Automated call center transcription services

• US 7,184,539 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2003
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Colson, Vicki L., Mandalia, Baiju, Swan, Ronald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US10/425,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20040218751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.13, 379/265.01, 379/265.09
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

A method for communicating with a call center can include receiving a telephony contact from a caller. A discoursive input including free-form speech can thereafter be received. The discoursive input can be converted into a textual transcription. At least a portion of the textual transcription can be presented upon a display screen of a service agent computer system. The telephony contact can be routed to a telephony device associated with the service agent computer system.

Claims

1. A method for communicating within a call center comprising the steps of:

receiving a telephony contact from a caller;

receiving discoursive input comprising free-form speech;

converting said discoursive input into a textual transcription;

displaying at least a portion of said textual transcription upon a display screen of a service agent computer system;

routing said telephony contact to a telephony device associated with said service agent computer system;

identifying selected words within said textual transcription based upon predefined criteria; and

,

relaying at least a portion of said selected words to said display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying step further comprises the step of:

highlighting words within said textual transcription that are equivalent to said selected words.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

recording at least a portion of said selected words within a database; and

,

within said relaying step, retrieving information from said database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

performing at least one computer telephony integration action based in part on said selected words.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least one computer telephony integration action comprises the step of:

determining a qualified human agent among a group of potential human agents, wherein said qualified human agent is associated with said service agent computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said service agent computer system contains data fields and entry of information into said data fields is required, said method further comprising the step of:

automatically entering data into at least a portion of said data fields based upon information contained within said selected words.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said discoursive input is a free format monologue.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said converting step further comprises the steps of:

converting said discoursive input into a temporary textual translation written in a first language; and

,

translating said temporary textual translation into said textual translation written in a second language.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said conveying step further comprises the step of:

conveying at least a portion of said temporary textual translation to said service agent computer system.

10. A system for producing transcriptions within a call center comprising:

an integrated voice response system configured to prompt a caller for a discoursive input and store said discoursive input as a digital recording;

a transcription server configured to convert at least one of said digital recordings received from said integrated voice response system into a textual transcription;

a call center application accessible by a human agent;

a coordination processor configured to establish a connection between said caller and said human agent, wherein said coordination processor is further configured to convey said textual transcription to said call center application; and

,

a content analyzer configured to identify key words contained within said textual transcriptions.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a content analyzer, configured to identify key words contained within said textual transcriptions.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a speech recognition engine configured for telephony requirements, wherein said speech recognition engine is utilized by said transcription server.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a translation processor configured to convert said textual transcription into a language other than the language of said discoursive input.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a data store used by said call center application containing data fields for recording information related to a call between said caller and said human agent, wherein at least a portion of said data fields are automatically filled in based upon information generated by said content analyzer.

15. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving a telephony contact from a caller;

receiving discoursive input comprising free-form speech;

converting said discoursive input into a textual transcription;

displaying at least a portion of said textual transcription upon a display screen of a service agent computer system;

routing said telephony contact to a telephony device associated with said service agent computer system;

identifying selected words within said textual transcription based upon predefined criteria; and

,

relaying at least a portion of said selected words to said display screen.

16. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein said displaying step further comprises the step of:

highlighting words within said textual transcription that are equivalent to said selected words.

17. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

recording at least a portion of said selected words within a database; and

,

within said relaying step, retrieving information from said database.

18. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

performing at least one computer telephony integration action based in part on said selected words.

19. The machine-readable storage of claim 18, wherein said at least one computer telephony integration action comprises the step of:

determining a qualified human agent among a group of potential human agents, wherein said qualified human agent is associated with said service agent computer system.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein said service agent computer system contains data fields and entry of information into said data fields is required, said machine-readable storage further comprising the step of:

automatically entering data into at least a portion of said data fields based upon information contained within said selected words.

21. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of said discoursive input is a free format monologue.

22. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein said converting step further comprises the steps of:

converting said discoursive input into a temporary textual translation written in a first language; and

,

translating said temporary textual translation into said textual translation written in a second language.

23. The machine-readable storage of claim 22, wherein said conveying step further comprises the step of:

conveying at least a portion of said temporary textual translation to said service agent computer system.