Methods, systems, and products for processing responses in prompting systems

• US 7,961,856 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sing; Simon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohammed; Assad
• Application Number:
  US11/378,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8825, 379/52, 379/114.13, 37910013-10015, 379/265.09, 709206-207
• US Class Current: 379/100.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for processing responses in a prompting system. A response is received to a prompt and compared to a set of conditions for interpreting the response. If the response is not interpretable, then an alternative presentation of the prompt is obtained. A supplemental prompt is sent that presents the alternative presentation of the prompt.

Claims

1. A method for processing responses in a prompting system, comprising:

receiving a response from a communications address to a prompt;

comparing the response to a set of conditions for interpreting the response;

accessing a database of profiles when the response is uninterpretable;

retrieving a profile associated with the communications address;

accessing a table stored in memory that associates alternative presentations to alternative communications addresses;

retrieving an alternative communications address from the table that is associated with an alternative presentation;

reformatting the prompt into the alternative presentation retrieved from the table; and

sending a supplemental prompt to the alternative communications address that presents the alternative presentation of the prompt.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the response comprises receiving a spoken response, and wherein sending the supplemental prompt comprises sending at least one of a visual prompt and a textual prompt.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the response comprises receiving a tonal response, and wherein sending the supplemental prompt comprises sending at least one of a visual prompt and a textual prompt.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a text message as the supplemental prompt.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising accessing Composite Capabilities/Preference Profiles (CC/PP) information associated with the alternative communications address.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising forming the supplemental response into the alternative presentation according to the Capabilities/Preference Profiles (CC/PP) information.

7. A system, comprising:

a processor executing code stored in memory that causes the processor to;

receive a spoken response from a communications address to a prompt;

compare the spoken response to a set of conditions for interpreting the spoken response;

access a database of profiles when the spoken response is uninterpretable;

retrieve a profile associated with the communications address;

access a table that associates alternative presentations to alternative communications addresses;

retrieve an alternative communications address from the table that is associated with an alternative textual presentation;

reformat the prompt into a text message according to the alternative textual presentation; and

send the text message to the alternative communications address as a supplemental prompt.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the code further causes the processor to receive a response to the text message.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the code further causes the processor to sequentially send supplemental prompts to each alternative communications address in the table.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the code further causes the processor to randomly send supplemental prompts to the alternative communications addresses in the table.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the code further causes the processor to retrieve Composite Capabilities/Preference Profiles (CC/PP) information from the profile.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the code further causes the processor to form the supplemental response into the alternative presentation according to the Capabilities/Preference Profiles (CC/PP) information.

13. A computer readable medium storing computer code for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving a response from a communications address to a prompt;

comparing the response to a set of conditions for interpreting the response;

accessing a database of profiles when the response is uninterpretable;

retrieving a profile associated with the communications address;

accessing a table that associates alternative presentations to alternative communications addresses;

selecting a prioritized alternative presentation from the table;

retrieving an alternative communications address from the table that is associated with the prioritized alternative presentation;

reformatting the prompt into the prioritized alternative presentation; and

sending a supplemental prompt to the alternative communications address that presents the prioritized alternative presentation of the prompt.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising computer code for receiving a spoken response, and further comprising computer code for sending the supplemental prompt comprising at least one of a visual prompt and a textual prompt.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising computer code for receiving a tonal response, and further comprising computer code for sending the supplemental prompt comprising at least one of a visual prompt and a textual prompt.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising computer code for receiving a spoken response and for sending a text message as the supplemental prompt.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, further comprising computer code for i) retrieving Composite Capabilities/Preference Profiles (CC/PP) information from the profile and for ii) forming the supplemental response into the alternative presentation according to the Capabilities/Preference Profiles (CC/PP) information.