Method of providing a user interface for audio telecommunications systems

• US 6,885,733 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2001
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Somberg, Benjamin L., Pearson, Gwen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Ming
• Application Number:
  US10/012,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20030103608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.23, 379/88.18, 379/88.01, 379/88.04, 379/72, 379/76, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/88.22, 455/412.1, 725/60, 725/61
• US Class Current: 379/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• 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 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A network method for using interactive voice response (IVR) for telecommunication. Voice menu options for a menu level with a voice menu hierarchy are played to a caller. Each menu option can be a voice segment that is audibly played to the caller. The IVR system receives control input in which a second plurality of menu options are received. The menu options in the second plurality are selected from any of the previously presented individual menu options. The selected menu options can be temporarily saved in a memory location in the IVR system. The IVR system can retrieve the selected menu options from the memory location. The second plurality of menu options for the menu level is played to the caller to give the caller control over which part or parts of the menu options are to be repeated.

Claims

1. In a network-based voice response system having a voice menu hierarchy, a method of processing a telephone call, comprising the steps of:

during the telephone call, transmitting to a caller a first plurality of menu options having a first presentation order for a menu level, in which each menu option in the first plurality of menu options is an audio-generated segment;

monitoring the telephone call for a control input from the caller which contains a user-defined adjustment of the first presentation order; and

responsive to receiving the control input from the caller, transmitting a second plurality of menu options to the caller which are selected from the first plurality of menu options for the menu level in which the second plurality of menu options have a second presentation order different from the first presentation order.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of temporarily storing the second presentation order in a memory of the voice response system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of menu options have a predetermined voice profile and further comprising a step of adjusting the predetermined voice profile for the second plurality of menu options.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second presentation order is based on a received sequence of the selected first plurality of menu options.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining a numerical sequence for the second presentation order.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of confirming the second plurality of menu options prior to the step of transmitting the second plurality of menu options.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second presentation order is based on a previous frequency of selected menu options for the second plurality of menu options.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control input comprises a verbal input.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising a step of parsing the verbal input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio-generated segment is at least one of a text-to-speech segment and a synthetic voice segment.

11. In an interactive voice response system, a method of processing a telephonecall, comprising the steps of:

receiving the telephone call from a caller;

presenting to the caller a first plurality of option messages for a predetermined menu level of an audible menu hierarchy of the interactive voice response system;

monitoring the telephone call for a caller-initiated selection of a second plurality of option messages with a new order within the predetermined menu level, in which the second plurality of option messages are selected from the first plurality of option messages; and

presenting the second plurality of option messages of the predetermined menu level during the telephone call to the caller.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of temporarily storing the second plurality of option messages in a memory.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of retrieving the second plurality of menu options.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of presenting the second plurality of option messages further comprises presenting the second plurality of option messages based on a received sequence of the second plurality of option messages.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of determining a numerical sequence for presenting each of option messages of the second plurality of options messages.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of confirming the second plurality of option messages prior to the step of presenting the second plurality of option messages.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of option messages includes a predetermined presentation order.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined presentation order is changed according to a received sequence of the second plurality of option messages.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the caller-initiated selection comprises a verbal input.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of parsing the verbal input.

21. In an interactive voice response system, a method of processing a telephone call, comprising the steps of:

receiving the telephone call from a caller;

responsive to receiving the telephone call, transmitting to the caller a plurality of option messages for a menu level of a menu hierarchy, the option messages having a first presentation order;

monitoring the telephone call for a caller-initiated signal to create a second presentation order comprised of the option messages of the menu level;

responsive to the caller-initiated signal, receiving a caller selection of the option messages to be included in the second presentation order; and

transmitting to the caller the caller selection of the selected option messages based on the second presentation order.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the interactive voice response system is network-based.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising a step of including implicit menu options in the second presentation order.