Method and system for operator services automation using an operator services switch

• US 7,180,994 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volt Delta Resources LLC (NewNet Communication Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Volt Information Sciences Incorporated
• Inventors: Scott, Dwight E.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/172,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/218.01, 379/218.02, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/260, 379/262, 379/263, 379/114.01, 379/114.05, 379/114.03, 379/114.21, 379/114.23, 379/88.01, 379/222, 379/223, 379/228
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A telecommunications system includes a front end automation system, an operator services switch, an automated operator, and an automation data server. The front end automation system interacts with a caller in order to recognize a request of the caller and determine a response to the request. The operator services switch, which is inter-operably coupled to the front end automation system, receives a call from the front end automation system, after the front end automation system has recognized the request and has determined the response to the request, and creates billing information relative to the call. The automation data server, which is inter-operably coupled to the front end automation system, passes information about the request and the response from the front end automation system to the automated operator. The automated operator, which is inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch, provides the response to the request to the caller.

Claims

1. An operator service system comprising:

a front end automation system adapted to recognize a request for information from a caller and initiate a call to an operator services switch;

an operator services switch inter-operably coupled to the front end automation system and adapted to receive the call after the front end automation system has received the call and create billing information relative to the call;

a back end automation system inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch and to the front end automation system, the back end automation system being adapted to respond to the request via the operator services switch; and

wherein the front end automation system is adapted to send information relative to the request to the back end automation system in response to the request, the information relative to the request being sent via a path independent of the operator services switch.

2. The operator services system of claim 1, wherein the information relative to the request comprises information regarding a response to be given to the caller.

3. The operator services system of claim 1, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator.

4. The operator services system of claim 3, wherein the automated operator is adapted to announce information responsive to the request to the caller via the operator services switch.

5. The operator services system of claim 3, wherein the automated operator is adapted to notify the front end automation system, via the operator services switch, to disconnect the call from the operator services switch and announce information responsive to the request to the caller.

6. The operator services system of claim 3, wherein the automated operator is adapted to send an announcement request to an operator services switch interface component inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch, the announcement request comprising information regarding a response to the request.

7. The operator services system of claim 3, wherein the operator services switch is adapted to assign the call to the automated operator in response to receipt of the call from the front end automation system.

8. The operator services system of claim 1, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator, the automation data server being adapted to receive the information relative to the request from the front end automation system, and the automated operator being adapted to query the automation data server to obtain information regarding a response to the request to be given to the caller.

9. The operator services system of claim 1, wherein the operator services switch is adapted to transfer the call from the back end automation system to an operator work station.

10. The operator services system of claim 1, wherein the front end automation system is adapted to send to the back end automation system information recognized from the request for information, the information recognized representing less than all of the request for information.

11. The operator services system of claim 10, wherein the operator work station is adapted to send information received from the operator services switch and identifying the call to the back end automation system in response to receipt of a message from the operator services switch, the message specifying the information identifying the call.

12. The operator services system of claim 11, wherein the back end automation system is adapted to respond to the information identifying the call received from the operator work station by sending the information recognized to the operator work station.

13. The operator services system of claim 12, wherein the operator work station is adapted to display the information recognized in response to receipt of the information recognized from the back end automation system.

14. The operator services system of claim 9, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator.

15. The operator services system of claim 10, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator.

16. The operator services system of claim 15, wherein the automation data server is adapted to receive from the front end automation system the information recognized from the request for information.

17. A method of responding to a request for information of a caller, the method comprising:

receiving the request from the caller at an operator services system;

recognizing the request in an automated fashion by a front end automation system of the operator services system;

initiating a call relative to the request to an operator services switch of the operator services system, the operator services switch receiving the call after the front end automation system has received the call;

generating, by the operator services switch, of billing information regarding the call; and

sending information relative to the request from the front end automation system to a back end automation system of the operator services system on a path independent of the operator services switch the back end automation system being adapted to respond to the request via the operator services switch.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating, by the operator services switch, of information identifying the initiated call;

receiving the information relative to the request and the information identifying the call;

associating the information relative to the request with the information identifying the call; and

using the received information relative to the request and the information identifying the call to respond to the request.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information relative to the request comprises information regarding a response to be given to the caller.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of using comprises announcing, by the automated operator, of information responsive to the request to the caller via the operator services switch.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of using comprises notifying the front end automation system, via the operator services switch, to disconnect the call from the operator services switch and announce information responsive to the request to the caller.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of using comprises sending, by the automated operator, of an announcement request to an operator services switch interface component inter-operably coupled to the operator services switch, the announcement request comprising a response to the request.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising assigning, by the operator services switch, of the call to the automated operator in response to receipt of the call from the front end automation system.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the back end automation system comprises an automation data server and an automated operator, the automation data server receiving the information relative to the request from the front end automation system, and the automated operator querying the automation data server to obtain information regarding a response to the request to be given to the caller.

26. A method of responding to a request for information of a caller the method comprising:

receiving the request from the caller at an operator services system;

recognizing, in an automated fashion, less than all of the request by a front end automation system of the operator services system;

initiating a call relative to the request to an operator services switch of the operator services system, the operator services switch receiving the call after the front end automation system has received the call;

generating, by the operator services switch, of billing information regarding the call; and

sending, by the front end automation system to a back end automation system of the operator services system via a path independent of the operator services switch, of information identifying information recognized from the request.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising transferring, by the operator services switch, of the call from a back end automation system of the operator services system to an operator work station.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein none of the request is recognized in the step of recognizing.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein a portion of the request is recognized in the step of recognizing.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising sending, by the operator work station, of call-identifying information received from the operator services switch to the back end automation system in response to receipt of a message from the operator services switch, the message specifying the call-identifying information.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising responding, by the back end automation system, to the call-identifying information received from the operator work station by sending information identifying information recognized from the request to the operator work station.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising displaying, by the operator work station, of the information identifying the information recognized in response to receipt of the information identifying the information recognized from the back end automation system.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the information identifying the information recognized indicates that no information was recognized.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the information identifying the information recognized identifies a portion of the request.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising receiving, by the automation data server from the front end automation system, of the information identifying the information recognized from the request.