Telecommunications system and method for automatic call recognition and distribution

A telecommunications apparatus comprising:

• a call receiving node to receive a telephone call from a caller including:
• (i) an interactive voice response module adapted to interrogate the caller to determine caller and service information identifying the caller and the type of service required by the caller,
• (ii) an automatic speech recognition module arranged to recognize a caller's speech responses to the interactive voice response module;
• and
• (iii) an interface adapted to communicate with a remotely-located call processing center for forwarding said caller and service information to said call processing center where the call processing center connects the telephone call, forwarded from the call receiving node, to an appropriate call destination for the service required by the caller as determined by processing, within the call processing center, said forwarded caller and service information thereby acting to liberate the call receiving node for other incoming telephone calls.

A method for connecting a caller in a telecommunications system to one of a plurality of call destinations providing different services, said method comprising:

• receiving an incoming telephone call from a caller at a call receiving node;
• interrogating the caller by interactive response procedures to determine caller and service information about the caller and a type of service required by the caller;
• forwarding the telephone call and the caller and service information to a remotely-located call processing center;
• receiving and processing the forwarded caller and service information at the call processing center, thereby acting to liberate the call receiving node for other incoming telephone calls;
• and
• connecting the telephone call, forwarded by the call receiving node to the call processing center, to an appropriate call destination in accordance with the processing of the caller and service information.

A method for connecting a caller in a telecommunications system to one of a plurality of call destinations providing different services, said method comprising:

• receiving an incoming telephone call from a caller at a call receiving node;
• interrogating the caller by interactive voice response procedures using automatic speech recognition to determine caller and service information identifying the caller's identity and the type of service required by the caller;
• forwarding the caller and service information to a remotely-located call processing center;
• receiving and processing the forwarded information at the call processing center, thereby acting to liberate the call receiving node for other incoming calls;
• and
• connecting the call, forwarded by the call receiving node to the call processing center, to an appropriate call destination in accordance with the processing of the caller and service information.