System and method for providing a multi-modal communications infrastructure for automated call center operation

• US 8,068,595 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US11/981,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20080118051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.01, 379/210.01, 379/88.13, 379/265.02, 379/265.05, 379/88.01, 455/412, 455/412.1
• US Class Current: 379/265.01
• 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 multi-modal call is accepted from a caller through a telephony interface, which accommodates multi-modal calls including at least one of verbal speech and text messaging. Incoming speech in the multi-modal call is converted into transcribed text. Incoming text messaging is matched with the transcribed text. The multi-modal call is automatically assigned through a session manager to a session under operation of a live agent. The transcribed text and incoming text messaging are progressively processed during the session through an agent application by performing a customer support scenario interactively monitored and controlled by the live agent.

Claims

1. A system for providing a multi-modal communications infrastructure for automated call center operation, comprising:

a telephony interface configured to accept a multi-modal call from a caller;

a messaging server configured to automatically assign the multi-modal call through a session manager to a session under operation of a live agent;

a speech recognition module configured to convert incoming speech from the caller into transcribed text;

a text message processor configured to match incoming text messaging originating from the caller simultaneously with the incoming speech, with the transcribed text during the session that is on-going; and

an agent console configured to progressively process the transcribed text and the incoming text messaging during the session through an agent application by performing a customer support scenario interactively monitored and controlled by the live agent.

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

a database configured to store the incoming text messaging as a log entry and to match the log entry with a stored copy of the transcribed text.

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

a caller identification module configured to assign a caller identification to the incoming text messaging; and

the messaging server configured to forward the incoming text messaging to the live agent based on the caller identification.

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

a post-processing module configured to perform post-processing on the incoming text messaging.

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

an identification module configured to flag the incoming text messaging as verbatim caller data; and

a database configured to store the flagged incoming text messaging.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the live agent processes the incoming speech by listening to the multi-modal call and by performing an action comprising at least one of annotating and manually transcribing the incoming speech.

2. A method for providing a multi-modal communications infrastructure for automated call center operation, comprising:

accepting a multi-modal call from a caller through a telephony interface and automatically assigning the multi-modal call through a session manager to a session under operation of a live agent;

receiving voice communications and text messages that simultaneously originate from the caller;

converting incoming speech from the voice communications in the multi-modal call into transcribed text;

matching at least one of the text messages from the caller with the transcribed text of the incoming speech during the session that is on-going; and

progressively processing the transcribed text and the incoming text messaging during the session through an agent application by performing a customer support scenario interactively monitored and controlled by the live agent.

8. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

storing the incoming text messaging as a log entry; and

matching the log entry with a stored copy of the transcribed text.

9. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

assigning a caller identification to the incoming text messaging; and

forwarding the text messaging to the live agent based on the caller identification.

10. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

performing post-processing on the incoming text messaging.

11. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

flagging the incoming text messaging as verbatim caller data; and

storing the flagged incoming text messaging.

12. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

processing, by the live agent, the incoming speech by listening to the multi-modal call; and

performing an action comprising at least one of annotating and manually transcribing the incoming speech.

13. A system for providing service provisioning to a caller through multi-modal communication, comprising:

a message server configured to assign an incoming multi-modal call from a caller to a call session having a unique caller identification and which is managed by an agent;

a telephony interface configured to receive verbal speech communication from the caller during the call session;

a speech recognition module configured to convert the verbal speech to transcribed text and further configured to provide the transcribed text to the agent;

a text gateway configured to receive incoming text messages originating from the caller simultaneously with the verbal speech communication;

an identification module configured to assign the unique caller identification to each incoming text message and further configured to provide the incoming text messages to the agent based on the unique caller identification; and

a text-to-speech engine configured to receive outgoing text messages from the agent and further configured to convert the outgoing text messages into an outgoing stream of synthesized speech that is presented to the caller.

14. A system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive the verbal speech communication and the incoming text messages into a call center through separate streams of communication and further configured to pair the verbal speech communication and the incoming text messages, comprising;

a caller identification module configured to assign the unique caller identification to the verbal speech communication; and

a call match module configured to match the unique caller identification of the verbal speech communication and the incoming text messages to the caller session.

15. A system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a database configured to store the transcribed text and the incoming text messages to a call log.

16. A system according to claim 13, further comprising:

a caller information module configured to receive the multi-modal call from a mobile communication device, further configured to obtain caller information from the mobile communication device comprising locational data, and further configured to analyze the locational data to determine a location of the caller.

17. A method for providing service provisioning to a caller through multi-modal communication, comprising:

assigning an incoming multi-modal call from a caller to a call session having a unique caller identification and which is managed by an agent; and

providing service provisioning to the caller during the multi-modal call, comprising;

receiving verbal speech communication and text messages that simultaneously originate from the caller during the call session and converting the verbal speech to transcribed text;

providing the transcribed text to the agent;

assigning the unique caller identification to each incoming text message;

providing the incoming text messages to the agent based on the unique caller identification; and

receiving outgoing text messages from the agent and converting the outgoing text messages into an outgoing stream of synthesized speech that is presented to the caller.

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

receiving the verbal speech communication and the incoming text messages into a call center through separate streams of communication; and

pairing the verbal speech communication and the incoming text messages, comprising;

assigning the unique caller identification to the verbal speech communication; and

matching the unique caller identification of the verbal speech communication and the incoming text messages to the caller session.

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

storing the transcribed text and the incoming text messages to a call log.

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

receiving the multi-modal call from a mobile communication device;

obtaining caller information from the mobile communication device comprising locational data; and

analyzing the locational data to determine a location of the caller.