WO2002017604A1

WO2002017604A1 - Automated business form information acquisition system

Info

Publication number: WO2002017604A1
Application number: PCT/US2001/022570
Authority: WO
Inventors: Syed Abdulkader El Shariff Bin Mohamed Alhadad; Susan Wagner
Original assignee: Golden Voice Technology And Training, L.L.C.
Priority date: 2000-08-24
Filing date: 2001-07-18
Publication date: 2002-02-28
Also published as: AU2001273554A1

Abstract

A computer workstation-associated call handler mechanism (10) is integrated into the underlying application program running on the workstation, and is operative to automatically trigger the playback of selected personalized voice messages from a personalized response system-based voice message storage retrieval mechanism (13) to a party in voice communication with a call handler operating the workstation (10). A personalized voice message is automatically played back in response to the call handler performing a prescribed interaction with a selected control object of a GUI (23) displayed on the workstation. The words of the voice message may also be displayed in a dialogue/text box (31) to confirm to the call handler that the intended message has been played back to the caller. A visual indication of the state of each control object may also be provided, to indicate the presence of an associated voice message.

Description

AUTOMATED BUSINESS FORM INFORMATION ACQUIS ITION SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to communication systems and components therefor, and is particularly to a computer workstation-associated call handling mechanism, that automatically triggers the playback of selected personalized voice messages from a personalized response system-based voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to a party in voice communication with a call handler operating the workstation. A voice message is automatically played back in response to the call handler performing a prescribed interaction with, such as placing a cursor on, a selected 'control object' displayed by a graphic user interface (GUI) employed by a call handling or other type of forms-based application program.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Substantially all service facilities that are accessible by a telecommunication link, such as but not limited to a phone line, steer incoming calls to a computer workstation that is attended by an individual typically known as a call handler. Running on the workstation or an associated server is one or more application programs used by the call handler, call agent, operator and the like (hereafter referred to simply as a call handler) , to process calls in a manner that is efficient and satisfying to the calling party.

As a non-limiting example, in the case of a catalog- order center, a 'target' application program will typically graphically display an order or business 'form' on the call handler's terminal display. The displayed form contains respective information fields, through which the call handler sequentially 'tabs' and which are filled in by the call handler, based upon answers to a series of questions (such as name, address, phone number, item number, quantity, etc.), which the call handler speaks to the calling party. Because this repeated interactivity on the part of the call handler for multiple calls tends to be monotonous, and labor intensive_/ adversely affecting call handling efficiency, call handling facilities are continuously seeking schemes that will allow as much of the call handler's workload as possible to be automated. One scheme that has enjoyed widespread usage throughout the telecommunication industry for providing relief for a call handler or operator servicing incoming calls at an operator position is embodied in a device known as a 'personalized response system', and is the subject of U.S. Patent Nos. 4,697,282 and 4,623,761, assigned to the assignee of the present application and the disclosures of which are herein incorporated. In accordance with this personalized voice message retrieval and playback device, an operator will prerecord commonly used phrases in a controllably accessible voice message storage and retrieval (VSMAR) mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a VMSAR mechanism. These phrases are then available for playback to a calling party (and simultaneously heard by the operator via the operator's headset) in the course of the operator's handling of a call. Playback may occur automatically, in response to initial signaling information ^' contained in the incoming call, or manually by the operator manually invoking one or more inputs to the playback device. Because the prerecorded voice messages are played back in the voice of the operator, the calling party proceeds through the call in • a straightforward and^' expeditious manner, perceiving that it is always the operator who is speaking.

Although the patented VMSR mechanism works very well for its originally intended usage, and in a limited scope of additional applications, it has been found that as the number of messages and degree of complexity of the operator's responsibilities increase, especially with the use of personal computer-based workstations running multiple windows-type programs, it^' becomes more difficult for the call handler to remember all the sets of keystrokes which access the various messages. While a list of keystroke combinations could be provided, having the operator look up which keystrokes are to be used would inherently delay the processing of the call. Even if the operator knows or can find what keystroke combination is to be used, there is the possibility of an incorrect or unintended key operation, which may cause either no message or the wrong message to be played back. Realistically, therefore, the call handler cannot be expected to remember and use more than a relatively small number of keystrokes before confusion becomes an inhibiting factor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Pursuant to the present invention, the above- discussed- problems associated with conventional call handler workstations are effectively obviated by a call handler-interactive mechanism, that is operative to automatically trigger playback of selected voice messages prerecorded in a personalized response system-based voice message storage VMSAR mechanism, in response to a call handler performing a prescribed interaction, such as a tab keystroke or mouse click, with one or more elements, such as 'control objects' displayed on a GUI of the call handler's terminal. To provide voice communication connectivity with an external network, the workstation may be coupled to a private branch exchange (PBX) or switch. The PBX or switch is also coupled to the VMSAR mechanism through the voice terminal. ^{' "'}

