Method and system for operator services automation using an operator services switch

• US 20030231751A1
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volt Delta Resources LLC (NewNet Communication Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Volt Information Sciences Incorporated
• Inventors: Scott, Dwight E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,180,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a front end automation system, an operator services switch, an automated operator, and an automation data server. The front end automation system interacts with a caller in order to recognize a request of the caller and determine a response to the request. The operator services switch, which is inter-operably coupled to the front end automation system, receives a call from the front end automation system, after the front end automation system has recognized the request and has determined the response to the request, and creates billing information relative to the call. The automation data server, which is inter-operably coupled to the front end automation system, passes information about the request and the response from the front end automation system to the automated operator. The automated operator, which is inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch, provides the response to the request to the caller.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a front end automation system adapted to recognize a request for information from a caller and initiate a call to an operator services switch, and

an operator services switch inter-operably coupled to the front end automation system and adapted to receive the call from the front end automation system and create billing information relative to the call.

2. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a back end automation system inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch and to the front end automation system, the back end automation system being adapted to respond to the request via the operator services switch; and

wherein the front end automation system is adapted to send information relative to the request to the back end automation system in response to the request, the information relative to the request being sent via a path exclusive of the operator services switch.

3. The telecommunications system of claim 1, further comprising:

a back end automation system inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch and to the front end automation system; and

wherein the front end automation system is adapted to send information relative to the request to the back end automation system in response to the request, the information relative to the request being sent via a path exclusive of the operator services switch.

4. The telecommunications system of claim 1, wherein the front end automation system is inter-operably coupled to a back end automation system and is adapted to send information responsive to the request to the back end automation system via a path exclusive of the operator services switch.

5. The telecommunications system of claim 2, wherein the information relative to the request comprises information regarding a response to be given to the caller.

6. The telecommunications system of claim 2, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator.

7. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein the automated operator is adapted to announce information responsive to the request to the caller via the operator services switch.

8. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein the automated operator is adapted to notify the front end automation system, via the operator services switch, to disconnect the call from the operator services switch and announce information responsive to the request to the caller.

9. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein the automated operator is adapted to send an announcement request to an operator services switch interface component inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch, the announcement request comprising information regarding a response to the request.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 6, wherein the operator services switch is adapted to assign the call to the automated operator in response to receipt of the call from the front end automation system.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 2, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator, the automation data server being adapted to receive the information relative to the request from the front end automation system, and the automated operator being adapted to query the automation data server to obtain information regarding a response to the request to be given to the caller.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 3, wherein the operator services switch is adapted to transfer the call from the back end automation system to an operator work station.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 3, wherein the front end automation system is adapted to send to the back end automation system information recognized from the request for information, the information recognized representing less than all of the request for information.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the operator work station is adapted to send information received from the operator services switch and identifying the call to the back end automation system in response to receipt of a message from the operator services switch, the message specifying the information identifying the call.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 14, wherein the back end automation system is adapted to respond to the information identifying the call received from the operator work station by sending the information recognized to the operator work station.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 15, wherein the operator work station is adapted to display the information recognized in response to receipt of the information recognized from the back end automation system.

17. The telecommunications system of claim 12, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator.

18. The telecommunications system of claim 13, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator.

19. The telecommunications system of claim 18, wherein the automation data server is adapted to receive from the front end automation system the information recognized from the request for information.

20. A method of responding to a request for information of a caller comprising:

receiving the request from the caller;

recognizing the request in an automated fashion;

initiating a call relative to the request to an operator services switch; and

generating, by the operator services switch, of billing information regarding the call.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

after the step of recognizing, sending information relative to the request on a path exclusive of the operator services switch;

generating, by the operator services switch, of information identifying the initiated call;

receiving the information relative to the request and the information identifying the call;

associating the information relative to the request with the information identifying the call; and

using the received information relative to the request and the information identifying the call to respond to the request.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of sending the information relative to the request on a path exclusive of the operator services switch comprises sending the information relative to the request to a back end automation system.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the information relative to the request comprises information regarding a response to be given to the caller.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of using comprises announcing, by the automated operator, of information responsive to the request to the caller via the operator services switch.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of using comprises notifying a front end automation system, via the operator services switch, to disconnect the call from the operator services switch and announce information responsive to the request to the caller.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of using comprises sending, by the automated operator, of an announcement request to an operator services switch interface component inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch, the announcement request comprising a response to the request.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising assigning, by the operator services switch, of the call to the automated operator in response to receipt of the call from a front end automation system.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator, the automation data server receiving the information relative to the request from a front end automation system, and the automated operator querying the automation data server to obtain information regarding a response to the request to be given to the caller.

30. A method of responding to a request for information of a caller comprising:

receiving the request from the caller;

recognizing, in an automated fashion, less than all of the request;

initiating a call relative to the request to an operator services switch; and

generating, by the operator services switch, of billing information regarding the call.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising transferring, by the operator services switch, of the call from a back end automation system to an operator work station.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising sending, by a front end automation system to a back end automation system, of information identifying information recognized from the request.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein none of the request is recognized in the step of recognizing.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein a portion of the request is recognized in the step of recognizing.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising sending, by the operator work station, of call-identifying information received from the operator services switch to the back end automation system in response to receipt of a message from the operator services switch, the message specifying the call-identifying information.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising responding, by the back end automation system, to the call-identifying information received from the operator work station by sending information identifying information recognized from the request to the operator work station.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising displaying, by the operator work station, of the information identifying the information recognized in response to receipt of the information identifying the information recognized from the back end automation system.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the information identifying the information recognized indicates that no information was recognized.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the the information identifying the information recognized identifies a portion of the request.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising receiving, by the automation data server from the front end automation system, of the information identifying the information recognized from the request.