IVR system manager

• US 7,924,986 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Sadowski, Stephanie D., Benvegnu, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan; Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US11/342,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.18, 704/270
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

An IVR system designer receives design specification data (which may be either state definition data or IVR system document data) and stores it in a database. A design specification report can be generated based on the stored design specification data. The report may correspond to a chosen period of time or it may correspond to chosen version of the IVR system. It may provide one or more of the following: a summary of a state within the IVR system, a listing of the previous states that lead to the current state, prompts for the state, inputs for the state, a listing of decision outcomes, key performance indicator triggers for the state, global commands that are active in the state, business units for which the state is applicable, a sample dialogues listing, test scripts listing for testing the IVR system, a change history listing for the system, a design flow diagram for the system, or pseudo-code listing for a portion of the system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for maintaining Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system specification information for an IVR system, comprising:

receiving design specification data for the IVR system from a first computer user, where the design specification data is state definition data or IVR system documentation data;

storing the design specification data in a database;

receiving a change to the design specification data from a second computer user;

storing the change to the design specification data in the database; and

generating a design specification report from the stored design specification data,

wherein the design specification report lists a design change in the IVR system corresponding to the change in the design specification data.

2. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report corresponds to a period of time chosen by the second computer user.

3. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report corresponds to a period of time from a beginning system version chosen by the second computer user to an ending system version chosen by the second computer user.

4. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification data is received from a plurality of computer users.

5. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report comprises a state details report that summarizes at least one state for the IVR system.

6. The method from claim 5, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of previous states that lead to the at least one state.

7. The method from claim 5, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of prompts.

8. The method from claim 5, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of inputs.

9. The method from claim 5, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of decision outcomes.

10. The method from claim 5, wherein the state details report lists key performance indicator triggers for the state.

11. The method from claim 5, wherein the state details report indicates global commands that are active in the at least one state.

12. The method from claim 5, wherein the state details report indicates business units for which the at least one state is applicable.

13. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report comprises a sample dialogues listing for the IVR system.

14. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report comprises a test scripts listing for testing the IVR system.

15. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report comprises a change history listing for the IVR system.

16. The method from claim 15, wherein the change history listing corresponds to a period of time chosen by the second computer user.

17. The method from claim 15, wherein the change history listing corresponds to a period of time from a beginning system version chosen by the second computer user to an ending system version chosen by the second computer user.

18. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report comprises a global commands summary.

19. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report comprises a design flow diagram for the IVR system.

20. The method from claim 1, wherein the design specification report comprises a pseudo-code listing for a portion of the IVR system.

21. A system for maintaining Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system specification information for an IVR system, comprising:

a data receiver for receiving design specification data for the IVR system from a first computer user, where the design specification data is state definition data or IVR system documentation data;

a database for storing the design specification data;

a change receiver for receiving a change to the design specification data from a second computer user and storing the change to the design specification data in the database; and

a report generator for generating a design specification report from the stored design specification data, wherein the design specification report lists a design change in the IVR system corresponding to the change in the design specification data.

22. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report corresponds to a period of time chosen by the second computer user.

23. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report corresponds to a period of time from a beginning system version chosen by the second computer user to an ending system version chosen by the second computer user.

24. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification data is received from a plurality of computer users.

25. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report comprises a state details report that summarizes at least one state for the IVR system.

26. The system from claim 25, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of previous states that lead to the at least one state.

27. The system from claim 25, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of prompts.

28. The system from claim 25, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of inputs.

29. The system from claim 25, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of decision outcomes.

30. The system from claim 25, wherein the state details report lists key performance indicator triggers for the state.

31. The system from claim 25, wherein the state details report indicates global commands that are active in the at least one state.

32. The system from claim 25, wherein the state details report indicates business units for which the at least one state is applicable.

33. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report comprises a sample dialogues listing for the IVR system.

34. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report comprises a test scripts listing for testing the IVR system.

35. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report comprises a change history listing for the IVR system.

36. The system from claim 35, wherein the change history listing corresponds to a period of time chosen by the second computer user.

