Bitmaps for next generation contact center

Abstract

A queueless contact center is described along with various methods and mechanisms for administering the same. The contact center proposed herein provides the ability to, among other things, achieve true one-to-one matching. Solutions are also provided for managing data structures utilized by the queueless contact center. Furthermore, mechanisms for generating traditional queue-based performance views and metrics for the queueless contact center are proposed to help facilitate a smooth transition from traditional queue-based contact centers to the next generation contact centers described herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 determining that an element in a contact center has become available for assignment;   determining a search criteria associated with processing requirements or capabilities of the element;   scanning a bitmap for the search criteria to identify counter-elements in the contact center that are qualified to be assigned to the element; and   based on the scanning, determining a set of counter-elements that are qualified to be assigned to the element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the element comprises a work item and wherein the counter-element comprises a resource. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bitmap is a resource bitmap that is associated with a resource pool and each bit in the resource bitmap corresponds to a single resource in the resource pool. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein a value of each bit in the resource bitmap is assigned either a 1 or 0 depending upon whether the resource is qualified to be assigned to the work item. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein every resource in the contact center is represented in the resource pool and resource bitmap. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the resource bitmap also identifies a resource availability, wherein a qualification of a resource is analyzed in prior to analyzing an availability of a resource, and wherein unqualified resources are not analyzed for availability. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bitmap is continuous in memory. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein multiple bits of the bitmap are evaluated simultaneously during the scanning of the bitmap. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the element comprises a resource and wherein the counter-element comprises a work item and wherein less than five percent of the counter-elements represented in the bitmap are included in the set of counter-elements. 
     
     
         10 . A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computing system to execute a method, the instructions comprising:
 instructions configured to determine that an element in a contact center has become available for assignment;   instructions configured to determine a search criteria associated with processing requirements or capabilities of the element;   instructions configured to scan a bitmap for the search criteria to identify counter-elements in the contact center that are qualified to be assigned to the element; and   instructions configured to, based on the scanning, determine a set of counter-elements that are qualified to be assigned to the element.   
     
     
         11 . The computer readable medium of  claim 10 , further comprising instructions configured to determine a selected counter-element from the set of counter-elements and assign the element to the selected counter-element. 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the element comprises a work item and wherein the counter-element comprises a resource. 
     
     
         13 . The computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the bitmap is a resource bitmap that is associated with a resource pool and each bit in the resource bitmap corresponds to a single resource in the resource pool. 
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein a value of each bit in the resource bitmap is assigned either a 1 or 0 depending upon whether the resource is qualified to be assigned to the work item and wherein every resource in the contact center is represented in the resource pool and resource bitmap. 
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the value assigned to a bit in the resource bitmap depends upon attribute combinations of the associated resource and whether the resource has an attribute combination equal to an attribute combination of the work item. 
     
     
         16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein multiple bits of the bitmap are evaluated simultaneously during the scanning of the bitmap. 
     
     
         17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the element comprises a resource and wherein the counter-element comprises a work item. 
     
     
         18 . A work assignment mechanism, comprising:
 a work assignment engine configured determine that an element in a contact center has become available for assignment, determine a search criteria associated with processing requirements or capabilities of the element, scan a bitmap for the search criteria to identify counter-elements in the contact center that are qualified to be assigned to the element, and, based on the scanning, determine a set of counter-elements that are qualified to be assigned to the element.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the work assignment engine is further configured to assign a selected counter-element from the set of counter-elements to the element. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the element comprises a work item and wherein the counter-element comprises a resource, wherein the bitmap is a resource bitmap that is associated with a resource pool and each bit in the resource bitmap corresponds to a single resource in the resource pool, wherein a value of each bit in the resource bitmap is assigned either a 1 or 0 depending upon whether the resource is qualified to be assigned to the work item, wherein every resource in the contact center is represented in the resource pool and resource bitmap, and wherein less than five percent of the counter-elements represented in the bitmap are included in the set of counter-elements.