Method for designing an automated speech recognition (ASR) interface for a customer call center

• US 9,197,752 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bushey, Robert R., Knott, Benjamin A., Martin, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US14/312,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20140314228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 379/272, 379/265.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/1822 Parsing for meaning understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/183 using context dependencies, e.g. language models
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• 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 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms

Abstract

A method of designing a customer interface for a service center, such as an automated speech recognition (ASR) self-service center. Customer activity to an existing service center is monitored, providing customer model, which includes a collection of customer tasks. These tasks are assigned to action-object pairs, which are further assigned to routing destinations. Dialog modules are designed, based on the customer model data, including disambiguation dialogs.

Claims

1. A call handling method, comprising:

responsive to detecting an opening statement of a caller during a call to a service provider, the service provider comprising a plurality of call centers, determining, based on the opening statement, a caller task including an action and an object;

identifying, based on a first business rule model, a first routing destination for calls to a first call center; and

identifying, based on a second business rule model, a second routing destination for calls to a second call center;

wherein routing destinations are selected from;

a call center agent, a queue, a self-service speech recognition application, and the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first call center comprises a how-to-use call center, and wherein identifying the first routing destination includes identifying a how-to-use destination in the how-to-use call center, wherein the how-to-use destination includes:

a plurality of dialog modules activated in response to routing decisions;

a set of verbal prompts; and

a plurality of voice recognition entry points.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of call centers includes:

a how-to-use call center;

a billing call center;

a caller retention call center; and

an ordering call center.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the service provider comprises a telephone service provider and wherein the how-to-use call center includes how-to-use information for telephone services provided by the telephone service provider.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying routing destinations includes identifying destinations based upon an input selected from:

speech indicating a name of a product, selection input selecting a topic from a menu, and verbal input describing a feature of the product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying routing destinations includes:

identifying a direct route destination when the opening statements provide sufficient routing information; and

identifying a clarification destination when the opening statements provide insufficient routing information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting customer persona data during customer visits to the existing service center; and

determining language alternatives based on the persona data.

8. A computer system, comprising computer hardware programmed to perform operations, the operations comprising:

responsive to detecting an opening statement of a caller during a call to a service provider, the service provider comprising a plurality of call centers, determining, based on the opening statement, a caller task including an action and an object;

identifying, based on a first business rule model, a first routing destination for calls to a first call center; and

identifying, based on a second business rule model, a second routing destination for calls to a second call center;

wherein routing destinations are selected from;

a call center agent, a queue, a self-service speech recognition application, and the Internet.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the first call center comprises a how-to-use call center, and wherein identifying the first routing destination includes identifying a how-to-use destination in the how-to-use call center, wherein the how-to-use destination includes:

a plurality of dialog modules activated in response to routing decisions;

a set of verbal prompts; and

a plurality of voice recognition entry points.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of call centers includes:

a how-to-use call center;

a billing call center;

a caller retention call center; and

an ordering call center.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the service provider comprises a telephone service provider and wherein the how-to-use call center includes how-to-use information for telephone services provided by the telephone service provider.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein identifying routing destinations includes identifying destinations based upon an input selected from:

speech indicating a name of a product, selection input selecting a topic from a menu, and verbal input describing a feature of the product.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein identifying routing destinations includes:

identifying a direct route destination when the opening statements provide sufficient routing information; and

identifying a clarification destination when the opening statements provide insufficient routing information.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the operations include:

collecting customer persona data during customer visits to the existing service center; and

determining language alternatives based on the persona data.

15. Computer hardware including stored program operations, performable by a computer system, wherein the program operations, when performed by the computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations, comprising:

responsive to detecting an opening statement of a caller during a call to a service provider, the service provider comprising a plurality of call centers, determining, based on the opening statement, a caller task including an action and an object;

identifying, based on a first business rule model, a first routing destination for calls to a first call center; and

identifying, based on a second business rule model, a second routing destination for calls to a second call center;

wherein routing destinations are selected from;

a call center agent, a queue, a self-service speech recognition application, and the Internet.

16. The computer hardware of claim 15, wherein the first call center comprises a how-to-use call center, and wherein identifying the first routing destination includes identifying a how-to-use destination in the how-to-use call center, wherein the how-to-use destination includes:

a plurality of dialog modules activated in response to routing decisions;

a set of verbal prompts; and

a plurality of voice recognition entry points.

17. The computer hardware of claim 16, wherein the plurality of call centers includes:

a how-to-use call center;

a billing call center;

a caller retention call center; and

an ordering call center.

18. The computer hardware of claim 16, wherein the service provider comprises a telephone service provider and wherein the how-to-use call center includes how-to-use information for telephone services provided by the telephone service provider.

19. The computer hardware of claim 15, wherein identifying routing destinations includes identifying destinations based upon an input selected from:

speech indicating a name of a product, selection input selecting a topic from a menu, and verbal input describing a feature of the product.

20. The computer hardware of claim 15, wherein the operations include:

collecting customer persona data during customer visits to the existing service center; and

determining language alternatives based on the persona data.