Automated attendant grammar tuning

• US 20080273672A1
• Filed: 05/03/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Michael Geoffrey Andrew, Didcock, Clifford N.
• Application Number:
  US11/800,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20080273672A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/183 using context dependencies, e.g. language models
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/19 Grammatical context, e.g. disambiguation of the recognition hypotheses based on word sequence rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• 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 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A system provides speech-enabled automated attendant call processing. A database comprises words that are anticipated to be received in a voice input. Stored in relation to the words are actions to be taken upon receipt of a call comprising to particular words. A server receives a call, and after playing a prompt, receives a voice input. The server identifies whether words in the voice input correspond to words in the database. If so, the server takes an action stored in the database in relation to the words in the voice input. If words in the voice input do not correspond to words in the database, the server queues the voice input for analysis. In response to inputs, the server adds words from the voice input to the database.

Claims

1. A method of processing voice calls, comprising:

receiving a call;

communicating an announcement in response to the call;

recording a voice input;

determining if the voice input corresponds to words in a database of expected voice inputs;

if the voice input corresponds to words in a database of expected voice inputs, identifying an action to be taken in response; and

if the voice input does not correspond to words in a database of expected inputs, adding the recorded voice input to a queue of inputs for analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying an action to be taken in response comprises identifying a phone number to which the call is to be communicated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the voice input does not correspond to words in a database of expected inputs, communicating a prompt for additional input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the voice input does not correspond to words in a database of expected inputs, adding words from the voice input to the database.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the voice input does not correspond to words in a database of expected inputs

identifying for the voice input an entity to which the call was ultimately directed,

identifying previously received voice inputs directed to the entity,

identifying words occurring in both the voice input and the previously received voice inputs, and

identifying words occurring in both the voice input and the previously received voice inputs for addition to the database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying words occurring in both the voice input and the previously received voice inputs for addition to the database, comprises identifying words and at least one of a phone number, a person, and an organization for storage in relation to the words.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving an input providing instruction to add to the database the words occurring in both the voice input and the previously received voice inputs.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the voice input does not correspond to words in a database of expected inputs,

identifying for the voice input an extension to which the call was ultimately directed,

providing the voice input, and

receiving input identifying for addition to the database words occurring in the voice input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying for addition to the database words occurring in the voice input comprises identifying for addition to the database words and at least one of a phone number, a person, and an organization for storage in relation to the words.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein recording a voice input comprises recording a voice input comprising a phrase,

wherein determining if the voice input corresponds to words in a database of expected voice inputs comprises determining if the voice input corresponds to a phrase in a database of expected voice inputs, and

wherein receiving input identifying for addition to the database words occurring in the voice input comprises receiving input identifying for addition to the database a phrase occurring in the voice input.

11. A method of processing voice calls, comprising:

maintaining a database of words expected in voice inputs, said database comprising for particular words phone numbers for communicating a call in response to a voice input comprising the particular words;

receiving a call;

receiving in connection with the call a voice input comprising a word;

identifying the received word is missing from the database of words expected in voice inputs; and

adding the received word to the database.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising identifying a phone number to which the call is communicated,

wherein adding the received word to the database comprises adding the phone number to the database stored in relation to the received word.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein maintaining a database of words expected in voice inputs comprises maintaining a database of phrases expected in voice inputs,

wherein receiving in connection with the call a voice input comprising a word comprises receiving an input comprising a phrase,

wherein identifying the received word is missing from the database of words expected in voice inputs comprises identifying the received phrase is missing from the database, and

wherein adding the received word to the database comprises adding the received phrase to the database.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

identifying previously received voice inputs directed to the phone number comprising the received word; and

identifying for addition to the database the received word upon identifying previously received voice inputs directed to the phone number comprising the received word.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising

receiving an input indicating the received word is to be added to the database.

16. A voice automated attendant system, comprising:

a database of words expected to be received in a voice input; and

a server comprising computer-readable instructions for receiving a call, receiving a voice input, determining whether the voice input corresponds to words expected to be received in a voice input in the database, and updating the database of words expected to be received in a voice input.

17. The voice automated attendant system of claim 16, further comprising computer-readable instructions for performing speech recognition on the voice input.

18. The voice automated attendant system of claim 16, wherein said database comprises for entries in the database actions to be taken in response to receiving a voice input comprising a word having an entry in the database.

19. The voice automated attendant system of claim 16, wherein said server further comprises instructions for identifying a phone extension to which the call was forwarded, identifying for the phone extension previously received voice inputs, and identifying words in the voice input corresponding to words in the previously received voice inputs.

20. The voice automated attendant system of claim 16, wherein said computer-readable instructions for updating the database of words expected to be received in a voice input comprises instructions for updating the database of words with a word and a corresponding phone extension.