System and method for facilitating call routing using speech recognition
A computer-implemented method is described for optimizing prompts for a speech-enabled application. The speech-enabled application is operable to receive communications from a number of users and communicate one or more prompts to each user to illicit a response from the user that indicates the purpose of the user's communication. The method includes determining a number of prompt alternatives (each including one or more prompts) to evaluate and determining an evaluation period for each prompt alternative. The method also includes automatically presenting each prompt alternative to users during the associated evaluation period and automatically recording the results of user responses to each prompt alternative. Furthermore, the method includes automatically analyzing the recorded results for each prompt alternative based on one or more performance criteria and automatically implementing one of the prompt alternatives based on the analysis of the recorded results.
1 - 28 . (canceled)
29 . A computer-implemented method for facilitating call routing, the method comprising:
receiving one or more user utterances from a user during a communication session;
automatically identifying an action and an object from the one or more user utterances using one or more speech recognition techniques;
automatically accessing an action-object data set defining, for each of a plurality of action-object combinations, a transaction corresponding to that action-object combination;
automatically identifying from the action-object data set the transaction corresponding to the action and object identified from the user utterance; and
routing the communication session to a routing destination based on the identified transaction.
30 . A method according to claim 29 , wherein routing the user communication based on the identified transaction comprises:
automatically accessing a routing table corresponding a plurality of different routing destinations with a plurality of different transactions; and
automatically identifying from the routing table the routing destination corresponding with the identified transaction.
31 . A method according to claim 29 , wherein the action-object data set comprises an action-object matrix.
32 . A method according to claim 29 , wherein receiving one or more user utterances and automatically analyzing the one or more user utterances to identify an action and an object comprises:
automatically analyzing one or more first user utterances to attempt to identify an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances; and
if at least one of the action and the object is not identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances, automatically prompting the user for one or more second user utterances for determining the unidentified action or object.
33 . A method according to claim 29 , wherein receiving one or more user utterances and automatically analyzing the one or more user utterances to identify an action and an object comprises:
automatically analyzing one or more first user utterances to identify at least one of an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances; and
if an action, but not an object, is identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances:
automatically prompting the user for an object;
receiving one or more second user utterances from the user; and
automatically analyzing the one or more second user utterances to identify an object from the one or more second user utterances.
34 . A method according to claim 29 , wherein receiving one or more user utterances and automatically analyzing the one or more user utterances to identify an action and an object comprises:
automatically analyzing one or more first user utterances to identify at least one of an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances; and
if an object, but not an action, is identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances:
automatically prompting the user for an action;
receiving one or more second user utterances from the user; and
automatically analyzing the one or more second user utterances to identify an action from the one or more second user utterances.
35 . A method according to claim 29 , wherein the routing destination comprises an agent associated with the identified transaction.
36 . A method according to claim 29 , wherein the routing destination comprises an automated transaction module for facilitating the identified transaction for the user.
37 . A method according to claim 29 , further comprising forwarding at least one of the identified action and object to the routing destination.
38 . A computer-implemented system for facilitating call routing, the system comprising:
data storage including an action-object data set defining, for each of a plurality of different action-object combinations, a transaction corresponding to that action-object combination;
a dialog module that receives one or more user utterances from a user during a communication session;
a language modeling engine coupled to the dialog module and configured to automatically identify an action and an object from the one or more user utterances using one or more speech recognition techniques, and identify from the action-object data set the transaction corresponding to the action and object identified from the user utterance; and
a routing module coupled to the language modeling engine and configured to route the user communication to a routing destination based on the identified transaction.
39 . A system according to claim 38 , further comprising a routing table corresponding a plurality of different routing destinations with a plurality of different transactions; and
wherein the routing module is configured to identify from the routing table the routing destination corresponding with the identified transaction.
40 . A system according to claim 38 , wherein the language modeling engine is configured to automatically analyze one or more first user utterances to attempt to identify an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances, and if at least one of the action and the object is not identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances, automatically prompt the user for one or more second user utterances for determining the unidentified action or object.
41 . A system according to claim 38 , wherein the language modeling engine is configured to:
automatically analyze one or more first user utterances to identify at least one of an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances; and
if an action, but not an object, is identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances:
automatically prompt the user for an object; and
automatically analyzing one or more second user utterances received from the user to identify an object from the one or more second user utterances.
42 . A system according to claim 38 , wherein the language modeling engine is configured to:
automatically analyze one or more first user utterances to identify at least one of an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances; and
if an object, but not an action, is identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances:
automatically prompt the user for an action; and
automatically analyzing one or more second user utterances received from the user to identify an action from the one or more second user utterances.
43 . A system according to claim 38 , wherein the routing destination comprises an agent associated with the identified transaction.
44 . A system according to claim 38 , wherein the routing destination comprises an automated transaction module for facilitating the identified transaction for the user.
45 . A system according to claim 38 , wherein the routing module is configured to forward at least one of the identified action and object to the routing destination.
46 . A computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions for facilitating call routing, comprising:
instructions for receiving one or more user utterances from a user during a communication session;
instructions for identifying an action and an object from the one or more user utterances using one or more speech recognition techniques;
instructions for accessing an action-object data set defining, for each of a plurality of action-object combinations, a transaction corresponding to that action-object combination;
instructions for identifying from the action-object data set the transaction corresponding to the action and object identified from the user utterance; and
instructions for routing the communication session to a routing destination based on the identified transaction.
47 . A computer-readable medium according to claim 46 , wherein the instructions for routing the user communication based on the identified transaction comprise:
instructions for accessing a routing table corresponding a plurality of different routing destinations with a plurality of different transactions; and
instructions for identifying from the routing table the routing destination corresponding with the identified transaction.
48 . A computer-readable medium according to claim 46 , comprising:
instructions for analyzing one or more first user utterances to attempt to identify an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances; and
instructions for, if at least one of the action and the object is not identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances, prompting the user for one or more second user utterances for determining the unidentified action or object.
49 . A computer-readable medium according to claim 46 , comprising:
instructions for analyzing one or more first user utterances to identify at least one of an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances; and
instructions for, if an action, but not an object, is identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances:
prompting the user for an object;
receiving one or more second user utterances from the user; and
analyzing the one or more second user utterances to identify an object from the one or more second user utterances.
50 . A computer-readable medium according to claim 46 , comprising:
instructions for analyzing one or more first user utterances to identify at least one of an action and an object from the one or more first user utterances; and
instructions for, if an object, but not an action, is identified from the analysis of the one or more first user utterances:
prompting the user for an action;
receiving one or more second user utterances from the user; and
analyzing the one or more second user utterances to identify an action from the one or more second user utterances.
51 . A computer-readable medium according to claim 46 , further comprising instructions for forwarding at least one of the identified action and object to the routing destination.