Interactive voice response data transfer system and method

• US 6,421,427 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1997
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Hill, James Arthur, Jackson, Matthew Charles, Choi, William K., Reaves, James Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/950,481
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/68, 379/88.01, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/91.01, 379/93.02, 379/93.15, 379/100.12, 379/209, 379/210, 379/258, 379/265, 379/88.1, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.16, 379/93.08, 379/93.09, 379/100.13, 379/142.04, 379/142.06, 379/142.07, 379/142.14, 379/201.01, 379/201.04, 379/201.06, 379/201.07, 379/207.18, 379/207.16, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.09, 379/265.11, 379/281, 379/308, 379/309, 379/913, 379/902
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/902 Auto-switch for an incoming voice data, or fax telephone call, e.g. comp/fax/tel

Abstract

An interactive voice response (IVR) system collects data associated with a telephone call, and provides the data to a server. The server transforms the data into a format consistent with a different telephony platform specification implemented by clients attached to the server such that the data can be retrieved by any client to which a telephone call is transferred. Data is also shared between remote servers when calls are transferred. The servers each broadcast their identity when initially connected to a wide area network. In response, each server on the network responds with their identify. Each server updates a table of servers in accordance with the messages exchanged.

Claims

1. An interactive voice response system, comprising:

an agent which implements a first exclusive platform telephony specification for exchange of data;

an interactive voice response module which implements a second exclusive platform telephony specification not compatible with the first exclusive platform telephony specification and collects user data in association with a telephone call; and

a first server having a driver which selectively interfaces with either the first or second exclusive platform telephony specifications and also having the ability to receive data from the interactive voice response module and transform data received in the second exclusive platform telephony specification to a format compatible with the first exclusive platform telephony specification.

2. The interactive voice response system of claim 1 and further comprising a second server remote from the first server.

3. The interactive voice response system of claim 2 wherein the first and second servers exchange messages to generate a server table.

4. The interactive voice response system of claim 3 wherein the first and second servers broadcast a unique address and identifier upon initialization and respond to receive such broadcasts with their unique address and identifier.

5. The interactive voice response system of claim 4 wherein each server generates a server table from such received broadcasts.

6. The interactive voice response system of claim 5 wherein the broadcasts are sent over a predetermined socket.

7. An interactive voice response system, comprising:

an agent which implements a first exclusive platform telephony specification for exchange of data;

an interactive voice response module which implements a second exclusive platform telephony specification not compatible with the first exclusive platform telephony specification and collects user data in association with a telephone call;

a switch for associating telephone calls with the agent and the interactive voice response module; and

a first server having a driver which interfaces with the first or second exclusive platform telephony specifications and also having the ability to receive data from the interactive voice response module and selectively transform data received in the second exclusive platform telephony specification to a format compatible with the first exclusive platform telephony specification.

8. The interactive voice response system of claim 7 and further comprising a second server remote from the first server.

9. The interactive voice response system of claim 8 wherein the first and second servers exchange messages to generate a server table.

10. The interactive voice response system of claim 9 wherein the first and second servers broadcast a unique address and identifier upon initialization and respond to receive such broadcasts with their unique address and identifier.

11. The interactive voice response system of claim 10 wherein each server generates a server table from such received broadcasts.

12. The interactive voice response system of claim 11 wherein the broadcasts are sent over a predetermined socket.

13. A driver module for a server in an interactive voice response system, comprising:

a module for exchanging data with all agent which implements a first exclusive platform telephony specification;

a module for receiving user data collected by an interactive voice response application in association with a telephone call, wherein the voice response application provides the data consistent with a different exclusive platform telephony specification; and

a translation module that selectively translates the data collected from either the first or second exclusive platform telephony specifications to a format consistent with the first exclusive platform telephony specification.

14. A method of exchanging data between an agent and an interactive voice response device which both implement different telephony exclusive platform specifications for data exchange, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving user data collected by the interactive voice response device in association with a telephone call, wherein the voice response device provides the data compatible with a first exclusive platform telephony specification;

selectively translating the data collected from either the first or second exclusive platform telephony specifications to a format consistent with a second exclusive platform telephony specification implemented by the agent; and

transferring the translated data to the agent.

15. The method of claim 14 and further comprising transferring the call to a telephone associated with the agent such that the call and corresponding data are available to the agent.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the steps are performed by a server, the server further performing the step comprising broadcasting a unique address and identifier upon initialization of the server.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the server performs the additional steps of receiving broadcasts from other servers and responding to such broadcasts with its unique address and identifier.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the server performs the additional step of generating a server table from broadcasts of unique addresses and identifiers from other servers.

19. A computer readable medium containing program code to cause a suitably configured computer system to perform the following steps:

receive user data collected by an interactive voice response device in association with a telephone call, wherein the voice response device provides the data compatible with a first exclusive platform telephony specification;

selectively translate the data collected from either the first or second exclusive platform telephony specifications to a format consistent with a second exclusive platform telephony specification implemented by an agent; and

transfer the translated data to the agent in conformance with the second exclusive platform telephony specification.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the medium contains further program code to cause the suitably configured computer system to perform the additional steps of:

broadcasting a unique address and identifier upon initialization of the program code;

receiving broadcasts from other servers and responding to such broadcasts with its unique address and identifier; and

generating a server table from received broadcasts of unique addresses and identifiers.