Intuitive profiling engine for voice-based telephony applications

• US 8,385,515 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ignite Media Solutions LLC (Ignite-Tek LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ignite Media Solutions LLC (Ignite-Tek LLC)
• Inventors: Winslow, Doug, Hult, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US11/605,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20080075238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 370259-271, 370351-356, 3791141-11413, 379 671- 8828, 379 9101- 9313, 379/101.01, 379/201.01, 37926501-2661, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/445, 455/461, 455/462, 4555501-560, 4554121-420, 709201-207, 709217-248, 348 1401- 1416, 704270-278
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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 and systems for providing a telephone user with one or more of a plurality of possible voice scripts are disclosed. The voice scripts may be comprised of one or more individual voice modules which are dynamically selected for presentation to the user based on information known about the user. The information known about the user may include the user'"'"'s identity, information obtained from the user on one or more previous calls, and/or demographic information obtained from third party sources. The user'"'"'s identity may include the user'"'"'s ANI, gender, and/or other identity data. The user'"'"'s gender may be determined by analyzing the tonality of the user'"'"'s voice.

Claims

1. A method of providing a telephone user with a predetermined voice script comprising the steps of:

providing a telephonic connection between a telephone user and a telephonic service application;

determining a user identity;

determining previous call data related to the user;

determining third party demographic data related to the user; and

dynamically selecting a first one of a plurality of possible voice scripts for the user based on user identity, previous call data, and demographic data;

providing the user with a prompt for information based on the selection of the first one of a plurality of possible voice scripts; and

dynamically selecting a second one of the plurality of possible voice scripts for the user based on user identity, previous call data, demographic data, and a user response to the prompt for information before completion of the first one of the plurality of possible voice scripts,

wherein each of the plurality of possible voice scripts comprises one or more voice modules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identity comprises an ANI.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of possible voice scripts comprises two or more voice modules.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more voice modules includes one or more voice prompts which request information from the user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identity comprises the user'"'"'s name.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining a user identity includes the steps of:

determining an expected user identity;

communicating the expected user identity from the telephonic service application to the user; and

receiving an indication of the correctness of the expected user identity at the telephonic service application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the expected user identity is determined from a third party source.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user identity comprises the likely gender of the user based on voice tone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the previous call data includes data selected from the group consisting of:

purchase data, address data, name data, credit card data, debit card data, product interest data, uncompleted purchase data, call time data, call duration data, service interest data, and product specification data.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a response from the user to the one of the plurality of possible voice scripts; and

storing the response as previous call data.

11. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a response from the user to a voice prompt; and

storing the response as previous call data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the demographic data includes data selected from the group consisting of:

third party purchase data, third party product interest data, third party service interest data, home value data, income data, family size data, gender data, age data, marital status data, and credit history data.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the demographic data includes data selected from the group consisting of:

third party purchase data, third party product interest data, third party service interest data, home value data, income data, family size data, gender data, age data, marital status data, credit history data.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the demographic data comprises age data, gender data, and marital status data.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the demographic data further includes income data.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the user response is vocal.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the user response is by touch tone dial.

18. A method of providing a telephone user with one of a plurality of possible voice scripts comprised of one or more voice modules, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of voice modules in a computer memory, each of said voice modules being associated with one or more of said plurality of possible voice scripts;

providing a telephonic connection between a telephone user and a telephonic service application;

determining a user identity;

determining previous call data collected by said service application related to the user;

determining third party demographic data related to the user;

dynamically selecting a first one of said plurality of possible voice scripts for presentation to the user based on the determined previous call data and demographic data;

providing the user with a first voice module prompt for a user response, wherein selection of the first voice module prompt is based on the association of a first voice module with the selected first one of said plurality of possible voice scripts;

receiving a response to the first voice module prompt;

dynamically selecting a second one of said plurality of possible voice scripts for presentation to the user based on the response to the first voice module prompt, determined previous call data and demographic data; and

providing the user with a second voice module prompt for a user response before completion of the selected first one of said plurality of possible voice scripts, wherein selection of the second voice module prompt is based on the association of a second voice module with the selected second one of said plurality of possible voice scripts.

19. A method of providing a telephone user with one of a plurality of possible voice scripts comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of voice modules in a computer memory, each of said voice modules being associated with one or more of said plurality of possible voice scripts;

providing a telephonic connection between a telephone user and a telephonic service application;

establishing a user identity;

storing call data collected by said service application from the user;

terminating the telephonic connection between the telephone user and the telephonic service application;

providing a subsequent telephonic connection between the telephone user and the telephonic service application;

determining the user identity;

determining third party demographic data related to the user;

dynamically selecting one of said plurality of possible voice scripts for the user based on the stored call data and the demographic data for the user;

determining which voice modules and voice prompts are associated with the selected one of said plurality of possible voice scripts; and

providing the user with less than all of the voice modules and voice prompts determined to be associated with the selected one of said plurality of possible voice scripts;

receiving a response to a voice prompt from the user;

dynamically selecting a second one of said plurality of possible voice scripts for the user based on the response to the voice prompt received from the user, the stored call data, and the demographic data for the user;

determining which voice modules and voice prompts are associated with the selected second one of said plurality of possible voice scripts; and

providing the user with voice modules and voice prompts associated with selected second one of said plurality of possible voice scripts before completion of the selected one of said plurality of possible voice scripts.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

determining the likely gender of the user by voice tone, and

wherein the step of providing the user with one of a plurality of possible voice scripts is further based on the likely gender of the user.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of storing the demographic data related to the user.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein at least one of the voice modules comprising the script includes an offer of an incentive for a purchase.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein at least one of the voice modules comprising the script includes an offer of a discount for a purchase.