System and method for voice and data convergence

• US 7,809,118 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Peters, Michael, Saleh, Nayel
• Primary Examiner(s): Al Aubaidi; Rasha S
• Application Number:
  US10/901,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20060023867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.09, 379/265.02, 379/88.14
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• 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 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

The method and apparatus is for converting messages and responses between text messages of a user and voice responses of at least one agent in an automatic contact distribution system having a plurality of agents. In one embodiment, the method includes sending a text message in a text format from first location via a network; receiving the text message from the network at a second location; and converting the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format. The method further includes converting a voice response in the voice format from an agent to a text response in the text format, the voice response being in response to the text message; and sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network. Thus, the user appears to communicate with the agent on a text basis, and the agent appears to communicate with the user on a voice basis.

Claims

1. A method of converting messages and responses between text messages of a user at a first location and voice responses of at least one agent in an automatic contact distribution system at a second location having a plurality of agents and a plurality of format conversion plug-ins, comprising:

assigning a respective plug-in of the plurality of plug-ins to respective selected agents of the plurality of agents and activating the respective plug-in in response to the respective selected agent logging on;

receiving a text message in a text format at the automatic contact distribution system from the user at the first location via a network;

assigning one of the selected agents to handle the text message and enabling the plug-in assigned to the assigned selected agent in response to a determination that the plug-in is required;

converting in the enabled plug-in the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format;

converting in the enabled plug-in a voice response in the voice format from an agent to a text response in the text format, the voice response being in response to the converted text message; and

sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network;

wherein text is sent to and received from the user such that the user appears to the user to communicate with the agent solely on a text basis, and wherein simultaneously, the agent appears to the agent to communicate with the user solely on a voice basis in substantially real time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user communicates with the agent on a web connection on a text basis, and the agent communicates with the user on a voice basis in substantially real time without establishing a high bandwidth voice channel.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is at least one of a local area network, a wide area network, and the Internet.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second location is a communications system, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing at least one plug-in pre-configured for a respective agent that implements text-to-voice and voice-to-text conversion in the communications system;

assigning the at least one preconfigured plug-in to the respective agent and enabling the preconfigured plug-in for the respective agent when the respective agent becomes available; and

activating the at least one preconfigured plug-in for the agent when a text message is received at the communication system.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the communication system has a plurality of agents and a plurality of preconfigured plug-ins, and wherein the method further comprises determining for a respective agent of the plurality of agents at least one preconfigured plug-in, which is assigned to the respective agent.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises activating the preconfigured plug-in for the agent when the agent logs onto the communication system.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the communication system is an automatic call distribution system.

8. A method of converting messages and responses between text messages of a user at a first location and voice responses of an agent in an automatic contact distribution system at a second location, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of agents and a plurality of format conversion plug-ins at the second location;

assigning at least one respective format conversion plug-in to each of respective agents of the plurality of agents;

receiving a text message in a text format at the second location from the first location via a network;

selecting the respective agent from the plurality of agents to respond to the text message;

activating the respective format conversion plug-in for the respective agent;

converting the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format in the respective format conversion plug-in;

converting a voice response in the voice format from an agent to a text response in the text format in the respective format conversion plug-in, the voice response being in response to the converted text message; and

sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network;

wherein the user appears to the user to communicate with the agent on a text basis, and wherein simultaneously the agent appears to the agent to communicate with the user on a voice basis.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user communicates with the agent on a web connection on a text basis, and the agent communicates with the user on a voice basis in substantially real time without establishing a voice path.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the network is at least one of a local area network, a wide area network, and the Internet.

11. An apparatus for converting messages and responses between text messages of a user at a first location and voice responses of at least one agent in an automatic contact distribution system at a second location having a plurality of agents and a plurality of format conversion plug-ins, comprising:

means for assigning a respective plug-in of the plurality of plug-ins to respective selected agents of the plurality of agents;

means for receiving a text message in a text format at the second location from the first location via a network;

means for assigning one of the selected agents to handle the text message;

means for enabling the plug-in assigned to the assigned selected agent to convert the text message from a text format to a voice message in a voice format in real-time;

means for enabling the plug-in assigned to the assigned selected agent to convert a voice response in the voice format from the assigned selected agent to a text response in the text format, the voice response being in response to the text message; and

means for sending the text response from the second location to the first location via the network;

wherein the user appears to the user to communicate with the agent solely on a text basis, and wherein the assigned selected agent appears to the agent to communicate with the user solely on a voice basis in a pseudo-real-time connection.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the second location is a communication system, and wherein the method further comprises providing at least one plug-in that implements text-to-voice and voice-to-text conversion in the communication system;

assigning the at least one plug-in to the agent; and

activating the at least one plug-in for the agent when a text message is received at the communication system.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the communication system has a plurality of agents and a plurality of plug-ins, and wherein the method further comprises determining for a respective agent of the plurality of agents at least one plug-in, which is assigned to the respective agent.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the communication system is an automatic call distribution system.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the user communicates with the agent on a web connection on a text basis, and the agent communicates with the user on a voice basis in substantially real time without establishing a voice path.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the network is at least one of a local area network, a wide area network, and the Internet.