System and method for integrating the visual display of text menus for interactive voice response systems

• US 20030074198A1
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lester Sussman
• Original Assignee: Lester Sussman
• Inventors: Sussman, Lester
• Granted Patent: US 7,027,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/226 using non-speech characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function
• 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 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

The present invention solves the serial nature of today'"'"'s Interactive Voice Response (IVR) telephony menu systems, by means of visually “looking ahead” and in any direction in the nested audio IVR menus. Computer software in the telephone, or associated hardware, provides a graphical user interface that enables the user to navigate related IVR text menus that are displayed on the telephone. The present invention provides a variety of means to store, display, select and update associated text menus and other data with an IVR system. The various communication means include analog modems, broadband modems, and VoIP connectivity. The present invention provides the means to convert the audio IVR menus to text menus, as well as the means to download the associated IVR text menus from the Internet.

Claims

1. A computerized interactive voice response system comprising:

an interactive voice response host computer for providing audio menus;

a source computer for providing text menus associated with said audio menus;

a user telephone;

a user telephone with an embedded computer having a display screen and having a program to display visual menus on the user embedded computer display screen and wherein said user embedded computer is capable of operating independently and not in connection with said user telephone;

a modem attached to said user embedded computer for receiving data to display visual menus and other data on the said user embedded computer display screen from a source computer;

an interface for connecting the user telephone, and the interactive voice response host computer, wherein said interface connects the user telephone to the interactive voice response host computer, enabling sending signals from the user telephone to the interactive voice response host computer, at all times the interactive voice response host computer is connected for providing and receiving responses to audio menus and wherein the interactive voice response host computer sends only audio messages and dual tone multifrequency signals or other audio tones to said interface which converts the dual tone multifrequency signals or other audio tones to digital signals for use by said user computer;

wherein said embedded computer has memory means to store said visual menus and other data; and

wherein the program in the user telephone embedded computer enables the user computer display screen to display visual menus along with the audio menus provided to the user telephone.

2. The system of claim 1 further including means for insuring that the displayed visual menus correspond to the audio menus provided.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the program to display visual menus on the user computer display screen is stored in said computer memory.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface further includes a means for converting signals from the user telephone embedded computer into tones to be received by the interactive voice response host computer, thereby enabling selection of menu items from an input device connected to the user telephone embedded computer.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the said modem is an analog modem, or an ISDN modem, or a cable modem, or a digital subscriber line modem, or a satellite modem.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the said embedded computer has a control program capable of receiving notification of an update to said visual menus, retrieving said update from said source computer and storing said visual menus update in said computer memory.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the said system has the means to download and to store other data associated with the telephone call.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said other data includes restaurant menus, medical schedules and prescriptions, mail order catalogs, product licensing information, tickets for events and travel and billing information.

9. A computerized interactive voice response system comprising:

an interactive voice response host computer for providing audio menus;

a user telephone;

a source computer for providing text menus associated with said audio menus;

a user telephone with an embedded computer having a display screen and having a program to display visual menus on the user embedded computer display screen and wherein said user embedded computer is capable of operating independently and not in connection with said user telephone;

a computer network communication means attached to said user embedded computer for receiving data to display visual menus and other data on the said user embedded computer display screen from a source computer;

a computer communication means whereby voice and data are transmitted and received on the said computer network communication means;

an interface for connecting the user telephone, and the interactive voice response host computer, wherein said interface connects the user telephone to the interactive voice response host computer, enabling sending signals from the user telephone to the interactive voice response host computer, at all times the interactive voice response host computer is connected for providing and receiving responses to audio menus and wherein the interactive voice response host computer sends only audio messages and dual tone multifrequency signals or other audio tones to said interface which converts the dual tone multifrequency signals or other audio tones to digital signals for use by said user computer;

wherein said embedded computer has memory means to store said visual menus and other data; and

wherein the program in the user telephone embedded computer enables the user computer display screen to display visual menus along with the audio menus provided to the user telephone.

10. The system of claim 9 further including means for insuring that the displayed visual menus correspond to the audio menus provided.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the program to display visual menus on the user computer display screen is stored in said computer memory.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the interface further includes a means for converting signals from the user telephone embedded computer into tones to be received by the interactive voice response host computer, thereby enabling selection of menu items from an input device connected to the user telephone embedded computer.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the said network communication means is an Ethernet network means, or a wireless 802.11b means, or a wireless Bluetooth means.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the said embedded computer has a control program capable of receiving notification of an update to said visual menus, retrieving said update from said source computer and storing said visual menus update in said computer memory.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the said system has the means to download and to store other data associated with the telephone call.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said other data includes restaurant menus, medical schedules and prescriptions, mail order catalogs, product licensing information, tickets for events and travel and billing information.

17. A computerized interactive voice response system comprising:

an interactive voice response host computer for providing audio menus;

a user telephone;

a source computer for providing text menus associated with said audio menus;

a user telephone with an embedded computer having a display screen and having a program to display visual menus on the user embedded computer display screen and wherein said user embedded computer is capable of operating independently and not in connection with said user telephone;

a computer network communication means attached to said user embedded computer for receiving data to display visual menus and other data on the said user embedded computer display screen from a source computer;

an interface for connecting the user telephone, and the interactive voice response host computer, wherein said interface connects the user telephone to the interactive voice response host computer, enabling sending signals from the user telephone to the interactive voice response host computer, at all times the interactive voice response host computer is connected for providing and receiving responses to audio menus and wherein the interactive voice response host computer sends only audio messages and dual tone multifrequency signals or other audio tones to said interface which converts the dual tone multifrequency signals or other audio tones to digital signals for use by said user computer;

wherein the said embedded computer has the means to convert voice signals to computer readable and storable data;

wherein said embedded computer has memory means to store said visual menus and other data; and

wherein the program in the user telephone embedded computer enables the user computer display screen to display visual menus along with the audio menus provided to the user telephone.