Reducing telephone network traffic through utilization of pre-call information
Implementations receive, via a client device, user input to initiate a telephone call with an entity, and, in response to receiving the user input to initiate the telephone call with the entity and prior to initiating the telephone call with the entity: obtain pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity, and cause the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device. The pre-call information may include any information that would be provided for presentation to a user subsequent to initiation of the telephone call with the entity. Further, implementations determine, based on user consumption of the pre-call information, whether to (1) proceed with initiating the telephone call with the entity, or (2) refrain from initiating the telephone call with the entity, and cause the client device to implement the appropriate action.
1 . A method implemented by one or more processors, the method comprising:
receiving user input to initiate an assisted telephone call with an entity,
the user input being received via a client device of a user,
the user input identifying the entity,
the user input identifying a task to be performed by an automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call, and
the assisted telephone call to be initiated and conducted by the automated assistant;
in response to determining that the user input was provided by the user to initiate the assisted telephone call with the entity and prior to the automated assistant initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity:
obtaining, from one or more databases, pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call, the pre-call information being previously stored in the one or more databases based on one or more previous telephone calls with the entity related to the task;
causing the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device; and
causing a prompt that requests the user as to whether to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user or (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity;
receiving, from the user, and based on user consumption of the pre-call information, a user selection directed to a portion of the prompt;
determining, based on the user selection, whether to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user, or to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity;
in response to determining to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user:
causing the automated assistant to initiate and conduct the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user; and
in response to determining to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity:
causing the automated assistant to refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether a portion of the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call; and
wherein obtaining the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity is further in response to determining that the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call is related to the portion of the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the user input is a spoken utterance directed to the automated assistant.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein causing the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device comprises causing at least the portion of the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein causing at least the portion of the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device comprises causing the portion of the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user more prominently than any other portion of the pre-call information.
6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein causing the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device comprises causing only the portion of the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the user selection that is responsive to a first portion of the prompt, to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the user selection that is responsive to a second portion of the prompt that is distinct from the first portion of the prompt, to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
subsequent to causing the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device:
determining whether a temporal delay has lapsed subsequent to initially causing the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device; and
in response to determining that no further user input was received to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity and prior to the temporal delay lapsing, determining, based on the user consumption of the pre-call information by the user, to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
in response to determining that user input was received to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity and prior to the temporal delay lapsing, determining, based on the user consumption of the pre-call information by the user, to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity includes an entity deep link that is to be provided for visual presentation to the user via a display of the client device, and wherein the entity deep link is associated with one or more of: an alternate telephone call that is also associated with the entity or an additional entity that is in addition to the entity, or a software application that is associated with the entity.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, from the user, and based on the user consumption of the pre-call information by the user, a user selection of the entity deep link;
causing the client device to navigate to a webpage or software application associated with the entity; and
determining, based on the user consumption of the pre-call information by the user, to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity includes entity textual data that is to be provided for visual presentation to the user via a display of the client device.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity includes entity audio data that is to be provided for audible presentation to the user via one or more speakers of the client device.
15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the user input to initiate the assisted telephone call with the entity:
extracting the pre-call information; and
storing the pre-call information in association with the entity.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein extracting the pre-call information comprises:
causing the automated assistant or an additional automated assistant to engage in a plurality of automated telephone calls with the entity; and
monitoring the plurality of automated telephone calls with the entity to extract the pre-call information.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein storing the pre-call information in association with the entity comprises:
determining that the pre-call information was provided by the entity during a threshold quantity of the plurality of automated telephone calls with the entity.
18 . A system comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to be operable to:
receive user input to initiate an assisted telephone call with an entity,
the user input being received via a client device of a user,
the user input identifying the entity,
the user input identifying a task to be performed by an automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call, and
the assisted telephone call to be initiated and conducted by the automated assistant;
in response to determining that the user input was provided by the user to initiate the assisted telephone call with the entity and prior to the automated assistant initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity:
obtain, from one or more databases, pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call, the pre-call information being previously stored in the one or more databases based on one or more previous telephone calls with the entity related to the task;
cause the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device; and
cause a prompt that requests the user as to whether to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user or (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity;
receive, from the user, and based on user consumption of the pre-call information, a user selection directed to a portion of the prompt;
determine, based on the user selection, whether to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user, or to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity;
in response to determining to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user:
cause the automated assistant to initiate and conduct the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user; and
in response to determining to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity:
cause the automated assistant to refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity.
19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations to:
receive user input to initiate an assisted telephone call with an entity,
the user input being received via a client device of a user,
the user input identifying the entity,
the user input identifying a task to be performed by an automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call, and
the assisted telephone call to be initiated and conducted by the automated assistant;
in response to determining that the user input was provided by the user to initiate the assisted telephone call with the entity and prior to the automated assistant initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity:
obtain, from one or more databases, pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call, the pre-call information being previously stored in the one or more databases based on one or more previous telephone calls with the entity related to the task;
cause the pre-call information that is stored in association with the entity and that is related to the task to be performed by the automated assistant and on behalf of the user during the assisted telephone call to be provided for presentation to the user via the client device; and
cause a prompt that requests the user as to whether to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user or (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity;
receive, from the user, and based on user consumption of the pre-call information, a user selection directed to a portion of the prompt;
determine, based on the user selection, whether to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user, or to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity;
in response to determining to cause the automated assistant to (1) proceed with initiating and conducting the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user:
cause the automated assistant to initiate and conduct the assisted telephone call with the entity to perform the task on behalf of the user; and
in response to determining to cause the automated assistant to (2) refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity:
cause the automated assistant to refrain from initiating the assisted telephone call with the entity.