Method and system for routing calls based on a language preference

• US 6,925,155 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Reynolds, Douglas F., Scruggs, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bing Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/051,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20030138094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.05, 379/88.06, 379/88.12, 379/88.18, 379/207.02, 379/211.01, 379/211.02, 379/221.08, 379/265.01, 379/265.02, 379/265.12
• US Class Current: 379/88.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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 3/50 Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers H04M3/487 takes precedence; centralised dictation systems H04M11/10; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5233 Operator skill based call distribution

Abstract

The present embodiments provide an efficient and effective method and system for routing calls to predetermined destinations to facilitate communication in a customer'"'"'s preferred language. The present embodiments allow for an indication of a customer'"'"'s language preference to be stored in some fashion and also allow for that indication to be accessed when the customer places a call that may require communications in a specific language. The indication of the customer'"'"'s language preference can be accessed upon receipt of the call and appropriate information can be retrieved that enables the call to be routed to a destination to facilitate communication in a customer'"'"'s preferred language.

Claims

1. A method for processing a call, the method comprising:

(a) receiving information transmitted from a user at a telephone station, wherein the information comprises an indication of the user'"'"'s language preference;

(b) storing an indication of the user'"'"'s language preference;

(c) generating a query in response to a terminating attempt trigger that is activated upon receipt of a call initiated at the user'"'"'s telephone station;

(d) accessing the stored indication of the user'"'"'s language preference in response to the query; and

(e) providing routing information based on the stored indication of the user'"'"'s language preference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) further comprises transmitting the query from a switch to a processor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) further comprises performing a database lookup.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (e) further comprises providing routing information based upon predetermined logic instructions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein (e) further comprises transmitting the routing information from a processor to a switch.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(f) routing the call to a predetermined destination in response to the routing information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein (f) comprises routing the call to a predetermined interactive voice response unit in response to the routing information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the interactive voice response unit implements a language associated with the user'"'"'s language preference.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein (f) comprises routing the call to a predetermined call center in response to the routing information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the call center implements a language associated with the user'"'"'s language preference.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) further comprises, storing an indication of the user'"'"'s language preference in a line information database.

12. A system for processing a call from a calling telephone station, the system comprising:

a terminating switch operable to receive a call that originated from a calling telephone station, generate a query in response to a terminating attempt trigger that is activated upon receipt of the call, and transmit the query to a processor; and

a processor coupled with the terminating switch, the processor being operable to receive information transmitted from a user at a telephone station, wherein the information comprises an indication of the user'"'"'s language preference;

store an indication of the user'"'"'s language preference;

access the stored indication of the user'"'"'s language preference in response to the receipt of the query transmitted from the terminating switch, wherein the indication of the language preference identifies a preferred language for transmitting information to the calling telephone station; and

provide routing information in response to the stored indication of the user'"'"'s language preference, wherein the routing information comprises routing instructions for routing the call to a predetermined destination that implements the preferred language.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising an originating switch coupled with the terminating switch, the originating switch being operable to receive the call from the calling telephone station and route the call to the terminating switch.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising an interactive voice response unit coupled with the calling telephone station, wherein the interactive voice response unit implements the preferred language.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a call center coupled with the calling telephone station, wherein the call center implements the preferred language.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor comprises a service control point.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor comprises predetermined logic instructions.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the terminating switch comprises a service switching point.

19. A computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for processing a call from a calling telephone station, the computer readable program code comprising:

a first computer readable program code for causing a computer to store an indication of a user'"'"'s language preference after receiving information transmitted from the user at a telephone station, wherein the information comprises an indication of the user'"'"'s language preference;

a second computer readable program code for causing a computer to access the stored indication of the user'"'"'s language preference in response to a query, wherein the stored indication of the user'"'"'s language preference identifies a preferred language for transmitting announcements to the calling telephone station, and wherein the query is generated in response to a terminating attempt trigger that is activated in response to the receipt of the call; and

a third computer readable program code for causing a computer to provide routing information in response to the indication of the language preference, wherein the routing information comprises routing instructions for routing the call to a predetermined destination that implements the preferred language.

20. The invention of claim 19, wherein the second computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code for causing a computer to route the call to a predetermined destination in response to the routing information.

21. A method for processing a call from a calling telephone station, the method comprising:

(a) receiving information transmitted from a user at a telephone station, wherein the information comprises an indication of the user'"'"'s language preference;

(b) storing an indication of the user'"'"'s language preference, wherein the indication of the user'"'"'s language preference identifies a preferred language for communicating with the calling telephone station;

(c) receiving, at an originating switch, a call from the calling telephone station;

(d) routing the call from the originating switch to a terminating switch;

(e) generating a terminating attempt trigger, using the terminating switch, upon receipt of the call from the originating switch;

(f) transmitting a query from the terminating switch to a processor in response to the terminating attempt trigger;

(g) accessing the stored indication of the user'"'"'s language preference, using the processor, in response to the query;

(h) providing routing information, using predetermined logic instructions, in response to the stored indication of the user'"'"'s language preference, wherein the routing information comprises routing instructions for routing the call to a predetermined destination that implements the preferred language; and

(i) routing the call to the predetermined destination based on the routing information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein (i) comprises routing the call from the terminating switch to an interactive voice response unit that implements the preferred language.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein (i) comprises routing the call from the terminating switch to a call center that implements the preferred language.