System and method for monitoring an automated voice response system

• US 8,462,935 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• 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, Sutherland, Alastair, Tolhurst, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/371,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20120140906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.02, 379/88.01, 379/88.1, 379/88.11, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/220.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.09, 379/266.07, 455/415, 455/456.1, 704/231, 705/64, 709/232, 719/328, 370/352, 703/6, 715/762
• US Class Current: 379/265.09
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• 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 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A system and method for monitoring an automated voice response (AVR) system is provided. An audio communication from a caller is processed by executing an AVR script with a plurality of instructions. A visual representation of the audio communication is presented to an agent substantially simultaneously with the audio communication based on the AVR script. The visual representation includes at least one field to be populated with information obtained from the caller and the information populated in the field can be updated by the agent.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating an interaction between a caller and an automated voice response (AVR) system, comprising:

a script engine to simultaneously process audio communications from a plurality of callers each assigned to a common live agent by executing AVR scripts, each script comprising a plurality of instructions, and caller responses to the instructions; and

a session manager to display on a single display a visual representation of the audio communication with each caller, to select one of the audio communications as an active audio communication, and to present for the active audio communication, the displayed visual representation substantially simultaneously with the corresponding audio communication to the live agent based on the AVR script.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions are mapped to the visual representation.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein a field in the visual representation is populated with an utterance of the caller.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the utterance of the caller is transcribed to populate the field in the visual representation.

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

a call center service window to allow at least one of the agent to review the field in the visual representation populated with an utterance of the caller and the agent to update the field in the visual representation populated with an utterance of the caller.

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

a call center service window to allow at least one of the agent to alter a flow of the AVR script and the agent to intervene in the audio communication.

7. A method for facilitating an interaction between a caller and an automated voice response (AVR) system, comprising, comprising the steps of:

simultaneously processing audio communications from a plurality of callers each assigned to a common live agent by executing AVR scripts, each script comprising a plurality of instructions, and caller responses to the instructions; and

displaying on a single display a visual representation of the audio communication with each caller, to select one of the audio communications as an active audio communication; and

to present for the active audio communication, the displayed visual representation substantially simultaneously with the corresponding audio communication to the live agent based on the AVR script,

wherein the steps are performed by a suitably-programmed computer.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

mapping the plurality of instructions to the visual representation.

9. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

populating a field in the visual representation with an utterance of the caller.

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

transcribing the utterance of the caller to populate the field in the visual representation.

11. A method according to claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

allowing the agent to review the field in the visual representation populated with an utterance of the caller; and

allowing the agent to update the field in the visual representation populated with an utterance of the caller.

12. A method according to claim 7, further comprising at least one of:

allowing the agent to alter a flow of the AVR script; and

allowing the agent to intervene in the audio communication.

13. A system for real time automated voice response (AVR) system monitoring, comprising:

a script engine to simultaneously process calls through execution of interactive AVR scripts, each assigned to a common live agent;

a session manager to display a visualization of each call based on the interactive AVR script, to select one of the calls as an active call, and to present for the active call, the visualization based on the interactive AVR script substantially simultaneously with utterances of the caller to the live agent; and

a call center service window to allow the agent to intervene in the calls.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the visualization of the call is populated with one such utterance of the caller.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein agent control over the execution of the interactive AVR script is enabled.

16. A system according to claim 13, wherein the session manager provides visualizations of a plurality of calls to the agent, wherein each of the calls originates through execution of separate interactive AVR scripts.

17. A system according to claim 13, wherein the AVR script comprises a set of executable instructions for specified and interactive question-and-response dialogs.

18. A method for real time automated voice response (AVR) system monitoring, comprising the steps of:

simultaneously processing calls through execution of an interactive AVR scripts, each assigned to a common live agent;

displaying a visualization of each call based on the interactive AVR script;

selecting one of the calls as an active call and presenting for the active call, the visualization based on the interactive AVR script substantially simultaneously with utterances of the caller to the live agent; and

allowing the agent to intervene in the calls,

wherein the steps are performed by a suitably-programmed computer.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

populating the visualization of the call with one such utterance of the caller.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

enabling agent control over the execution of the interactive AVR script.

21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

providing visualizations of a plurality of calls to the agent, wherein each of the calls originates through execution of separate interactive AVR scripts.

22. A method according to claim 18, wherein the AVR script comprises a set of executable instructions for specified and interactive question-and-response dialogs.