# US 8,543,406 B2 · Method and system for communicating with an interactive voice response (IVR) system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,406 B2 - Document ID: US8543406B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/357,645 - Filed: 2009-01-22 - Published: 2010-07-22 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2009-01-22 - Assignees: Yahoo! Inc. - Applicants: Su-Lin Wu; Kostas Tsioutsiouliklis; Arkady Borkovsky - Inventors: Su-Lin Wu; Kostas Tsioutsiouliklis; Arkady Borkovsky - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543406B2 ## CPC - H04M 3/493: Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries {; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals} - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract Disclosed is a method and system for interacting with an IVR system. In one aspect, a computing device receives a user request to connect to an IVR system to perform an action. A request for information (e.g., a request to select from a plurality of menu options) is obtained from the IVR system. In response to the request, the computing device automatically supplies an answer to the request for information to the IVR system. In one embodiment, the answer is a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal. The obtaining and supplying steps are repeated until the action has been performed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by a computing device, a user request to connect to an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to perform an action, the computing device independent of and communicating with the IVR system; connecting to the IVR system; obtaining, by the computing device from the IVR system, a request for information; automatically supplying, by the computing device, an answer to the request for information to the IVR system in response to the request for information; and repeating, by the computing device, the obtaining and supplying steps until the action has been performed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising storing, in a memory accessible by the computing device, decision trees of IVR systems. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the automatically supplying an answer to the request for information further comprises retrieving a decision tree from the stored decision trees. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the automatically supplying an answer to the request for information further comprises using the decision tree to determine the answer to the request. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising training the computing device so that the computing device correctly performs the automatically supplying step. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the training the computing device comprises: connecting to one IVR system in a plurality of IVR systems, each IVR system in the plurality comprising a decision tree; learning the decision tree for the one IVR system by traversing through every option in the decision tree; and repeating the connecting and learning steps for each IVR system in the plurality of IVR systems. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising storing, in a memory accessible by the computing device, each learned decision tree. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the obtaining a request for information comprises receiving a plurality of menu options. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the automatically supplying an answer to the request for information further comprises automatically selecting one of the plurality of menu options. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically supplying an answer to the request for information further comprises: providing the request for information to a user via an output device; and enabling the user to supply the answer to the request for information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an indication that the activity has been performed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically supplying an answer to the request for information to the IVR system further comprises transmitting, by the computing device, a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal to the IVR system. ### Claim 13 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer program instructions capable of being executed by a computer processor on a computing device, the computer program instructions defining the steps of: receiving, by the computer processor, a user request to connect to an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to perform an action, the computer processor independent of the IVR system; connecting, by the computer processor, to the IVR system; obtaining, by the computer processor from the IVR system, a request for information; automatically supplying, by the computer processor, an answer to the request for information to the IVR system in response to the request for information; and repeating, by the computer processor, the obtaining and supplying steps until the action has been performed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 further comprising storing, in a memory, decision trees of IVR systems. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable storage computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein the computer program instructions defining the step of automatically supplying an answer to the request for information further comprises computer program instructions defining the step of retrieving a decision tree from the stored decision trees. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable storage computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the automatically supplying an answer to the request for information further comprises computer program instructions defining the step of using the decision tree to determine the answer to the request. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of training the computing device so that the computing device correctly performs the automatically supplying step. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable storage computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein the computer program instructions defining the step of training the computing device further comprises computer program instructions defining the steps of: connecting to one IVR system in a plurality of IVR systems, each IVR system in the plurality comprising a decision tree; learning the decision tree for the one IVR system by traversing through every option in the decision tree; and repeating the connecting and learning steps for each IVR system in the plurality of IVR systems. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable storage computer readable medium of claim 18 further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of storing each learned decision tree. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the computer program instructions defining the step of automatically supplying an answer to the request for information further comprises computer program instructions defining the steps of: providing the request for information to a user via an output device; and enabling the user to supply the answer to the request for information. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the computer program instructions defining the step of automatically supplying an answer to the request for information to the IVR system further comprises computer program instructions defining the step of transmitting a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal to the IVR system.