Abstract:
In communications systems where multiple users may be associated with the same account, the voiceprint of a user is used to identify a profile of the user, facilitating identification of the user's preferences without requesting additional information from the user. The system may also monitor messages played to individual users, to control the playing of the messages to users. Calls made by users associated with the same account may be allocated to the caller initiating the call in bills, based on voiceprints. Voiceprints may be collected for use in deriving voiceprint samples during registration of a user with the system and during conversations between the user and the system. A voiceprint comparison threshold may be set based on the type of phone calling the system, to compensate for noise. Changes in phone numbers and/or addresses of users are monitored and the threshold is adjusted if changes are found.
Abstract:
A search-routing database in used to direct database search requests to only those databases that may contain results to the search request. The search-routing database contains a subset of the data fields from the other databases in the network, along with a field indicating the database to which the search request should be routed. When a database search request is received, a modified search request is generated based on the overlap between the type of information contained in the search request and the type of information contained in the data-fields of the search routing database. This modified search request is submitted to the search-routing database, which returns a list of database candidates which could produce results to the original search request. The original search request is then submitted to those database candidates, and the results are returned to the user.
Abstract:
A method of monitoring call center attendants' assistance to callers is provided in which a call monitor is configured to record interaction between attendants and callers. Such interaction may be recorded for all, or substantially all, calls received at a call center. The reviewer optionally specifies criteria concerning calls that are to be recorded. The call monitor connects to a call center switch after a call attendant logs in. When the attendant receives a call matching the specified criteria, if any, the call monitor records interaction the attendant and the caller to create a call record. In a present embodiment of the invention, the call record is stored on the call monitor in compressed digital format. To replay a call record, the reviewer connects to a web server or other interface through an internetwork connection. From the web server the supervisor selects a call record to be played. The call monitor plays the call recording via streaming audio, across the internetwork connection, on the reviewer's computer.
Abstract:
A user while traveling may call an operator in an information/call center to request directions to a desired destination. In response, the operator obtains a directions file containing the requested directions. To facilitate the user receiving directions in installments in accordance with the invention, the directions file has an indicator associated therewith. The requested directions are read from the directions file to the user by an interactive voice response (IVR) unit via synthesized voice. The indicator is used to indicate in the file which direction is to be read to the user. The user may terminate the call after hearing a desired quantity of directions. When the user subsequently needs another installment of directions, the user may call back the IVR unit which then continues to read directions in the directions file from where the associated indicator indicates. The above process can be repeated, thereby enabling the user to controllably receive the directions in installments.
Abstract:
Telephone users desiring directory assistance services are connected via standard telephone procedures to a directory assistance provider, such as an operator. An operator provides the destination number and initiates a connection to that number. Once that connection is initiated, the connection is monitored for the occurrence of a predetermined condition, such as a busy signal. If no such condition is detected, the caller proceeds with the call in the normal manner. If, however, such a condition is detected, the caller is automatically transferred to a directory assistance provider for further help.
Abstract:
In providing an information assistance service, information assistance calls are routed through a telephone carrier switch to information/call centers for handling the calls. For each call, the carrier switch establishes a Voice over Internal protocol (VoIP) call session, and conducts handshaking with a redirect server in an information assistance system, e.g., in accordance with a session initiation protocol (SIP). In response to an Invit e message to the redirect server, the redirect server provides a list of available call cente rs in a Multiple Choices response message to the carrier switch. The latter negotiates with ones of t he call centers on the list to set up the VoIP call session.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to using an information assistance service to send a message to a desired destination, e.g., an e-mail address, or other addresses associated with wireless telephones, pagers, SMSs, PDAs, PIM systems, etc. The message may include multimedia information, e.g., audio, video and/or text information. The information assistance service provider obtains "message overhead" data, as opposed to message content or body, from the caller or from external or internal databases such as the caller's contacts folders (also known as private directories) and user profiles. Such message overhead data may include "envelope" information such as the destination address (e.g., e-mail address) to which the message is to be delivered, destination name, sender's name and return address (e.g., return e- mail address). The data may also include a carbon copy (CC) address(es), a subject line, a signature, and/or notes for attachment to the message body, as well as a message ID for keeping trac k of the message. The message overhead data are entered automatically into the data fields bas ed on one or more criteria such as the data used in the previous message or the data used most frequently. If the correct data are not available automatically, the operator may type the data in using auto completion. The information assistance service provider transmits the messag e overhead data to a message server, and connects the caller to the message server to record th e message content to complete the message. The message server then integrates the received messag e overhead data with the recorded message content, and sends the resulting message to the desired destination. Using the message ID, the recipient may send a reply to the sender via the information assistance service provider. The reply, which includes reply overhead data and reply message content, may be in the form of a telephone call or an electronic reply or a combination o f the two. The messaging feature of the present invention may be offered to a caller who attempted a call but for some reason the call was incomplete and the caller is returned to the information assistance service provider for more assistance.