Voice auto-response device, voice auto-response method, voice auto-response program, and voice auto-response system

Abstract

To realize a voice auto-response allowing a response depending on a caller of a voice call.SOLUTION: According to one embodiment, a voice auto-response device for conducting voice interaction with a caller comprises the steps of: receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method based on caller information including the terminal information; and executing voice interaction with the caller in accordance with the determined response method when the voice call is started.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an interactive voice response device, an interactive voice response method, an interactive voice response program, and an interactive voice response system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a technology that automatically responds to a caller of a voice call by voice has become widespread. For example, cited reference 1 discloses an automated voice response device that receives a call made by a caller and guides the caller to a desired service by voice or operation interaction with the caller, the automated voice response device having a storage unit that stores a plurality of playback items according to the type of interaction in a predetermined playback order to prompt the caller to make the next interaction, a playback unit that plays the playback items according to the playback order, a counting unit that counts the number of interactions by the caller for each type of interaction, and a playback change unit that changes the playback order of the plurality of playback items according to the number of interactions counted by the counting unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-153835 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the case of automated voice response, a response to a caller is made by outputting a preset message by voice, but this only allows a standardized response, and it is difficult to respond appropriately to the caller.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to realize an automatic voice response capable of responding according to the caller of a voice call. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one embodiment, the invention provides an automated voice response device that has a voice dialogue with a caller, and executes the following steps: accepting a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method based on caller information including the terminal information; and, when a voice call is initiated, executing a voice dialogue with the caller in accordance with the determined response method. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one embodiment, an automated voice response system capable of responding according to the caller of a voice call can be realized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the configuration of an interactive voice response system 1000. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an automatic voice response device 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a caller terminal 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of an automatic voice response device 1. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a caller terminal 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the interactive voice response system 1000 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the first embodiment (1). [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the first embodiment (1). [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the first embodiment (2). [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the first embodiment (3). [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the first embodiment (4). [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the second embodiment (1). [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the second embodiment (2). [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the second embodiment (3). [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a method for determining a response method according to the third embodiment (1). [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the interactive voice response system 1000 according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the specification and drawings of each embodiment, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] [First embodiment] <System configuration> First, an overview of an interactive voice response system 1000 according to this embodiment will be described. The interactive voice response system 1000 is an information processing system that automatically responds by voice to a caller of a voice call. The interactive voice response system 1000 can realize a response appropriate to the caller by determining a response method based on information about the caller. The interactive voice response system 1000 can be used for various services that are handled by voice calls, such as reservations for restaurants and accommodations, purchasing products, and registering for events.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an interactive voice response system 1000. As shown in Fig. 1, the interactive voice response system 1000 includes an interactive voice response device 1 and a caller terminal 2, which are communicatively connected to each other via a network N. The network N is, for example, a wired local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN, the Internet, a public line network, a mobile data communication network, or a combination of these. In the example of Fig. 1, the interactive voice response system 1000 includes one each of the interactive voice response device 1 and the caller terminal 2, but may include multiple each.

[0012] The interactive voice response device 1 is an information processing device that establishes a voice call with a speaker terminal 2 and executes a voice dialogue with a caller instead of a recipient. The interactive voice response device 1 is, for example, but not limited to, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a server device, or a microcomputer. In the example of FIG. 1, the interactive voice response device 1 is one information processing device, but may be realized as a system consisting of multiple information processing devices connected via a network N.

[0013] The caller terminal 2 is an information processing device used by a caller to request a voice call from a recipient. The caller is a person requesting a voice call, and the recipient is any person who receives a request for a voice call. The recipient is, for example, but not limited to, a person, a corporation, or a store. The caller requests a voice call from a browser running on the caller terminal 2 or any application capable of making voice calls to the recipient. The caller terminal 2 is, for example, but not limited to, a PC, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal.

[0014] <Hardware configuration of the interactive voice response device 1> Next, a description will be given of a hardware configuration of the interactive voice response device 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the interactive voice response device 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the interactive voice response device 1 includes a processor 101, a memory 102, a storage 103, a communication I / F 104, an input device 105, an output device 106, and a drive device 107, which are connected to each other via a bus B1.

[0015] The processor 101 controls each component of the interactive voice response device 1 and realizes the functions of the interactive voice response device 1 by expanding into the memory 102 various programs including an OS (Operating System) and an interactive voice response program stored in the storage 103 and executing them. The processor 101 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a digital signal processor (DSP), but is not limited to these.

[0016] The memory 102 is, for example, a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), or a combination thereof. The ROM is, for example, a Programmable ROM (PROM), an Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), or a combination thereof. The RAM is, for example, but is not limited to, a Dynamic RAM (DRAM) or a Static RAM (SRAM).

[0017] The storage 103 stores various programs and data including an OS and an automatic voice response program. The storage 103 is, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a storage class memory (SCM), but is not limited to these.

[0018] The communication I / F 104 is an interface for connecting the automatic voice response device 1 to an external device via the network N and controlling communication. The communication I / F 104 is, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or Ethernet (registered trademark), but is not limited thereto.

