System and method for operating a highly distributed interactive voice response system

• US 7,012,996 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Polcyn, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US10/442,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20030198321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/88.01, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/211.01, 379/266.04
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

A system and method of directing calls is disclosed for a telephone network having remote locations. The remote locations receive incoming calls and attempt to route the calls using a basic call director. If the remote location cannot route the call, then data, such as a recorded spoken utterance, is provided to a central system. The central system then attempts to automatically determine how to route the call using the data from the remote location. If the central system is unable to automatically determine the routing information, then the data is provided to an operator who attempts to determine how to route the call. Finally, a caller can be connected directly to the operator, if the operator is not able to determine routing information from the provided data alone.

Claims

1. A method of directing calls in a telephone network comprising the steps of:

receiving a call at a remote location, wherein said remote location is remote with respect to a central location in data communication therewith;

if routing information for said call sufficient for completion of desired directing of said call can be determined at said remote location in response to an interaction between a caller and said remote location, then directing said call to a desired extension in accordance with said interaction; and

if said routing information for said call sufficient for completion of desired directing of said call cannot be determined at said remote location in response to said interaction, then providing data associated with said call, including data obtained in response to said interaction, to said central location for interaction between the remote location and the central location, said central location being in data communication with a plurality of remote locations including said remote location, and determining automatically at said central location, from said interaction, routing information sufficient for completion of desired directing of said call which remains at said remote location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said provided data includes a recorded utterance of a caller.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said recorded utterance is used by a voice recognition system at said central location to determine said routing information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said voice recognition system comprises a large vocabulary voice recognition system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

comparing said provided data to a database at said central location.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said provided data comprises a recorded utterance of a caller;

and

wherein said database comprises a database of known utterances.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said database comprises a large vocabulary database.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said database comprises a foreign language database.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said database comprises technical vocabulary database.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said routing information is determined by a call director system at said remote location.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said routing information is determined using an interactive menu.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said interactive menu accepts voice inputs.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said interactive menu accepts DTMF inputs.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

if said routing information cannot be determined automatically at said central location, then providing at least a portion of said provided data to an operator.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said provided data comprises an utterance of a caller.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said operator can prompt, via said call director system, a caller to provide additional data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said additional data comprises additional utterances by said caller.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

connecting said call to an extension selected by said operator.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said operator directs a remote call director to connect said call.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

if said routing information cannot be determined by said operator using said provided data, then establishing an interactive connection between said operator and a caller.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said interactive connection allows said operator to speak to said caller.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

connecting said call to an extension selected by said operator.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of:

routing said call as directed by said operator.

24. A remote call director system for a telephone network in which a plurality of said remote call director systems are linked to a central system, wherein callers are first connected to said remote system and wherein calls are directed by said remote call director system using information provided by said callers, said remote call director system comprising:

means for interacting with said callers to thereby gather routing information, wherein said interacting means comprises a small vocabulary voice recognition system;

means for independently determining call directing information using said routing information;

means for directing said calls using said directing information; and

means for providing at least a portion of said gathered routing information to said central system, disposed at a location separate from said remote call director system, for interaction between the central system and the remote call direction system when said determining means is unable to determine call directing information, wherein said providing means does not provide said at least a portion of said gathered routing information to said central system when said determining means is able to determine call directing information.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said interacting means comprises an interactive menu.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein said provided routing information comprises an utterance of said caller.

27. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

means for accepting call directing information from said central system, wherein said call directing information accepted from said central system is determined using said provided data.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

means for directing said calls in accordance with said directing information accepted from said central system.

29. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

means for providing an interactive connection between said caller and an operator.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein said central system directs when to establish said interactive connection.

31. The system of claim 27 further comprising:

means for prompting said caller to provide additional information.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said prompting means is used to prompt said caller to repeat an utterance.

33. A central system for a telephone network in which a plurality of remote systems are linked to said central system, wherein callers are first connected to one of said remote systems and wherein calls remain at said remote system and are directed by said remote system using information provided by said central system, said central system comprising:

means for receiving routing data from each said remote system for an interaction between said central system and said remote system, wherein said data is associated with a particular call, wherein at least a portion of said routing data has been utilized by an associated said remote system in an interaction between said remote system and said particular call to determine directing information before being accepted by said central system;

means for determining directing information for said particular call using at least a portion of said accepted routing data, wherein said determining means provides more complex directing information determining than utilized by said associated remote system with respect to said routing data; and

means for providing said directing information to said remote system associated with said particular call.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said accepted routing data comprises an utterance of a caller.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein said determining means comprises a voice recognition system.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said voice recognition system compares a caller'"'"'s utterance to one or more databases of known utterances.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein one of said databases comprises a large vocabulary database.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein one of said databases comprises a technical vocabulary database.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein one of said databases comprises a foreign language vocabulary database.

40. The system of claim 33 further comprising:

means for providing at least a portion of said accepted routing data to an operator.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein said accepted routing data comprises an utterance of said caller.

42. The system of claim 40 further comprising:

means for providing routing information to said remote system.

43. The system of claim 40 further comprising:

means for establishing an interactive connection between said operator and said callers.

44. The system of claim 40 further comprising:

means for prompting said caller to provide additional data.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein said prompting means is controlled by said operator.

46. The system of claim 44 wherein said prompting means is controlled by said determining means.

47. The system of claim 44 wherein said prompting means prompts said caller to repeat an utterance.

48. The system of claim 44 wherein said additional data comprises an additional utterance.