VoiceXML and rule engine based switchboard for interactive voice response (IVR) services

• US 8,090,086 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Hisao M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sing, Simon
• Application Number:
  US12/242,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.17, 379/88.18
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• 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 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/64 Distributing or queueing

Abstract

Call routing systems and methods are provided. A particular routing method comprises decoding a message based on an incoming call to determine whether a live agent is required. When a live agent is not required, a destination interactive voice response (IVR) application is identified, a determination of whether the destination IVR application is VoiceXML capable is made, and the incoming call is sent to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is VoiceXML capable. When the destination IVR application is not VoiceXML capable, a determination of whether the destination IVR application is capable of supporting an external data interface is made, and incoming call session data is routed to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is capable of supporting the external data interface. An audio file including one or more dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) commands based on the incoming call session data is constructed and sent to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is not VoiceXML capable and is not capable of supporting an external data interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

decoding a message based on an incoming call to determine whether a live agent is required;

identifying a destination interactive voice response (IVR) application when a live agent is not required;

determining whether the destination IVR application is VoiceXML capable and sending the incoming call to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is VoiceXML capable;

determining whether the destination IVR application is capable of supporting an external data interface when the destination IVR application is not VoiceXML capable and routing incoming call session data to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is capable of supporting the external data interface; and

constructing an audio file including one or more dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) commands based on the incoming call session data and sending the audio file to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is not VoiceXML capable and is not capable of supporting an external data interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a contact history of the caller via a customer relationship management (CRM) system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a personalized message for the caller based on a queue associated with access to the live agent.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising routing the incoming call to the live agent using a whisper transfer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a dialed number identification service identifier (DNIS) associated with an incoming call is defined; and

when the DNIS is not defined, playing a pre-defined announcement or refraining from answering the incoming call.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an availability of at least one live agent via a computer telephony interface and transmitting call context data to a display associated with a selected live agent via a customer relationship management (CRM) system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising playing a chained message from one of voice recordings of the caller or a number of concatenated audio messages associated with a message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving business rules and logic via an application server having access to a business logic database, wherein the application server is coupled to a data module, is coupled to an IVR dialog module, and is coupled to a routing engine module.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the business logic database includes call treatment rules based upon at least one of a customer type, time of day, type of service, type of call, size of customer, and personalized caller information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising routing calls using a routing priority based upon call treatment rules.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising temporarily holding calls to be routed via a personalized call queue.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a routing engine module configured to;

receive and to decode a message based on an incoming call, and to determine from the decoded message when a live agent is required, and in response to the determination, to route the incoming call to a computer telephony interface when the live agent is required;

identify a destination interactive voice response (IVR) application when a live agent is not required;

determine whether the destination IVR application is VoiceXML capable and send the incoming call to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is VoiceXML capable;

determine whether the destination IVR application is capable of supporting an external data interface when the destination IVR application is not VoiceXML capable and route incoming call session data to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is capable of supporting the external data interface; and

construct an audio file including one or more dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) commands based on the incoming call session data and send the audio file to the destination IVR application when the destination IVR application is not VoiceXML capable and is not capable of supporting an external data interface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a customer relationship management (CRM) system coupled to the routing engine module to access a contact history of the caller.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the CRM system is configured to determine a personalized message for the caller based on a queue associated with access to the live agent.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the CRM system is configured to route the incoming call to the live agent using a whisper transfer.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the CRM system is coupled to a distributed computer network interface responsive to a computer network to communicate electronic mail messages in response to the routing engine module.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a customer relationship management (CRM) system configured to detect an availability of at least one live agent via the computer telephony interface and configured to transmit call context data to a display associated with a selected live agent.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the CRM system is configured to play a chained message from one of voice recordings of the caller or a number of concatenated audio messages associated with the message.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an application server coupled to a data module, coupled to an IVR dialog module, and coupled to the routing engine module, the application server having access to a business logic database to retrieve business rules and logic.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the business logic database includes call treatment rules based upon at least one of a customer type, time of day, type of service, type of call, size of customer, and personalized caller information.