Voice response unit harvesting

• US 9,106,745 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2008
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grigsby, Travis M., Jania, Frank L., Miller, Steven M., Seacat DeLuca, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US12/211,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20100067670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,520 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.18, 379/88.23, 379/221.09, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/265.09, 704/270.1, 709/219, 709/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/25 related to user interface aspects of the telephonic communication service
• 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, method and program product for providing voice response unit (VRU) harvesting. A system is provided that includes: an account management system for allowing a user to identify a set of VRUs and associated data desired from each VRU; a navigation system for automatically navigating each VRU and collecting the desired data from each VRU; and an output system for outputting the desired data for the user.

Claims

1. A system for harvesting voice response unit (VRU) data, comprising:

an account management system that allows a user to identify a set of VRUs and specified types of account data desired from each VRU;

a VRU mapping system that creates and stores a VRU map of each VRU of the set of VRUs in a VRU Map database;

a navigation system that;

calculates, using each VRU map, a VRU path within each VRU and inputs used to reach each specified type of account data desired by the user from each of the respective set of VRUs; and

automatically navigates each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collects account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU;

an output system that outputs the collected account data for the user; and

a hyperlink system that automatically connects, responsive to the user selecting a collected account data item in the collected account data output, to an associated node in a corresponding VRU and that allows the user to verify the collected account data item.

2. The system of claim 1, where:

the account management system utilizes a graphical user interface that allows the user to select a frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is collected or outputted; and

where the user has selected the frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is collected, the navigation system automatically navigates each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collects the account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU at the user-selected frequency; and

where the user has selected the frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is outputted, the output system outputs the collected account data for the user at the user-selected frequency.

3. The system of claim 1, where the collected account data is output via a conduit selected from a group consisting of:

an email message, a text message, a web portal, a smart phone, a handheld device, and a telephone.

4. The system of claim 1, a where the mapping system periodically updates the VRU map of each VRU in the VRU Map database.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user account database that stores account information for the user.

6. The system of claim 1, where the navigation system comprises a speech recognition system that facilitates navigation of each VRU.

7. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored therein for providing voice response unit (VRU) harvesting, where the computer readable program code when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

allowing, by an account management system, a user to identify a set of VRUs and specified types of account data desired from each VRU;

creating and storing, by a VRU mapping system, a VRU map of each VRU of the set of VRUs in a VRU Map database;

by a navigation system;

calculating, using each VRU map, a VRU path within each VRU and inputs used to reach each specified type of account data desired by the user from each of the respective set of VRUs; and

automatically navigating each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collect account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU;

outputting, by an output system, the collected account data for the user; and

automatically connecting, by a hyperlink system responsive to the user selecting a collected account data item in the collected account data output, to an associated node in a corresponding VRU and allow the user to verify the collected account data item.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, where:

the computer readable program code further provides a graphical user interface that when executed on the computer causes the computer to perform the method comprising allowing the user to select a frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is collected or outputted; and

where the user has selected the frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is collected, in causing the computer to perform the method comprising automatically navigating, by the navigation system, each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collect the account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to perform the method comprising;

automatically navigating, by the navigation system, each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collect the account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU at the user-selected frequency; and

where the user has selected the frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is outputted, in causing the computer to perform the method comprising outputting, by the output system, the collected account data for the user, the computer readable program code when executed on the computer causes the computer to perform the method comprising;

outputting, by the output system, the collected account data for the user at the user-selected frequency.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, where the collected account data is output via a conduit selected from a group consisting of:

an email message, a text message, a web portal, a smart phone, a handheld device, and a telephone.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to perform the method comprising periodically updating the VRU map of each VRU in the VRU Map database.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to perform the method comprising accessing and storing account information for the user in a user account database.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, where the computer readable program code when executed on the computer further causes the computer to perform the method comprising performing speech recognition that facilitates navigation of each VRU.

13. A computer-implemented method of providing voice response unit (VRU) harvesting, comprising:

providing an interface that allows a user to identify a set of VRUs and specified types of account data desired from each VRU;

creating and storing, by a VRU mapping system, a VRU map of each VRU of the set of VRUs in a VRU Map database;

by a navigation system;

calculating, using each VRU map, a VRU path within each VRU and inputs used to reach each specified type of account data desired by the user from each of the respective set of VRUs; and

automatically navigating each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collecting account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU;

outputting, by an output system, the collected account data for the user; and

automatically connecting, by a hyperlink system responsive to the user selecting a collected account data item in the collected account data output, to an associated node in a corresponding VRU and allowing the user to verify the collected account data item.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a graphical user interface that allows the user to select a frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is collected or outputted; and

where the user has selected the frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is collected, automatically navigating, by the navigation system, each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collecting the account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU comprises;

automatically navigating, by the navigation system, each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collecting the account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU at the user-selected frequency; and

where the user has selected the frequency at which the account data of the specified type of account data is outputted, outputting, by the output system, the collected account data for the user comprises;

outputting, by the output system, the collected account data for the user at the user-selected frequency.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, where the collected account data is output via a conduit selected from a group consisting of:

an email message, a text message, a web portal, a smart phone, a handheld device, and a telephone.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

periodically updating the VRU map of each VRU in the VRU Map database; and

storing account information for the user in a user account database.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising performing speech recognition that facilitates navigation of each VRU.

18. A computer-implemented method for deploying a system for providing voice response unit (VRU) harvesting, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

provide an interface that allows a user to identify a set of VRUs and specified types of account data desired from each VRU;

create and store, by a VRU mapping system, a VRU map of each VRU of the set of VRUs in a VRU Map database;

by a navigation system;

calculate, using each VRU map, a VRU path within each VRU and inputs used to reach each specified type of account data desired by the user from each of the respective set of VRUs; and

automatically navigate each calculated VRU path of each VRU and collect account data of each specified type of account data from each VRU;

output, by an output system, the collected account data for the user; and

automatically connect, by a hyperlink system responsive to the user selecting a collected account data item in the collected account data output, to an associated node in a corresponding VRU and allow the user to verify the collected account data item.