Automated business form information aquisition system

• US 20020090062A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Golden Voice Technology and Training LLC
• Original Assignee: Golden Voice Technology and Training LLC
• Inventors: Mohamed Alhadad, Syed Abdulkader El Shariff Bin, Wagner, Susan
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

A computer workstation-associated call handler uses hooking and sub-classing techniques to modify actions executed by an underlying call handler application program to automatically trigger various call handler actions. These actions may include playback of pre-recorded personal response type phrases or other pre-defined actions at various instances during a call, in response to the call agent'"'"'s interactions with personalized response system-based, and forms-based software in the course of servicing telephone calls. This obviates the need to change the source code of the target application.

Claims

1. A method of supplying one or more voice messages to a party in voice communication with a facility comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a voice message storage and retrieval mechanism in which one or more voice messages are stored, and which is controllably operative to selectively play back a respective voice message stored therein in response to a voice message selection signal applied thereto;

(b) providing a call handler computer workstation with a call handler display interface that is operative to display a plurality of objects in association with a call handling application program employed by a call handler to service said party; and

(c) in response to said call handler performing a prescribed interaction with one or more selected objects displayed by said call handler display interface, modifying the execution of one or more program processing actions by said call handling application program, so as to automatically trigger one or more actions, including the automatic playback of one or more pre-recorded phrases by said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to said party.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said call handling application program is operative to cause said call handler display interface to controllably display a plurality of control objects, manipulation of which by said call handler will cause execution of pre-defined automated actions, and wherein step (c) comprises modifying, without access to source code of said call handling application program, the execution of one or more program processing actions by said call handling application program.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises modifying the execution of one or more program processing actions by said call handling application program by performing at least one of hooking a sub-classing actions with respect to said call handling application program.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said voice storage and retrieval mechanism is operative to play back said selected voice message to said party in the voice of said call handler, so that it appears to said party that said call handler is speaking said selected voice message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said prescribed interaction performed by said call handler includes manipulation of an element in association with said selected object.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said call handler display interface provided in step (b) is operative to display a plurality of objects respectively associated with different information components to be interfaced with said call handling application program in the course of said call handler servicing said party.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein step (c) comprises, in response to said call handler performing said prescribed interaction with selected objects displayed by said display interface, causing said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back respectively different voice messages requesting said party to supply respectively different information components associated with said selected objects.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) further includes causing said call handler display interface to display a text message associated with said selected voice message played back to said party.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) further includes causing said call handler display interface to modify a characteristic of the selected object for which a voice message is played back to said party.

10. An arrangement for controlling the operation of a call handling facility, in which a voice communication is established between a party external to said facility and a call handler at a computer workstation of said facility, said computer workstation having a call handler display interface that is operative to display a plurality of objects in association with a call handling application program used by said call handler to service said party, said plurality of objects being respectively associated with different information components to be interfaced with said call handling application program in the course of said call handler servicing said party, said arrangement comprising:

a voice message storage and retrieval mechanism in which one or more voice messages are stored, and which is controllably operative to selectively play back a respective voice message stored therein in response to a voice message selection signal applied thereto; and

a program execution modification mechanism linked with said call handling application program, and which is operative, in response to said call handler performing a prescribed interaction with selected objects displayed by said call handler display interface, to modify the execution of one or more program processing actions by said call handling application program, so as to automatically trigger one or more actions, including the automatic playback of one or more pre-recorded phrases by said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to said party.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said call handling application program is operative to cause said call handler display interface to controllably display a plurality of control objects manipulation of which by said call handler will cause execution of pre-defined automated actions, and wherein said program execution modification mechanism is operative to modify the execution of one or more program processing actions by said call handling application program, without access to source code of said call handling application program.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein said program execution modification mechanism step is operative to modify the execution of one or more program processing actions by said call handling application program by performing at least one of hooking a sub-classing actions with respect to said call handling application program.

13. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said voice storage and retrieval mechanism is operative to play back said selected voice message to said party in the voice of said call handler, so that it appears to said party that said call handler is speaking said selected voice message.

14. The arrangement method according to claim 10, wherein said prescribed interaction performed by said call handler includes manipulation of an element in association with said selected object.

15. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said call handler display interface is operative to display a plurality of objects respectively associated with different information components to be interfaced with said call handling application program in the course of said call handler servicing said party.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein said program execution modification mechanism is operative, in response to said call handler performing said prescribed interaction with selected objects displayed by said display interface, to cause said call handler target application program to trigger said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back respectively different voice messages requesting said party to supply respectively different information components associated with said selected objects.

17. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said program execution modification mechanism is operative to cause said call handler target application program to cause said call handler display interface to display a text message associated with said selected voice message played back to said party.

18. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said program execution modification mechanism is operative to cause said call handler target application program to cause said call handler display interface to modify a characteristic of the selected object for which a voice message is played back to said party.

19. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said program execution modification mechanism is operative to modify a characteristic of a selected object for which a voice message is played back to said party.

20. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein said program execution modification mechanism is operative to modify a text message displayed by said call handler display interface.