System and method for interactive voice response enhanced out-calling

• US 20050096912A1
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Yacoub, Sherif, Vincent, Francois
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A system and method for managing telephone calls is disclosed. The method discloses: calling a contact; presenting the contact with a predetermined out-calling dialog; translating the contact'"'"'s vocal responses to the dialog into textual words using selected interactive voice response algorithms; connecting the contact to a human operator after a predetermined portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact is completed; and providing the operator with the textual words. In one embodiment, the system discloses all means for implementing the method. In another embodiment, the system discloses: a contact database for storing information on the contact; a dialog database containing a predetermined out-calling dialog; a call manager for calling the contact and presenting the contact with the dialog; and an interactive voice response module for translating the contact'"'"'s vocal responses to the dialog into textual words and storing the words in the contact database which are accessible to the operator.

Claims

1. A method for managing telephone calls, comprising:

calling a contact;

presenting the contact with a predetermined out-calling dialog;

translating the contact'"'"'s vocal responses to the dialog into textual words using selected interactive voice response algorithms;

connecting the contact to a human operator after a predetermined portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact is completed; and

providing the operator with the textual words.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein calling includes:

selecting the contact from a set of contacts within a contact database.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

classifying the contact as either a person or not a person; and

terminating the call, if the contact is not a person.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting includes:

selecting the dialog from a set of dialogs stored in a dialog database based upon a set of attributes associated with the contact.

5. The method of claim 1:

further comprising,

storing the contact'"'"'s vocal responses, textual words, and contact attributes in a contact database; and

wherein providing includes,

providing the operator with access to the contact database.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein connecting includes:

continuing a next portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact while waiting for the human operator to become available.

7. The method of claim 1:

further comprising,

determining whether the contact is interested in the out-calling dialog; and

wherein connecting includes,

connecting the contact to the operator, if the contact is interested.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining includes:

applying a set of heuristics to the textual words.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining includes:

matching the textual words with predetermined keywords associated with interest.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining includes:

matching the textual words with predetermined keywords associated with disinterest.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein determining includes:

applying a set of heuristics to the textual words; and

concluding that the contact is interested if a greater number of the heuristics within the set of heuristics indicate the contact'"'"'s interest.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein determining includes:

applying a set of heuristics to the textual words;

associating a score with each heuristic;

totaling the scores; and

concluding that the contact is interested if the total score is above a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

terminating the call with the contact, if the contact is not interested.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

performing the translating and determining elements in parallel.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

performing the determining element after the predetermined portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact is completed.

16. A method for managing telephone calls, comprising:

calling a contact;

presenting the contact with a predetermined out-calling dialog;

translating the contact'"'"'s vocal responses to the dialog into textual words using selected interactive voice response algorithms;

connecting the contact to a human operator after a predetermined portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact is completed;

providing the operator with the textual words;

storing the contact'"'"'s vocal responses, textual words, and contact attributes in a contact database;

wherein providing includes, providing the operator with access to the contact database;

determining whether the contact is interested in the out-calling dialog;

wherein connecting includes, connecting the contact to the operator, if the contact is interested; and

terminating the call with the contact, if the contact is not interested.

17. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code for commanding a computer to manage telephone calls, comprising:

calling a contact;

presenting the contact with a predetermined out-calling dialog;

translating the contact'"'"'s vocal responses to the dialog into textual words using selected interactive voice response algorithms;

connecting the contact to a human operator after a predetermined portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact is completed; and

providing the operator with the textual words.

18. The medium of claim 17:

further comprising,

storing the contact'"'"'s vocal responses, textual words, and contact attributes in a contact database; and

wherein providing includes,

providing the operator with access to the contact database.

19. The medium of claim 17 wherein connecting includes:

continuing a next portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact while waiting for the human operator to become available.

20. The medium of claim 17:

further comprising,

determining whether the contact is interested in the out-calling dialog; and

wherein connecting includes,

connecting the contact to the operator, if the contact is interested.

21. A system for managing telephone calls, comprising a:

means for calling a contact;

means for presenting the contact with a predetermined out-calling dialog;

means for translating the contact'"'"'s vocal responses to the dialog into textual words using selected interactive voice response algorithms;

means for connecting the contact to a human operator after a predetermined portion of the out-calling dialog with the contact is completed; and

means for providing the operator with the textual words.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for storing the contact'"'"'s vocal responses, textual words, and contact attributes in a contact database.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining whether the contact is interested in the out-calling dialog.

24. A system for managing telephone calls between an operator and a contact, comprising:

a contact database for storing information on the contact;

a dialog database containing a predetermined out-calling dialog;

a call manager for calling the contact and presenting the contact with the dialog; and

an interactive voice response module for translating the contact'"'"'s vocal responses to the dialog into textual words and storing the words in the contact database which are accessible to the operator.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the contact database includes:

a set of attributes associated with the contact.