System and method for enhanced virtual queuing

Abstract

A system and method for managing virtual queues. A cloud-based queue service manages a plurality of queues hosted by one or more entities. The queue service is in constant communication with the entities providing queue management, queue analysis, and queue recommendations. The queue service is likewise in direct communication with queued persons. Sending periodic updates while also motivating and incentivizing punctuality and minimizing wait times based on predictive analysis. The predictive analysis uses “Big Data” and other available data resources, for which the predictions assist in the balancing of persons across multiple queues for the same event or multiple persons across a sequence of queues for sequential events.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for enhanced virtual queuing, comprising:
 a task blending service comprising at least a processor, a memory, and a first plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory and operating on the processor, wherein the first plurality of programming instructions, when operating on the processor, cause the processor to:
 model, using historical queue traffic data, future traffic volumes of a queue; 
 simulate new queue configurations; 
 analyze the new queue configuration simulations to determine an optimal queue configuration with a least wait time; and 
 output the difference between the current queue configuration and the optimal queue simulation as a set of recommendations; and 
   an accumulation service comprising at least a processor, a memory, and a second plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory and operating on the processor, wherein the second plurality of programming instructions, when operating on the processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a request to join a virtual queue from two or more persons forming a group; 
 accumulate positions in the queue totaling the number of persons in the group; 
 send confirmation of the request to the group; 
   send periodic update notifications to the group based on a notification escalation plan, wherein the notification escalation plan comprises a rules-based multimodality means of communicating with the group;
 receive a plurality of check-in notifications from as members of the group check in to a physical queue; and 
 when all members of the group have checked in, remove the group from the virtual queue; 
   wherein the request is selected from the group consisting of a request to join a queue, a request to leave a queue, a request to transfer to a different queue, a request for the current wait time of a queue, a request for additional time, a request to schedule a position in a queue for a later time, and a request to change places in a queue.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the simulation is performed during periods of low queue throughput using computing resources reallocated from queue management. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the multimodality means of communicating comprises internet-based communications, satellite communications, public telephone networks, mobile networks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, public address systems, and near-field communications. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a call blending feature comprising at least a processor, a memory, and a third plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory and operating on the processor, wherein the third plurality of programming instructions, when operating on the processor, cause the processor to:
 dynamically shift call center agents to place outbound marketing calls during times of low queue throughput.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optimal configuration is the simulation with the least distance a queued person must travel. 
     
     
         6 . A method for enhanced virtual queuing, comprising the steps of:
 modelling, using historical queue traffic data, future traffic volumes of a queue;   simulating new queue configurations;   analyzing the new queue configuration simulations to determine an optimal queue configuration with a least wait time;   outputting the difference between the current queue configuration and the optimal queue simulation as a set of recommendations; and   accumulating positions in the queue totaling the number of persons in the group;   sending confirmation of the request to the group;   sending periodic update notifications to the group based on a notification escalation plan, wherein the notification escalation plan comprises a rules-based multimodality means of communicating with the group;   receiving a plurality of check-in notifications from as members of the group check in to the queue; and   when all members of the group have checked in, removing the group from the queue;   processing and replying to requests selected from the group consisting of a request to join the queue, a request to leave the queue, a request to transfer to a different queue, a request for the current wait time of the queue, a request for additional time, a request to schedule a position in the queue for a later time, and a request to change places in the queue.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the simulation is performed during periods of low queue throughput using computing resources reallocated from queue management. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the multimodality means of communicating comprises internet-based communications, satellite communications, public telephone networks, mobile networks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, public address systems, and near-field communications.