Interactive voice response to short message service text messenger

• US 8,229,091 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Romeo, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/420,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20090196405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 379/88.14, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/211.01, 379/265.07, 379/266.07, 379/93.23, 379/209.01, 455/466, 709/207, 342/457, 342/465, 463/17
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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: H04Q 2213/1305 Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13378 Speech recognition, speech analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A method is disclosed that includes receiving a selection of an interactive voice response (IVR) option. The method also includes receiving, at an IVR system, a first spoken message. The first spoken message is translated, at a translator, into a short message service (SMS) text message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a selection of an interactive voice response option, wherein the selection of the interactive voice response option is received from a first telecommunications terminal;

receiving, at an interactive voice response system, a first spoken message after receiving the selection of the interactive voice response option; and

transmitting a confirmation message associated with a short message service text message, wherein the first spoken message is translated into the short message service text message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating a prompt to the first telecommunications terminal prior to receiving the first spoken message at the interactive voice response system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the short message service text message to a second telecommunications terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the short message service text message is sent to the second telecommunications terminal at a predetermined time after translation of the first spoken message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation message is transmitted from the interactive voice response system to the first telecommunications terminal, and wherein the confirmation message is transmitted in response to the first spoken message being translated into the short message service text message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the confirmation message includes an audio version of the short message service text message.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting the short message service text message to a second telecommunications terminal conditioned on receiving a first user confirmation from the first telecommunications terminal associated with the audio version of the short message service text message.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the interactive voice response system, an indication that the audio version of the short message service text message is not to be transmitted;

receiving, at the interactive voice response system, a second spoken message; and

transmitting a second audio version of a second short message service text message from the interactive voice response system to the first telecommunications terminal, wherein the second short message service text message includes a translated version of the second spoken message.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting the second short message service text message to a second telecommunications terminal conditioned on receiving a second user confirmation indicating that the second audio version of the second short message service text message is to be transmitted to the second telecommunications terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a destination associated with a second telecommunications terminal; and

transmitting the short message service text message to the destination associated with the second telecommunications terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the destination includes at least one of a phone number, a name, and a nickname.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the interactive voice response option is received via a short message service gateway coupled to a wireless network, and wherein first spoken message is received at the interactive voice response system via the wireless network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the interactive voice response option is received at the interactive voice response system via a public switched telephone network, and wherein the first spoken message is received at the interactive voice response system via the public switched telephone network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the short message service text message is transmitted to a second telecommunications terminal via a wireless network, wherein the interactive voice response system is included in a server coupled to the wireless network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless network includes one of an internet protocol network and a global system for mobile communications network.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions, executable by a computer, to receive a selection of an interactive voice response option, wherein the selection of the interactive voice response option is received from a first telecommunications terminal;

instructions, executable by the computer, to receive a spoken message after receiving the selection of the interactive voice response option; and

instructions, executable by the computer, to transmit a confirmation message associated with a short message service text message, wherein the spoken message is translated into the short message service text message.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

instructions, executable by the computer, to transmit a menu display to the first telecommunications terminal, wherein the interactive voice response option is included in the menu display.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

instructions, executable by the computer, to transmit an audio menu to the first telecommunications terminal, wherein the interactive voice response option is included in the audio menu, and

wherein the selection of the interactive voice response option is detected using speech recognition.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising:

instructions, executable by the computer, to transmit an audio menu to the first telecommunications terminal, wherein the interactive voice response option is included in the audio menu,

wherein the interactive voice response option is selectable in response to a pressed terminal button at the first telecommunications terminal.

20. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a selection of an interactive voice response option, wherein the selection of the interactive voice response option is received from a first telecommunications terminal;

receive a spoken message, wherein an interactive voice response component is activated in response to receiving the selection of the interactive voice response option;

transmit a confirmation message associated with a short message service text message, wherein the spoken message translated into the short message service text message; and

transmit the short message service text message to a second telecommunications terminal via a wireless network.