Context retention across multiple calls in a telephone interaction system

• US 7,623,651 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ju, Yun-Cheng, Ollason, David G., Bhatia, Siddharth
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quynh H
• Application Number:
  US10/938,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20060056612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/266.1, 379/309, 379/88.01, 379/88.16, 379/88.19, 434/322
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/551 Call history recording a computer conference H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

A method of providing information to a user in a telephone interactive system includes receiving a new call. A comparison is then made between an identifier associated with the new call with stored call information pertaining to previous calls. If the identifier associated with the new call matches an identifier associated with a previous call, a subsequent action taken in the new call is based on context information stored from the previous call.

Claims

1. A method of providing information to a user in a telephone interactive system that includes an application that is stored on a memory storage device and executed by a processor of a computer, the method comprising:

receiving a new call;

comparing an identifier associated with the new call with call information stored in a database using the processor of the computer, the call information comprising a plurality of entries pertaining to previous calls, wherein each entry of the plurality of entries comprises context information for an associated previous call and includes an indication of a caller ID for the associated previous call, request information for an overall request pertaining to the associated previous call, a progress indicator that indicates a progress point for the overall request reached during the associated previous call, and a timestamp associated with the progress indicator;

wherein the overall request is related to a desired task related to the associated previous call and the progress indicator indicates progression through the desired task;

if the identifier associated with the new call identifies an entry in the plurality of entries for a previous call, prompting the caller to inquire whether the new call is in relation to context information stored from the previous call and proceeding with the new call based on the context information stored in the identified entry for the previous call and updating the call information based on context information associated with the new call;

if the identifier associated with the new call does not identify an entry in the plurality of entries for a previous call, adding a new entry to the plurality of entities and recording context information associated with the new call in the new entry.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising recording context information pertaining to the new call.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the call information comprises modifying the identified entry to reflect the context information associated with the new call.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the call information comprises generating a new entry.

3. A method of providing information to a user in a telephone interactive system that includes an application that is stored on a memory storage device and executed by a processor of a computer, the method comprising:

receiving a new call;

comparing an identifier associated with the new call with stored call information pertaining to previous calls using the processor of the computer;

if the identifier associated with the new call matches an identifier associated with a previous call, prompting the caller to inquire whether the new call is in relation to context information stored from the previous call and proceeding with the new call based on context information stored from the previous call;

if the identifier associated with the new call does not match an identifier associated with a previous call, recording the identifier of the new call in the call information;

recording context information pertaining to the new call; and

wherein recording context information includes recording a progress indicator that indicates a progress point for an overall request related to the new call, the overall request being related to a desired task related to the new call and the progress indicator indicating progression through the desired task; and

wherein recording context information includes recording a timestamp associated with the progress indicator, and wherein recording context information includes repeatedly recording progress indicators and associated timestamps pertaining to reaching selected points pertaining to various actions related to the new call.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein recording context information includes recording other information pertaining to the new call apart from the progress indicators.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein recording context information includes recording information pertaining to an overall request.

6. The method of claim 5 and further comprising if the identifier associated with the new call matches an identifier associated with a previous call, prompting the caller based on context information stored from the previous call.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the identifier comprises a caller identifier provided by a phone system.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the identifier is based on information other than the caller identifier provided by the phone system.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein proceeding with the new call based on context information stored from the previous call comprises transferring the new call in a dialing application.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein proceeding with the new call based on context information stored from the previous call comprises rendering information to the caller.

11. A tangible computer-readable storage medium having instructions for processing calls in a telephone interactive system, wherein the instructions, when executed on the computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving a new call;

comparing an identifier associated with the new call with stored call information pertaining to previous calls using a processor of the computer, wherein the stored call information includes request information for overall requests pertaining to the previous calls and timestamps associated with progress indicators indicating progress points for the overall requests reached during the previous calls, wherein the overall requests are related to desired tasks related to the previous calls and the progress indicators indicate progression through the desired tasks;

if the identifier associated with the new call matches an identifier associated with a previous call and a timestamp associated with the previous call indicates that the new call occurred within a predefined time period after the previous call, prompting the caller to inquire whether the new call is in relation to context information stored from the previous call;

if the caller confirms that the new call is in relation to context information stored from the previous call, taking an action based on the context information stored from the previous call; and

storing context information related to the new call;

wherein storing context information includes recording a progress indicator pertaining to reaching a selected point pertaining to a request related to the new call.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein storing context information includes recording a timestamp associated with the progress indicator.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein storing context information includes repeatedly recording progress indicators and associated timestamps pertaining to reaching selected points pertaining to various actions related to the new call.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein recording context information includes recording other information pertaining to the new call apart from the progress indicators.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein recording context information includes recording information pertaining to an overall request.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the identifier comprises a caller identifier provided by a phone system.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the identifier is based on information other than the caller identifier provided by the phone system.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein proceeding with the new call based on context information stored from the previous call comprises transferring the new call in a dialing application.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein proceeding with the new call based on context information stored from the previous call comprises rendering information to the caller.

20. A computer-implemented method of processing a call in a dialer application that is stored on a memory storage device and executed by a processor, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a new call;

comparing an identifier associated with the new call with stored call information pertaining to call routing actions of previous calls using the processor;

if the identifier associated with the new call matches an identifier associated with a previous call, prompting the caller to inquire whether the new call is in relation to context information stored from the previous call;

if the caller confirms that the new call is in relation to context information stored from the previous call, taking an action based on the context information stored from the previous call;

recording the identifier and the context information pertaining to the new call;

wherein recording context information includes recording a progress indicator that indicates a progress point for an overall request related to the new call and a timestamp associated with the context information, the overall request being related to a desired task related to the new call and the progress indicator indicating progression through the desired task; and

wherein recording context information includes repeatedly recording progress indicators and associated timestamps pertaining to reaching selected points pertaining to various actions related to the new call.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20 wherein the identifier comprises a caller identifier provided by a phone system.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 20 wherein the identifier is based on information other than the caller identifier provided by the phone system.