System and method for seamlessly integrating an interactive visual menu with an voice menu provided in an interactive voice response system

• US 7,813,485 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhai, Shumin, Yin, Min
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
• Application Number:
  US11/139,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20060285662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8804, 379 8817- 8818, 379/88.13, 455/414.4, 715716-717, 715/728, 348/14.04, 348/14.07, 370351-356, 709/203, 709/205, 709/231, 709/232, 709/237, 725/51, 725/52, 725/54
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0045 where the text-based messaging service is an instant messaging service

Abstract

An interactive visual menu system seamlessly integrates an interactive visual menu with an audio menu provided in an interactive voice response system. The system augments a voice menu by displaying the content of the voice menu to a caller. The system assumes that the caller is placing a call near an interactive device such as a computer and the user is logged onto the interactive device using, for example, instant messaging. The system “pushes” a graphical menu through the Internet onto the interactive device. Display of the graphical menu is synchronized with the audio menu. The caller selects the desired choices either by pressing the phone keypad or by clicking on graphical menus on the interactive device; both voice and visual information are updated accordingly.

Claims

1. A method of integrating a visual menu with an audio menu, comprising:

receiving an audio call from a user;

initiating an interactive session based on the received audio call;

correlating the user with an accessible interactive device, including mapping a user identification of the user with a virtual location of the user, wherein the user identification comprises a combination of a phone number, an employee identification, and a customer identification;

registering the user with multiple entities that utilize the visual menu and the audio menu;

transmitting an instant message including an embedded hyperlink to the virtual location of the user, wherein the instant message comprises an instruction displayed on an interactive display device for receiving the visual menu;

initiating the audio menu by an interactive voice response unit using an audio control module;

executing the instruction to receive the visual menu;

providing the visual menu to the user by displaying it within an instant messaging window;

synchronizing the visual menu and the audio menu using time stamp and dual-tone multi-frequency input from the accessible interactive device; and

updating the visual menu with the audio menu as the user selects a menu option presented by at least one of the visual menu or the audio menu.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the virtual location comprises mapping any one or more of a user'"'"'s instant messaging address or an SIP address.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the virtual location and the user identifications in a mapping database.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio menu comprises a telephone menu.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the instant message to the virtual location of the user comprises transmitting the instant message over a network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant message comprises a session identifier that uniquely represents the interactive session;

and

concurrently synchronizing the visual menu with the audio menu using the session identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction comprises any one of:

an IP address and a port number, or a URL of an interactive visual menu service from which the visual menu is transmitted.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the instruction comprises any one of:

following a link to the in instant message, or open a connection with the IP address and port number for the in session initialization message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing the visual menu with the audio menu comprises using time stamp and user input.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising inputting the user input by any one or more of:

pressing a keypad of a telephone to generate dual-tone multi-frequency input;

speaking a command into a telephone microphone;

pressing a key on a keyboard associated with the interactive device;

clicking on a mouse associated with the interactive device;

using a virtual keyboard; and

using a touch screen with the interactive device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the instruction to receive the visual menu comprises using any one or more of:

an instant messaging client on the interactive device;

a web browser on the interactive device;

a SIP user agent;

a customized client on the interactive device; and

a graphical display.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual menu comprises any one or more of:

menu options at a current level of a hierarchical menu tree corresponding to the audio menu;

menu options at additional levels of the hierarchical menu tree;

additional information to augment the audio menu;

links to additional information to augment the audio menu.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the additional information comprises any one or more of:

a frequently asked questions web page, shortcuts of recent selections, and text or image resources.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically changing the visual menu with an input from the user.

15. A computer program product comprising a plurality of executable instruction codes stored on a computer-readable medium, for integrating a visual menu with an audio menu, the computer program product comprising:

instruction codes for identifying an incoming telephone call;

instruction codes for initiating an interactive session in response to the identified telephone call;

instruction codes for correlating the user with an accessible interactive device, including mapping a user identification of a user with a virtual location of the user;

instruction codes for registering the user with multiple entities that utilize the visual menu and the audio menu;

instruction codes for transmitting a session initialization message including an embedded hyperlink to the virtual location of the user, wherein the session initialization message comprises an instruction for receiving the visual menu and wherein activation of the hyperlink by the user opens the visual menu;

instruction codes for initiating the audio menu by an interactive voice response unit using an audio control module;

instruction codes for executing the instruction to receive the visual menu;

instruction codes for providing the visual menu to the user;

instruction codes for synchronizing the visual menu and the audio menu using time stamp and dual-tone multi-frequency input from the accessible interactive device; and

instruction codes for concurrently synchronizing the visual menu with the audio menu as the user selects a menu option presented by at least one of the visual menu or the audio menu;

instruction codes for transmitting a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a web browser that displays the visual menu to the accessible interactive device through an instant messaging service; and

instruction codes for ending the visual menu during the time the user is connected to another user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the instruction codes map the virtual location of the user by mapping any one or more of a user'"'"'s instant messaging address or an SIP address.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising a mapping data store for storing the virtual location and the user identifications.

18. A system for integrating a visual menu with an audio menu, comprising:

an identification registration module for creating and storing a mapping of a user identification with a virtual location of the user;

a session initialization module for correlating the user with an accessible interactive device, including mapping the user identification of a user with the virtual location of the user;

the session initialization module mapping the virtual location of the user to multiple identifications of the user;

the session initialization module transmitting a session initialization message to the virtual location of the user upon receipt of a telephone call by the user, wherein the session initialization message comprises an instruction message including an embedded hyperlink directing the user to an interactive browser including the visual menu, by displaying the visual menu within an instant messaging window;

an interactive voice response unit using an audio control module for initiating the audio menu;

a menu display for executing the instruction to receive the visual menu;

a visual control module for providing the visual menu to the user;

an audio-visual synchronization module for concurrently synchronizing the visual menu with the audio menu as the user selects a menu option presented by at least one of the visual menu or the audio menu wherein the visual menu and the audio menu are synchronized using time stamp and dual-tone multi-frequency input from the telephone.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the session initialization module maps the virtual location of the user by mapping any one or more of a user'"'"'s instant messaging address or an SIP address.

20. A service for integrating a visual menu with an audio menu during an interactive session, comprising:

receiving a telephone call from a user;

automatically correlating the user with an accessible interactive device, including mapping a user identification of the user with a virtual location of the user, to correlate the user with an accessible interactive device wherein the user identification comprises a combination of a phone number, an employee identification, and a customer identification;

mapping the virtual location of the user to multiple identifications of the user;

initiating the audio menu by an interactive voice response unit using an audio control module;

automatically transmitting an instant text message to the virtual location of the user upon receiving the telephone call, wherein the instant text message comprises an instruction for initiating an instant messaging client that is interactive through the visual menu;

transmitting a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of a web browser that displays the visual menu to the accessible interactive device through an instant messaging service;

automatically executing the instruction to receive the visual menu;

providing the visual menu to the user; and

updating the visual menu with the audio menu as the user selects a menu option presented by at least one of the visual menu or the audio menu wherein the visual menu and the audio menu are synchronized using time stamp and dual-tone multi-frequency input from the telephone.