Voice response apparatus and method of providing automated voice responses with silent prompting

摘要

A voice response unit (VRU) includes a silent prompt feature in the form of an intentional delay inserted after a message is given to a caller, during which delay the caller may invoke alternative processing or interrupt current processing. If appropriate alternative or interrupt commands are not received during the delay period, then processing continues as provided in accordance with the previously played message. The duration of this silent prompt delay is carefully selected to provide sufficient response time for the caller to request alternative processing, while avoiding a perceptible or objectionable delay to the average caller not requiring alternative processing.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining that a call handling process has reached a particular stage in which two or more, different content-equivalent messages associated with the particular stage are available for output to a caller, where each of the two or more, different content-equivalent messages are associated with a different identifier; in response to determining that a call handling process has reached a particular stage in which two or more, different content-equivalent messages are available for output to a caller:
generating a pseudo-random number;selecting the message that is associated with the identifier corresponding to the pseudo-random number; andproviding an audio representation of the selected message over the call to the caller; receiving an audio representation of a first utterance in response to providing the audio representation of the selected message over the call to the caller; determining that the first utterances matches a first identifier and a second identifier; transmitting an audio representation of the first identifier; receiving, after transmitting the audio representation of the first identifier, an audio representation of a second utterance; determining that the second utterance matches a command that cancels a default process based on the first identifier; and in response to determining that the second utterance matches a command that cancels a default process based on the first identifier, transmitting an audio representation of the second identifier.