System and method for utilizing virtual agents in an interactive voice response application

• US 20060215831A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Kortum, Phillip Ted, Knott, Benjamin Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• 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

The present disclosure provides a system and method configured to establish a connection with a party at an interactive voice response (IVR) system and provide a plurality of virtual agents associated with virtual departments based on a current stage within the process. A caller or party can be prompted with a first virtual agent when addressing content related to a first virtual department and prompted by a second virtual agent when addressing content related to a second virtual department.

Claims

1. A method of processing calls comprising:

establishing at least a portion of a connection between a party and an interactive voice response (IVR) system, the IVR system configured to provide a plurality of virtual agents associated with virtual departments;

prompting the party with a first virtual agent when addressing content related to a first virtual department;

receiving a party utterance;

processing the party utterance;

selecting a second virtual department responsive to the party utterance; and

prompting the party with a second virtual agent, the second virtual agent having characteristics associated with issues addressed by the second virtual department.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second virtual agent has a persona associated with the subject matter processed by the second virtual department of the IVR system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second virtual agent identifies itself and notifies the party that the party is being addressed by a specialized agent.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second virtual agent provides one of a specialized service such as a billing service, an account service, a dispute resolution service, a maintenance service, a new subscription service, customer service, an engineering service, and an informational service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second virtual agent has a personality characteristic that can be associated with the specialized service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second virtual agent has at least one of a celebrity characteristic, a dialect characteristic, an accent characteristic, a language characteristic, a colloquial phrase characteristic, a voice characteristic, and a groomed voice characteristic.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a virtual agent is selected base on the issue addressed by the IVR.

8. An interactive voice system comprising:

a processor configured to initiate a provisioning of audio to a party of a given call;

a memory configured to store instructions useable by the processor to indicate a stage of the given call,

a voice library operable to store at least a first voice personality and a second personality; and

an output engine configured to use the first voice personality to prompt the party at a first stage of the given call and to use a second voice personality at a second stage of the given call, the output engine configured to provide the first and second voice personalities based on the subject matter of the the first stage and the second stage.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the output engine utilizes the first voice personality to notify the party that the party is interfacing with the first stage and that the party will be interfacing with at least a second voice personality.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first voice personality has at least one of a celebrity characteristic, a dialect characteristic, an accent characteristic, a language characteristic, colloquial phrase characteristic, a voice characteristics and a groomed voice characteristic.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first voice personality is a virtual agent representing a virtual department.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the voice library maintains a first and a second version of the second voice personality, further wherein the output engine is further configured to select one of the first and second version from the voice library based at least partially on a perceived characteristic of the party.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the perceived characteristic of the party is at least partially ascertained through processing an utterance of the party.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the perceived characteristic is one of a regional accent, a non-English language, slang dialect, a demeanor, a personality, an age, and an intelligence level.

15. An interactive voice response method comprising:

establishing a connection with a party,

prompting the party with a first voice personality in a first stage of an interactive voice response (IVR) menu, the first stage having a first subject matter;

receiving a party'"'"'s utterance responsive to the prompting;

advancing to a second stage of the IVR menu having different subject matter based on a party'"'"'s request; and

using a second voice personality to interface the caller when addressing the second subject matter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second voice personality is selected from a plurality of voice personalities based on the second subject matter.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the subject matter is at least one of an inquiry into;

the purpose of the call, receiving information, a bill, a payment, repair service, status, a mailing address, a new service subscription, cancellation of a service, managing an account, balance information, and resolving a dispute.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising advancing the IVR menu to a third stage based on another caller utterance and selecting a third voice personality based on a third subject matter.

19. A computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of instructions to manipulate a computing platform:

to engage in a call with a party to the call;

to prompt the party with a first voice personality in a first stage of an interactive voice response (IVR) menu;

to receive an utterance from the party;

to advance to a second stage of the IVR menu; and

to use a second voice personality in the second stage of the IVR menu wherein the second voice personality is selected based on a type of assistance provided by the second stage of the IVR system.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further including instructions to advance to the second stage of the IVR menu responsive to the utterance.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further including instructions to provide one of a specialized service such as a billing service, an account service, a dispute resolution service, a maintenance service, a new subscription service, customer service, an engineering service, and an informational service utilizing a virtual agent.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further including instructions to provide a first voice personality having one of a celebrity characteristic, a dialect characteristic, an accent characteristic, a language characteristic, colloquial phrase characteristic, a voice characteristics and a groomed voice characteristic.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further including instructions to provide a second voice personality having one of a celebrity characteristic, a dialect characteristic, an accent characteristic, a language characteristic, colloquial phrase characteristic, a voice characteristics and a groomed voice characteristic wherein the second voice personality characteristic is related to the subject matter of the second stage.