Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis – Message management
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-25
2001-09-25
Tsang, Fan (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
Message management
C379S067100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06295342
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for managing a call processing tree. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for coordinating user responses to a call processing tree to enable efficient transcription of the responses.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Customer support, product support, and government services can often be most efficiently provided through an automated process. An automated call processing tree can be used to provide such services, enabling a user to access desired information or secure a desired service.
The call processing tree is configured by an administrator utilizing a system administration interface. Three different types of mailboxes available to the administrator in configuring the call processing tree for a particular application include a listen-only mailbox, a listen-respond mailbox, and a menu mailbox. These three mailbox types provide the administrator with considerable flexibility in configuring the call processing tree according to the administrator's needs.
The administrator utilizes a listen-only mailbox, a listen-respond mailbox or a menu mailbox at the first node in the call processing tree. The listen-only mailbox provides the user with a greeting, such as a welcome message. The listen-respond mailbox provides the user with a greeting that solicits a response from the user. The response is then recorded by the call processing application. The menu mailbox includes a greeting which directs the user to choose from a menu of options. The selection made by the user will then determine which mailbox will be accessed by the user next. The administrator is able to uniquely configure the call processing application by determining the sequence of mailboxes and the options available at the menu mailboxes. The listen-only mailbox is also utilized as a terminal mailbox in the call processing tree. A greeting is played, indicating that the user has come to the conclusion of the session with the call processing, and the call is disconnected.
Call processing applications have been utilized for a number of different purposes, ranging from providing airline flight arrival and departure information, automated banking services, technical support, and stock and bond quotations. A typical technical support call processing tree is utilized by a product support division of a computer company. A menu mailbox is accessed when the user connects to an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit supporting the call processing tree. The menu greeting requests the user to select the product for which technical support is required from a menu of products. A listen-respond mailbox might be utilized to collect information from the user regarding the place of purchase of the computer. A series of menu mailboxes is used to progressively narrow the scope of the user's technical problem until, ultimately, a solution to the problem is reached.
Although call processing applications are useful for providing technical support as described above, they currently are not well suited for such purposes as collecting information from a user to be processed to fill an order placed by the user. As a basic example, a call processing application might be configured to direct a call from a user to a first listen-respond mailbox which plays a greeting that asks the user the part number of the item which the user wishes to order. A second listen-respond mailbox then asks the user the quantity which the user wishes to order. A menu-mailbox then asks whether the user wishes to order any additional parts or not. If the user wishes to order more parts, the first mailbox is accessed again. If the user does not wish to order any more parts, a third listen-respond mailbox requests the user's credit card number. Finally, a listen-only mailbox plays a greeting indicating that the transaction is complete.
Listen-respond mailboxes of current call processing trees store their own responses. If a call processing tree designed for collecting user information employs multiple listen-respond mailboxes, as in the example above, it is difficult to correlate all of the responses of a single user. For instance, if in the example above twenty callers interact with the call processing tree and twenty responses are logged in the first mailbox, eighteen responses are logged in the second mailbox, and fifteen responses are logged in the third mailbox, a transcriber assigned to coordinate the responses of each user session is faced with a considerable challenge. The transcriber is forced to access each mailbox separately and correlate each order with the corresponding credit card number. Considerable work may be required to determine which of the users hung up prior to completing the transaction and which, if any, made more than one purchase order.
What is required is a method and apparatus for coordinating user responses to a call processing tree that enables efficient transcription of all responses of a user recorded in a single session with the call processing tree.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method for coordinating multiple user responses solicited from a user during a single call session with an interactive voice response (IVR) unit includes receiving a first transmission from a user communication device via a communication network, the transmission causing the IVR unit to open a voice-form voice file. A first response request is transmitted to the user, soliciting a first user response. The first user response is recorded and subsequently appended to the voice-form voice file after the response is received from the user communication device. A second response request is transmitted to the user soliciting a second user response. After receiving the second user response, the second response is appended to the voice-form voice file. In a preferred embodiment, a separator is appended to the voice-form voice file before appending the second response. Upon completion of the session, a termination message is transmitted to the user which informs the user that the current session with the IVR unit is complete, and the address of the voice-form voice file is stored in a voice file database.
Information is provided to the transcriber regarding a current position in the voice form by a voice form comment mailbox whose greeting is appended to the voice form when processing of the call processing tree reaches that mailbox. In a preferred embodiment, the greeting is a message, typically recorded by the administrator who set up the call processing tree, which provides information to a transcriber regarding a mailbox either preceding or subsequent to the voice-forms comment mailbox. For instance, the greeting might indicate a user selection in a menu mailbox. In this manner, a transcriber is assisted in tracking the path of a user through a call processing tree.
An IVR unit capable of coordinating multiple user responses solicited from a user during a session with the IVR unit includes a user interface configured to transmit command signals in response to a transmission received from a remotely located communication device. Execution of the instructions enables the user to traverse through multiple mailboxes of the call processing application supported by the IVR unit. The command signals include a create voice file command, an append voice information to voice file command, a play voice file command, and a save voice file command.
A voice channel control unit responsive to the command signals transmitted by the user interface is configured to create a new voice-form voice file in response to the create voice file command, to append user generated voice information into a voice-form voice file in response to the append voice information to voice file command, to play a voice-form voice file over the communication link in response to the play voice file command, and to save the voice file in response to the save voice file command.
An application database connected to the user interface includes memory for storing the call processing applicat
Foster Roland G.
Siemens Information and Communication Networks Inc.
Tsang Fan
LandOfFree
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