Method, system and software for implementing an automated call routing application in a speech enabled call center environment
First Claim
1. A method for implementing an automated call routing application in a speech enabled call center environment, comprising:
- maintaining a communication connection with a user;
comparing one or more characteristics of the user communication connection with a set of call center conditions;
communicating a condition message to the user in response to a match between a characteristic of the user communication connection and at least one of the set of call center conditions;
initiating a speak freely dialog module operable to receive and interpret natural language utterances from the user;
eliciting a natural language utterance from the user indicating user selection of an available call center transaction;
evaluating the natural language user utterance to identify its contents;
if the natural language user utterance includes a second indication of an agent request, presenting to the user a transfer to agent message and transferring the user communication connection to a selected agent;
if the natural language user utterance includes a first vague call center transaction selection, prompting for an additional natural language user utterance indicating selection of a call center transaction;
if the natural language user utterance includes a second vague call center transaction selection, presenting a menu of options to the user to which the user may respond with a natural language utterance selection of a transaction from the menu of options;
if the natural language user utterance includes a known action unknown object combination, initiating a dialog module operable to elicit from the user identification of an object associated with the known action;
if the natural language user utterance includes a known object unknown action combination, initiating a dialog module operable to elicit from the user identification of an action associated with the known object; and
upon identification of a known action-object combination, accessing a look-up table including routing destinations for service agents operable to service selected action-object combinations and routing the user to a destination associated with the known action-object combination.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system, method and software for implementing an automated call routing application in a speech enabled call center environment are provided. In operation, the invention provides for the identification of a call center transaction selection from a natural language user utterance and the invocation of one or more scripts operable to route the user to a call center service agent configured to service the selected transaction. In the event a transaction selection cannot be readily identified or can only be partially identified, the invention provides for the initiation of a dialog module or script directed to eliciting a discernable transaction selection and/or the presentation of one or more menus from which the user may select an available call center transaction.
35 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for implementing an automated call routing application in a speech enabled call center environment, comprising:
-
maintaining a communication connection with a user;
comparing one or more characteristics of the user communication connection with a set of call center conditions;
communicating a condition message to the user in response to a match between a characteristic of the user communication connection and at least one of the set of call center conditions;
initiating a speak freely dialog module operable to receive and interpret natural language utterances from the user;
eliciting a natural language utterance from the user indicating user selection of an available call center transaction;
evaluating the natural language user utterance to identify its contents;
if the natural language user utterance includes a second indication of an agent request, presenting to the user a transfer to agent message and transferring the user communication connection to a selected agent;
if the natural language user utterance includes a first vague call center transaction selection, prompting for an additional natural language user utterance indicating selection of a call center transaction;
if the natural language user utterance includes a second vague call center transaction selection, presenting a menu of options to the user to which the user may respond with a natural language utterance selection of a transaction from the menu of options;
if the natural language user utterance includes a known action unknown object combination, initiating a dialog module operable to elicit from the user identification of an object associated with the known action;
if the natural language user utterance includes a known object unknown action combination, initiating a dialog module operable to elicit from the user identification of an action associated with the known object; and
upon identification of a known action-object combination, accessing a look-up table including routing destinations for service agents operable to service selected action-object combinations and routing the user to a destination associated with the known action-object combination.
-
-
2. Software for implementing an automated call routing application in a call center environment, the software embodied in computer readable media and when executed operable to:
-
identify user selection of a call center transaction from one or more key words included in a received natural language utterance or a menu of options presented when unable to obtain a natural language utterance indicating an identifiable transaction selection; and
invoke at least one script operable to route the user to a service center associated with the identifiable transaction selection or a selection from the menu of options. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A system for delivering an automated call routing application in a call center environment, comprising:
-
at least one processor;
memory operably associated with the processor; and
a program of instructions storable in the memory and executable by the processor, the program of instructions operable to prompt a user for entry of a natural language transaction selection, in response to receipt of a natural language response, evaluate the response to determine whether the response includes an unidentifiable transaction selection, a partially identifiable transaction selection or an identifiable transaction selection, determine whether an identifiable transaction selection includes an agent service request, if the identifiable transaction selection is a request for agent services, determine whether the request for agent services is a first request or a repeated request, if the request for agent services is a first request, prompting the user for entry of a natural language transaction selection, if the request for agent services is a repeated request, facilitate routing of the user to a service provider, if the identifiable transaction selection is not a request for agent services, determine whether the identifiable transaction selection has an associated clear routing option, if the identifiable transaction selection has a clear routing option, facilitate routing of the user in accordance with the clear routing option otherwise present to the user a plurality of selectable options associated with the identifiable transaction selection, if the user response is a partially identifiable transaction selection, initiate dialog with the user to elicit an identifiable transaction selection, if the user response is an unidentifiable transaction selection, determine whether the user provided a previous unidentifiable transaction selection response, and if the user provided a previous unidentifiable transaction selection response, present a menu of options selectable by the user otherwise prompt the user for entry of a natural language transaction selection. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification