IP Library Granted Patent US 8,976,942
Granted Patent B2
US 8,976,942 · App. 13/691,559 · Granted Mar 10, 2015

Method, system and software for implementing an automated call routing application in a speech enabled call center environment

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,976,942
App. No.
13/691,559
Granted
Mar 10, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, method and software for implementing an automated call routing application in a speech enabled call center environment are provided. In operation, the invention provides for the identification of a call center transaction selection from a natural language user utterance and the invocation of one or more scripts operable to route the user to a call center service agent configured to service the selected transaction. In the event a transaction selection cannot be readily identified or can only be partially identified, the invention provides for the initiation of a dialog module or script directed to eliciting a discernable transaction selection and/or the presentation of one or more menus from which the user may select an available call center transaction.

Claims (20)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including processor executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

responsive to receiving a call from a caller, comparing a time of day associated with the call with a set of call center conditions indicative of hours of operation;

communicating a condition message to the caller in response to the time of day not matching the hours of operation;

responsive to detecting a natural language utterance from the caller, identifying speech included in the utterance;

responsive to identifying a second indication of a previously indicated agent request in the speech, presenting a transfer-to-agent message to the caller and transferring the call to a selected agent;

responsive to identifying a first vague call center transaction selection, prompting the caller for an additional natural language utterance indicating selection of a call center transaction;

responsive to identifying a second vague call center transaction selection, prompting the caller for an additional natural language utterance indicating selection of a call center transaction from a menu of options, and presenting the menu of options to the caller; and

responsive to detecting at least one of an unknown action and an unknown object in the speech, initiating a dialogue to identify at least one of the unknown action or the unknown objection;

upon identification of a known action-object combination:

accessing a routing destinations table indicating service agents operable to service selected action-object combinations; and

routing the call to a destination associated with the known action-object combination.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the caller may respond to the menu of options using touch-tone selection.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the operations include:

prompting the caller to make a touch-tone selection from the menu of options when speech in the utterance cannot be identified.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations include:

prompting the caller for additional caller information in response to a first request for agent services by the caller.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations include:

responsive to determining unidentifiable speech in the utterance, initiating a clarification dialog with the caller.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations include:

responsive to determining unidentifiable speech in the utterance, presenting a second menu of options to the caller.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2017
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 041504/0952 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 029786 FRAME: 0574. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jun 7, 2016
From: BUSHEY, ROBERT R.; KNOTT, BENJAMIN A.; KORTH, SARAH
To: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
Reel/Frame 038897/0883 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 7, 2016
From: SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
To: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
Reel/Frame 038897/0958 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 7, 2016
From: AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 038897/0973 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2013
From: BUSHEY, ROBERT R.; KNOTT, BENJAMIN A.; KORTH, SARAH
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P., F/K/A SBC KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P.
Reel/Frame 029786/0574 →