Data processing: speech signal processing – linguistics – language – Speech signal processing – Application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-19
2001-06-05
Dorvil, Richemond (Department: 2741)
Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language
Speech signal processing
Application
C704S246000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243684
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to methods, software, and apparatuses for providing directory assistance, and more particularly to providing a speech recognition interface between a live directory assistance operator and a computer database.
BACKGROUND ART
The telecommunications industry is constantly seeking ways of reducing the high labor costs associated with operator assisted calling services while simultaneously increasing customer satisfaction. Because of the need to reduce labor costs, the trend in operator assisted call management is to automate as much of the task as practicable without sacrificing customer satisfaction. For instance, in some cases the caller is greeted and prompted for information by a recording made in the voice of a live operator, who comes on line shortly before the caller utters his or her request. Such a system improves efficiency and lowers labor costs because the automated response reduces operator work time and reduces operator fatigue by automating this initial greeting phrase. This type of automated response increases customer satisfaction because the partial automation of the system is transparent to the caller; the caller hears only one voice and is unable to distinguish the recorded message from the live operator.
In most current day systems, the operator interprets the calling customer's request and then communicates with a computer-based search algorithm and stored database via a conventional keyboard. The computer forwards the search results to the operator's screen, and the live operator releases the selected listing to the caller via an audio response system if an exact match has been found by the computer. If the computer finds multiple listings that match the search request, the live operator must then question, suggest, or identify the number with the caller's assistance. If the customer accepts one of these numbers, the call is released to the audio response system. If the customer does not accept one of these numbers, the operator often must give the caller a nothing found report, or engage in a second search if additional listing details are provided by the customer.
In an effort to further reduce labor costs, there have been numerous attempts to fully automate a telephone directory assistance system through the use of voice recognition technology and other technological advancements. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,479,488 to Lennig et al., 5,659,597 to Bareis et al. and 5,638,425 to Meador, III et al. all teach automated directory assistance systems that rely upon a computer to play recorded prompts to the caller and then interpret the caller's responses with a speech recognition system. While such systems can conceivably lower labor costs, they unfortunately can result in a large decrease in customer satisfaction because speech recognition technology is not yet capable of effectively recognizing the voices of the entire pool of calling customers. In addition, even if the words spoken by the caller are recognized, there remains a significant probability that the computer will be unable to understand and translate the recognized words into a searchable query. Because of these shortcomings, automated systems must often rely upon live operators to act as backups when the automated system fails. Even when these systems perform correctly, customer satisfaction is often reduced because it is generally difficult to make the operation of such a system so transparent that the calling customer is unable to realize that they are communicating with a machine rather than a live operator assistant.
It should therefore be understood that the overall success of a directory assistance system requires an appropriate balancing of a variety of competing interests including calling customer satisfaction, job satisfaction of live operator assistants, labor and equipment costs associated with the system, and the satisfaction of subscribers who often pay to have their number listed with the director assistance service (e.g. Yellow Pages). Thus, the primary dimensions by which the success of a directory assistance system may be measured include: increasing the number of correct listings given by the system to caller requests; correspondingly decreasing the number of incorrect listings given out and thereby lessening the costs to the subscribers who pay for the service, if applicable; improving the interface between calling customers and the operator so that the utilization of new technology is transparent to the calling customer; and finally, improving the qualitative aspects of the live operator's job by introducing appropriate technology. Finally, in the telephone industry, every second, or a portion of every second saved per call can mean a literal savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
The present invention is directed to improving upon these and other aspects of directory assistance systems.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, a directory assistance system provides requested information to a caller based upon identifying information provided by the caller to the system. Types of information that may be requested by the calling customer and retrieved from a database by a directory assistance operator utilizing the present invention may include such examples as telephone numbers, internet domain names, internet electronic mail addresses, Dunn & Bradstreet financial information pertaining to a particular company, or specific brand names associated with a particular manufacturer. The system includes means for conveying the identifying information to a live operator, such as by a direct telephone audio connection or by playing back recorded customer information to the live operator. A computer has access to a telephone directory database, or similar type of informational database, and a means for searching the directory database in response to an inquiry. A voice communication interface from the live operator to the computer includes a speech recognition system capable of converting a spoken inquiry from the live operator into an interpreted searchable inquiry that is available to the means for searching. Preferably, the speech recognition system is personalized and trained to recognize the specific live operator, and the operator has some insight into the database structure and the searching algorithms used by the computer. In this way, overall system reliability can be improved while retaining the perceived live contact that calling customers desire and have come to expect.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of directory assistance provides a requested telephone number, or other type of information capable of being stored and retrieved from a computer database, to a caller based upon identifying information provided by the caller. The method includes the initial steps of establishing a telephonic connection with the caller, and then conveying the identifying information provided by the caller to a live operator. A speech recognition system is positioned between the live operator and a computer that has access to a telephone directory database, or other type of informational database, which includes, but is not restricted to telephone numbers. The database is searched in response to a spoken inquiry by the live operator to the computer via the speech recognition system, wherein the spoken inquiry is an interpretation of the identifying information provided by the caller. The method is completed by releasing the search result to the caller.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, a software program executable on a computer processor is used to aid a telephone directory assistance operator in retrieving a desired listing from a directory computer database. The software includes a means for speech recognition that is trainable to recognize the speech of an individual telephone directory assistance operator. The software also includes a means for searching the directory computer database based upon a spoken inquiry to the means for speech reco
Hornback Don
Stuart Robert O.
Stuart Scott P.
Dorvil Richemond
Liell & McNeil
USADA, Inc.
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