Methods, systems, and products for dynamically-changing IVR architectures

• US 8,396,195 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2010
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale, Anderson, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US12/829,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20100272246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.22, 379/88.05, 379/88.11, 379/88.12, 705/14, 704/270
• US Class Current: 379/88.22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• 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, systems, and products are disclosed for dynamically changing an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. Responses to a menu of prompts are monitored. A presentation order of the menu of prompts is automatically updated according to a set of rules. The set of rules describe qualifications for dynamically changing the menu of prompts.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically changing an interactive voice response system, comprising:

monitoring cumulative responses from callers to a hierarchical menu of prompts in the interactive voice response system;

retrieving thresholds associated with tiers in the hierarchical menu of prompts, each threshold representing a minimum number of responses to a prompt that is required for occupying one of the tiers within the hierarchical menu of prompts;

promoting the prompt from a lower tier to a higher tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when a cumulative number of responses to the prompt at least equals a threshold associated with the higher tier; and

dynamically rearranging the hierarchical menu of prompts.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising demoting the prompt from the higher tier to the lower tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when the cumulative number of responses to the prompt is less than the threshold associated with the higher tier.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising demoting the prompt from the higher tier to the lower tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when the cumulative number of responses to the prompt is less than the minimum number of responses that are required to occupy the higher tier.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving a rule describing how many prompts may be grouped within the one tier.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving a rule describing how many prompts may be grouped within a hierarchical level of the menu of prompts.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving a compression threshold representing the minimum number of responses that is required to occupy a position within the one tier.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising compressing prompts into a sub-tier within the hierarchical level of the menu of prompts.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising retrieving an intra-tier compression threshold that determines which prompts are compressed under a generic grouping within the menu of prompts.

9. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory

for storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

monitoring cumulative responses from callers to a hierarchical menu of prompts in an interactive voice response system;

retrieving thresholds associated with tiers in the hierarchical menu of prompts, each threshold representing a minimum number of responses to a prompt that is required for occupying one of the tiers within the hierarchical menu of prompts;

promoting the prompt from a lower tier to a higher tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when a cumulative number of responses to the prompt at least equals a threshold associated with the higher tier; and

dynamically rearranging the hierarchical menu of prompts.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise demoting the prompt from the higher tier to the lower tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when the cumulative number of responses to the prompt is less than the threshold associated with the higher tier.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise demoting the prompt from the higher tier to the lower tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when the cumulative number of responses to the prompt is less than a minimum number of responses that are required to occupy the higher tier.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a rule describing how many prompts may be grouped within the one tier.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a rule describing how many prompts may be grouped within a hierarchical level of the menu of prompts.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a compression threshold representing the minimum number of responses that is required to occupy a position within the one tier.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise compressing prompts into a sub-tier within the hierarchical level of the menu of prompts.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving an intra-tier compression threshold that determines which prompts are compressed under a generic grouping within the menu of prompts.

17. A computer readable memory storing code that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring cumulative responses from callers to a hierarchical menu of prompts in the interactive voice response system;

retrieving thresholds associated with tiers in the hierarchical menu of prompts, each threshold representing a minimum number of responses to a prompt that is required for occupying one of the tiers within the hierarchical menu of prompts;

promoting the prompt from a lower tier to a higher tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when a cumulative number of responses to the prompt at least equals a threshold associated with the higher tier; and

dynamically rearranging the hierarchical menu of prompts.

18. The computer readable memory according to claim 17, further comprising code for demoting the prompt from the higher tier to the lower tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when the cumulative number of responses to the prompt is less than the threshold associated with the higher tier.

19. The computer readable memory according to claim 17, further comprising code for demoting the prompt from the higher tier to the lower tier within the hierarchical menu of prompts when the cumulative number of responses to the prompt is less than a minimum number of responses that are required to occupy the higher tier.

20. The computer readable memory according to claim 17, further comprising code for retrieving a rule describing how many prompts may be grouped within the one tier.