Systems and methods for interacting with answering systems

• US 10,230,846 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2016
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Charignon, Laurent Gabriel Stephane
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US15/157,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1408, 379 68, 379 881, 379 8812, 379 8814, 379 8817, 379 8818, 379 9317, 379 9325, 37914203, 37920101, 37920102, 37926509, 379 9323, 379 8805, 37926502, 455411, 4554141, 455417, 4555561, 455415, 7042701, 705 51, 710 63, 715765, 370352, 701420, 709204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 Dual frequency signaling, DTMF

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can cause a voice communication between a computing device and an automated answering system to be established. A set of options that are available for selection through the automated answering system during the voice communication can be determined. The set of options can be provided for presentation on a display screen of the computing device, wherein at least some of the options in the set are labeled with information that visually describes the options.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing, by a computing device, a voice communication between the computing device and an automated answering system to be established;

analyzing, by the computing device, audio being communicated by the automated answering system during the voice communication;

determining, by the computing device, an automated menu of the automated answering system based on the audio being communicated by the automated answering system; and

providing, by the computing device, a set of options for presentation on a display screen of the computing device, wherein the set of options corresponds to the automated menu of the automated answering system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the automated menu of the automated answering system further comprises:

accessing, by the computing device, information describing the automated menu of the automated answering system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein the audio is analyzed using one or more speech recognition techniques.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that a user operating the computing device has selected one of the options being presented through the display screen; and

determining, by the computing device, a second set of options that are available for selection through the automated answering system based at least in part on the user selection.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, a mapping between the option selected and a numerical key associated with the option; and

providing, by the computing device, information that references the numerical key to the automated answering system to communicate the user selection.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the information comprises a dual-tone multi-frequency signaling (DTMF) tone that corresponds to the numerical key.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein an option is labeled with at least one of:

text describing the option, an icon that represents the option, or an animation that corresponds to the option.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing the set of options for presentation on the display screen further comprises:

providing, by the computing device, information describing a path that references options selected by the user while accessing the automated answering system.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that a user operating the computing device has selected one of the options, the selected option requesting information from the automated answering system;

providing, by the computing device, information to the automated answering system to communicate the selected option;

determining, by the computing device, information describing a response to the request from the automated answering system; and

causing, by the computing device, the information describing the response to be displayed visually on the display screen.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that the automated answering system is requesting information from the user; and

causing, by the computing device, a prompt for the requested information to be presented visually on the display screen, the prompt indicating a format in which the information is being requested.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform;

causing a voice communication between the computing device and an automated answering system to be established;

analyzing audio being communicated by the automated answering system during the voice communication;

determining an automated menu of the automated answering system based on the audio being communicated by the automated answering system; and

providing a set of options for presentation on a display screen of the computing device, wherein the set of options corresponds to the automated menu of the automated answering system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining the automated menu of the automated answering system further causes the system to perform:

accessing information describing the automated menu of the automated answering system.

13. The system of claim 11,

wherein the audio is analyzed using one or more speech recognition techniques.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the system further performs:

determining that a user operating the computing device has selected one of the options being presented through the display screen; and

determining a second set of options that are available for selection through the automated answering system based at least in part on the user selection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system further performs:

determining a mapping between the option selected and a numerical key associated with the option; and

providing information that references the numerical key to the automated answering system to communicate the user selection.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform:

causing a voice communication between the computing device and an automated answering system to be established;

analyzing audio being communicated by the automated answering system during the voice communication;

determining an automated menu of the automated answering system based on the audio being communicated by the automated answering system; and

providing a set of options for presentation on a display screen of the computing device, wherein the set of options corresponds to the automated menu of the automated answering system.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein determining the automated menu of the automated answering system further causes the computing system to perform:

accessing information describing the automated menu of the automated answering system.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16,

wherein the audio is analyzed using one or more speech recognition techniques.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the computing system further performs:

determining that a user operating the computing device has selected one of the options being presented through the display screen; and

determining a second set of options that are available for selection through the automated answering system based at least in part on the user selection.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computing system further performs:

determining a mapping between the option selected and a numerical key associated with the option; and

providing information that references the numerical key to the automated answering system to communicate the user selection.