Voice communications menu

• US 20030179865A1
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stillman, Scott T., Crowe, Jennifer A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,327,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• 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 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13378 Speech recognition, speech analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for providing a telecommunications services menu accessible via a voice interactive system, such as a voice services node. A subscriber accesses a voice communications menu by accessing a voice services node. The voice services node queries a customer profile database to obtain a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber. At the voice services node, a voice prompt is constructed for providing the subscriber a voice menu of the available services. After the subscriber receives the voice prompt of menu items, the subscriber may select a service from the provided menu.

Claims

1. A method of providing a telecommunications services menu accessible via a voice interactive system, comprising:

placing a call at a subscriber switch for voice interactive services;

routing the call to a network component for voice interactive services;

receiving a request at the network component for a voice menu of available telecommunications services;

at the network component, querying a subscriber customer profile for a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber;

returning the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber from the customer profile to the network component;

at the network component, constructing a voice prompt for providing the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber; and

providing the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, whereby querying a subscriber customer profile for a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber includes querying the subscriber customer profile via a database query to a customer profile database.

3. The method of claim 2, whereby querying the subscriber customer profile includes passing a calling line identification associated with the subscriber'"'"'s calling line via a database query to the customer profile database.

4. The method of claim 2, whereby querying the subscriber customer profile via a customer profile database includes passing a user identification via a database query to the customer profile database.

5. The method of claim 2, whereby querying the subscriber customer profile via a customer profile database includes passing a subscriber personal identification number via a database query to the customer profile database.

6. The method of claim 1, after the step of querying a subscriber customer profile for a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber, parsing the subscriber customer profile for a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber.

7. The method of claim 6, whereby returning the list of telecommunications services to the subscriber from the customer profile to the network component includes returning the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber in response to the database query from the network component to the customer profile database.

8. The method of claim 1, prior to querying a subscriber customer profile for a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber, validating the subscriber for access to the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber.

9. The method of claim 1, whereby constructing a voice prompt for providing the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber includes converting the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber from text-to-speech for playing to the subscriber as an audio-formatted message.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber telephonically from the network component to the subscriber via the subscriber'"'"'s switch.

11. The method of claim 1, after providing the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber;

receiving a subscriber selection of one or more available services from the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber; and

providing the selected telecommunications service to the subscriber.

12. The method of claim 11, whereby providing the selected telecommunications service to the subscriber includes routing the subscribers call to a directory assistance service to allow the subscriber to receive directory assistance services.

13. The method of claim 11, whereby providing the selected telecommunications service to the subscriber includes routing the subscribers calls to a called party designated by the subscriber.

14. The method of claim 13, whereby routing the subscriber'"'"'s call to a called party includes providing a called party directory number to the network component from subscriber.

15. The method of claim 11, whereby providing the selected telecommunications service to the subscriber includes routing the subscriber'"'"'s call to another network component for provision of the selected telecommunications service.

16. The method of claim 15, whereby routing the subscriber'"'"'s call to another network component for provision of the selected telecommunications service includes routing the subscriber'"'"'s call to a voice mail service system to allow the subscriber to review voice mail messages to the subscriber.

17. The method of claim 11, whereby providing the selected telecommunications service to the subscriber includes providing an electronic mail reader service via a Voice over Internet Protocol connection through the network component to the subscriber.

18. The method of claim 11, whereby providing the selected telecommunications service to the subscriber includes providing message delivery from the subscriber to a wireless message receiving device.

19. The method of claim 11, whereby providing the selected telecommunications service to the subscriber includes providing subscriber designated information services to the subscriber via the network component.

20. The method of claim 1, after the step of querying a subscriber customer profile for a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber, prompting the subscriber from the network component to establish a customer profile if no customer profile is located for the subscriber in the customer profile database.

21. The method of claim 1, prior to placing a call at the subscriber switch for voice interactive services, accessing the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile in the customer profile database to update the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber.

22. The method of claim 21, after accessing the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile in the customer profile database to update the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber, populating the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile with a list of updated telecommunications services available to the subscriber.

23. The method of claim 22, whereby accessing the subscribers customer profile in the customer profile database to update the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber includes accessing the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile telephonically via the network component.

24. The method of claim 22, whereby accessing the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile in the customer profile database to update the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber includes accessing the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile via a distributed computing environment.

25. The method of claim 24, whereby accessing the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile via a distributed computing environment includes accessing the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile via the Internet.

26. The method of claim 25, whereby accessing the subscribers customer profile via the Internet includes accessing the subscriber'"'"'s customer profile via an TCP/IP protocol connections from a subscriber'"'"'s computing device to the customer profile database.

27. A method of providing a telecommunications services menu accessible via a voice interactive system, comprising:

receiving a request at a telecommunications system voice services node for a voice menu of available telecommunications services;

at the voice services node, querying a subscriber customer profile database for a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber;

receiving the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber from the customer profile;

at the voice services node, creating voice menu of available telecommunications services from the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber;

providing the voice menu of available telecommunications services to the subscriber;

receiving a subscriber selection of one or more available services from the menu of available telecommunications services; and

providing the selected service to the subscriber.

28. A system for providing a telecommunications services menu accessible via a voice interactive system, comprising:

a telecommunications system voice services node operative

to receive a request at for a voice menu of available telecommunications services;

to query a subscriber customer profile database for a list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber;

to receive the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber from the customer profile;

to create voice menu of available telecommunications services from the list of telecommunications services available to the subscriber; and

to provide the voice menu of available telecommunications services to the subscriber;

29. The system of claim 28, whereby the voice services node is further operative

to receive a subscriber selection of one or more available services from the menu of available telecommunications services;

and

to provide the selected service to the subscriber.