Method and System for an Automated Departure Strategy

• US 20060193449A1
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Hisao M., Martin, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,443,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance

Abstract

A method and system for an automated departure strategy from an automated system includes a track engine and an error engine. The track engine allows for the tracking and storing of one or more utterances spoken by a caller in response to one or more prompts. In addition, the track engine classifies each of the utterances with a confidence level. The error engine determines when one of the utterances initiates an error condition and transfers the caller to an operator on the occurrence of the error condition. In addition to transferring the caller to the operator, the error engine plays to the operator an error utterance, causing the error condition, and a preceding utterance, preceding the error utterance. Furthermore, the error engine populates an operator screen with information provided by the caller in the utterances for utterances classified with a high level of confidence.

Claims

1-28. -28. (canceled)

29. A method for providing automated directory assistance, comprising:

initiating a directory assistance dialog with a user;

prompting the user for a directory assistance utterance;

detecting a user utterance in response to the prompt;

identifying one or more directory assistance search parameters from the user utterance;

repeating the prompting operation until the identified directory assistance search parameters are sufficient to form a user directory assistance query;

executing a user directory assistance query of a database based on the identified search parameters;

responsive to the user directory assistance query retrieving multiple records from the database, determining hierarchical levels associated with the retrieved records; and

disambiguating the multiple records based at least in part on the hierarchical levels.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the hierarchical levels are ranked from lowest to highest and wherein the disambiguating comprises disambiguating entries having the lowest hierarchical level before disambiguating records having the highest hierarchical level.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising establishing a threshold hierarchical level wherein said disambiguating terminates upon disambiguating records having the threshold hierarchical level.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the retrieved records include a name field and an address field.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said disambiguating comprises disambiguating within a hierarchical level based on the name field.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein said disambiguating comprises disambiguating within a hierarchical level based on the address field.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising displaying directory assistance search parameters on an operator terminal and forwarding one or more recorded user utterances to an operator for playback in response to a failure to obtain the directory assistance search parameters needed to form a user directory assistance query.

36. Computer code, stored on a computer accessible medium, comprising computer executable instructions for providing automated directory assistance, said instructions comprising:

instructions for initiating a directory assistance dialog with a user;

instructions for prompting the user for a directory assistance utterance;

instructions for detecting a user utterance in response to the prompt;

instructions for identifying one or more directory assistance search parameters from the user utterance;

instructions for repeating the prompting operation until the identified directory assistance search parameters are sufficient to form a user directory assistance query;

instructions for executing a user directory assistance query of a database based on the identified search parameters;

responsive to the user directory assistance query retrieving multiple records from the database, instructions for determining hierarchical levels associated with the retrieved records; and

instructions for disambiguating the multiple records based at least in part on the hierarchical levels.

37. The computer code of claim 36, wherein the hierarchical levels are ranked from lowest to highest and wherein the instructions for disambiguating comprise instructions for disambiguating entries having the lowest hierarchical level before disambiguating records having the highest hierarchical level.

38. The computer code of claim 36, further comprising instructions for establishing a threshold hierarchical level wherein said disambiguating terminates upon disambiguating records having the threshold hierarchical level.

39. The computer code of claim 36, wherein the retrieved records include a name field and an address field.

40. The computer code of claim 39, wherein said instructions for disambiguating comprise instructions for disambiguating within a hierarchical level based on the name field.

41. The computer code of claim 39, wherein said instructions for disambiguating comprise instructions for disambiguating within a hierarchical level based on the address field.

42. The computer code of claim 36, further comprising instructions for displaying directory assistance search parameters on an operator terminal and forwarding one or more recorded user utterances to an operator for playback in response to a failure to obtain the directory assistance search parameters needed to form a user directory assistance query.

43. A system including processor, RAM, and storage, the storage including disambiguation engine code comprising processor executable instructions for providing automated directory assistance, said instructions comprising:

instructions for initiating a directory assistance dialog with a user;

instructions for prompting the user for a directory assistance utterance;

instructions for detecting a user utterance in response to the prompt;

instructions for identifying one or more directory assistance search parameters from the user utterance;

instructions for repeating the prompting operation until the identified directory assistance search parameters are sufficient to form a user directory assistance query;

instructions for executing a user directory assistance query of a database based on the identified search parameters;

responsive to the user directory assistance query retrieving multiple records from the database, instructions for determining hierarchical levels associated with the retrieved records; and

instructions for disambiguating the multiple records based at least in part on the hierarchical levels.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the hierarchical levels are ranked from lowest to highest and wherein the instructions for disambiguating comprise instructions for disambiguating entries having the lowest hierarchical level before disambiguating records having the highest hierarchical level.

45. The system of claim 43, further comprising instructions for establishing a threshold hierarchical level wherein said disambiguating terminates upon disambiguating records having the threshold hierarchical level.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the retrieved records include a name field and an address field.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein said instructions for disambiguating comprise instructions for disambiguating within a hierarchical level based on the name field.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein said instructions for disambiguating comprise instructions for disambiguating within a hierarchical level based on the address field.