The GUI generated on the workstation display may comprise, for example, a 'windows' type user interface, generated by an underlying call handling application program that may be running on the workstation's computer or on a separate server. The GUI typically contains a plurality of fields, buttons, and the like, in which information may be keyboard entered by the call handler, in the course of servicing a call, such as one placed to a catalog order center. The present invention reduces the workload on the part of the call handler, by integrating with or into the target program software a GUI- associated, event-driven VMSAR mechanism.

In accordance with the invention, the GUI is continuously monitored for the occurrence of prescribed events - corresponding to the call handler performing a prescribed interaction with a selected control object in the target program. As non-limiting examples, such GUI interaction may include placement of the display screen cursor arrow anywhere within the perimeter of the control object and a click of the 'left' mouse button, depression of the 'enter' key on the keyboard when a displayed reticle is placed upon a control object, operation of the 'tab' key that moves the cursor from object to object in the GUI, and the like.

When a desired event is raised, a digital (voice message playback) control message packet is generated, to specify a message number of a selected voice message to be played back by the VMSAR mechanism to the calling party. Each personalized voice message is predefined in accordance with the respective control objects of the displayed business form to be completed by the call handler. In large majority of instances, the phrases are brief questions that prompt the calling party to provide information to be entered into a particular field of the GUI.

In order to expedite the processing of a call, a respective control message packet is transmitted to the VMSAR mechanism immediately in response to a desired interaction of the call handler with a GUI control object. In a typical case, the control object of interest would be an empty information field, so that the VMSAR mechanism would be immediately triggered to generate the voice message associated with that field. However, the field of interest may already contain alpha-numeric text, such as may be obtained from calling ID capability of the telecommunication service provider, that has allowed the call handler application program to have already preliminarily entered text information in one or more fields prior to the call handler beginning a dialogue with the calling party. In this case, the call handler may simply confirm the accuracy of the- filled-in information with the party. It will then be up to the call handler to either speak to the party, or interactively advance the cursor, for example, to the next empty field, which raises an event that triggers an associated voice message playback from the VMSAR mechanism.

In addition to triggering the playback of a prescribed voice message by the VMSAR mechanism, the invention may also cause the words of that voice message to be displayed in a preselected dialogue/text box within the GUI, to confirm to the call handler that the intended message has been played back to the caller. A visual indication of the state of each control object may also be provided, by placing a label, such a solid color region, immediately adjacent to the control object, to indicate the presence of an associated voice message. When the VMSAR mechanism is triggered, the background (e.g., color) of the label is changed, to indicate that the message has been played back. The label may then act as a button to be selectively triggered by the call handler.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates the overall system architecture of a call handler workstation augmented to incorporate the automated business form information acquisition system of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows an example of a 'windows' type GUI that may be generated on a workstation display of the system of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a GUI-associated, event-driven VMSAR mechanism for enhancing a call handler workstation application program in accordance with the invention; and

Figure 4 shows a partial listing of a non-limiting exemplary set of voice message phrases and associated field tags and phrase numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Before describing in detail the automated business form information acquisition system in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the invention resides primarily in the augmentation of the software employed by the call handler's computer workstation, and is operative to automatically trigger playback of selected prestored voice messages from an associated 'personalized response system' type VMSAR mechanism, based upon an action of the call handler with a selected portion of a displayed GUI employed by the call handler to service a party. Consequently, the invention has been illustrated in the drawings in readily understandable block diagram and associated GUI display format, which show only those specific details that are pertinent to the present invention, so as not to obscure the disclosure with details which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Thus, the block diagram and display screen illustrations are primarily intended to illustrate the major components of the invention in a convenient functional grouping, whereby the present invention may be more readily understood.

The overall system architecture of a call handler workstation that is augmented to incorporate the automated business form information acquisition system of the present invention is diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 1. As shown therein, a computer workstation 10, such as a desktop computer customarily employed by a call handler to service a (calling) party in communication with the facility in which the workstation is installed, may have a first communication port 11, which may be optionally coupled over a communication link 12 to an associated communications interface 13, such as a switch or PBX system of a call or contact enter. Interface 13 provides telecommunication connectivity to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 14, and has . a communication path 15 that may be coupled to a device, such as a telephone console 16, or optionally, as shown by broken lines over a communication path^{' '}15' to a computer telephony integration CTI) board residing in the user workstation 10.

