Techniques for interaction with sound-enabled system or service

• US 20050278177A1
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oded Gottesman
• Original Assignee: Oded Gottesman
• Inventors: Gottesman, Oded
• Application Number:
  US10/386,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278177A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms 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

Automated interaction systems and methods for use with and/or respond to automated sound-enabled systems, commonly called Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems. The invented method involves with some or all of the followings; (a) recording information, (b) analyzing signals, (c) initiating and/or participating in communication call, (d) detecting the presence of human individual (instead of IVR system) in the call, (e) signal the caller about such human individual presence, and/or (f) signaling in order to initiate communication and/or call transfer to another destination. This technique can reduce the time spent on, cost involved with, distraction caused by, and need to being put on hold, and/or the need to manually operate or respond to the common IVR systems. The invention can completely or partially release the caller, or assist her/him, during such a process. In costly connections such as wireless, cellular, long distance, or international calls, the method and system can be utilized by a system that is located such that its connection is cheaper than the caller'"'"'s connection, the system notifies or responds to the caller only when needed, and hence reduces the caller'"'"'s charges, and improves its reachability and availability via communication devices and/or networks.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing and/or interaction and/or communication with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service, by receiving and/or transmitting signals or data over communication channel or network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) partitioning the communication into different time instances and/or different data exchange units; and

(b) receiving and analyzing data received from the IVR system, where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals; and

(c) computing data that is corresponding to and/or in response to the data received from the IVR system; and

(d) generating and/or transmitting to the IVR system data corresponding to the data computed in (c), where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals.

2. A method for interfacing and/or interaction and/or communication with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service, by receiving and/or transmitting signals or data over communication channel or network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) having pre-stored data corresponding to a desired operation of the IVR system and/or user characteristic data; and

(b) partitioning the communication into different time instances and/or different data exchange units; and

(c) generating and/or transmitting to the IVR system data corresponding to pre-stored data in (a), where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising of the steps of:

(a) receiving and analyzing data received from the IVR system, where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals; and

(b) computing data that is corresponding to or in response to the data received from the IVR system and/or to pre-stored data in step (a) of claim 2;

and

(c) generating and/or transmitting to the IVR system data corresponding the computed data in (b), where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals.

4. A method for detecting the presence of human operator or caller when and/or after interfacing and/or interaction and/or communication with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service, by receiving and/or transmitting signals or data over communication channel or network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) while communicating with the IVR, partitioning the communication into different time instances and/or different data exchange units; and

(b) receiving and analyzing data received from the IVR system or from human operator, where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals; and

(c) selecting whether human operator or IVR system is present on the communication channel.

5. A method for detecting the presence of human operator or caller when and/or after interfacing and/or interaction and/or communication with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service, by receiving and/or transmitting signals or data over communication channel or network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) while communicating with the IVR, partitioning the communication into different time instances and/or different data exchange units; and

(b) generating and/or transmitting to the IVR system and/or to human operator data corresponding to pre-stored data in (a), where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals; and

(c) receiving and analyzing data received from the IVR system or from human operator, where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals; and

(d) selecting whether human operator or IVR system is present on the communication channel.

6. A method for signaling or acting a result of detecting the presence of human operator or caller when and/or after interfacing and/or interaction and/or communication, on behalf of a user, with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service, by receiving and/or transmitting signals or data over communication channel or network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) having pre-stored data corresponding to a desired operation needed in response to detection of presence of human operator or caller connected to the communications channel or network; and

(b) while communicating with the IVR, partitioning the communication into different time instances and/or different data exchange units; and

(c) receiving and analyzing data received from the IVR system or from human operator, where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals; and

(d) selecting whether human operator or IVR system is present on the communication channel; and

(e) performing a desired operation, such as signaling to the user and/or signaling to the network control system to transfer the ongoing call to a desired destination, based on the pre-stored data in (a).

7. A method for signaling or acting a result of detecting the presence of human operator or caller when and/or after interfacing and/or interaction and/or communication, on behalf of a user, with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service, by receiving and/or transmitting signals or data over communication channel or network, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) having pre-stored data corresponding to a desired operation needed in response to detection of presence of human operator or caller connected to the communications channel or network; and

(b) while communicating with the IVR, partitioning the communication into different time instances and/or different data exchange units; and

(c) generating and/or transmitting to the IVR system and/or to human operator data corresponding to pre-stored data in (a), where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals; and

(d) receiving and analyzing data received from the IVR system or from human operator, where the data exchange may be in the form of sounds or signals; and

(e) selecting whether human operator or IVR system is present on the communication channel; and

(f) performing a desired operation, responsive to the detection result in (e), such as signaling to the user and/or signaling to the network control system to transfer the ongoing call to a different destination, based on the pre-stored data in (a).

8. A method for recording and storing data corresponding to a desired operation of and interaction with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service and/or user characteristic data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving and analyzing from the user data to be used for and/or to be used in future communications and/or automated interaction with IVR system; and

(b) generating appropriate data, representative of the data in (a), to be stored for future communications and/or automated interaction with the IVR; and

(c) storing the data in (b) to memory media or device.

9. A method for recording and storing data corresponding to a desired operation of and interaction with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service and/or user characteristic data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) while a user is communicating with the IVR system, partitioning the communication into different time instances and/or different data exchange units; and

(b) receiving and analyzing data received from the IVR system and/or from user; and

(c) generating appropriate data, representative of the data in (b), to be stored for future communications and/or automated interaction with the IVR; and

(d) storing the data in (c) to memory media or device.

10. A method for signaling and/or initiating communication following interaction with sound-enabled system or service, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or service, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving data corresponding to a desired operation needed in response to detection of presence of human operator or caller connected to the communications channel or network; and

(b) receiving and analyzing data received from the IVR system or from human operator; and

(c) selecting whether human operator or IVR system is present on the communication channel; and

(d) performing a desired operation, such as signaling to the user and/or signaling to the network control system to initiate call to a desired destination, based on the received data in (a).