Web Integrated Interactive Voice Response

• US 20080109226A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Xiaofeng, Zellner, Samuel, Scott, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/251 where a voice mode or a visual mode can be used interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• 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 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

One embodiment of a representative system for web integrated interactive voice response includes an interactive voice response system adapted to provide a plurality of voice menus to a user over a telephone and a graphical user interface system adapted to provide a plurality of menus in a graphical format to the user over a network connection. Information provided in the voice menus corresponds to information provided in the menus in the graphical format and is responsive to commands received by the graphical user interface system from the user. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for providing an interactive response menu to a user, the method comprising:

sending a graphical user interface format over a network to the user; and

sending a voice menu format to the user, wherein information provided in the voice menu format corresponds to information provided in the graphical user interface format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface format is sent after a session involving the voice menu format is started, the method further comprising:

checking for an accessible network connection associated with the user before sending the graphical user interface format.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

pushing a web page corresponding to the graphical user interface format to the user based upon a telephone address being utilized by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice menu format is sent after a session involving the graphical user interface format is started, the method further comprising:

prompting the user to choose to interact via a voice menu format from a web page corresponding to the graphical user interface format.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

routing a telephone call to the user based upon a network address being utilized by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

customizing information provided in the graphical user interface format according to information maintained in a profile database for the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information provided in the voice menu format is responsive to a command provided by a user via the graphical user interface format and vice versa.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking a session involving a graphical user interface format with a session involving a voice menu format.

9. A computer readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon comprising a program for providing an interactive response menu to a user, the program causing a computer to perform:

sending a graphical user interface format over a network to the user; and

sending a voice menu format to the user, wherein information provided in the voice menu format corresponds to information provided in the graphical user interface format.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface format is sent after a session involving the voice menu format is started, the method further comprising:

checking for an accessible network connection associated with the user before sending the graphical user interface format.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further performing:

pushing a web page corresponding to the graphical user interface format to the user based upon a telephone address being utilized by the user.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the voice menu format is sent after a session involving the graphical user interface format is started, the method further comprising:

prompting the user to choose to interact via a voice menu format from a web page corresponding to the graphical user interface format.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further performing:

routing a telephone call to the user based upon a network address being utilized by the user.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further performing:

customizing information provided in the graphical user interface format according to information maintained in a profile database for the user.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the information provided in the voice menu format is responsive to a command provided by a user via the graphical user interface format and vice versa.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, further performing:

linking a session involving a graphical user interface format with a session involving a voice menu format.