The call handler's workstation 10 has a second port 17 coupled over a digital communication link 18 to a VMSAR mechanism. As described briefly above, in a non- limiting but preferred embodiment, the VMSAR mechanism may comprise a 'personalized response system' or personalized VMSAR unit shown at 21 and being of the type described in the above-referenced US Patent Nos. 4,697,282 and 4,623,761. The VMSAR unit 21 is additionally coupled to telephone console 16 and to a call handler headset 19. In an alternative configuration, rather than being a discrete device, the VMSAR mechanism may be implemented in software running on the user workstation 10, or a separate server coupled thereto.

When triggered, the VMSAR mechanism is operative to play back selected ones of a plurality of voice messages that have been previously recorded by the call handler into memory, and which are associated with respective regions or 'control objects' of a GUI 23 generated on a workstation display 25. The GUI 23 may comprise a 'windows' type user interface, such as that shown in Figure 2, employed by the call handler to service a call. For purposes of the present description, Figure 2 shows a windows based, catalog order form GUI', which may be generated by a call handling application program, that may be running on the workstation's computer or on a separate server to which call handler workstation 10 is coupled. The windows-based 'order form' interface of Figure 2 may contain a plurality of fields, buttons, and the like, as control objects 31, in which information is to be written (e.g., keyed in from the workstation keyboard) by the call handler, in the course of servicing a party, for example, an individual who has placed a call to a catalog order center (as by dialing an '800' type number) , or who has been called by a customer service representative (e.g., telemarketing agent) from the workstation. Namely, in the present example, each of the control objects 31 of the displayed business form is associated with a respectively different piece of information that is necessary to 'complete' a respective call transaction (e.g., fill a catalog order). As pointed out above, in the course of entering information in a catalog order form generated by the underlying application program running on the workstation, the call handler will customarily ask a series of questions (such as name, address, phone number, item number, quantity, etc.) to the calling party, and then appropriately perform a keyboard entry of data into the respective fields of the order form in accordance with the information supplied by the queried party. Unfortunately, this repeated interactivity on ^'the part of the call handler is very labor intensive, and is conducive to inaccuracies and inefficiencies associated with monotony and fatigue of the call handler in the course of repetitive servicing of the same types of calls.

The present invention's enhancement to the basic application program employed by the call handler's workstation serves- to substantially reduce the workload on the part of the call handler, by integrating, with or into the target program software, a relatively simple, GUI-associated, event-driven VMSAR mechanism, shown in the flow diagram of Figure 3. As shown at step 301, the GUI is continuously monitored for the occurrence of prescribed events - corresponding to the call handler performing a prescribed interaction with a selected 'control object' in the GUI. As non-limiting examples, such GUI interaction may include placement of the display screen cursor arrow anywhere within the perimeter of the control object and one or more clicks of the 'left' mouse button, depression of the 'enter' key on the keyboard when a displayed reticle is placed upon a control object, operation of the 'tab' key that moves the cursor from object to object in the GUI, and the like. As shown at query step 302, in response to an event being raised (the answer to query step 302 is- YES), step

303 generates a voice message playback control signal

(including appropriate protocol wrappers for one or more digital^' message packets) to be sent to the VMSAR mechanism. (Until an event is raised, the NO output of query step 302 loops back to event monitor step 301.) The contents of the control message packet will typically specify the message number of the prerecorded voice message .to be played back to the calling party.

Figure 4 shows a partial listing of a non-limiting exemplary set of voice message phrases that may be prerecorded into memory in the VMSAR mechanism, together with associated 'field tags' and 'phrase numbers', which facilitate association of messages with control objects. The text of each personalized phrase or voice message is predefined in accordance with the respective control objects of the displayed business form to be completed by the call handler. In large majority of instances, the phrases are brief questions that prompt the (calling) party to provide information to be written (by call handler keyboard entry) in a particular field of the GUI.

