Web integrated interactive voice response

• US 9,448,764 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Xiaofeng, Scott, David, Zellner, Samuel N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/068,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20140059429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.08, 379/88.01, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/201.01, 379/207.04, 379/211.02, 704/246, 704/270.1, 704/275, 709/224, 709/227, 715/716, 715/728, 715/205, 715/239, 715/243, 715/700, 715/754
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/251 where a voice mode or a visual mode can be used interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• 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 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

A communication service is provided by audibly interacting with a user in a communication in accordance with an audible menu used for audible interaction. A networked web-integrated interaction system determines, during the communication and based on an audible interaction with the user, to provide the user with a visual menu used for visual interaction. The visual menu at least partially matches the audible menu used for audible interaction. The user is provided with the visual menu during the communication upon determining, based on the audible interaction with the user in the communication, to provide the user with the visual menu. An interaction with the user during the communication after the visual menu is provided is a visual interaction in accordance with the visual menu used for visual interaction.

Claims

1. A method for providing a communication service, the method comprising:

audibly interacting with a user in a communication in accordance with an audible menu used for audible interaction;

determining, by a networked web-integrated interaction system during the communication and based on an audible interaction with the user, to provide the user with a visual menu used for visual interaction, the visual menu at least partially matching the audible menu used for audible interaction; and

providing the user with the visual menu during the communication upon determining, based on the audible interaction with the user in the communication, to provide the user with the visual menu,

wherein an interaction with the user during the communication after the visual menu is provided is a visual interaction in accordance with the visual menu used for visual interaction.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the communication is a continuous communication session which includes both the audible interaction and the visual interaction.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user can receive the visual menu before providing the visual menu.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

checking whether the user is pre-associated with an accessible internet connection.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the visual menu comprises a graphical user interface menu.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with a link to a web page that includes the visual menu.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the user in accordance with the audible menu to choose whether to interact in accordance with the visual menu.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing customized information in the visual menu according to information for the user maintained in a profile database.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein information provided in the visual menu is provided responsive to a command provided by the user responsive to a prompt in the audible menu.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking a session with the user involving the visual interaction with a session with the user involving the audible interaction.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving instructions specific to the user for the audible menu.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an address to send the visual menu from a network database that maps different types of communication addresses for the user.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the address to send the visual menu is an internet address preregistered by the user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending a uniform resource locator to the internet address preregistered by the user to invite the user to receive the visual menu.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

soliciting the user to indicate whether to receive the visual menu that at least partially matches the audible format menu.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

passing information of the user to a web server to initiate visual interaction using the visual menu when the user indicates to receive the visual menu.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, at the networked web-integrated interaction system, information received by the web server from the user during the visual interaction.

18. A tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores a computer program for providing a communication service, the computer program, when executed by a processor, causing a computer of a networked web-integrated interaction system to perform a process comprising:

audibly interacting with a user in a communication in accordance with an audible menu used for audible interaction;

determining during the communication, and based on an audible interaction with the user, to provide the user with a visual menu used for visual interaction, the visual menu at least partially matching the audible menu used for audible interaction;

providing the user with the visual menu during the communication upon determining, based on the audible interaction with the user in the communication, to provide the user with the visual menu,

wherein an interaction with the user during the communication after the visual menu is provided is a visual interaction in accordance with the visual menu used for visual interaction.

19. The non-transitory tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 18, the process further comprising:

sending an address of the user to a web server, and

instructing the web server to provide the user with the visual menu and visually interact with the user.

20. A networked web-integrated interaction system for providing a communication service, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions, and

a processor that executes the instructions,

wherein, when executed by the processor, the instructions cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

audibly interacting with a user in a communication in accordance with an audible menu used for audible interaction;

determining during the communication and based on an audible interaction with the user to provide the user with a visual menu used for visual interaction, the visual menu at least partially matching the audible menu used for audible interaction, and

providing the user with the visual menu during the communication upon determining, based on the audible interaction with the user in the communication, to provide the user with the visual menu,

wherein an interaction with the user during the communication after the visual menu is provided is a visual interaction in accordance with the visual menu used for visual interaction.