System and method for speech recognition-enabled automatic call routing

• US 20060133587A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactions, LLC
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knott, Benjamin Anthony, Bushey, Robert R., Korth, Sarah, Martin, John Mills
• Granted Patent: US 7,242,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.140
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for processing a call by receiving caller input in a speech format and utilizing phonemes to convert the speech input into word strings. The word strings are then converted into at least one object and at least one action. A synonym table is utilized to determine actions and objects. Objects generally represent nouns and adjective-noun combinations while actions generally represent verbs and adverb-verb combinations. The synonym table stores natural language phrases and their relationship with actions and objects. The actions and objects are utilized to determine a routing destination utilizing a routing table. The call is routed based on the routing table.

Claims

1. A method for processing a call comprising:

transforming speech input from a caller into a word sting;

converting the word string into an object and an action;

determining a call destination based on the object and the action; and

routing the call to the call destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using phonemes to convert the speech input information to the word string.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing text corresponding to the speech input to a list of word strings and assigning a probability to the word string.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the word string into an action and an object.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a probability value to the word string wherein the probability value represents a probability that the word string matches an intent of the caller.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a probability value to the object wherein the probability value represents a probability that the object represents an intent of the caller.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a probability value to the action wherein the probability value represents a probability that the action represents an intent of the caller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is one of a verb or an adverb-verb combination.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is one of a noun or an adjective-noun combination.

10. A system for routing calls comprising:

a call routing system having a processor, the call routing system configured to convert speech input from a caller into a word string, the processor configured to convert the word string into an object and an action;

an action-object rout nodule configured to determine a destination for the call based on the object and the action.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor uses phonemes to convert the speech input to the word string.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor assigns a probability to the word string.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor parses the word string into the action and the object.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor assigns a probability value to the word string and the probability value represents a probability that the word string represents an intent of the caller.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor assigns a probability value to the object and the probability value represents a probability that the object represents an intent of the caller.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor assigns a probability value to the action and the probability value represents a probability that the action represents an intent of the caller.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the action is one of a verb or an adverb-verb combination.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the object is one of a noun or an adjective-noun combination.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the call routing system routes the call to a destination.

20. A system comprising:

an acoustic model configured to accept speech input and to produce text at its output;

a semantic model coupled to the acoustic model for producing an action and an object responsive to the text; and

an action-object routing table responsive to the semantic model to provide a routing destination based on the action and the object.

21. The speech recognition system of claim 20, wherein more than 80% of calls processed are successfully routed to a desired destination.

22. A method of call processing, the method comprising:

transforming speech input from a caller into one or more word strings;

converting each of the one or more word strings into an object and an action;

assigning a first probability value to the object and a second probability value to the action of each of the one or more word strings; and

determining a call destination from the object and the action based on the first and the second probability values.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining the call destination comprises:

identifying a dominant action and a dominant object of the one or more word strings based on the assigned first and second probability values; and

comparing the dominant action and the dominant object to predefined action-object pairs in a routing table to identify the call destination.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising routing the call to the identified call destination.