In step 304 these playback control signals (control message packets) are, in turn, coupled - to the workstation's attendant VMSAR mechanism. In addition to triggering the playback of a prescribed voice message by the VMSAR mechanism, as further shown in step 304, the words of that voice message are displayed^' in a preselected dialogue/text box within the GUI^', such as that shown in the upper right hand portion 33 of the windows-based 'order form' GUI interface 31 of Figure 2. Even though the call handler is in voice communication with the party and has his or her headset coupled to hear the played back voice message from the VMSAR mechanism, displaying the text of the voice message serves to confirm to the call handler that the intended message has been played back to the caller.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a visual indication of the state of each control object (e.g., text field) may also be provided. For this purpose, an additional label, such a solid color region, may be placed adjacent to (e..g., to the left of) the original control object, as shown at 36 in Figure 2, to indicate the presence of an associated voice message. When the VMSAR mechanism is triggered, step 304 may also change the background (e.g., color) of the label, to indicate that the message has been played back. The label may then act as a button to be selectively triggered by the call handler. Once the playback control signal has been transmitted to the VMSAR mechanism in step 304, the processing sequence loops back to event monitor step 301. As described above, a respective digital message packet is transmitted to the VMSAR mechanism, immediately in response to interaction of the call handler with a GUI control object. In a typical case, the control^'' object of interest would be an empty information field (such as an item number field in the case of a catalog phone order) , so that the VMSAR mechanism would generate an "askltem" voice message (such as "May I have the next item number, please?") associated with that field.

Advantageously, the relative simplicity of the invention allows . it to be readily incorporated into the target application, by means of a straightforward augmentation of that application's software (e.g., source code) . As a non-limiting example, a Visual Basic code that implements playback of the above "askltem" message for an "item number" field/control object is as follows: Private Sub txtltem GotFocusO 'speak message only if item is empty If txtltem = " " then

VMSAR Play "askltem" End if End Sub

In some instances, the field of interest may already contain alpha-numeric text, as in the case where initial information is associated with 'the calling party. Such information may be obtained, for example, by way of calling ID capability of the telecommunication service provider, which has enabled the call handler application program to have already preliminarily entered text information in one or more fields (such as that available from a previously existing database associated with the party) , prior to the call handler beginning a dialogue with the calling party.

Namely, in the case where the cursor is moved to a field that already contains information, the answer to event query step 302 would be NO, so that the automated voice-messaging mechanism will not immediately transmit a respective digital message packet associated with that field to the VMSAR mechanism. Instead, it will be up to the call handler to either speak to the party, or interactively advance the cursor, for example, to the next empty field - to raise an event that triggers an associated voice message playback from the VMSAR mechanism, as described above.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing description, repetition-based monotony and confusion problems of conventional call handler workstations are effectively obviated by the automated business form, call handling mechanism of the present invention, which automatically triggers playback of personalized voice messages, in response to a call handler performing a prescribed interaction with control objects displayed on a GUI of the call handler's terminal. While we have shown and described an embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it" is to be understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible to numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art. We therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein, but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED

1. ^'A method of supplying one or more voice messages to a party in voice communication with a facility comprising the steps of: (a) providing a voice message storage and retrieval mechanism in which one or more voice messages are stored, and which is controllably operative to selectively play back a respective voice message stored therein in response to a voice message selection signal applied thereto;.

(b) providing a call handler computer workstation with a call handler display interface that is operative to display a plurality of objects in association with a call handling application program employed by a call handler to service said party; and

(c) -in response to said call handler performing a prescribed interaction with a selected one of said plurality of objects displayed by said call handler display interface, generating a voice message selection signal associated with said selected object, and coupling said voice message selection signal to said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism, so as to cause said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back to said party a selected voice message stored therein.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said voice storage and retrieval mechanism is operative to play back said selected voice message to said party in the voice of said call handler, so that it appears to said party that said call handler is speaking said selected voice message.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said prescribed interaction performed by said call handler includes, manipulation of an element in association with said selected object.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said call handler display interface provided in step (b) is operative to display a plurality of objects respectively associated with different information components to be interfaced with said call handling application program in the course of said call handler servicing said party.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein step (c) comprises, in response to said call handler performing said prescribed interaction with selected objects displayed by said display interface, causing said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back respectively different voice messages requesting said party to supply respectively different information components associated with said selected objects.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) further includes causing said call handler display interface to display a text message associated with said selected voice message played back to said party.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (c) further includes causing said call handler display interface to modify a characteristic of the selected object for which a voice message is played back to said party.

