Method for use by a telecommunications system in enabling improved attendant services

• US 5,396,542 A
• Filed: 08/31/1993
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Greenspan, Steven L., Alger, Langdon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Application Number:
  US08/114,725
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 395/2, 395/2.6, 395/2.63, 395/2.66
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• 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 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems

Abstract

A method where a telecommunication system records a message spoken by a caller and plays the recorded message to a human attendant for use in routing an incoming call without the attendant having to answer the incoming call. The system then responds to input from the attendant by playing the message to a third party to familiarize the third party with the call before the caller is removed from hold and the call is completed to the third party. In this manner, the first person that the caller speaks with has already listened to the message. The message is supplemented with additional voice messages or conversations as the call is handled by multiple parties. Wordspotting is used as the initial message is being recorded; if the wordspotting is successful, the recorded message is routed to a third party without any attendant involvement and the third party is familiarized with the call.

Claims

1. A method for use by a telecommunications system, said method comprising

receiving an incoming call from a caller,

recording a message spoken by said caller in response to prompting by said system,

playing said message to an attendant,

receiving from said attendant an input based on said message, and

in response to said attendant input but without said attendant answering said incoming call, playing said message to said third party in response to said attendant input,

following the playing of said message to said third party and in response to an input from said third party, completing said incoming call to a third party,

following said completing, recording a voice conversation between said caller and said third party, and

in response to a further input from said third party, playing said recorded message and said recorded voice conversation to a fourth party based on said further third party input.

2. A method for use by a telecommunications system, said method comprising

receiving an incoming call from a caller,

recording a message spoken by said caller in response to prompting by said system,

playing said message to an attendant,

receiving from said attendant an input based on said message, and

in response to said attendant input but without said attendant answering said incoming call, playing said message to said third party in the response to said attendant input,

following the playing of said message to said third party and in response to input from said third party, playing said message to a fourth party based on said third party input.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising

after playing said message spoken by said caller to said third party but without said third party answering said incoming call, recording a message spoken by said third party, and

in response to input from said third party, playing said message spoken by said caller and said message spoken by said third party, to said fourth party based on said third party input.

4. A method

for use by a telecommunications system, said method comprising

receiving an incoming call from a caller,

recording a message spoken by said caller in response to prompting by said system,

playing said message to an attendant,

receiving from said attendant an input based on said message, and

in response to said attendant input, recording a message spoken by said attendant and playing said message spoken by said caller and said message spoken by said attendant to said third party in response to said attendant input.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

before receiving said attendant input, completing said incoming call to said attendant, said message spoken by said attendant including a conversation between said calling party and said attendant.

6. A method for use by a telecommunications system, said method comprising

receiving an incoming call from a caller,

automatically prompting said caller with a generalized request for a message to be spoken by said caller,

recording said message spoken by said caller, said message comprising a plurality of words,

performing wordspotting to detect any one of a predefined number of words from among said plurality of words contained in said message, some of which plurality of words are not ones of said predefined words and

in response to detection of one of said predefined words, playing said recorded message to a third party, selected based on said detected predefined word

in response to a failure to detect any of said predefined words, queuing said incoming call and said message,

playing said message to an attendant, and

in response to input from said attendant after said playing, routing said incoming call to a third party based on said attendant input.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising

playing said message to said third party in response to said attendant input,

following the playing of said message to said third party and in response to an input from said third party, completing said incoming call to a third party,

following said completing, recording a voice conversation between said caller and said third party, and

in response to a further input from said third party, playing said recorded message and said recorded voice conversation to a fourth party based on said further third party input.

8. A method in accordance with claim 6 further comprising

playing said message to said third party in response to said attendant input,

following the playing of said message to said third party, but without said third party answering said incoming call, recording a message spoken by said third party, and

in response to an input from said third party, playing said message spoken by said caller and said message spoken by said third party to said fourth party based on said third party input.

9. A method for use by a telecommunications system, said method comprising

receiving an incoming call from a caller,

recording a message spoken by said caller,

queuing said incoming call and said message,

playing said message to an attendant,

in response to input from said attendant, completing said incoming call to said attendant,

recording a voice conversation between said caller and said attendant, and

in response to further input from said attendant, playing said recorded message and said recorded voice conversation to a third party based on said further attendant input.

10. A method for use by a telecommunication system, said method comprising

receiving an incoming call from a caller,

recording a message spoken by said caller in response to prompting by said system,

queuing said incoming call and said message,

said system placing a new outbound call to a first called party,

when said new outbound call is answered by said first called party, playing said message to said first called party and subsequently completing said incoming call to said first called party in response to input from said first called party,

when said first called party does not answer said new outbound call, said system placing a further outbound call to a second called party, and

when said further outbound call is answered by said second called party, playing said message to said second called party and subsequently completing said incoming call to said second called party in response to input from said second called party.

11. A method for use by a telecommunication system, said method comprising

receiving an incoming call from a caller,

recording a message spoken by said caller in response to prompting by said system,

queuing said incoming call and said message,

said system placing new outbound calls to a plurality of parties at substantially the same time,

playing said message to ones of said parties that answer the new outbound calls,

completing said incoming call to one of said answering parties in response to input from said answering party, and

interrupting the playing of said message to others of said answering parties to indicate that said incoming call has been completed.