System and method for facilitating agent-caller communication during a call

• US 9,667,789 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• 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: Sutherland, Alastair, Odinak, Gilad
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US15/018,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 37926501, 379 8813, 37926502, 37926505, 37921001, 379 8801, 37926509, 7042701, 4554121, 4124122
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• 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 2203/306 Prerecordings to be used during a voice call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/357 Autocues for dialog assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating agent-caller communication during a call is provided. An incoming call is assigned to an agent and a script selection is received from the agent based on a particular problem identified during the call. The script is provided to a caller participating in the call. Text messages and voice input are received from the caller. The received text messages are directly forwarded to the agent. The voice input is transcribed into written text and provided to the agent. Text messages are received from the agent in response to one or more of the voice input and text messages from the caller. The text messages from the agent are transformed into synthesized speech utterances. A record of the call is generated by compiling the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller and the text messages from the agent.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for facilitating agent-caller communication during a call, comprising:

a telephony interface to assign an incoming call to an agent;

a script engine to retrieve a script selection from the agent based on a particular problem identified during the call and to provide the script to a caller participating in the call;

a receipt module to receive text messages and voice input from the caller and to directly forward the received text messages to the agent;

a speech engine to transcribe the voice input from the caller into written text and to provide the written text to the agent;

a text-to-speech engine to receive text messages from the agent in response to one or more of the voice input and text messages from the caller and to transform the text messages from the agent into synthesized speech utterances; and

a log generator to generate a record of the call by compiling the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller and the text messages from the agent.

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

a control module to alter a flow of the script by providing to the caller manual input from the agent.

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

a login module to receive sign-in information from the agent; and

a call distributor to provide the call to the agent subsequent to sign-in.

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

a queue of callers; and

a priority module to determine a priority of the caller and to assign a higher priority in the queue to the caller when the caller is determined to be high priority.

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

an annotation module to receive annotations from the agent for at least one of the transcribed written texts; and

the record to store the annotation with the transcribed written text.

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

an agent console to display the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller with text messages and transcribed written text from one or more other callers.

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

a flag module to flag each text message from the caller and the agent as verbatim data in the record.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein each text message from the agent is one of selected from a set of pre-formed responses and generated manually by the agent.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein each of the pre-formed responses is stored with pre-recorded sound bites for playback to the caller.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller and the text messages from the agent are stored in the record during the call.

11. A computer-implemented method for facilitating agent-caller communication during a call, comprising:

assigning an incoming call to an agent;

retrieving a script selection from the agent based on a particular problem identified during the call;

providing the script to a caller participating in the call;

receiving text messages and voice input from the caller;

directly forwarding the received text messages to the agent;

transcribing the voice input into written text and providing the written text to the agent;

receiving text messages from the agent in response to one or more of the voice input and text messages from the caller;

transforming the text messages from the agent into synthesized speech utterances; and

generating a record of the call by compiling the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller and the text messages from the agent.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

altering a flow of the script by providing to the caller manual input from the agent.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving sign-in information from the agent; and

providing the call to the agent subsequent to sign-in.

14. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

maintaining a queue of callers;

determining a priority of the caller; and

assigning a higher priority in the queue to the caller when the caller is determined to be high priority.

15. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving annotations from the agent for at least one of the transcribed written texts; and

storing the annotation in the record with the transcribed written text.

16. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller on an agent console, wherein the agent console displays text messages and transcribed written text from one or more other callers.

17. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

flagging each text message from the caller and the agent as verbatim data in the record.

18. A method according to claim 11, wherein each text message from the agent is one of selected from a set of pre-formed responses and generated manually by the agent.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein each of the pre-formed responses is stored with pre-recorded sound bites for playback to the caller.

20. A method according to claim 11, wherein the text messages and transcribed written text from the caller and the text messages from the agent are stored in the record during the call.