System and method for connecting a user to business services

• US 9,456,068 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xtone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Xtone Incorporated
• Inventors: Dhawan, Vishal, Price, Timothy M., Sindhwani, Manoj
• Primary Examiner(s): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US12/717,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20100158208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,399 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.03, 379/265.11, 379/266.01, 379/265.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• 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 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A system and method for connecting a user to business services monitors all attempts by the user to place outgoing telephone calls. When a user is attempting to place a call to a business, the system checks to see if the business has created a voice application that could be performed for the user. If so, the business'"'"' voice application is performed for the user on the user'"'"'s local device, instead of connecting the user to the business'"'"' customer service line. If no voice application is available for the user, then the system connects the user to the business'"'"' customer service line, either through a telephone network, or through a data network connection.

Claims

1. A method of responding to a user'"'"'s request to communicate with a business, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to communicate with a business, wherein the request is received by a local device;

determining whether one or more voice applications that are relevant to goods or services provided by the business or whether a voice application specifically created for the business are available;

performing, for the user, at least one voice application that either is relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that has been specifically created for the business if a voice application relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that has been specifically created for the business is available, wherein the voice application is performed, at least in part, on the local device; and

establishing a communications channel between the user and the business if no voice application relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that has been specifically created for the business is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on a local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device, and wherein the determining step comprises determining, with the voice applications agent or the voice application, whether one or more voice applications that are relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that have been specifically created for the business are available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performing step comprises a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device performing the voice application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a request to place a telephone call to a toll free number maintained by the business.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a request to place a telephone call to the business.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a spoken request from the user to communicate with the business, and wherein the determining step comprises interpreting the user'"'"'s spoken request with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device to determine the identity of the business.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein if the determining step indicates that a plurality of voice applications that are relevant to the goods or services provided by the business are available, or that a plurality of voice applications that have been specifically created for the business are available, the method further comprises interacting with the user with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device to determine which of the plurality of voice applications should be performed for the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein interacting with the user comprises a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device:

playing audio to the user to ask the user for information;

receiving a spoken response from the user;

interpreting the user'"'"'s spoken response; and

determining which of the plurality of voice applications should be performed for the user based on the interpretation of the user'"'"'s spoken response.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a spoken request from the user to communicate with the business, wherein the method further comprises:

interpreting the user'"'"'s spoken request with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device to determine a name of the business; and

searching a contact list using the determined business name to identify a telephone number corresponding to the business name, and wherein the step of establishing a communications channel between the user and the business comprises placing a telephone call to the identified telephone number with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of placing a telephone call to the identified telephone number comprises establishing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone call between the business and the user'"'"'s local device via a data network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising billing the business for establishing the VoIP telephone call.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein if a voice application is performed for the user, the method further comprises establishing a communications channel between the user'"'"'s local device and the business after the voice application has been performed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein during the performance of the voice application, information is obtained from the user, and wherein the obtained information is used to determine a telephone number that is used to establish the communications channel between the user'"'"'s local device and the entity after the voice application has been performed.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step comprises determining whether one or more voice applications that have been specifically created for the business are available, and wherein the performing step comprises performing at least one voice application that has been specifically created for the business if such a voice application is available.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by one or more processors of a local device and/or one or more processors of at least one computer server in communication with the local device, cause the local device and/or the at least one computer server to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to communicate with a business, wherein the request is received by a local device;

determining whether one or more voice applications that are relevant to goods or services provided by the business or whether a voice application specifically created for the business are available;

performing, for the user, at least one voice application that either is relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that has been specifically created for the business if a voice application that is relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that has been specifically created for the business is available, wherein the voice application is performed on the local device; and

establishing a communications channel between the user and the business if no voice application that is relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that has been specifically created for the business is available.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the request is received by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on a local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device, and wherein the determining step comprises determining, with the voice applications agent or the voice application, whether one or more voice applications that are relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that were specifically created for the business are available.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the performing step comprises a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device performing the voice application.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a spoken request from the user to communicate with the business, and wherein the determining step comprises interpreting the user'"'"'s spoken request with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device to determine the identity of the business.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein if the determining step indicates that a plurality of voice applications that are relevant to the goods or services provided by the business or that were specifically created for the business are available, the method performed by local device and/or the at least one computer server further comprises interacting with the user with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device to determine which of the plurality of voice applications should be performed for the user.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein interacting with the user comprises a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device:

playing audio to the user to ask the user for information;

receiving a spoken response from the user;

interpreting the user'"'"'s spoken response; and

determining which of the plurality of voice applications should be performed for the user based on the interpretation of the user'"'"'s spoken response.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the receiving step comprises receiving a spoken request from the user to communicate with the business, and wherein the method performed by the local device and/or the at least one computer server further comprises:

interpreting the user'"'"'s spoken request with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device to determine a name of the business; and

searching a contact list using the determined business name to identify a telephone number corresponding to the business name, and wherein the step of establishing a communications channel between the user and the business comprises placing a telephone call to the identified telephone number with a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device or a voice application that is performed by a voice applications agent that is resident, at least in part, on the local device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the step of placing a telephone call to the identified telephone number comprises establishing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone call between the business and the user'"'"'s local device via a data network.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises billing the entity for establishing the VoIP telephone call.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein if a voice application is performed for the user, the method performed by the local device and/or the at least one computer server further comprises establishing a communications channel between the user'"'"'s local device and the business after the voice application has been performed.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the determining step of the method that is performed comprises determining whether one or more voice applications that have been specifically created for the business are available, and wherein the performing step of the method that is performed comprises performing at least one voice application that has been specifically created for the business if such a voice application is available.