Method and Apparatus for Distributed Interactive Voice Processing

• US 20070291924A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Matula, Valentine
• Granted Patent: US 7,689,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A distributed interactive voice processing system is disclosed that distributes IVR capabilities to one or more agent terminals associated with a call center. One or more agent terminals support the traditional functions of a live agent, as well as additional IVR capabilities to support the functions of a virtual or automated agent A call management system manages the distributed IVR resources by monitoring the availability status of the live and automated IVR agents in the distributed interactive voice processing system and distributing telephone calls and other types of communications to the appropriate agents. The availability status of the automated IVR agents is based on estimated available CPU cycles on the agent terminal A received call is routed to the extension on the agent terminal associated with the selected IVR channel. A VXML process associated with the selected IVR channel obtains the appropriate application software from a central voiceXML application server and executes the VXML page(s) to play the appropriate prompts from the IVR script to the caller and to collect DTMF or speech recognized inputs from the caller The distributed design allows centralized application management while using distributed resources to provide improved IVR availability

Claims

1. A distributed interactive voice processing system, comprising:

a plurality of agent terminals each employed by a corresponding human agent associated with a call center, wherein at least one of said agent terminals provides at least one automated interactive voice response (IVR) channel; and

a call management system to distribute communications from a centralized IVR queue to said at least one automated IVR channel, wherein said call management system maintains an availability status of said at least one automated IVR channel and routes one or more calls from said centralized IVR queue to said at least one automated IVR channel.

2. The distributed interactive voice processing system of claim 1, wherein said call management system monitors an availability status of said at least one of said agent terminals.

3. The distributed interactive voice processing system of claim 2, wherein said availability status is based on a predicted number of available CPU cycles

4. The distributed interactive voice processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of said agent terminals uses local processing resources to perform at least one interactive voice response function.

5. The distributed interactive voice processing system of claim 4, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes tendering an IVR script

6. The distributed interactive voice processing system of claim 4, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes an automatic speech recognition function

7. The distributed interactive voice processing system of claim 4, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes a text-to-speech translation function

8. The distributed interactive voice processing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one of said agent terminals uses local processing resources to provide IP telephony resources to said human agent.

9. A centralized method for assigning a telephone call to an automated agent of a call center, said automated agent executing on an agent terminal employed by a corresponding human agent, said method comprising:

receiving a telephone call from a caller;

assigning said telephone call to an IVR queue

monitoring an availability status of said automated agent executing on an agent terminal; and

routing said telephone call from said IVR queue to an available automated agent

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said availability status is based on a number of predicted available CPU cycles.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said agent terminal uses local processing resources to perform at least one interactive voice response function.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes rendering an IVR script.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes an automatic speech recognition function.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes a text-to-speech translation function

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said agent terminal uses local processing resources to provide IP telephony resources to said human agent.

18. The IVR system of claim 9, wherein said agent terminal uses local processing resources to perform at least one interactive voice response function.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes rendering an IVR script.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes an automatic speech recognition function

16. An interactive voice response (IVR) system for assigning a telephone call to an automated agent of a call center, said automated agent executing on an agent terminal employed by a corresponding human agent, said IVR system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

receive a telephone call from a caller;

assign said telephone call to an IVR queue

monitor an availability status of said automated agent executing on an agent terminal; and

route said telephone call from said IVR queue to an available automated agent

17. The IVR system of claim 16, wherein said availability status is based on a number of predicted available CPU cycles