System, method and computer program product for activating a cellular phone account

• US 8,923,838 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bush, Ryan J., Vyas, Vipul Niranjan
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEDRICK, CHARLES TERRELL
• Application Number:
  US10/923,342
• Time in Patent Office: 3,785 Days
• Field of Search: 455/408, 455/409, 455/406, 455/79, 455/563, 455/569.1, 455/419, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/435.1, 704/270, 704/277, 705/65, 705/14, 340/870.11
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/00 Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for activating a cellular phone account utilizing automated speech recognition. In use, information about a user is received over a network utilizing automated speech recognition. Thereafter, a cellular phone account is activated based on the information received utilizing the automated speech recognition.

Claims

1. A method for activating a cellular phone account utilizing automated speech recognition, comprising:

receiving a plurality of user supplied information over a network utilizing automated speech recognition;

storing the information in a memory database; and

determining if the stored information is sufficient for cellular phone activation, wherein if sufficient, automatically activating the cellular phone account based on the information received utilizing the automated speech recognition, and wherein, if not sufficient, continuing to store the information in the memory database without activating the cellular phone and allowing the user to resume an interrupted activation session without repeating the previously stored information.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to a predetermined criteria being met, connecting to a human for information collection.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the predetermined criteria is met upon a difficulty arising with the receipt of the information utilizing the automated speech recognition, where the difficulty includes a problem with the automated speech recognition or the user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information received utilizing automated speech recognition includes a name of a user, wherein the name includes a natural pronunciation of the name and a spelling of the name for increasing the accuracy of the automated speech recognition of the name.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information received utilizing automated speech recognition includes a zip code of the user.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the zip code is utilized for identifying coverage information associated with the cellular phone account.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the zip code is utilized for billing associated with the cellular phone account.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information includes aspects of the cellular phone account to be activated.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein utterances of the user during the receipt of the information is stored.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising connecting to a human for manual transcription of the utterances after the receipt of the information utilizing the automated speech recognition.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein in response to a predetermined criteria being met, connecting to a human for manual transcription of the utterances.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the predetermined criteria is met upon a difficulty arising with the receipt of the information utilizing the automated speech recognition.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the cellular phone account may include a pre-paid account.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein marketing information is audibly transmitted to the user over the network.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein instructional information is audibly transmitted to the user over the network for facilitating the programming of the cellular phone by the user.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the instructional information is tailored based on the cellular phone of the user.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first sub-set of the information is required for the activation of the cellular phone account and a second sub-set of the information is not required for the activation of the cellular phone account.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the cellular phone account is activated despite a failure in the receipt of the second sub-set of the information.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is started upon the user calling a customer service line from a phone with an unrecognized caller identification number.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein audible confirmations are conditionally transmitted to the user over the network, based on a confidence score associated with the information received from the user.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein additional information is requested from the user, upon a delay occurring by a backend subsystem carrying out the automated speech recognition.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is accessible from a main menu when the user calls a customer service line from a recognized cellular phone.

23. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method is accessible from a main menu when the user calls a customer service line from a phone with a recognized caller identification number.

24. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a salespersons identifier is used to assign a credit to a salesperson for the activation of the cellular phone account.

25. A non-transitory computer program product embodied on a computer readable storage medium for activating a cellular phone account utilizing automated speech recognition, comprising:

computer code for receiving a plurality of user supplied information over a network utilizing automated speech recognition;

computer code for storing the information in a memory database; and

computer code for determining if the storied information is sufficient for cellular phone activation, wherein if sufficient, computer code for automatically activating the cellular phone account based on the information received utilizing the automated speech recognition, and wherein, if not sufficient, computer code for continuing to store the information in the memory database without activating the cellular phone and allowing the user to resume an interrupted activation session without repeating the previously stored information.

26. The computer program of claim 25, wherein a salespersons identifier is used by a backend billing system to assign a credit to a salesperson for the activation of the cellular phone account.

27. A method for activating a cellular phone account utilizing automated speech recognition, comprising:

receiving a plurality of user supplied information over a network utilizing automated speech recognition;

transmitting audible marketing information to the user over the network;

transmitting menu information to the user over the network, the menu describing an account balance option, a change rate plan option, a purchase minutes option, an activate phone option, and a customer service option;

communicating audible account balance information over the network, upon selection of the account balance option utilizing speech recognition;

communicating audible change rate plan information over the network, upon selection of the change rate plan option utilizing speech recognition;

communicating audible purchase minutes information over the network, upon selection of the purchase minutes option utilizing speech recognition;

communicating audible customer service information over the network, upon selection of the customer service option utilizing speech recognition;

upon selection of the activate phone option;

receiving name information associated with the user over the network utilizing automated speech recognition, wherein the name information includes a name of the user, and the name includes a natural pronunciation of the name and a spelling of the name for increasing the accuracy of the automated speech recognition of the name,

storing the name information in a memory database,

receiving address information associated with the user over the network utilizing automated speech recognition,

storing the address information in the memory database,

receiving date of birth information associated with the user over the network utilizing automated speech recognition,

determining whether the date of birth information indicates a legal age,

storing the date of birth information in the memory database, and

determining if the stored information is sufficient for cellular phone activation, wherein if sufficient, automatically activating the cellular phone account based on the name information, the address information, and the date of birth information received utilizing the automated speech recognition, if it is determined that the date of birth information indicates a legal age, and wherein, if not sufficient, continuing to store the received information in the memory database without activating the cellular phone and allowing the user to resume an interrupted activation session without repeating the previously stored information.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein a salespersons identifier is used by a backend billing system to assign a credit to a salesperson for the activation of the cellular phone account.