Methods and systems for personal interactive voice response

• US 20040111269A1
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.), Bellsouth Intellectual Property
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A personal interactive voice response system with a web-based interface allowing the user to specify treatment of incoming calls based on voice or touchtone responses provided by the calling party. A graphical user interface available over a computer network, such as the Internet, allows the user to personalize greetings that callers hear, as well as customizing treatment of callers based on the caller'"'"'s response. The user may record an initial greeting or other messages, either over the telephone or over the Internet, so that the messages are played to callers in the user'"'"'s voice. Additionally, the user may enter text, via a PC or wireless device connected to the Internet, that is played back for the caller, based on the caller'"'"'s response, via text-to-speech conversion using voice extensible markup language technology. Resulting actions, such as call forwarding, distinctive ringing, or remote notification of the incoming call may also be included.

Claims

1. A method for routing an incoming call to a specified person of a plurality of persons at a called telephone number, wherein the called telephone number is serviced by a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

providing within the telecommunications network a personal interactive voice response (IVR) service comprising a computer network, a web server, an application server, and a database;

providing web access to the database;

entering information via web access for storage in the database, the information relating to the specified person for directing the incoming call and selected from the group consisting of one or more forwarding telephone numbers, time periods during which the incoming call is to be directed, initial greetings, outgoing messages from the specified person, and voice mail boxes;

upon receipt of an incoming call, determining that the called telephone number is served by the personal IVR service;

triggering an initial greeting, wherein the initial greeting includes instructions for selecting at least one option determined according to the information; and

routing the incoming call to a selected option.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein entering information via web access for storage in the database further comprises:

querying whether the user wants to enter an initial greeting, and, if so, prompting the user to enter the initial greeting;

querying whether the user wants to edit an option, and if so, prompting the user to select the option to be edited and to enter a revised option; and

querying whether the user wants to edit a call handling rule, and, if so, prompting the user to select the call handling rule to be edited, to enter a revised call handling rule, and to associate the revised call handling rule with an existing option.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the initial greeting, the revised option, and the revised call handling rule.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising querying whether the user wants to enter an additional command.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising querying whether the user wants to edit another option or edit another call handling rule.

6. In a telecommunications network, a system for processing a call from a calling party to a user according to a personal interactive voice response (WVR) service plan of the user, comprising:

a first network element being operative to receive the call and determine whether the user is subscribed to personal IVR service;

a second network element being operative to retrieve the personal IVR service plan and to play an initial greeting to the calling party; and

the second network element being further operative to receive input from the calling party and to route the call according to the input from the caller and at least one call handling rule of the personal IVR service plan.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first network element is a softswitch.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first network element is a service switching point.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the second network element is a server.

10. In a telecommunications network, a system for processing a call from a calling party to a user according to a personal interactive voice response (IVR) service plan of the user, comprising:

a first network element being operative to receive the call and determine whether the user is subscribed to personal IVR service;

a second network element being operative to retrieve the personal IVR service plan and to play an initial greeting to the calling party, wherein the initial greeting includes at least one option;

the second network element being further operative to receive an option selection from the calling party and, based on the option selection, to apply at least one call handling rule to the call; and

the first network element being further operative to route the call according to instructions from the second network element.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising the second network element being operative to play an error message to the calling party if the option selection is not recognized according to the personal IVR service plan.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network element is a softswitch and the second network element is a server.

13. In a telecommunications network including a system for providing personal interactive voice response (IVR) service to subscribers comprising a computer network, a web server, an application server and a database, a method comprising:

providing at least one web-accessible application for entry by a user of information for a personal IVR service plan;

storing the entered information for the personal IVR service plan; and

upon being queried by a network element, notifying the network element that the user is subscribed to personal IVR service and retrieving the personal IVR service plan.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein storing entered information for the personal IVR service plan further comprises receiving an initial greeting, at least one option, and at least one call handling rule from the user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising associating a call handling rule with an option.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving an incoming call and playing an initial greeting with at least one option.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a selection of an option and applying a call handling rule to the call.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the network element with instructions for routing the call.