Methods for obtaining complex data in an interactive voice response system

• US 20050267748A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Galileo Financial Technologies LLC (SoFi Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Galileo Processing Incorporated
• Inventors: Newton, Richard T., Wilkes, T. Clay
• Granted Patent: US 8,130,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

Methods and systems using voice recognition can obtain complex data from a database using simple data obtained from a user. The database associates and stores complex data with simple data. The interactive voice response system prompts the user for simple information, such as a phone number, which can be interpreted using voice recognition. The speech-obtained simple data is then matched with the simple data stored in the database. If a match is found, the complex data (e.g., a street address) stored with the simple data is communicated to the IVR system. The IVR system communicates the complex data to the user and prompts the user to confirm whether the complex data is accurate. The database can be a third-party database such as a computer accessible phone directory or a credit bureau.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining complex data using speech recognition, comprising:

providing an interactive voice response system configured to receive speech data from a user;

providing a database comprising a plurality of stored simple data elements that each have a stored complex data element associated therewith;

prompting the user for a simple data element that can be compared with the stored simple data elements;

receiving and interpreting speech data from the user to generate a speech-obtained simple data element;

accessing the database wherein the speech-obtained data element is compared with the plurality of stored simple data elements to determine a match;

for stored simple data elements that match the speech-obtained data element, receiving the complex data element associated therewith; and

conveying at least a portion of any received complex data elements to the user and prompting the user to confirm whether the received complex data is accurate.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the database is a third-party database.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the database comprises a credit bureau a computer-accessible phone directory, or both.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the simple data element comprises one or more of a phone number, a name, a zip code, a social security number, or a credit card number.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the complex data stored in the data base comprises a street address.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the interactive voice response system receives voice data from the user over a public switched telephone network.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the interactive voice response system receives voice data from the user through an internet connection.

8. A method as in claim 1, further comprising communicating to the user that the simple data element could not be verified if it is determined that the speech-obtained data element does not match any simple data elements in the data base.

9. A method as in claim 1, further comprising transferring the user to a human operator or referring the user to a web based interface if the complex data element cannot be obtained or cannot be verified.

10. A method for obtaining complex data using speech recognition by accessing a third-party database, comprising:

providing an interactive voice response system configured to receive speech data from a user;

providing access to a third-party database, the third-party database comprising a plurality of stored simple data elements that each have a stored complex data element associated therewith;

prompting the user for speech data that can be compared with the stored simple data elements;

receiving and interpreting the speech data to generate a speech-obtained data element;

accessing the third-party database to compare the speech-obtained data element with the plurality of stored simple data elements to determine a match; and

receiving the complex data associated with any stored simple data elements that have been matched with the speech-obtained data element.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the database comprises one of a credit bureau, a computer-accessible phone directory, or both.

12. A method as in claim 10, wherein the simple data element comprises one or more of a phone number, a name, a zip code, or a social security number.

13. A method as in claim 10, wherein the complex data stored in the data base comprises a street address.

14. A method as in claim 10, wherein at least a portion of any received complex data elements is communicated to the user and the user is prompted to confirm whether the received complex data element should be associated with the user.

15. A computer program product for use in a system comprising an interactive voice response system configured to receive speech data from a user and a database comprising a plurality of stored simple data elements that each have a stored complex data element associated therewith, the computer readable medium carrying computer executable instructions for implementing a method for obtaining complex data using speech recognition, wherein the method comprises:

prompting the user for speech data that can be compared with the stored simple data element;

receiving and interpreting the speech data to generate a speech-obtained data element;

accessing the database to compare the speech-obtained data element with the plurality of stored simple data elements to determine a match,

receiving the complex data element associated with the stored simple data elements that have been determined to match the speech-obtained data element;

conveying at least a portion of the received complex data to the user and prompting the user to confirm whether the received complex data element should be associated with the user.

16. A computer program product as in claim 15, wherein the database is a third-party database.

17. A computer program product as in claim 15, wherein the database comprises a credit bureau a computer-accessible phone directory, or both.

18. A computer program product as in claim 15, wherein the simple data element comprises one or more of a phone number, a name, a zip code, a social security number, or a credit card number.

19. A computer program product as in claim 15, wherein the complex data stored in the data base comprises a street address.

20. A computer program product as in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises transferring the user to a human operator or referring the user to a web based interface if the complex data element cannot be obtained or cannot be verified.