37. The system from claim 35, wherein the change history listing corresponds to a period of time from a beginning system version chosen by the second computer user to an ending system version chosen by the second computer user.

38. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report comprises a global commands summary.

39. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report comprises a design flow diagram for the IVR system.

40. The system from claim 21, wherein the design specification report comprises a pseudo-code listing for a portion of the IVR system.

41. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, for maintaining Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system specification information for an IVR system, and containing instructions that, when executed on a processor, perform a method comprising:

receiving design specification data for the IVR system from a first computer user, where the design specification data is state definition data or IVR system documentation data;

storing the design specification data in a database;

receiving a change to the design specification data from a second computer user;

storing the change to the design specification data in the database; and

generating a design specification report from the stored design specification data, wherein the design specification report lists a design change in the IVR system corresponding to the change in the design specification data.

42. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report corresponds to a period of time chosen by the second computer user.

43. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report corresponds to a period of time from a beginning system version chosen by the second computer user to an ending system version chosen by the second computer user.

44. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the state definition data is received from a plurality of computer users.

45. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report comprises a state details report that summarizes at least one state for the IVR system.

46. The computer program product from claim 45, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of previous states that lead to the at least one state.

47. The computer program product from claim 45, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of prompts.

48. The computer program product from claim 45, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of inputs.

49. The computer program product from claim 45, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of decision outcomes.

50. The computer program product from claim 45, wherein the state details report lists key performance indicator triggers for the state.

51. The computer program product from claim 45, wherein the state details report indicates global commands that are active in the at least one state.

52. The computer program product from claim 45, wherein the state details report indicates business units for which the at least one state is applicable.

53. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report comprises a sample dialogues listing for the IVR system.

54. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report comprises a test scripts listing for testing the IVR system.

55. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report comprises a change history listing for the IVR system.

56. The computer program product from claim 55, wherein the change history listing corresponds to a period of time chosen by the second computer user.

57. The computer program product from claim 55, wherein the change history listing corresponds to a period of time from a beginning system version chosen by the second computer user to an ending system version chosen by the second computer user.

58. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report comprises a global commands summary.

59. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report comprises a design flow diagram for the IVR system.

60. The computer program product from claim 41, wherein the design specification report comprises a pseudo-code listing for a portion of the IVR system.

61. A system for maintaining Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system specification information for an IVR system, comprising:

means for receiving design specification data for the IVR system from a first computer user, where the design specification data is state definition data or IVR system documentation data;

means for receiving a change to the design specification data from a second computer user;

means for storing the design specification data and the change to the design specification data; and

means for generating a design specification report from the stored design specification data, wherein the design specification report lists a design change in the IVR system corresponding to the change in the design specification data.

62. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report corresponds to a period of time chosen by the second computer user.

63. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report corresponds to a period of time from a beginning system version chosen by the second computer user to an ending system version chosen by the second computer user.

64. The system from claim 61, wherein the state definition data is received from a plurality of computer users.

65. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report comprises a state details report that summarizes at least one state for the IVR system.

66. The system from claim 65, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of previous states that lead to the at least one state.

67. The system from claim 65, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of prompts.

68. The system from claim 65, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of inputs.

69. The system from claim 65, wherein the state details report comprises a listing of decision outcomes.

70. The system from claim 65, wherein the state details report lists key performance indicator triggers for the state.

71. The system from claim 65, wherein the state details report indicates global commands that are active in the at least one state.

72. The system from claim 65, wherein the state details report indicates business units for which the at least one state is applicable.

73. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report comprises a sample dialogues listing for the IVR system.

74. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report comprises a test scripts listing for testing the IVR system.

75. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report comprises a change history listing for the IVR system.

76. The system from claim 75, wherein the change history listing corresponds to a period of time chosen by the second computer user.

77. The system from claim 75, wherein the change history listing corresponds to a period of time from a beginning system version chosen by the second computer user to an ending system version chosen by the second computer user.

78. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report comprises a global commands summary.

79. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report comprises a design flow diagram for the IVR system.

80. The system from claim 61, wherein the design specification report comprises a pseudo-code listing for a portion of the IVR system.