Computer-implemented system and method for automating call center phone calls

• US 9,264,545 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellisist, Inc. dba Spoken Communications (Avaya Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Intellisist, Inc. dba Spoken Communications (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Odinak, Gilad
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Joseph T
• Application Number:
  US14/195,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20140177820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/301 Management of recordings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/303 Marking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/306 Prerecordings to be used during a voice call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/558 Databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects

Abstract

A system and method for processing a call between a caller and a live agent is provided. A stream of verbal speech utterances is received from the caller and converted into text. Text messages are received from the agent in response to the stream of verbal speech utterances and converted into synthesized speech utterances. The synthesized speech utterances are provided to the caller. A record of the call is processed and presented to a further live agent for manipulation. The manipulated record is stored.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for automating call center phone calls, comprising:

a telephony interface to receive a stream of verbal speech utterances from a callee of a call made from a call center;

an agent application to process the verbal speech utterances through a customer support scenario controlled by a live agent of the call center;

a post-call processor to identify one or more characteristics of the callee based on the verbal speech utterances;

a command processor to automate an outgoing call to a different callee with characteristics similar to the characteristics of the callee of the call made from the call center;

a script engine to receive a user selection of one or more scripts, each script comprising a grammar that defines a set of executable instructions for a question-and-response dialog and to affect an execution of the selected script; and

a performance module comprising at least one of;

a start module to begin the execution of the selected script;

an adjustment module to adjust a point of the execution within the selected script; and

a repeat module to repeat a portion of the selected script.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speech recognition engine to convert the verbal speech utterances into text;

a display to present the text to the agent;

a text-to-speech agent to receive outgoing text messages from the agent and to convert the text messages into an outgoing stream of synthesized speech; and

the telephony interface to provide the outgoing stream of the synthesized speech to the callee.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the text messages comprise one or more of pre-formed responses selected by the live agent or responses written by the live agent.

4. A system according to claim 2, further comprising:

the speech recognition engine to perform speech recognition on the verbal speech utterances.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a macro module to generate a macro for the automation of the outgoing call.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of a role, gender, and language of the callee.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a record of the call made to the callee; and

the command processor to manipulate the record comprising at least one of reordering and ranking of the verbal speech utterances.

8. A system according to claim 7, further comprising:

an annotation module to receive from the agent an annotation to one of the verbal speech utterances within the record; and

a database to store the annotation with the verbal speech utterance for which the annotation was received.

9. A computer-implemented method for automating call center phone calls, comprising the steps of:

receiving a stream of verbal speech utterances from a callee of a call made from a call center;

processing the verbal speech utterances through a customer support scenario controlled by a live agent of the call center;

identifying one or more characteristics of the callee based on the verbal speech utterances;

automating an outgoing call to a different callee with characteristics similar to the characteristics of the callee of the call made from the call center;

receiving a user selection of one or more scripts, each script comprising a grammar that defines a set of executable instructions for a question-and-response dialog;

affecting an execution of the selected script; and

performing at least one of beginning the execution of the selected script, adjusting a point of the execution within the selected script, and repeating a portion of the selected script,

wherein the steps are performed by a suitably programmed computer.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

converting the verbal speech utterances into text and presenting the text to the agent;

receiving outgoing text messages from the agent and converting the text messages into an outgoing stream of synthesized speech; and

providing the outgoing stream of the synthesized speech to the callee.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the text messages comprise one or more of pre-formed responses selected by the live agent or responses written by the live agent.

12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

performing speech recognition on the verbal speech utterances.

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

generating a macro for the automation of the outgoing call.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of a role, gender, and language of the callee.

15. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

creating a record of the call made to the callee; and

manipulating the record comprising at least one of reordering and ranking of the verbal speech utterances.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

receiving from the agent an annotation to one of the verbal speech utterances within the record; and

storing the annotation with the verbal speech utterance for which the annotation was received.