Web integrated interactive voice response

• US 8,600,018 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Xiaofeng, Scott, David, Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/459,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20120213343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.18, 704/275, 709/227, 709/224, 235/462.01, 348/207.1, 382/128, 705/4, 705/27.1, 726/33
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/251 where a voice mode or a visual mode can be used interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• 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: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

Interactions with a user are coordinated upon receiving, at a networked interactive system, audible communication from a user and interacting with the user in the audible communication in accordance with an audible format menu. Whether to provide the user with a visual format menu that at least partially matches the audible format menu is determined during the audible communication. The user is provided with the visual format menu concurrent with the audible communication upon determining, based on the interaction with the user in the audible communication, to provide the user with the visual format menu. Interactions with the user are in accordance with the visual format menu.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating interactions with a user, the method comprising:

receiving, at a networked interactive system, an audible communication from a user and audibly interacting with the user in the audible communication in accordance with an audible format menu;

determining during the audible communication whether to provide the user with a visual format menu that at least partially matches the audible format menu; and

providing the user with the visual format menu concurrent with the audible communication upon determining, based on the interaction with the user in the audible communication, to provide the user with the visual format menu, and interacting with the user in accordance with the visual format menu.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the visual format menu is provided during a continuous communication session during which the networked interactive system interacts with the user in the audible communication.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user can receive the visual format menu before sending the visual format menu.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the visual format menu comprises a graphical user interface menu.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the visual format menu comprises a web page.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a communication address for the user, and determining based on the communication address where to provide the visual format menu.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the user to choose to interact via the visual format menu from the audible format menu.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

customizing information provided in the visual format menu according to information maintained in a profile database for the user.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein information provided in the visual format is responsive to a command provided by a user in the audible format.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking a session with the user involving the visual format concurrently with a session with the user involving the audible format.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving instructions specific to the user for handling the audible communication.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an address to send the visual format menu.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the address to send the visual format menu is an internet address preregistered by the user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending a uniform resource locator to the internet address preregistered by the user to invite the user to receive the visual format menu.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

soliciting the user to indicate whether to receive the visual format menu that at least partially matches the audible format menu.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

passing information of the user to a web server to initiate communications using the visual format menu when the user indicates to receive the visual format menu.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving information received by the web server from the user during interaction with the user in accordance with the visual format menu.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon comprising a program for coordinating interactions with a user, the program causing a computer of a networked interactive system to perform:

receiving, at the networked interactive system, an audible communication from a user and audibly interacting with the user in the audible communication in accordance with an audible format menu;

determining during the audible communication whether to provide the user with a visual format menu that at least partially matches the audible format menu; and

providing the user with the visual format menu concurrent with the audible communication upon determining, based on the interaction with the user in the audible communication, to provide the user with the visual format menu, and interacting with the user in accordance with the visual format menu.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, the program further causing the computer of the networked interactive system to perform:

sending an address of the user to a web server of the networked interactive system and instructing the web server to provide the user with the visual format menu and interact with the user.

20. A system for coordinating interactions with a user, comprising:

a web integrated interactive voice response system; and

a web server;

wherein the web integrated voice response system receives an audible communication from a user and audibly interacts with the user in the audible communication in accordance with an audible format menu;

wherein the web integrated voice response system determines during the audible communication whether to provide the user with a visual format menu that at least partially matches the audible format menu, and

wherein the web server provides the user with the visual format menu concurrent with the web integrated voice response system interacting with the user in the audible communication upon the web integrated voice response system determining, based on the interaction with the user in the audible communication, to provide the user with the visual format menu, and

wherein the web server interacts with the user in accordance with the visual format menu.