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: 20220141340
    Abstract: In the field of telecommunications, methods, systems, and tangible, non-transitory computer-readable mediums comprising program code are disclosed that comprise receiving a first agent, a second agent, a third agent, and a fourth agent available for pairing to a contact; and selecting the first agent for pairing to the contact based on a pairing strategy, wherein the pairing strategy is configured such that if the third agent and fourth agent had not been available, the second agent would have been selected for pairing to the contact, wherein the pairing strategy is configured such that if the first agent had not been available, the third agent would have been selected for pairing to the contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Publication number: 20220141339
    Abstract: In the field of telecommunications, methods, systems, and tangible, non-transitory computer-readable mediums comprising program code are disclosed that comprise receiving a set of agents defining a first agent, a second agent, and a third agent available for pairing to a contact at a contact center; and selecting the first agent for pairing to the contact based on a pairing strategy, wherein the pairing strategy is configured such that if the third agent had not been available, the second agent would have been selected for pairing to the contact, and wherein the third agent has been waiting the longest and occupied the least among the set of agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Publication number: 20210234963
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: Afiniti, Ltd.
    Inventors: S. James P. SPOTTISWOODE, Zia CHISHTI
  • Publication number: 20210203783
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for ranking individuals in a contact center system including ranking a first individual in a set of individuals based on relative amounts of data for the first individual and one or more other individuals in the set of individuals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Applicant: Afiniti, Ltd.
    Inventors: S. James P. SPOTTISWOODE, Zia CHISHTI
  • Patent number: 10992812
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Afiniti, Ltd.
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Patent number: 10979569
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for ranking individuals in a contact center system including ranking a first individual in a set of individuals based on relative amounts of data for the first individual and one or more other individuals in the set of individuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Afiniti, Ltd.
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Publication number: 20200288017
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: S. James P. SPOTTISWOODE, Zia CHISHTI
  • Patent number: 10666805
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Patent number: 10567586
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for routing callers to agents in a call-center routing environment. An exemplary method includes identifying caller data for at least one of a set of callers on hold and causing a caller of the set of callers to be routed to an agent based on a comparison of the caller data and the agent data. The caller data and agent data may be compared via a pattern matching algorithm and/or computer model for predicting a caller-agent pair having the highest probability of a desired outcome. As such, callers may be pooled and routed to agents based on comparisons of available caller and agent data, rather than a conventional queue order fashion. If a caller is held beyond a hold threshold the caller may be routed to the next available agent. The hold threshold may include a predetermined time, “cost” function, number of times the caller may be skipped by other callers, and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Qiaobing Xie, S. James P. Spottiswoode
  • Publication number: 20190281160
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for ranking individuals in a contact center system including ranking a first individual in a set of individuals based on relative amounts of data for the first individual and one or more other individuals in the set of individuals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited
    Inventors: S. James P. SPOTTISWOODE, Zia CHISHTI
  • Patent number: 10334107
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for ranking individuals in a contact center system including ranking a first individual in a set of individuals based on relative amounts of data for the first individual and one or more other individuals in the set of individuals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Publication number: 20190098138
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Applicant: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited
    Inventors: S. James P. SPOTTISWOODE, Zia CHISHTI
  • Patent number: 10142479
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Afiniti Europe Technologies Limited
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Patent number: 10044867
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Afiniti International Holdings, Ltd.
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Patent number: 9699314
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Afiniti International Holdings, Ltd.
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Patent number: 9686411
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Afiniti International Holdings, Ltd.
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Patent number: 9277055
    Abstract: Method, system and program product, comprising obtaining agent performance data; ranking, agents based the agent performance data; dividing agents into agent performance ranges; partitioning callers based on criteria into a set of partitions; determining for each partition an outcome value for a first agent performance range and a second agent performance range; calculating for the partitions a respective outcome value difference indicator based on the outcome value for the first agent performance range and the outcome value for the second agent performance range for the partition; matching a respective agent to a respective caller in one of the partitions, based on the outcome value difference indicators for the partitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: SATMAP International Holdings Limited
    Inventors: S. James P. Spottiswoode, Zia Chishti
  • Patent number: RE48846
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for estimating and assigning agent performance characteristics in a call routing center. Performance characteristics (e.g., sales rate, customer satisfaction, duration of call, etc.) may be assigned to an agent when the agent has made few calls relative to other agents or otherwise has a large error in their measure of one or more performance characteristics used for matching callers to agents (e.g., via a performance based or pattern matching routing method). A method includes identifying agents of a plurality of agents having a number of calls fewer than a predetermined number of calls (or an error in the performance characteristic exceeding a threshold), assigning a performance characteristic to the identified agents (that is different than the agent's actual performance characteristic), and routing a caller to one of the plurality of agents based on the performance characteristics of the plurality of agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Afiniti, Ltd.
    Inventors: Zia Chishti, S. James P. Spottiswoode
  • Patent number: RE48860
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for estimating and assigning agent performance characteristics in a call routing center. Performance characteristics (e.g., sales rate, customer satisfaction, duration of call, etc.) may be assigned to an agent when the agent has made few calls relative to other agents or otherwise has a large error in their measure of one or more performance characteristics used for matching callers to agents (e.g., via a performance based or pattern matching routing method). A method includes identifying agents of a plurality of agents having a number of calls fewer than a predetermined number of calls (or an error in the performance characteristic exceeding a threshold), assigning a performance characteristic to the identified agents (that is different than the agent's actual performance characteristic), and routing a caller to one of the plurality of agents based on the performance characteristics of the plurality of agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Afiniti, Ltd.
    Inventors: Zia Chishti, S. James P. Spottiswoode
  • Patent number: RE48896
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for estimating and assigning agent performance characteristics in a call routing center. Performance characteristics (e.g., sales rate, customer satisfaction, duration of call, etc.) may be assigned to an agent when the agent has made few calls relative to other agents or otherwise has a large error in their measure of one or more performance characteristics used for matching callers to agents (e.g., via a performance based or pattern matching routing method). A method includes identifying agents of a plurality of agents having a number of calls fewer than a predetermined number of calls (or an error in the performance characteristic exceeding a threshold), assigning a performance characteristic to the identified agents (that is different than the agent's actual performance characteristic), and routing a caller to one of the plurality of agents based on the performance characteristics of the plurality of agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Afiniti, Ltd.
    Inventors: Zia Chishti, S. James P. Spottiswoode