System and method for responding to email and self help requests

• US 20010053977A1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Realperson Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Realperson Incorporated
• Inventors: Schaefer, Frederick Anthony
• Application Number:
  US09/866,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053977A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• 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 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 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A customer service center (10) includes a server (12) connected to a computer network (18). The server (12) contains a speech recognition system (14). An operator station (16) is capable of connecting to the server (12). A microphone (19) is connected to the operator station (16). A codec (20) is connected to the microphone (19) and the operator station (16).

Claims

1. A method of operating an customer service center, comprising the steps of:

(a) populating a database with a plurality of text queries;

(b) populating the database with a plurality of responses;

(c) indexing the database;

(d) receiving a request for service at a customer service center over a computer network from a user;

(e) receiving a text query at the customer service center;

(f) searching the database for a similar text query;

(g) when the similar text query is found in the database, transmitting an appropriate text response and a corresponding voice response to the user.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the appropriate text response is an automated email response.

3. The method of

claim 2

, wherein the corresponding voice response is a voice attachment to the automated email response.

4. The method of

claim 2

, wherein the automated email response is added to the database.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the appropriate text response is a list of responses with a hyperlink to each response on the list.

6. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the automated email response includes a button to allow the user to connect to a customer service operator.

7. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the corresponding voice response is in a format that does not require the user to have a plug-in to hear the corresponding voice response.

8. The method of

claim 1

, wherein step (f) further includes the steps of:

(f1) when the similar text query is not found in the database, presenting the text query to a customer service operator;

(f2) responding verbally to the similar text query to form a voice response;

(f3) performing a voice to text conversion to create a text response;

(f4) transmitting the text response and the voice response to the user, wherein the voice response is in a format that does not require the user to have a plug-in to hear the voice response.

9. The method of

claim 8

, wherein step (f1) further includes the step of:

(i) adding the text query to the database.

10. The method of

claim 8

, wherein step (f3) further includes the step of:

(i) adding the text response to the database.

11. The method of

claim 8

, wherein step (f3) further includes the step of:

(i) adding the voice response to the database.

12. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the plurality of responses are text responses.

13. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the plurality of responses are both text responses and voice responses.

14. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the customer service center is internet-based.

15. The method of

claim 1

, wherein step (c) further includes the steps of:

(c1) identifying key words contained in the plurality of text queries; and

(c2) arranging the database to enable a search for a word.

16. The method of

claim 1

, wherein step (c) further includes the steps of:

(c1) identifying key words contained in the plurality of responses; and

(c2) arranging the database to enable a search for a word.

17. The method of

claim 1

, wherein step (e) further includes the step of:

(e1) evaluating which of the plurality of responses are most appropriate with an artificial intelligence system.

18. The method of

claim 1

, wherein step (g) further includes the steps of:

(g1) receiving a plurality of potential responses;

(g2) selecting a correct response from the plurality of potential responses; and

(g3) sending the correct response to the user.

19. The method of

claim 1

, wherein step (g) further includes to steps of:

(g1) converting the appropriate text response into a voice response with a speech synthesizer.

20. A method of operating an online customer service center, comprising the steps of:

(a) populating a database with a plurality of text queries and a plurality of associated responses;

(b) indexing the database;

(c) receiving a query at the online customer service center from a user;

(e) searching the database for a similar query;

(f) when the similar query is found, finding an associated response in the database;

(g) transmitting the associated response to the user.

21. The method of

claim 20

, wherein step (e) further comprises the steps of:

(e1) when the similar query is not found in the database, presenting the query to a customer service operator;

(e2) responding verbally to the query to form a voice response;

(e3) performing a voice to text conversion to create a text response; and

(e4) transmitting the text response and the voice response to the user.

22. The method of

claim 21

, further comprising the step of:

(e5) playing the voice response at a user'"'"'s computer without a special software program.

23. The method of

claim 20

, wherein step (f) further comprises the steps of:

(f1) performing a text to voice conversion of the associated response using a speech synthesizer to create a synthesized voice response; and

(f2) transmitting a text response and the synthesized voice response to the user.

24. The method of

claim 20

, wherein the query is an email query.

25. The method of

claim 24

, wherein step (e) further includes the steps of:

(e1) when the similar query is not found, voicing a response by a customer service operator to create a voice response;

(e2) converting the voice response into a text response;

(e3) encapsulating the voice response and the text response into an email response; and

(e4) sending the email response to the user.

26. The method of

claim 25

, further including the step of:

(e5) displaying the text response of the email response on a user'"'"'s computer upon receipt.

27. The method of

claim 25

, further including the step of:

(e5) playing the voice response of the email response on a user'"'"'s computer upon receipt.

28. The method of

claim 25

, further including the steps of:

(e5) storing the text response and the voice response on a web page;

(e6) when a user'"'"'s computer is not capable of playing the voice response of the email response, including a hyperlink to the web page; and

(e7) clicking on the hyperlink within the encapsulated response to play the voice response.

29. An customer service center, comprising:

a server connected to a computer network containing a speech recognition system;

a database connected to the server;

a data mining system connected to the server and the database;

an operator station capable of connecting to the server; and

a microphone connected to the operator station.

30. The customer service center of

claim 29

, wherein the database is populated with a plurality of text queries and a plurality of text responses.

31. The customer service center of

claim 29

, wherein the data mining system is capable of capturing a text query for storage in the database.

32. The customer service center of

claim 29

, wherein the data mining system is capable of capturing a text response for storage in the database.

33. The customer service center of

claim 29

, wherein the data mining system is capable of comparing a text query to a plurality of text queries stored in the database to find a correct match.

34. The customer service center of

claim 29

, wherein the data mining system includes a response evaluation system.

35. The customer service center of

claim 29

, further comprising:

a speech synthesizer connected to the server.

36. A method of operating an online customer service center, comprising the steps of:

(a) dialing a telephone number of a customer service center by a user;

(b) speaking a voice query;

(c) converting the voice query into a text query;

(d) searching a database for a similar text query;

(e) associating the similar text query with a response; and

(f) sending the response to the user.

37. The method of

claim 36

, wherein the voice query is converted into a text query using a speech recognition system.

38. The method of

claim 36

, wherein the response is an audio response.

39. The method of

claim 38

, wherein the audio response is a real voice response stored in the database.

40. The method of

claim 36

, further including the steps:

(g) when the response is not found, directing the text and voice query to a customer service operator; and

(h) speaking a response to the user by the customer service operator.