8. A method of supplying one or more voice messages to a party coupled in voice communication with a facility, in which said party is serviced by a call handler at a computer workstation, said computer workstation having a display interface that is operative to display a plurality of objects in association with a call handling application program employed to service said party, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a voice message storage and retrieval mechanism in which one or more voice messages are stored, and which is controllably operative to selectively play back a respective voice message stored therein in response to a voice message selection signal applied thereto; and (b) in response to said call handler performing a prescribed interaction with a selected one^' of said plurality of objects displayed by said display interface, causing said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back to said party a selected voice message stored therein.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said voice storage and retrieval mechanism is operative to play back said selected voice message to said party in the voice of said call handler, so that it appears to said party that said call handler is speaking the selected voice message.

10. -A method according to claim 8, wherein step (b) further includes causing said call handler display interface to modify a characteristic of the selected object for which a voice message is played back to said party.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein step (b) comprises, in response to said call handler performing said prescribed interaction with said selected one of said plurality of objects displayed by said display interface, causing said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism- to play back, as said selected voice message, a message requesting said party to. supply information associated with said selected object.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein step (b) comprises, in response to said call handler performing said prescribed interaction with said selected one of said plurality of objects displayed by said display interface, generating a voice message selection signal associated with said selected object, and coupling- said voice message selection signal to said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism, so as to cause said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back said selected voice message to said party.

13. -A method according to claim 8, wherein said call handler display interface provided in step (b) is operative to display a plurality of objects respectively associated with different information components to be interfaced with said call handling application program in the course of said call handler servicing said party.

14. A method according to claim 8, wherein step (b)

^" further includes causing said call handler display interface to display a text message associated with said selected voice message played back to said party.

15. For use with a call handling facility, wherein a voice communication is established between .a party external to said facility and a call handler at a computer workstation of said facility, said computer workstation having a display interface that is operative to display a plurality of objects in association with a call handling application program used by said call handler to service said party, said plurality of objects being respectively associated with different information components to be interfaced with said call handling application program in the course of said call handler servicing said party, a method of enabling said call handler to obtain information components from said party, so that said information components may be interfaced with said call handling application program, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a voice message storage and retrieval mechanism in which one or more voice messages are stored, and which is controllably operative to selectively play back a respective voice message stored therein in response to a voice message selection signal applied thereto; and

(b) in response to said call handler performing a prescribed interaction with selected objects ^'displayed by said display interface, automatically causing said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back to said party respectively different voice messages that request said party to supply respectively different information components associated with said selected objects.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said voice storage and retrieval mechanism is operative to play back voice messages to said party in the voice of said call handler, so that it appears to said party that said call handler is speaking the played back voice messages .

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein step (b) comprises, in response to said call handler performing a prescribed interaction with a selected one of said plurality of objects displayed by said display interface, generating a voice message selection signal associated with said selected object, and coupling said voice message selection signal to said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism, so as to cause said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back said selected voice message to said party.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein step (b) further includes causing said call handler display interface to modify a characteristic of the selected object for which a voice message is played back to said party.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein step (b) further includes causing said call handler display interface to display a text message associated with said selected voice message played back to said party.

20. An arrangement for controlling the operation of a call handling facility, in which a voice communication is established between a party external to said facility and a call handler at a computer workstation of said facility, said computer workstation having a display interface that is operative to display a plurality of objects in association with a call handling application program used by said call handler to service said party, said plurality of objects being respectively associated with different information components to be interfaced with said call handling application program in the course of said call handler servicing said party, said arrangement comprising: a voice message storage and retrieval mechanism in which one or more voice messages are stored, and which is controllably operative to selectively play back a respective voice message stored therein in response to a voice message selection signal applied thereto; and a mechanism associated with said call handling application program, and which is operative, in -response to said call handler performing a prescribed interaction with selected objects displayed by said display interface, to automatically cause said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back to said party respectively different voice messages that request said party to supply respectively different information components associated with said selected objects.

21. An arrangement according to claim 20, wherein said voice storage and retrieval mechanism is operative to play back voice messages to said party in the voice of said call handler, so that it appears to said party that said call handler is speaking the played back voice messages. -

22. An arrangement according to claim 20, wherein said mechanism is operative, in response to said call handler performing a prescribed interaction with a selected one of said plurality of objects displayed by said display interface, to cause the generation of a voice message selection signal associated with said selected object, and to forward said voice message selection signal to said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism, so as to cause said voice message storage and retrieval mechanism to play back said selected voice message to said party.

23. An arrangement according to claim 20, wherein said mechanism is operative to modify a characteristic of the selected object for which a voice message is played back to said party.

24. An arrangement according to claim 20, wherein said meςhanis is operative to cause said call handler display interface to display a text message associated with said selected voice message played back to said party.