Directory assistance dialog with configuration switches to switch from automated speech recognition to operator-assisted dialog

#An early step toward automation of directory assistance was the use of store and forward technology to assist live operators. The caller was asked for a locality by a pre-recorded prompt. The store and forward system stored a compressed version of the caller's response to the prompt, and brought a live operator onto the line. The operator heard a compressed version of the response and then completed the remaining dialog with the caller to provide a unique telephone number

#More recently another form of automated directory assistance has been developed, which uses automated speech recognition technology to recognize a locality from the caller's response to a prompt. In a typical system, if the speech recognition is successful, the system asks for the listing, puts an operator on the line, populates the operator's workstation display with the recognized locality, and plays a recorded compressed version of the caller's response to the listing question. The operator then conducts the remaining dialog.

#Systems have been developed that attempt to carry the speech recognition through the entire dialog of locality, database listing, clarification, and disambiguation. Recognition success rates have increased but are not 100%. The conventional approach to improving the success rate is to “tune” the system by recording callers' responses and using them to expand the speech recognition capability.

#FIG. 1 illustrates the basic dialog of a method of controlling the level of directory assistance automation, using configuration switches in accordance with one aspect of the invention.

#FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a sub-dialog for callers who indicate that they desire a residential listing in response to Question 3 of FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a sub-dialog for the give-out process of FIG. 1.

#The method described herein provides a path of service evolution from operator-assisted (OP) directory assistance to fully automated speech recognition (ASR) directory assistance. In the example of FIG. 1, the OP path uses store and forward (SF) techniques, but other operator-assisted techniques could be used.

#As illustrated in FIG. 1, in response to a caller's dial-up for directory assistance, a dialog with the caller conditionally proceeds, continuing with an ASR dialog so long as the recognition is successful. At any step, if the recognition is not successful, the unrecognized responses are stored and forwarded to an OP path. This permits the level of automation to vary according to the particular call.

#In addition to conditionally progressing on the basis of ASR success or failure, the dialog is implemented with “configuration switches”, which can be set so that branching out of ASR can be caused. By setting each switch, the dialog may be configured at any one of various stages of the dialog. The switches may be set such that a given configuration is implemented for all calls. Alternatively, the switches can be set so that any particular caller's dialog can branch from ASR to SF service at any given point in the call. These switches are “software switches” in the sense that the method of FIG. 1 is computer-implemented and under control of a computer program.