Intuitive voice navigation
AssigneeCommonWealth Intellectual Property Holdings, Inc.
InventorsJason A. Ashton, Caroline G. Henton, Tarik J. Ghbeish, John P. Hopprich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Call flow information can build ‘intent’ into call flows having a series of intended steps and one or more alternative steps for selected intended steps. Users can advance in the call flow based on any response other than one or more alternative valid responses for the one intended step that lead in the call flow to one or more alternative steps to the one intended step because every action in the call flow motivates the user to follow the predetermined ordering. A user can proceed from a first intended step in the series of intended steps to a second intended step in the series of intended steps based on a user's response or information known or discovered about the user.
Claims29
A method for enhancing user experiences with Interactive Voice Response systems, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a computer system, call flow information establishing a call flow having a predetermined ordering of a series of intended steps and one or more alternative steps for selected intended steps in the series of intended steps, wherein users in the call flow advance from one intended step in the series of intended steps to another intended step in the series of intended steps based on any response other than one or more alternative valid responses for the one intended step that lead in the call flow to one or more alternative steps to the one intended step;
- determining, at the computer system, whether to allow a user to proceed from a first intended step in the series of intended steps to a second intended step in the series of intended steps;
- and based on a determination to allow the user to proceed from a first intended step in the series of intended steps to a second intended step in the series of intended steps, determining a first set of one or more messages for the second intended step based on the call flow information;
- communicating the first set of one or more messages to the user;
- and
- wherein the response other than one or more alternative valid responses causes the system to accept a default answer to the one intended step rather than to repeat the one intended step;
- and
- wherein the default answer corresponds to one of the one or more alternative valid responses.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program product having computer-executable code for Interactive Voice Response systems, the computer readable storage medium comprising:
- code for receiving call flow information establishing a call flow having a predetermined ordering of a series of intended steps and one or more alternative steps for selected intended steps in the series of intended steps, wherein users in the call flow advance from one intended step in the series of intended steps to another intended step in the series of intended steps based on any response other than one or more alternative valid responses for the one intended step that lead in the call flow to one or more alternative steps to the one intended step;
- code for determining whether to allow a user to proceed from a first intended step in the series of intended steps to a second intended step in the series of intended steps;
- and
- code for, based on a determination to allow the user to proceed from a first intended step in the series of intended steps to a second intended step in the series of intended steps, determining a first set of one or more messages for the second intended step based on the call flow information;
- and code for communicating the first set of one or more messages to the user;
- and
- wherein the response other than one or more alternative valid responses causes the system to accept a default answer to the one intended step rather than to repeat the one intended step;
- and
- wherein the default answer corresponds to one of the one or more alternative valid responses.
An Interactive Voice Response system having a set of one or more computer systems, the system comprising:
- means for receiving call flow information establishing a call flow having a predetermined ordering of a series of intended steps and one or more alternative steps for selected intended steps in the series of intended steps, wherein users in the call flow advance from one intended step in the series of intended steps to another intended step in the series of intended steps based on any response other than one or more alternative valid responses for the one intended step that lead in the call flow to one or more alternative steps to the one intended step;
- means for determining whether to allow a user to proceed from a first intended step in the series of intended steps to a second intended step in the series of intended steps;
- and means for, based on a determination to allow the user to proceed from a first intended step in the series of intended steps to a second intended step in the series of intended steps, determining a first set of one or more messages for the second intended step based on the call flow information;
- and means for communicating the first set of one or more messages to the user;
- wherein the response other than one or more alternative valid responses causes the system to accept a default answer to one intended step rather than to repeat the one intended step;
- and
- wherein the default answer corresponds to one of the one or more alternative valid responses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.