Voice recognition for servicing calls by a call center agent

• US 7,889,859 B1
• Filed: 03/29/2004
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Batai, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar; Ahmad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Khai N
• Application Number:
  US10/812,265
• Time in Patent Office: 2,514 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/265, 379/265.02, 379/265.03, 379/265.07, 379/266.1
• US Class Current: 379/266.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/552 Call annotations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6018 Subscriber or terminal logon/logoff
• 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 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

A system for call processing is disclosed that includes voice recognition enabled activity code support. The system operates routes a received call to an agent, based on dialed number, other caller provided information, and/or load balancing across agents. The call is then handled by the agent as appropriate. After the call is ended, the system allows the agent to describe the call using voice commands or phrases that result in one or more associated activity codes being electronically recorded in association with the call. The stored activity codes can then be used as the basis for various types of high level functions, such as report generation, customer billing, etc. Voice commands are also recognized relating to agent status. Such agent status commands may, for example, include commands indicating changes in agent status, such as when an agent logs off the system, or when the agent becomes temporarily unavailable to take calls.

Claims

1. A method, embodied in at least one computer system, for processing a received call, comprising:

routing, by said at least computer system, the received call to an agent;

detecting a change of mode event prior to termination of said received call, wherein said change of mode event comprises detecting a signal generated responsive to detecting an action taken by said agent;

responsive to said detecting said change of mode event, entering a muted command mode during which a caller of said call is prevented from hearing said agent speaking;

receiving, during said muted command mode and prior to termination of said received call, at least one call description voice command from said agent;

storing at least one activity code associated with said at least one call description voice command in a data record associated with said received call in a database of call records associated with received calls, wherein said at least one activity code describes said received call, and wherein said activity code is associated with one of a plurality of time periods occurring during said received call, wherein said activity code is one of a plurality of activity codes stored during said received call, each of said plurality of activity codes associated with a respective one of said plurality of time periods occurring during said received call; and

generating a report including statistics indicating percentages of call time being used for specific activities responsive to said associations between said activity codes and said time periods occurring during said received call.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said change of mode event comprises detecting a voice command spoken by said agent prior to termination of said received call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said change of mode event comprises detection of a signal from a manual interface mechanism on a telephone headset associated with said agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said activity code indicates that a sale occurred during said call.

5. The method if claim 1, wherein said activity code indicates an identity of said caller of said call.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an agent status voice command from said agent; and

changing an internal status of said agent responsive to said agent status voice command, wherein said internal status determines at least in part the availability of said agent to receive calls.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said agent status voice command indicates that said agent is logging off the system, and further comprising logging said agent off the system in response to said agent status voice command.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said agent status voice command indicates that said agent is temporarily unavailable to receive calls, and further comprising making said agent temporarily unavailable to receive calls in response to said agent status command.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said agent status voice command indicates that said agent is available to receive calls, and further comprising making said agent available to receive calls in response to said agent status command.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating at least one report describing a plurality of received calls, wherein said report is based at least in part on said data record associated with said received call, and wherein said report reflects said activity code.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a bill charging for said received call by time period responsive to said associations between said activity codes and said time periods occurring during said received call.

11. A computer system for processing a received call, comprising:

a call receiving logic module for routing the received call to an agent; and

a voice recognition logic module for

detecting a change of mode event prior to termination of said received call, wherein said change of mode event comprises detecting a signal generated responsive to detecting an action taken by said agent,

responsive to said change of mode event being detected, enteric a muted command mode during which a caller of said call is prevented from hearing said agent speaking,

receiving, during said muted command mode and prior to termination of said received call, at least one call description voice command from said agent,

storing at least one activity code associated with said at least one call description voice command in a data record associated with said received call in a database of call records associated with received calls, wherein said at least one activity code describes said received call, and wherein said activity code is associated with one of a plurality of time periods occurring during said received call, wherein said activity code is one of a plurality of activity codes stored during said received call, each of said plurality of activity codes associated with a respective one of said plurality of time periods occurring during said received call; and

generating a report including statistics indicating percentages of call time being used for specific activities responsive to said associations between said activity codes and said time periods occurring during said received call.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said change of mode event comprises detecting a voice command spoken by said agent prior to termination of said received call.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said change of mode event comprises detection of a signal from a manual interface mechanism on a telephone headset associated with said agent.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said activity code indicates that a sale occurred during said call.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said activity code indicates an identity of said caller of said call.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said voice recognition logic is further for:

receiving an agent status voice command from said agent; and

changing an internal status of said agent responsive to said agent status voice command, wherein said internal status determines at least in part the availability of said agent to receive calls.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said agent status voice command indicates that said agent is logging off the system, and wherein said voice recognition logic is further operable to log said agent off in response to said agent status voice command.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said agent status voice command indicates that said agent is temporarily unavailable to receive calls, and wherein said voice recognition logic is further operable to make said agent temporarily unavailable to receive calls in response to said agent status voice command.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein said agent status voice command indicates that said agent is available to receive calls, and wherein said voice recognition logic is further operable to make said agent available to receive calls in response to said agent status voice command.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising report logic operable to generate at least one report describing a plurality of received calls, wherein said report is based at least in part on said data record associated with said received call, and wherein said report reflects said activity code.

23. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

reporting logic for generating a bill charging for said received call by time period responsive to said associations between said activity codes and said time periods occurring during said received call.

21. A system for processing a received call, comprising:

means for routing the received call to an agent;

means for detecting a change of mode event prior to termination of said received call, wherein said change of mode event comprises detecting a signal generated responsive to detecting an action taken by said agent;

means, responsive to said detecting said change of mode event, for entering a muted command mode during which a caller of said call is prevented from hearing said agent speaking;

means for receiving, during said muted command mode and prior to termination of said received call, at least one call description voice command from said agent;

means for storing at least one activity code associated with said at least one call description voice command in a data record associated with said received call in a database of call records associated with received calls, wherein said at least one activity code describes said received call, and wherein said activity code is associated with one of a plurality of time periods occurring during said received call, wherein said activity code is one of a plurality of activity codes stored during said received call, each of said plurality of activity codes associated with a respective one of said plurality of time periods occurring during said received call; and

means for generating a report including statistics indicating percentages of call time being used for specific activities responsive to said associations between said activity codes and said time periods occurring during said received call.