Intuitive profiling engine for voice-based telephony applications

• US 20080075238A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ignite Media Solutions LLC (Ignite-Tek LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ignite Media Solutions LLC (Ignite-Tek LLC)
• Inventors: Hult, Paul, Winslow, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,515 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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

Methods and systems for providing a telephone user with one or more of a plurality of possible voice scripts are disclosed. The voice scripts may be comprised of one or more individual voice modules which are dynamically selected for presentation to the user based on information known about the user. The information known about the user may include the user'"'"'s identity, information obtained from the user on one or more previous calls, and/or demographic information obtained from third party sources. The user'"'"'s identity may include the user'"'"'s ANI, gender, and/or other identity data. The user'"'"'s gender may be determined by analyzing the tonality of the user'"'"'s voice.

Claims

1. A method of providing a telephone user with a predetermined voice script comprising the steps of:

providing a telephonic connection between a telephone user and a telephonic service application;

determining a user identity;

determining previous call data related to the user,

determining third party demographic data related to the user; and

providing the user with one of a plurality of possible voice scripts wherein the one voice script is selected on the basis of user identity, previous call data and demographic data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identity comprises an ANI.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of possible voice scripts comprises one or more voice modules.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each of the one or more voice modules includes one or more voice prompts which request information from the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identity comprises the user'"'"'s name.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining a user identity includes the steps of:

determining an expected user identity;

communicating the expected user identity from the telephonic service application to the user; and

receiving an indication of the correctness of the expected user identity at the telephonic service application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the expected user identity is determined from a third party source.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identity comprises the likely gender of the user based on voice tone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the previous call data includes data selected from the group consisting of:

purchase data, address data, name data, credit card data, debit card data, product interest data, uncompleted purchase data, call time data, call duration data, service interest data, and product specification data.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a response from the user to the one of the plurality of possible voice scripts; and

storing the response as previous call data.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

providing the user with a second voice script based at least in part on the response received from the user.

12. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a response from the user to a voice prompt; and

storing the response as previous call data.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

providing the user with a second voice script based at least in part on the response received from the user.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the demographic data includes data selected from the group consisting of:

third party purchase data, third party product interest data, third party service interest data, home value data, income data, family size data, gender data, age data, marital status data, geographic location data, and credit history data.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the demographic data includes data selected from the group consisting of:

third party purchase data, third party product interest data, third party service interest data, home value data, income data, family size data, gender data, age data, marital status data, geographic location data, credit history data.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the demographic data comprises age data, gender data, and marital status data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the demographic data further includes income data.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the user response is vocal.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the user response is by touch tone dial.

20. A method of providing a telephone user with one of a plurality of possible voice scripts comprised of one or more voice modules, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a telephonic connection between a telephone user and a telephonic service application;

determining a user identity;

determining previous call data collected by said service application related to the user;

determining third party demographic data related to the user;

providing the user with a first voice module prompt for a user response, wherein selection of the first voice module prompt is based on the determined previous call data and demographic data;

receiving a response to the first voice module prompt; and

providing the user with a second voice module prompt for a user response, wherein selection of the second voice module prompt is based on the previous call data, demographic data, and the response to the first voice module prompt.

21. A method of providing a telephone user with one of a plurality of possible voice scripts comprising the steps of:

providing a telephonic connection between a telephone user and a telephonic service application;

establishing a user identity;

storing call data collected by said service application from the user;

terminating the telephonic connection between the telephone user and the telephonic service application;

providing a subsequent telephonic connection between the telephone user and the telephonic service application;

determining the user identity;

determining third party demographic data related to the user; and

providing the user with one of a plurality of possible voice scripts based on the stored call data and the demographic data for the user.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of:

determining the likely gender of the user by voice tone, and

wherein the step of providing the user with one of a plurality of possible voice scripts is further based on the likely gender of the user.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of storing the demographic data related to the user.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a response to the one of a plurality of possible voice scripts from the user; and

providing the user with a second voice script based on the call data, demographic data, and the user response.

25. A method of providing a telephone user with a voice script comprised of dynamically selected voice modules, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a telephonic connection between a telephone user and a telephonic service application;

determining a user identity;

determining electronically stored information about the user based on the user identity; and

providing the user with a voice script comprised of voice modules wherein each of the voice modules comprising the script are selected based on the determined information about the user.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the electronically stored information comprises previous call data related to the user.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the electronically stored information further comprises demographic data related to the user.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the electronically stored information comprises demographic data related to the user.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein at least one of the voice modules comprising the script includes an offer of an incentive for a purchase.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein at least one of the voice modules comprising the script includes an offer of a discount for a purchase.