Voice XML network gateway

• US 7,715,547 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Soleo Communications
• Original Assignee: Soleo Communications
• Inventors: Thorpe, Michael, Wright, Luther, VanGelder, Bruce, Gallagher, Daniel, Ibbotson, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US10/867,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20050276391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,157 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.18, 379/93.17, 37926501-26609, 370352-356
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A system (10) for controlling telecommunications calls includes a voice XML network gateway (12) including a voice interpreter module (20) and a call center server module (28) association with a telecommunications switch (58). The voice interpreter module (20) receives voice telecommunications signals, and the call center server module (28) receives call center telecommunications data signals. Interpreting circuitry (22, 24) interprets the voice telecommunications signals using the voice interpreter module in association speech recognition application (s) (16). Call center service providing (18) means provides call center service in response to the call center telecommunications data signals in association with call center application program(s). Control circuitry (26) associated with the telecommunications network server (12) controls the interpreting circuitry (20) and the call center providing means (28) in response to the flow of telecommunications calls from the telecommunications switch (58) according to the capabilities of the at least one speech recognition application (16) and the at least one call center application program (18).

Claims

1. A method for processing a telephone call requesting information from a database, comprising the steps of:

receiving a call at a telecommunications switch from a telephone and transmitting said call to a voice XML network gateway;

selecting a voice channel call center program from within said voice XML network gateway for receiving said call;

initiating a voice-based assistance automation application using a voice interpreter module for automatically providing a voice-based response for requested information for said call;

returning at least one voice-based page to said telecommunications switch relating to said voice-based assistance automation application for automatically providing said voice-based response for requested information;

generating a request from said voice interpreter module to a call center program server for a call center operator to conference into said call for assisting in automatically providing said voice-based response for requested information;

signaling said telecommunications switch to conference said call center operator into said call using said call center program server;

providing a database response of information responsive to a request relating to said call, said database accessible to said call center operator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of initiating a voice-based assistance automation application further comprises the step of initiating said voice-based assistance automation application using a voice-based mark-up language document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating a request further comprises the step of generating said request using a text-based mark-up language document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said requested information comprises a request for directory assistance and further comprising the step of connecting said telephone to a second telephone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said requested information comprises a request for directory assistance and further comprising the step of verifying the response to the request for directory assistance prior to connecting said telephone to said second telephone.

6. A method for controlling telecommunications calls from a telecommunications switch associated with a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a voice interpreter module a plurality of voice telecommunications signals from the associated telecommunications switch, said voice interpreter module associated with a voice XML network gateway, said voice XML network gateway residing on a call center local area network;

receiving in a call center server module a plurality of call center telecommunications data signals from the associated telecommunications switch, said call center server module associated with said voice XML network gateway;

interpreting said voice telecommunications signals using said voice interpreter module in association with at least one speech recognition application;

hosting at least one call center application on said call center server module, said call center sever module residing on said call center local area network;

providing at least one call center service in response to said call center telecommunications data signals using said call center server module in association with said at least one call center application;

generating a request from said voice interpreter module to a call center program server for a call center operator to conference into said call for assisting in automatically providing said voice-based response for requested information;

signaling said telecommunications switch to conference said call center operator into said call using said call center program server; and

controlling said step of interpreting said voice signals and said step of providing at least one call center service in response to the flow of telecommunications calls from said telecommunications switch using said voice XML network gateway according to the capabilities of said at least one speech recognition application and said at least one call center application program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step for interpreting said voice telecommunications signals further comprises the step of interpreting said voice telecommunications signals using said voice interpreter module as a voice-based mark-up language document.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of providing at least one call center service further comprises the step of providing said at least one call center service in association with at least one call center application program using a text-based mark-up language document.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of associating a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module server for supporting telephony operations associated with said voice telecommunications signals.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of associating a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module server relating to the arrival from the telecommunications switch of said voice telecommunications signals.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of associating a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module relating to the termination at the telecommunications switch of said voice telecommunications signals.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of associating a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module server for mapping said voice telecommunications signals to a plurality of designated speech recognition applications.

13. A system for controlling telecommunications calls from a telecommunications switch associated with a telecommunications network, comprising:

a voice XML network gateway comprising a voice interpreter module and a call center server module, said voice XML network gateway residing on a call center local area network;

said voice interpreter module for receiving a plurality of voice telecommunications signals from the associated telecommunications switch and for generating a request from said voice interpreter module to a call center program server for a call center operator to conference into said call then signaling said telecommunications switch to conference said call center operator into said call using said call center program server;

said call center server module for receiving a plurality of call center telecommunications data signals from the associated telecommunications switch, said call center server module associated with a telecommunications network server;

interpreting circuitry for interpreting said voice telecommunications signals using said voice interpreter module in association with at least one speech recognition application;

call center service providing means for providing at least one call center service in response to said call center telecommunications data signals using said call center server module in association with at least one call center application program; and

control circuitry associated with said telecommunications network server for controlling said interpreting circuitry and said call center providing means in response to the flow of telecommunications calls from the telecommunications switch according to the capabilities of said at least one speech recognition application and said at least one call center application program.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said voice telecommunications signals further comprise a voice-based mark-up language document.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said at least one call center service uses a text-based mark-up language document.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module server for supporting telephony operations associated with said voice telecommunications signals.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module receives output from said call center server module server relating to the arrival from the telecommunications switch of said voice telecommunications signals.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module receives output from said call center server module server relating to the termination at the telecommunications switch of said voice telecommunications signals.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module receives output from said call center server module server for mapping said voice telecommunications signals to designated speech recognition applications.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein said control circuitry associated with said telecommunications network server for controlling said interpreting circuitry and said call center providing means in response to the flow of telecommunications calls from the telecommunications switch according to changes in said capabilities of said at least one speech recognition application and said at least one call center application program.