Contact manipulaton and retrieval system

• US 7,929,670 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Saleh, Nayel, Wesen, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee; Md S
• Application Number:
  US10/673,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,759 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.14, 379/67.1, 379/88.13, 379 8801- 8804, 37926501-2661, 704/247, 455/466, 455/556.1
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

The method and apparatus is for contact manipulation and retrieval in a communication system. The method has the steps of: receiving a message having contact information; converting the contact information to contact data having a predetermined searchable format; storing the contact data; and searching the stored contact data. The contact data may be searched for at least one item of information. The apparatus implements the method.

Claims

1. A method of contact manipulation and retrieval in an automatic call distribution system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a voice contact including a voice message;

converting the voice message to voice message data in digitized, packetized form and then converting the packetized voice message data to text form using speech recognition thereby forming voice message text data;

storing the voice message text data in a data repository of voice message text data of past voice contacts for use in post-processing research;

receiving a non-numeric key word search term from a searcher conducting a post-contact search subsequent to the voice contact for post-processing searching of the voice message text data; and

searching the voice message text data in the data repository of past voice contacts at a time after the voice contact based upon the search term;

wherein the voice message text data in the data repository of past voice contact text data is key word searched for at least one voice item of voice message text data using the received search term.

2. The method according claim 1, wherein the message is a voice message with non-numeric content, and wherein the voice message is packetized to thereby convert contact information in the voice message to contact data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message is a voice message with non-numeric content, and wherein the voice message is converted to text as the contact data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the message is a non-numeric voice message, and wherein the voice message is packetized, and wherein the packetized and voice message is converted to text as the contact data.

5. The method according to claim 1, where in the system has at least one agent, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing at least one plug-in that implements conversion and storing of contact data in the automatic call distribution system;

assigning the at least one plug-in to the agent; and

activating the at least one plug-in for the agent when a message having contact information is received at the automatic call distribution system.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the automatic call distribution system has a plurality of agents and a plurality of plug-ins, and wherein the method further comprises determining for a respective agent of the plurality of agents the at least one plug-in, which is assigned to the respective agent.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises activating the plug-in for the agent when the agent logs onto the automatic call distribution system.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the messages are converted to text by a name recognition unit, stored in a central repository for use in post-processing research, and evaluation.

9. A method of contact manipulation and retrieval in a communication system, comprising the steps of;

providing a plurality of agents and a plurality of format conversion plug-ins;

assigning at least one respective conversion plug-in to a respective agent of the plurality of agents;

receiving a contact message having a voice message by the respective agent;

converting the voice message to voice message data in digitized, packetized form and then converting the packetized voice message data to text form using speech recognition thereby forming voice message text data;

storing the voice message text data in a data repository of voice message text data of past voice contacts for use in post-processing research;

receiving a key word search term from a searcher subsequent to the voice contact for post-processing research of the voice message text data;

searching the data repository of past voice message text data subsequent to the voice contact based upon the search term; and

wherein the data repository of past voice contact text data is searched for at least one item of voice message text data using the received search term.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the message is a voice message with non-numeric content, and wherein the voice message is packetized to thereby convert contact information in the voice message to contact data.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the message is a voice message, and wherein the voice message is converted to text as the contact data.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the message is a voice message, and wherein the voice message is packetized, and wherein the packetized voice message is converted to text as the contact data.

13. An apparatus for contact manipulation and retrieval in a communication system, comprising:

means for receiving a voice contact having a voice message;

means for converting the voice message to contact data in digitized, packetized form and then to text form using speech recognition thereby forming voice message text contact data;

means for storing the voice message text data in a data repository of voice message text data from past voice contacts for use in post-processing research;

a non-numeric search term received from a searcher subsequent to the voice contact for post-processing research; and

means for searching the data repository of past voice message text data subsequent to the voice contact based upon the search term; and

wherein the data repository is searched for at least one item of voice message text data using the received search term.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the message is a voice message, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for packetizing the voice message to thereby convert contact information in the voice message to contact data.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the message is a voice message, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for converting the voice message to text as the contact data.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the message is a voice message, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for packetizing the voice message, and means for converting the packetized voice message to text as the contact data.

17. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the system has at least one agent, and wherein the apparatus further has:

means for providing at least one plug-in that implements conversion and storing of contact data in the communication system;

means for assigning the at least one plug-in to the agent; and

means for activating the at least one plug-in for the agent when a message having contact information is received at the communication system.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the communication system has a plurality of agents and a plurality of plug-ins, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for determining for a respective agent of the plurality of agents the least one plug-in, which is assigned to the respective agent.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the apparatus further comprises means for activating the plug-in for the agent when the agent logs onto the communication system.

20. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the communication system is an automatic call distribution system.