Automated call routing

• US 20040032941A1
• Filed: 08/14/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lyrix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lyrix, Inc.
• Inventors: Phillips, Richard A., Graham, Jeffrey P., Josee-Labine, Marie
• Granted Patent: US 6,947,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

Automated call routing systems and methods are described. In one implementation, a speech recognition directory system facilitates the routing of callers based upon stored results of recent disambiguations, which may be stored in heuristic profiles that are associated with callers. Instead of requiring a caller to process a series of disambiguation attempts, in which secondary information is presented for the caller'"'"'s approval, this call routing scheme leverages the fact that the user is likely seeking a person they'"'"'ve previously contacted. In large directories, this call routing scheme improves the speed of the transaction and eliminates the frustration of the disambiguation process. Rather than pursuing a disambiguation process with the caller, the call routing system may immediately announce the transfer. The caller may abort the process if the selected call destination is incorrect. In some implementations, if the caller selects a call destination that is not within the caller'"'"'s associated heuristic profile, the new selection is added to the caller'"'"'s associated heuristic profile in FIFO fashion. The heuristic profile may be configurable, allowing a limited, or more extensive, repository of past caller selections.

Claims

1. A call routing system, comprising:

a search module operable to generate a hypothesis list of candidate call destinations based on one or more queries to a call destination directory in response to a call destination request received from a caller; and

a disambiguation module operable to compare a hypothesis list generated in response to a call destination request by a given caller and containing multiple candidate call destinations with a heuristic profile associated with the given caller and containing one or more records of prior disambiguation selections made by the caller.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a caller interface for receiving call destination requests from callers.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the caller interface comprises an automatic speech recognition module.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the caller interface comprises a caller identification module operable to identify callers.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the caller identification module is operable to identify a caller based at least in part on an identifier assigned to a communication channel being used by the caller.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the caller identification module is operable to identify a caller based at least in part on information received from the caller.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the disambiguation module is operable to store one or more disambiguation selections made by a caller in a heuristic profile associated with the caller.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a caller'"'"'s disambiguation selection is stored in the heuristic profile associated with the caller in the form of a data structure having an identification number field and a call destination name field.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein a caller'"'"'s disambiguation selections are stored in the heuristic profile associated with the caller in first in, first out (FIFO) order.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the disambiguation module is operable to select as a routing destination a call destination contained in both the hypothesis list and the heuristic profile associated with the caller.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a routing destination is selected based on a first in, first out (FIFO) ordering of the heuristic profile associated with the caller.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the disambiguation module is operable to generate one or more disambiguation questions for a caller in response to an indication received from a caller that the selected routing destination is incorrect.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the disambiguation module is operable to compare a hypothesis list generated in response to a call destination request by a given caller and containing multiple candidate call destinations with a generic heuristic profile when no heuristic profile is associated with the given caller.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the generic heuristic profile contains one or more sorted disambiguation selection records.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting as a routing destination a call destination contained in both the hypothesis list and the heuristic profile associated with the caller.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein a routing destination is selected based on a first in, first out (FIFO) ordering of the heuristic profile associated with the caller.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating one or more disambiguation questions for a caller in response to an indication received from a caller that the selected routing destination is incorrect.

15. A call routing method, comprising:

generating a hypothesis list of candidate call destinations based on one or more queries to a call destination directory in response to a call destination request received from a caller; and

comparing a hypothesis list generated in response to a call destination request by a given caller and containing multiple candidate call destinations with a heuristic profile associated with the given caller and containing one or more records of prior disambiguation selections made by the caller.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically recognizing voiced call destination requests received from callers.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying callers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a caller is identified based at least in part on an identifier assigned to a communication channel being used by the caller.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein a caller is identified based at least in part on information received from the caller.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing one or more disambiguation selections made by a caller in a heuristic profile associated with the caller.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein a caller'"'"'s disambiguation selection is stored in a heuristic profile associated with the caller in the form of a data structure having an identification number field and a call destination name field.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein a caller'"'"'s disambiguation selections are stored in the heuristic profile associated with the caller in first in, first out (FIFO) order.

26. The method of claim 15, comparing a hypothesis list generated in response to a call destination request by a given caller and containing multiple candidate call destinations with a generic heuristic profile when no heuristic profile is associated with the given caller.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the generic heuristic profile contains one or more sorted disambiguation selection records.

28. A computer program for call routing, the computer program residing on a computer-readable medium and comprising computer-readable instructions for causing a computer to:

generate a hypothesis list of candidate call destinations based on one or more queries to a call destination directory in response to a call destination request received from a caller; and

compare a hypothesis list generated in response to a call destination request by a given caller and containing multiple candidate call destinations with a heuristic profile associated with the given caller and containing one or more records of prior disambiguation selections made by the caller.