Switching modes in an interactive voice response system

• US 8,340,257 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2008
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Paczkowski, Lyle Walter, Ganote, Kimberly J., Klesper, Stevan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US11/972,926
• Time in Patent Office: 1,810 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.18, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/93.17, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/76, 379/77, 379/80, 379/88.14, 379/88.25, 379/100.16
• US Class Current: 379/93.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/251 where a voice mode or a visual mode can be used interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• 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

A method for switching interactive modes in a menu system is disclosed. An audio interactive voice response session is established to provide audio menus to a communication device. A data session with said communication device is also established. The data session is used to instruct the communication device to display indicia that a second mode may be activated. The indicia may be an icon indicative of the second mode. A user selection of the indicia on the communication device sends a message to the IVR system indicating that the second mode is to be activated. The second mode may be a text mode wherein text menus are presented to the user instead of audio menus. The second mode may be a suspend mode whereby the IVR session is halted at its present menu choices and saved for later reactivation.

Claims

1. A method for switching interactive modes, comprising:

establishing an audio interactive voice response session to provide audio menus to a communication device, wherein each of the audio menus have at least one tag identifier associated therewith;

establishing a data session with said communication device;

sending a message via said data session to said communication device that instructs said communication device to display an indicia that a second mode may be activated;

receiving a message from said communication device that is responsive to a user selection that indicates that said second mode is to be activated;

activating said second mode to provide text menus corresponding to the audio menus, wherein ones of the text menus are associated with ones of the audio menus using the tag identifiers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said second mode suspends said audio interactive voice response session at a currently active menu.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing data to restore said audio interactive voice response session at said currently active menu; and

,

instructing said communication device to display a second indicia that indicates that said audio interactive voice response session may be reactivated at said currently active menu.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing said communication device to display an indicia that said first mode may be reactivated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second mode transfers said personal communications device to a second interactive session.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said second interactive session is a second interactive voice response session that provides audio menus to said communication device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said second interactive session is a second interactive session that provides text menus to said communication device.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said second indicia indicates information about said audio interactive voice response session.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said second indicia indicates information about said currently active menu.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing said communication device to display a second indicia that indicates that a currently displayed text menu may be refreshed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said second mode is a previously active menu.

12. A communication device, comprising:

an audio interface adapted to establish an audio interactive voice response (IVR) session with an IVR system to provide audio menus to said communication device, wherein each of the audio menus have at least one tag identifier associated therewith;

a data interface adapted to establish a data session with said IVR system;

wherein said communication device displays an indicia that a second mode may be activated;

and wherein, responsive to a user selection of said indicia, said communication device sends a first message to said IVR system; and

,

wherein, responsive to a second message from said IVR system, said communication device displays a second mode to provide text menus corresponding to the audio menus, wherein ones of the text menus are associated with ones of the audio menus using the tag identifiers.

14. The communication device of claim 12, wherein said communication device stores data to restore said audio interactive voice response session at said currently active menu;

and,

wherein said communication device displays a second indicia that indicates that said audio interactive voice response session may be reactivated at said currently active menu.

15. The communication device of claim 12, wherein said communication device displays indicia that said first mode may be reactivated.

16. The communication device of claim 12, wherein said second mode establishes a second interactive session.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein said second interactive session is a second interactive voice response session that provides audio menus to said communication device.

18. The communication device of claim 16, wherein said second interactive session is a second interactive session that provides text menus to said communication device.

19. The communication device of claim 14, wherein said second indicia indicates information about said audio interactive voice response session.

20. The communication device of claim 14, wherein said second indicia indicates information about said currently active menu.

21. The communication device of claim 12, wherein said communication device displays a second indicia that indicates that a currently displayed text menu may be refreshed.

22. The communication device of claim 12, wherein said second mode is a previously active menu.

13. The communication device 12, wherein said second mode suspends said audio interactive voice response session at a currently active menu.

23. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps to operate a menu system, the method comprising:

establishing an audio interactive voice response session to provide audio menus to a personal communication device, wherein each of the audio menus have at least one tag identifier associated therewith;

establishing a data session with said personal communication device;

sending a message via said data session to said personal communication device that instructs said personal communication device to display an indicia that a second mode may be activated;

receiving a message from said personal communication device that is responsive to a user selection that indicates that said second mode is to be activated;

activating said second mode to provide text menus corresponding to the audio menus, wherein ones of the text menus are associated with ones of the audio menus using the tag identifiers.

24. The program storage device of claim 23, wherein said second mode suspends said audio interactive voice response session at a currently active menu.

25. The program storage device of claim 24, the method further comprising:

storing data to restore said audio interactive voice response session at said currently active menu; and

,

instructing said personal communication device to display a second indicia that indicates that said audio interactive voice response session may be reactivated at said currently active menu.

26. The program storage device of claim 23, the method further comprising:

instructing said personal communication device to display an indicia that said first mode may be reactivated.

27. The program storage device of claim 23, wherein said second mode transfers said personal communications device to a second interactive session.