Methods and systems for obtaining profile information from individuals using automation

• US 20050014117A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stillman, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/322
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

Methods and systems obtain profile information from individuals using automation to select and provide the questions that are given to the individual. The answers the individuals provide to the questions can then be used to generate the profile information. Subsequent questions are selected and presented according to analysis of the previous answers. The exchange of the questions and answers occurs over a communications network and may take the form of emails, web page interfaces, wireless data messages, or verbal communication over a voiced call. The answers are analyzed to determine certain characteristics, such as the personality type, mood, and gender of the individual. The subsequent questions are selected based on the characteristics that are found from the answers to facilitate the information exchange between the automated system and the individual.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining profile information from individuals using automation, comprising:

providing a first question to an individual over a communication network from a network-based computer-implemented application;

receiving a first answer to the first question from the individual over the communication network at the network-based computer-implemented application;

analyzing the first answer with the network-based computer-implemented application; and

based on the analysis of the first answer, selecting and providing a second question to the individual over the communication network from the network-based computer-implemented application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a public switched telephone network including a voice services node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first answer comprises:

receiving a verbal answer over voiced call at a voice services node;

converting the verbal answer to answer data at the voice services node; and

providing the answer data to the network-based computer-implemented application from the voice services node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing a first question and providing a second question comprises:

providing first and second question data from the network-based computer-implemented application to the voice services node; and

converting the first and second question data to first and second verbal questions at the voice services node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet and the first and second questions are included in a web page display on a computer linked to the Internet and wherein the first answer is entered as text through the web page display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet and the first and second questions are emails received at a computer linked to the Internet and wherein the first answer is a reply email sent from the computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second answer to the second question from the individual over the communications network at the network-based computer-implemented application;

analyzing the second answer by the network-based computer-implemented application; and

based on the analysis of the second answer, selecting and providing a third question to the individual over the communications network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first question does not inquire directly about personality, and wherein analyzing the first answer comprises detecting a personality trait of the individual from a characteristic of the first answer to the first question.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first question does not inquire directly about mood, and wherein analyzing the first answer comprises detecting a mood of the individual from a characteristic of the first answer to the first question.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first question does not inquire directly about gender, and wherein analyzing the first answer comprises detecting a gender of the individual from a characteristic of the first answer to the first question.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting and providing the second question comprises selecting a temperament for the second question and providing the second question utilizing the selected temperament.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting and providing the second question comprises selecting a time within which to present the second question.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting and providing the second question comprises selecting a subject matter for the second question.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first answer in a profile for the individual.

15. A system for obtaining profile information from individuals using automation, comprising:

a profile database storing profile information for an individual;

a network-based computer-implemented application linked to the individual by a communication network, wherein the network-based computer-implemented application is configured to;

provide a first question to the individual over the communication network,

receive a first answer from the individual over the communication network,

analyze the first answer to select a second question,

provide the second question to the individual over the communications network,

receive a second answer to the second question over the communications network,

determine profile information from the first and second answers, and

store the profile information in the profile database.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication network comprises a public switched telephone network including a voice services node.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a voice services node that receives a verbal answer over a voiced call with the individual, converts the verbal answer to answer data, and provides the answer data to the network-based computer-implemented application.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the network-based computer-implemented application provides first and second question data to the voice services node and the voice services node converts the first and second question data to first and second verbal questions.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet and the first and second questions are included in a web page display on a computer linked to the Internet and wherein the first answer is entered as text through the web page display.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet and the first and second questions are emails received at a computer linked to the Internet and wherein the first answer is a reply email sent from the computer.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the computer-implemented application is further configured to:

analyze the second answer to select a third question, and

provide the third question to the individual over the communications network.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the first question does not inquire directly about personality, and wherein the network-based computer-implemented application analyzes the first answer by detecting a personality trait of the individual from a characteristic of the first answer to the first question.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the first question does not inquire directly about mood, and wherein the network-based computer-implemented application analyzes the first answer by detecting a mood of the individual from a characteristic of the first answer to the first question.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the first question does not inquire directly about gender, and wherein the network-based computer-implemented application analyzes the first answer by detecting a gender of the individual from a characteristic of the first answer to the first question.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the network-based computer-implemented application selects the second question by selecting a temperament for the second question and provides the second question utilizing the selected temperament.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the network-based computer-implemented application provides the second question by selecting a time within which to present the second question.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the network-based computer-implemented application selects the second question by selecting a subject matter for the second question.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the identity of the individual is known by the network-based computer-implemented application, and wherein the network-based computer-implemented application analyzes the first answer by comparing the first answer to profile information previously stored in the profile database for the individual.