Methods of interacting between mobile devices and voice response systems

• US 8,744,414 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Roundtree, Brian, Russell, Jake A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DINH
• Application Number:
  US12/521,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20100087175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,339 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/415, 455/418, 455/423, 455/425, 455/407, 455/420, 455/456.6, 455/563, 455/566, 370259-271, 379/157, 379/158, 37920101-21802
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• 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 system and method of facilitating communications between a mobile device and an interactive voice response system is described. In some cases, the mobile device determines a called number is associated with an IVR system, and performs an action in response to the determination. For example, the mobile device may present visual information to a user related to audio information received from the IVR system. In some cases, the mobile device sends DTMF tones to the IVR system in response to or without user input.

Claims

1. A method of navigating a voice response system using a navigation script executing on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the mobile device, an indication of a user-initiated voice call to a destination number over a voice channel;

automatically determining, on the mobile device, that the destination number is associated with the voice response system by comparing the destination number with numbers contained in a database,

wherein the database is local to the mobile device, and

wherein the database contains information mapping multiple voice response systems to corresponding multiple voice response navigation scripts;

accessing, at the mobile device, one of the multiple voice response navigation scripts based on the information in the database and the destination number; and

executing the voice response navigation script on the mobile device,

wherein the navigation script was configured prior to being executed on the mobile device,

wherein the navigation script includes a pre-programmed sequence of one or more inputs to be automatically supplied to the voice response system in response to establishing a connection with the voice response system without requiring further user input in relation to the navigation script, and

wherein the pre-programmed sequence of one or more inputs represents one or more of;

user identification information and promotion code information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice response navigation script interacts with the voice response system using dual tone multiple frequency tones sent over the voice channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice response navigation script is configured to interact with the voice response system over a data channel.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying information to a user of the mobile device, wherein the displayed information relates to the interaction with the voice response system.

5. A method of navigating a voice recognition system using a mobile device, comprising:

determining, on the mobile device, that a destination number is associated with a voice recognition system by comparing the destination number with numbers contained in a database,

wherein the database is local to the mobile device and contains a mapping of voice recognition systems to voice recognition navigation applications;

initiating, on the mobile device, a voice call from the mobile device to the destination number associated with the voice recognition system over a voice communications channel;

receiving, at the mobile device, an indication of one of the voice recognition navigation applications configured to navigate the voice recognition system associated with the destination number; and

launching, on the mobile device, the indicated voice recognition navigation application to navigate the voice recognition system;

wherein the voice recognition navigation application is configured, prior to being launched, to automatically transmit, in response to establishing a connection with the voice response system and without requiring further user input in relation to the voice recognition navigation application, over the voice communications channel or a data communications channel a pre-determined sequence of one or more inputs to the voice response system,

wherein the pre-determined sequence of one or more inputs correspond to one of multiple options available on the voice recognition system and represents one or more of;

user identification information and promotional code information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein interacting with the voice response system over the voice communications channel includes transmitting dual tone multiple frequency tones to the voice response system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein interacting with the voice response system over the voice communications channel includes:

receiving dual tone multiple frequency tones from the voice response system; and

transmitting tones from the mobile device in response to the tones received from the voice response system.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein interacting with the voice response system over the data communications channel includes transmitting data related to data transmitted over the voice communications channel.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving input from a user of the mobile device related to the destination number; and

initiating the voice call in response to the received input.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the application is launched before the voice call is initiated.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the voice recognition navigation application is launched before the voice call is initiated and data related to the voice call is transmitted over the data communications channel to a workflow system associated with the voice response system before the voice recognition navigation application interacts with the voice response system over the voice communications channel.

12. A system in a mobile device for navigating an interactive voice response system, comprising:

a voice communications component, wherein the voice communications component is configured to—

initiate a voice call to a desired number;

determine that the desired number is a number associated with the interactive voice response system by comparing the desired number with numbers contained in a database,

wherein the database is local to the mobile device and contains a mapping of voice response systems to pre-determined sequences of audio signals corresponding to options available through the interactive voice response systems;

automatically transmit one or more the pre-determined sequences of audio signals over a voice channel from the mobile device to the interactive voice response system,

wherein the automatically transmitting is in response to establishing a connection with the interactive voice response system and does not require further user input, and

wherein the transmitted one or more sequences represent one or more of;

user identification information and promotional code information; and

receive audio information over the voice channel from the interactive voice response system; and

an action component, wherein the action component performs an action corresponding to an option from the set of options available through the interactive voice response system,

wherein the action is in response to the initiated voice call to the number associated with the interactive voice response system.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an identification component, wherein the identification component adds a unique identifier associated with the mobile device to the called number.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the performed action includes transmitting dual tone multiple frequency tones from the mobile device to the interactive voice response system.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the performed action includes transmitting data related to the voice call to a workflow system associated with the interactive voice response system.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the performed action includes displaying content received from the called number to a user of the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the performed action includes transmitting audio information to the interactive voice response system in response to input received by the mobile device from the user.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the performed action includes transmitting digital information to the interactive voice response system in response to input received by the mobile device from the user.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the performed action includes establishing a data communication connection between the mobile device and the interactive voice response system and disconnecting the voice call after the data communication connection is established.

20. A computer-readable storage device whose contents cause a mobile device to perform a method of updating functionality of the mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, on the mobile device, that a destination number is associated with a voice response system by comparing the destination number with numbers contained in a database,

wherein the database is local to the mobile device and contains a mapping of voice response systems to voice response navigation script identifiers;

receiving, at the mobile device from the database, a voice response navigation script or an indication of a voice response navigation script, associated in the database with the destination number;

launching, on the mobile device, the voice response navigation script,

wherein the voice response navigation script is configured to automatically transmit a pre-determined sequence of audio data to the voice response system associated with a service provider related to the mobile device;

initiating, on the mobile device, a voice call to a number associated with the interactive voice response system,

wherein the initiating comprises automatically transmitting, to the voice response system, the pre-determined sequence of audio data,

wherein the automatic transmitting is in response to establishing a connection with the voice response system and does not require further user input, and

wherein the transmitted pre-determined sequence represents one or more of;

user identification information and promotional code information; and

receiving, on the mobile device, data from the service provider in response to the transmitted pre-determined sequence of audio data,

wherein the received data related to changing the functionality of the mobile device.

21. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the audio data is dual tone multiple frequency tones generated by the voice response navigation script.

22. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the data related to the function is received via a data communications channel.

23. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the voice call is disconnected after the audio data is transmitted.

24. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the functionality of the mobile device includes configuration of the mobile device.