System and method for speech-enabled call routing

• US 7,751,551 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bushey, Robert R., Korth, Sarah, Knott, Benjamin Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kadoorie, Isabel
• Application Number:
  US11/032,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20060153345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,003 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/88.01, 379/265, 379/265.07, 379/1.02, 379/67.1, 379/88.12, 379/88.22, 704/231, 704/251, 704/255, 704/257
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/0204 using subband decomposition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/265 Pre-filtering, e.g. high frequency emphasis prior to encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing

Abstract

A method of processing a call is disclosed. The method can transform speech input from a caller of a call into text and convert the text into an object and an action. The method determines a call destination based on the object and the action. The method can route the call to a destination when a caller is not in compliance with at least one business rule. The method can further route the call to the call destination when the caller is in compliance.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call comprising:

receiving speech input from a caller;

using phonemes to convert the received speech input into one or more word strings in accordance with an acoustic model;

converting the one or more word strings into one or more actions and one or more objects in accordance with a semantic model;

assigning an action confidence level to each action of the one or more actions, wherein the action confidence level represents a probability that a particular action reflects an intended caller action;

assigning an object confidence level to each object of the one or more objects, wherein the object confidence level represents a probability that a particular object reflects an intended caller object;

determining an action-object pair that represents a highest confidence level action and a highest confidence level object;

determining a desired call destination based on the action-object pair using a routing table;

determining whether the caller is in compliance with a first business rule related to a maximum amount of time for a voice message box of the caller to be full;

routing the call to a second call destination when the caller is not in compliance with the first business rule, wherein the caller is prompted to comply with the first business rule at the second call destination; and

upon compliance with the first business rule, routing the call to the desired call destination.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the caller is in compliance with a second business rule related to late payment;

routing the call to a third call destination when the caller is not in compliance with the second business rule; and

upon compliance with the second business rule, routing the call to the desired call destination.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the call is not routed to the desired destination until the caller complies with the second business rule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is not routed to the desired destination until the caller complies with the first business rule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum amount of time for the voice message box of the caller to be full is two months, and wherein the caller is not in compliance with the first business rule when the voice message box of the caller has been full for over two months.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call.

7. A speech-enabled call routing system comprising:

a processor;

a network interface to receive speech input from a caller;

an acoustic model executable by the processor to use phonemes to convert the received speech input into one or more word strings;

a semantic model executable by the processor to convert the one or more word strings into one or more actions and one or more objects;

an action object routing module executable by the processor to;

assign an action confidence level to each action of the one or more actions, wherein the action confidence level represents a probability that a particular action reflects an intended caller action; and

assign an object confidence level to each object of the one or more objects, wherein the object confidence level represents a probability that a particular object reflects an intended caller object;

determine an action-object pair that represents a highest confidence level action and a highest confidence level object;

determine a desired call destination based on the action-object pair using a routing table;

a business rule module executable by the processor to;

determine whether the caller is in compliance with a business rule related to a maximum amount of time for a voice message box of the caller to be full;

wherein the speech-enabled routing system routes the call to a second destination when the caller is not in compliance with the business rule, wherein the caller is prompted to comply with the business rule at the second call destination; and

wherein the speech-enabled routing system routes the call to the desired call destination upon compliance with the business rule.

8. The speech-enabled call routing system of claim 7, wherein the business rule module is further executable by the processor to determine whether the caller is in compliance with a second business rule related to late payment, wherein the speech-enabled routing system routes the call to a third call destination when the caller is not in compliance with the second business rule, and wherein the speech-enabled routing system routes the call to the desired call destination upon compliance with the second business rule.

9. The speech-enabled call routing system of claim 8, wherein the call is not routed to the desired destination until the caller complies with the second business rule.

10. The speech-enabled call routing system of claim 7, wherein the call is not routed to the desired destination until the caller complies with the first business rule.

11. The speech-enabled call routing system of claim 7, wherein the maximum amount of time for the voice message box of the caller to be full is two months, and wherein the caller is not in compliance with the first business rule when the voice message box of the caller has been full for over two months.

12. The speech-enabled call routing system of claim 7, wherein the call is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call.