Methods and systems for personal interactive voice response

• US 7,127,400 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.), Bellsouth Intellectual Property
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koch, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): {hacek over (S)}mits, Talivaldis Ivars
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng, Eunice
• Application Number:
  US10/152,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270.1, 704/260, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A personal interactive voice response system with a web-based interface allowing the user to specify treatment of incoming calls based on voice or touchtone responses provided by the calling party. A graphical user interface available over a computer network, such as the Internet, allows the user to personalize greetings that callers hear, as well as customizing treatment of callers based on the caller'"'"'s response. The user may record an initial greeting or other messages, either over the telephone or over the Internet, so that the messages are played to callers in the user'"'"'s voice. Additionally, the user may enter text, via a PC or wireless device connected to the Internet, that is played back for the caller, based on the caller'"'"'s response, via text-to-speech conversion using voice extensible markup language technology. Resulting actions, such as call forwarding, distinctive ringing, or remote notification of the incoming call may also be included.

Claims

1. A method for administering a personal interactive voice response service, the personal interactive voice response service routing an incoming communication to a specified person of a plurality of persons at a called number, the method comprising:

storing in a database rules for the personal interactive voice response service, the rules specifying treatment of the incoming communication based on a response provided by a calling party;

receiving information via web access for storage in the database, the information relating to the specified person for directing the incoming communication, the information comprising a distinctive ringing pattern associated with the calling party'"'"'s response and with the calling party;

retrieving text stored in the database based on the calling party'"'"'s response; and

retrieving instructions for routing the incoming communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information via web access for storage in the database further comprises:

querying to enter an initial greeting, and, if so, prompting to enter the initial greeting;

querying to edit an option, and if so, prompting to select the option to be edited and to enter a revised option; and

querying to edit a call handling rule, and, if so, prompting to select the call handling rule to he edited, to enter a revised call handling rule, and to associate the revised call handling rule with an existing option.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the initial greeting, the revised option, and the revised call handling rule.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving a rule for remote notification based on the caller'"'"'s response.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing the text to the calling party via text-to-speech conversion using voice extensible markup language.

6. A system for processing a communication from a calling party to a user according to a personal interactive voice response (IVR) service plan of the user, comprising:

a server receiving the communication and querying whether the user is a subscriber to personal IVR service;

if the user is a subscriber, then the server retrieving at least one rule specifying treatment of the communication based on a response provided by the calling party, the at least one rule specifying a distinctive ringing pattern associated with the calling party'"'"'s response and with the calling parry;

the server retrieving text based on the calling party'"'"'s response; and

the server retrieving instructions to route the communication.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is a softswitch.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is a service switching point.

9. A system for processing a communication from a calling party to a user according to a personal interactive voice response (IVR) service plan of the user, comprising:

a server receiving the communication and querying whether the user is subscribed to personal IVR service;

the server playing an initial greeting to die calling party, wherein the initial greeting includes at least one option;

the server receiving an option selection from the calling party; and

the server retrieving at least one rule specifying treatment of the communication based on the option selection, the at least one rule specifying a distinctive ringing pattern associated with the calling party'"'"'s option selection and with the calling party;

the server retrieving text based on the option selection; and

the server retrieving instructions to route the communication.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the server plays an error message if the option selection is not recognized according to the personal IVR service plan.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the server is a softswitch.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising the sewer specifying an error message for presentation to the calling party if the option selection is not recognized according to the personal IVR service plan.

13. In a telecommunications network, a method of administering a personal interactive voice response (IVR) service, comprising:

providing at least one web-accessible application for entry by a user of information for a personal IVR service plan;

storing the entered information for the personal IVR service plan;

upon query, notifying that the user is subscribed to personal IVR service and retrieving the personal IVR service plan;

retrieving at least one rule specifying treatment of a communication based on a selection, the at least one rule specifying a distinctive ringing pattern associated with the selection and with a calling party;

retrieving text based on the selection; and

retrieving instructions to route the communication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein storing entered information for the personal IVR service plan further comprises receiving an initial greeting, at least one option, and at least one call handling rule from the user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising associating a call handling rule with an option.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the communication and playing an initial greeting with at least one option.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving a selection of an option and applying a call handling rule to the communication.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing instructions for routing the communication.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising specifying an initial greeting with at least one option.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying a call handling rule to the communication.

21. A storage medium on which is encoded instructions for performing the following steps of:

receiving at a server a communication intended for a user of a personal interactive voice response (IVR) service, the personal IVR service routing an incoming communication to a specified person of a plurality of persons at a called number;

querying whether the user is subscribed to personal IVR service;

if the user is a subscriber, then retrieving an initial greeting for a calling party according to the user'"'"'s personal IVR service and retrieving at least one rule specifying treatment of the communication based on an option selection, the at least one rule specifying a distinctive ringing pattern associated with the option selection and with the calling party;

retrieving text based on the option selection; and

retrieving instructions to route the communication.

22. A storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

playing the initial greeting to the calling party, wherein the initial greeting includes at least one option;

receiving the option selection from the calling party and, based on the option selection, applying at least one call handling rule to the communication; and

routing the communication according to the user'"'"'s personal IVR service plan.