Call queuing for location-aware mobile devices

摘要

A mobile device can be assigned to an extension configured as a Queue Agent (“QA”) in a call-queuing enabled virtual private branch exchange (vPBX). This and other mobile or fixed devices can be interconnected to form a virtual call center. Each extension can be assigned various rules, which specify how the incoming calls are answered at the extension and how calls in the call queue are selected for answering by the QA. As part of the rules, the vPBX system forwards calls from a call queue to the QA based on QA's availability status. If a location-aware mobile device is associated with the QA, the vPBX system can determine the QA's availability status based on a geographic location of the mobile device. A most geographically proximate agent can be selected for answering the call.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving one or more calls in a call queue; determining, by one or more computers, an availability status of a plurality of queue agents associated with the call queue, including:
determining respective geographic locations of mobile devices associated with one or more of the queue agents;determining, for each of the one or more queue agents, that a respective mobile device associated with the queue agent is in a respective predetermined location for the queue agent; andsetting the availability statuses of the one or more queue agents to indicate that the one or more queue agents are available to take calls based on the mobile devices being in the respective predetermined locations; and selecting, by the one or more computers, an available queue agent from the one or more queue agents to answer a call in the call queue based on the availability statuses and the geographic location of the mobile devices associated with the available queue agents relative to a location of a caller from which the call originates, including:
determining a geographic location of the caller from which the call originates;identifying a mobile device of a queue agent having a geographic location that is within a predetermined proximity radius of the geographic location of the caller; andselecting a queue agent associated with the identified mobile device as the available queue agent to answer the call.