System and method for voice activated provisioning of telecommunication services

• US 8,494,140 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Younger, Keith, Smith, Shane M., Dwyer, Kendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US12/261,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20100111269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,727 Days
• Field of Search: 379 8801- 8806, 379/201.12, 379 101- 35, 379 671- 8828, 379 9301- 9304, 37910201-10802, 379 9317- 9325, 3791141-11413, 37926501-2661, 37920101-20105, 704270-278, 370351-357, 370216-271, 4554121-420, 455/426.1, 4555501-560, 4554121-4262, 709201-207, 709217-248
• US Class Current: 379/201.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/13 Digital output to plotter ; Cooperation and interconnection of the plotter with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A system and method for provisioning communications services. A remote device controlled by a user is linked with a provisioning system. A verbal selection of a menu associated with a library is received for performing one or more actions within the provisioning system. One or more verbal commands associated with the menu are received. A determination is made of an action within the library associated with the one or more verbal commands. The action associated with the one or more verbal commands is performed in the provisioning system to provision the communications services.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning communications services, the method comprising:

linking a remote device controlled by a user with a provisioning system;

authenticating the user is authorized to access the provisioning system;

receiving user input selecting to receive confirmations from the provisioning system of one or more verbal commands received from the user, wherein user options for selecting the confirmations include audibly, visually, and audibly and visually and are implemented in response to the user input;

receiving an initial verbal selection of a category of menu to be utilized by the provisioning system, wherein the category of menu is selected from a plurality of menu categories, and the plurality of menu categories include a shortcut defined by the user;

displaying the initial verbal selection on a graphical user interface;

receiving one or more secondary verbal commands associated with the category of menu initially selected, wherein the secondary verbal command is selected from a plurality of secondary verbal commands associated with the initially selected menu category;

suggesting a plurality of solutions and actions associated with the one or more secondary verbal commands;

receiving an action selection from the user;

performing the selected action associated with the one or more secondary verbal commands in the provisioning system to provision the communications services; and

communicating the confirmations from the provisioning system to the user in response to the user input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote device and the provisioning system are linked through a dedicated phone line.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the remote device is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, and wherein the VoIP phone is configured to display the confirmations in response to the user input.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of menus and the plurality of secondary verbal commands include at least diagnostics, provisioning, and inventory.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a response indicating to the user whether the action was performed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the response is a text-to-voice conversion performed by the provisioning system.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising;

determining whether the remote device is configured to receive visual information; and

automatically displaying the one or more commands and the response to the remote device in response to the user input and determining the remote device is configured to receive visual information.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the action is associated with the one or more verbal commands utilizing speech recognition.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user associates each of the plurality of voice commands with a voice of the user and one or more of a plurality of actions.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a current state of the provisioning system; and

configuring telecommunications circuits and services utilizing the provisioning system to perform the action.

11. A voice controlled provisioning system, the system comprising:

a voice response system for detecting one or more verbal commands received from a remote device operated by a user and confirming the one or more verbal commands received from the user, wherein user options for selecting confirmations include audibly, visually, and audibly and visually implemented according to a user selection;

a graphical user interface for displaying the one or more verbal commands received from a remote device;

a plurality of categories of menus in communication with the voice response system, the plurality of categories of menus being selected based on an initial voice command, and the plurality of categories include a shortcut defined by the user;

a plurality of command libraries associated with each of the plurality of categories of menus, the libraries including a plurality of secondary voice commands associated with one or more actions; and

a control in communication with the voice response system, the control being configured to determine the user is authorized to access the voice controlled provisioning system, select a category of menu based upon an initial verbal command and suggest a plurality of solutions and actions associated with the selected category of menu based upon the one or more secondary verbal commands to provision communications services, receiving an action selection from the user, perform the selected action to provision communications services.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the voice response system sends a confirmation of the communications services provisioned, and wherein the control sends a command to one or more remote devices for implementing the provisioning.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the voice response system utilizes speech recognition to determine the action associated with the one or more verbal commands, wherein only the voice commands of the selected library and menu are available to the user.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the provisioning system determines whether the remote device is operable to display information to the user, and wherein the provisioning system automatically sends the confirmation to the remote device for display to the user in response to determining the remote device is operable to display the information.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising user preferences in communication with the voice response system, the user preferences store information for implementing the one or more voice commands based on user input, and wherein the plurality of menus and the plurality of libraries include at least diagnostics and provisioning.

16. A voice controlled provisioning system, the system comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions;

a memory for storing the set of instructions, the set of instructions being operable to;

link a remote device controlled by a user with a provisioning system;

authenticate the user is authorized to access the provisioning system;

receive user input selecting to receive confirmations from the voice controlled provisioning system of one or more verbal commands received from the user, user options for the confirmations include audibly, visually, and audibly and visually and are implemented in response to the user input;

receive an initial verbal selection of a category of menu to be utilized by the provisioning system, wherein the category of menu is selected from a plurality of menu categories, and the plurality of menu categories include a shortcut defined by the user;

receive one or more secondary verbal commands associated with the category of menu initially selected, wherein the secondary verbal command is selected from a plurality of secondary verbal commands associated with the initially selected menu category;

suggest a plurality of solutions and actions associated with the one or more secondary verbal commands;

receive an action selection from the user;

perform the selected action associated with the one or more secondary verbal commands in the provisioning system to provision the communications services; and

communicate the confirmations from the voice controlled provisioning system to the user in response to the user input; and

a graphical user interface for displaying the one or more verbal commands received from the user.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are further operable to:

authenticate the user is authorized to perform the action; and

switch between a plurality of menus in response to a verbal command.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are further operable to:

display information regarding the action to the remote device in response to the user input and a determination the remote device is operable to display the information; and

associate each of a plurality of voice commands with a voice of the user and one or more of a plurality of actions.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are further operable to:

audibly play information to the remote device about the action, wherein the voice controlled provisioning system includes a plurality of menus and a plurality of libraries comprising at least diagnostics and provisioning.