Method and apparatus for distributed interactive voice processing

• US 7,689,426 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Matula, Valentine C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner; Martin
• Application Number:
  US11/845,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20070291924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275, 379/88.01, 379/88.16, 379/265.02, 379/265.06, 379/265.1, 379/266.01, 379/266.08, 379/265.03, 379/265.11
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• 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 3/5191 interacting with the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements

Abstract

A distributed interactive voice processing system is disclosed that distributes IVR capabilities to one or more agent terminals associated with a call center. One or more agent terminals support the traditional functions of a live agent, as well as additional IVR capabilities to support the functions of a virtual or automated agent A call management system manages the distributed IVR resources by monitoring the availability status of the live and automated IVR agents in the distributed interactive voice processing system and distributing telephone calls and other types of communications to the appropriate agents. The availability status of the automated IVR agents is based on estimated available CPU cycles on the agent terminal A received call is routed to the extension on the agent terminal associated with the selected IVR channel. A VXML process associated with the selected IVR channel obtains the appropriate application software from a central voiceXML application server and executes the VXML page(s) to play the appropriate prompts from the IVR script to the caller and to collect DTMF or speech recognized inputs from the caller The distributed design allows centralized application management while using distributed resources to provide improved IVR availability.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a telephone call from a caller;

assigning said telephone call to an IVR queue monitoring an availability status of an automated agent of a call center, wherein;

i. said automated agent is executing on an agent terminal, and

ii. said agent terminal is employed by a corresponding human agent; and

routing said telephone call from said IVR queue to an available automated agent based on CPU utilization of said agent terminal, on which said automated agent is running.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said availability status is based on a number of predicted available CPU cycles.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said agent terminal uses local processing resources to perform at least one interactive voice response function.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes rendering an IVR script.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes an automatic speech recognition function.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes a text-to-speech translation function.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said agent terminal uses local processing resources to provide IP telephony resources to said human agent.

8. An interactive voice response (IVR) system for assigning a telephone call to an automated agent of a call center, said automated agent executing on an agent terminal employed by a corresponding human agent, said IVR system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to;

receive a telephone call from a caller;

assign said telephone call to an IVR queue monitor an availability status of said automated agent, wherein;

i. said automated agent is executing on an agent terminal, and

ii. said agent terminal is employed by a corresponding human agent; and

route said telephone call from said IVR queue to an available automated agent based on CPU utilization of said agent terminal, on which said automated agent is running.

9. The IVR system of claim 8, wherein said availability status is based on a number of predicted available CPU cycles.

10. The IVR system of claim 8, wherein said agent terminal uses local processing resources to perform at least one interactive voice response function.

11. The interactive voice response (IVR) system of claim 10, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes rendering an IVR script.

12. The interactive voice response (IVR) system of claim 10, wherein said at least one interactive voice response function includes an automatic speech recognition functions.