ENHANCING INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEMS VIA MESSAGING

• US 20080095330A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ma, Yu Fei, Chu, Chun Sheng, Shen, Jun, Sun, Pei, Jin, Ling
• Application Number:
  US11/877,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20080095330A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/251 where a voice mode or a visual mode can be used interchangeably
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0048 where the text-based messaging service is a Short Message Service

Abstract

Disclosed are a method, information processing system, and computer storage program product for providing communication between a user electronic device and an Interactive Voice Response (“IVR”) system. At least one selection from a user corresponding to at least one menu in an IVR system is received. The selection comprises an instruction selection sequence. At least one voice message and at least one visual message associated with the voice message, each corresponding to the instruction sequence are generated in response to the receiving. The voice message and visual message are transmitted to the electronic device associated with the user. The visual message is to be displayed to the user on an electronic device associated with the user while the voice message is being played to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing communication between a user electronic device and an Interactive Voice Response (“

IVR”

) system, the method on an information processing system including the IVR system, the method comprising;

receiving at least one selection from a user corresponding to at least one menu in an IVR system, wherein the selection comprises an instruction selection sequence;

generating, in response to the receiving, at least one voice message and at least one visual message associated with the voice message, each corresponding to the instruction sequence; and

transmitting the voice message and visual message to the electronic device associated with the user, wherein the visual message is to be displayed to the user on an electronic device associated with the user while the voice message is being played to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual message is a Short Message Service message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual message is a Multimedia Messaging Service message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual message includes at least one flag for synchronizing the visual message with the voice message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

analyzing the one flag;

determining, in response to the analyzing, that the visual message corresponds to the voice message; and

transmitting, in response to determining that the visual message corresponds to the voice message, the visual message to the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one flag comprises the selection instruction sequence, wherein the selection instruction sequence indicates a sequence of keys on the electronic device selected by the user.

8. An information processing system for providing communication between a user electronic device and an Interactive Voice Response (“

IVR”

) system, the information processing system comprising;

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory;

an IVR module communicatively coupled to the memory and the processor, the IVR module adapted to;

receive at least one selection from a user corresponding to at least one menu in an IVR system, wherein the selection comprises an instruction selection sequence;

generate, in response to the receiving, at least one voice message and at least one visual message associated with the voice message, each corresponding to the instruction sequence; and

transmit the voice message and visual message to the electronic device associated with the user, wherein the visual message is to be displayed to the user on an electronic device associated with the user while the voice message is being played to the user.

7. The method of claim 8, wherein the visual message includes at least one additional flag, wherein the at least one additional flag indicates a sender of the visual message.

9. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the visual message is one of:

a Short Message Service message; and

a Multimedia Messaging Service message.

10. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the visual message includes at least one flag for synchronizing the visual message with the voice message.

11. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein the IVR module is further adapted to:

analyze the one flag;

determine, in response to the analyzing, that the visual message corresponds to the voice message; and

transmit, in response to determining that the visual message corresponds to the voice message, the visual message to the electronic device.

12. The information processing system of claim 10, wherein the one flag comprises the selection instruction sequence, wherein the selection instruction sequence indicates a sequence of keys on the electronic device selected by the user.

13. The information processing system of claim 8, wherein the visual message includes at least one additional flag, wherein the at least one additional flag indicates a sender of the visual message.

14. A computer program storage product for providing communication between a user electronic device and an Interactive Voice Response (“

IVR”

) system, the computer program storage product comprising instructions for;

receiving at least one selection from a user corresponding to at least one menu in an IVR system, wherein the selection comprises an instruction selection sequence;

generating, in response to the receiving, at least one voice message and at least one visual message associated with the voice message, each corresponding to the instruction sequence; and

transmitting the voice message and visual message to the electronic device associated with the user, wherein the visual message is to be displayed to the user on an electronic device associated with the user while the voice message is being played to the user.

15. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the visual message is a Short Message Service message.

16. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the visual message is a Multimedia Messaging Service message.

17. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the visual message includes at least one flag for synchronizing the visual message with the voice message.

18. The computer program storage product of claim 17, further comprising instructions for:

analyzing the one flag;

determining, in response to the analyzing, that the visual message corresponds to the voice message; and

transmitting, in response to determining that the visual message corresponds to the voice message, the visual message to the electronic device.

19. The computer program storage product of claim 17, wherein the one flag comprises the selection instruction sequence, wherein the selection instruction sequence indicates a sequence of keys on the electronic device selected by the user.

20. The computer program storage product of claim 14, wherein the visual message includes at least one additional flag, wherein the at least one additional flag indicates a sender of the visual message.