Efficient utilization of ivr resources supplied to switching systems

• US 20050163288A1
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HMD Global Oy
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks GmbH & Co. KG (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lobig, Norbert
• Granted Patent: US 9,060,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

The invention relates to an interactive voice response (IVR) system supplying functions and resources to services encompassing interactive voice response or output of announcements and three methods for dealing with resource bottlenecks of the IVR system. The IVR system supplies a pool of resources to several switching systems. Virtual, individually assigned IVR systems are created from the perspective of the switching systems by allocating the control interfaces and user data interfaces of the IVR system in an exclusive, disjunctive manner to the switching systems. Resource bottlenecks can be prevented when several switching systems access the IVR system by rejecting jobs for which the required resources cannot be reserved or by aborting jobs creating too substantial delays during processing due to the wait for resources. The invention has the advantage of efficiently utilizing the resources supplied by the IVR system.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. An interactive voice response (IVR) system for providing resources for services comprising interactive voice response or output of announcements, the interactive voice response (IVR) system comprising:

at least one control interface;

at least one user data interface for user data switched by switching systems;

a mechanism for recognizing resource bottlenecks; and

a mechanism for handling resource bottlenecks, wherein

a plurality of switching systems having access to the interactive voice response (IVR) system, wherein an accessing switching system has exclusive access to at least one control interface of the interactive voice response (IVR) system, and wherein

the resources of the interactive voice response (IVR) system are capable of being used by more than one switching system having access.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein each accessing switching system has exclusive access to at least one user data interface of the interactive voice response (IVR) system.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein

time division multiplexing (TDM) based user data are transferred at least via one user data interface, and wherein

the user data interface comprises at least one port which is addressable by the control interface for routing the user data stream of a connection of one of the switching systems.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein

packet based user data are transferred at least via one user data interface, and wherein

the user data interface comprises at least one port which is addressable by the control interface for routing the user data stream of a connection of one of the switching systems.

27. The system according to claim 23, wherein

packet oriented control data are transferred at least via one of the control interfaces, and wherein

the MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol) protocol or the H.248 protocol is defined for the transfer of control data to the control interface.

28. The system according to claim 23, wherein the resources comprise at least one of the following resources:

computing power, storage space, TTS licenses and ASR licenses.

29. The system according to claim 23, further comprising at least one server for providing computer power, storage space, user data interfaces, and control interfaces.

30. The system according to claim 23, wherein the system is implemented in one or more peripheral device elements (intelligent peripherals) external to the switching system.

31. The system according to claim 23, further comprising a content server having formation rules and/or software for speech handling.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the content server comprises the functions of a licensing server.

33. The system according to claim 23, wherein the system is configured in respect of the system response to overloading and/or overbooking.

34. The system according to claim 23, further comprising redundant device elements.

35. A method for handling resource bottlenecks in an interactive voice response (IVR) system, comprising:

starting an application in the interactive voice response (IVR) system by a switching system, wherein the application requires resources;

halting the application if resources required in the interactive voice response IVR system are not available;

terminating the application if whilst waiting for resources the application is halted for a period of time which exceeds a limit value; and

sending an error message to the switching system in the event of terminating.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising:

accessing to a content server having formation rules and/or software for speech handling by the interactive voice response (IVR) system.

37. The method according to claim 35, further comprising:

in the event of terminating the application recording a lack of resources underlying the terminating.

38. The method according to claim 35, further comprising:

requesting the execution of an application in the interactive voice response (IVR) system by a switching system.

39. The method according to claim 35, wherein the method will be performed according to a defined parameter.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the defined parameter is specific to the application or the parameter relates to the workload of the interactive voice response (IVR) system.

41. A method for handling resource bottlenecks in an interactive voice response (IVR) system, comprising:

requesting the execution of an application in the interactive voice response (IVR) system is by a switching system;

determining the resources required in the interactive voice response (IVR) system for the execution of the application;

checking the availability of the required resources; and

reserving the required resources; and

starting an application if the checking has a positive result.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein

the execution of the application is rejected and an error message is sent to the switching system if the check has a negative result.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein

in the event of the check yielding a negative result the application waits for the required resources for a limited period of time, wherein

if the required resources are available these resources are reserved and the application is started, and wherein

the execution of the application is rejected and an error message is sent to the switching system if the required resources do not become available during the period of time.

44. The method according to claim 41, further comprising:

accessing to a content server by the interactive voice response (IVR) system, wherein the content server having formation rules and/or software for speech handling.

45. The method according to claim 41, wherein in the event of an termination of the application a lack of resources underlying the termination is recorded.

46. The method according to claim 41, further comprising:

requesting the execution of an application in the interactive voice response (IVR) system by a switching system.

47. The method according to claim 41, wherein the method will be performed according to a defined parameter.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein the defined parameter is specific to the application or the parameter relates to the workload of the interactive voice response (IVR) system.