System and method for providing automated call center post-call processing

• US 8,170,197 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellisist, Inc. dba Spoken Communications (Avaya Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Intellisist, Inc. dba Spoken Communications (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Odinak, Gilad
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US11/083,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,602 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/265
• US Class Current: 379/266.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/303 Marking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/306 Prerecordings to be used during a voice call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• 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 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

A system and method for providing a message-based communications infrastructure for automated call center post-call processing is described. Verbal speech utterances in a stream of recorded user messages are identified. The recorded user messages are parsed from a call with a user into a call center. The stream of recorded user messages are stored into a database maintained by the call center. The call is processed through an agent. One or more of the user messages is presented to the agent. Commands on the user messages are executed responsive to the agent.

Claims

1. A system for providing automated call center post-call processing, comprising:

a call processor to automatically process a call through a call center by executing a customer support scenario controlled by an agent via one or more scripts;

a sliding control to vary a level of automation used in executing the customer support scenario by altering a course of at least one of the scripts;

a post-call processor to identify verbal speech utterances from a speaker in a stream of user messages recorded during the customer support scenario and parsed from the call;

a database to store the stream of user messages maintained by the call center; and

a command processor to process the user messages following completion of the call comprising identifying aspects of the call, wherein the aspects comprise at least one of a general flow of the call and one or more characteristics of the speaker, and to manipulate at least one of the verbal speech utterances, wherein the manipulation comprises at least one of ranking the at least one verbal speech utterance and editing the at least one verbal speech utterance.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transcript of the stream of user messages, wherein the transcript is stored into the database.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speech recognition engine to perform speech recognition on one or more of the verbal speech utterances.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the speaker are categorized by at least one of role, gender, and language.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the speaker are stored into the database.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the verbal speech utterances is marked.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the marking of the one or more verbal speech utterances is stored into the database.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the call comprises one of an incoming call into the call center, an outgoing call from the call center, and an on-going call with the call center.

9. A method for providing automated call center post-call processing, comprising:

automatically processing a call through a call center by executing a customer support scenario controlled by an agent via one or more scripts;

providing a sliding control to the agent and varying a level of automation used in executing the customer support scenario by altering a course of at least one of the scripts;

identifying verbal speech utterances from a speaker in a stream of user messages recorded during the customer support scenario and parsed from the call;

storing the stream of user messages into a database maintained by the call center; and

processing the user messages following completion of the call comprising identifying aspects of the call, wherein the aspects comprise at least one of a general flow of the call and one or more characteristics of the speaker, and manipulating at least one of the verbal speech utterances, wherein the manipulation comprises at least one of ranking the at least one verbal speech utterance and editing the at least one verbal speech utterance.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

generating a transcript of the stream of user messages; and

storing the transcript into the database.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

performing speech recognition on one or more of the verbal speech utterances.

12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

categorizing the one or more characteristics of the speaker by at least one of role, gender, and language.

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

storing the one or more characteristics of the speaker into the database.

14. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

marking one or more of the verbal speech utterances.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

storing the marking of the one or more verbal speech utterances into the database.

16. A method according to claim 9, wherein the call comprises one of an incoming call into the call center, an outgoing call from the call center, and an on-going call with the call center.

17. An apparatus for providing automated call center post-call processing, comprising:

means for automatically processing a call through a call center by executing a customer support scenario controlled by an agent via one or more scripts;

means for providing a sliding control to the agent and varying a level of automation used in executing the customer support scenario by altering a course of at least one of the scripts;

means for identifying verbal speech utterances from a speaker in a stream of user messages recorded during the customer support scenario and parsed from the call;

means for storing the stream of user messages into a database maintained by the call center; and

means for processing the user messages following completion of the call comprising means for identifying aspects of the call, wherein the aspects comprise at least one of a general flow of the call and one or more characteristics of the speaker, and means for manipulating at least one of the verbal speech utterances, wherein the manipulation comprises at least one of ranking the at least one verbal speech utterance and editing the at least one verbal speech utterance.