[0019] The input device 105 is a device for inputting information to the automatic voice response device 1. The input device 105 is, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a microphone, a scanner, a photographing device (camera), various sensors, or an operation button, but is not limited to these.

[0020] The output device 106 is a device for outputting information from the automatic voice response device 1. The output device 106 is, for example, a display device, a projector, a printer, a speaker, or a vibrator, but is not limited to these.

[0021] The drive device 107 is a device that reads and writes data to the recording medium 108. The drive device 107 is, for example, but not limited to, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, a magneto-optical disk drive, or an SD card reader. The recording medium 108 is, for example, but not limited to, a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a FD (Floppy Disk), an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), a USB (registered trademark) memory, or an SD card.

[0022] In this embodiment, the interactive voice response program may be written into memory 102 or storage 103 during the manufacturing stage of the interactive voice response device 1, or may be provided to the interactive voice response device 1 via the network N, or may be provided to the interactive voice response device 1 via a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as recording medium 108.

[0023] <Hardware configuration of caller terminal 2> Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the caller terminal 2. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the caller terminal 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the caller terminal 2 includes a processor 201, a memory 202, a storage 203, a communication I / F 204, an input device 205, and an output device 206, which are connected to each other via a bus B2.

[0024] The processor 201 controls each component of the caller terminal 2 and realizes the functions of the caller terminal 2 by expanding in the memory 202 various programs including the OS and the automatic voice response program stored in the storage 203 and executing them. The processor 201 is, for example, a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, an ASIC, or a DSP, but is not limited to these.

[0025] The memory 202 may be, for example, a ROM, a RAM, or a combination thereof. The ROM may be, for example, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, or a combination thereof. The RAM may be, for example, but is not limited to, a DRAM or an SRAM.

[0026] The storage 203 stores various programs and data including an OS and an interactive voice response program. The storage 203 is, for example, a flash memory, a HDD, an SSD, or an SCM, but is not limited to these.

[0027] The communication I / F 204 is an interface for connecting the caller terminal 2 to an external device via the network N and controlling communication. The communication I / F 204 is, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or Ethernet (registered trademark), but is not limited to these.

[0028] The input device 205 is a device for inputting information to the caller terminal 2. The input device 205 is, for example, but not limited to, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, a microphone, a scanner, a photographing device (camera), various sensors, or an operation button. The caller terminal 2 includes a microphone 205C as the input device 205.

[0029] The output device 206 is a device for outputting information from the originator terminal 2. The output device 206 is, for example, but is not limited to, a display device (display), a projector, a printer, a speaker, or a vibrator. The originator terminal 2 includes, as the output device 206, a display device 206D and a speaker 206S.

[0030] In this embodiment, the automatic voice response program may be written into memory 202 or storage 203 during the manufacturing stage of the caller terminal 2, or may be provided to the caller terminal 2 via the network N, or may be provided to the caller terminal 2 via a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium such as recording medium 208.

[0031] <Functional configuration of the interactive voice response device 1> Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the interactive voice response device 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the interactive voice response device 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the interactive voice response device 1 includes a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a control unit 13.

[0032] The communication unit 11 is realized by the communication I / F 104. The communication unit 11 transmits and receives information to and from the sender terminal 2 via the network N.

[0033] The storage unit 12 is realized by the memory 102 and the storage 103. The storage unit 12 stores sender information 121, a recipient DB 122, a member DB 123, and response scenario information 124.

[0034] The sender information 121 is information related to the sender. The sender information 121 includes terminal information 121a, member information 121b, voice information 121c, and procedure information 121d.

[0035] The terminal information 121a is information acquired from the caller terminal 2. The terminal information 121a includes, for example, a session ID of the caller terminal 2, information on the page viewed by the caller (URL, title, query string, arbitrarily set identifier, etc.), information on the browser (browser type, version, set language, region, etc.), identification information of the caller (email address, phone number, name, membership number, etc.), information on the device (device type, version, set language, region, etc.), or information indicating the purpose of the voice call (reservation, etc.).

[0036] Member information 121b is member information corresponding to a sender. Member information 121b includes, for example, the sender's member ID, attributes (such as name, age, sex, address, family structure, occupation, and member rank), phone number, email address, owned points, or information indicating an access log.

[0037] The voice information 121c is voice information of the voice spoken by the caller during a voice call.

[0038] The procedure information 121d is information about a procedure performed by a caller through voice dialogue, and is extracted from the text obtained by converting the voice information 121c into text through voice recognition processing.

[0039] The recipient DB 122 is a DB (database) of recipient information, which is information about persons registered as recipients in the interactive voice response system 1000. Recipient information of multiple recipients is registered in the recipient DB 122. The recipient information includes, for example, information indicating a recipient ID, a name, an address, a telephone number, or an email address.

[0040] The member DB 123 is a DB of member information, which is information about people registered as members in the interactive voice response system 1000. Member information of multiple members is registered in the member DB 123. The member information includes, for example, a member ID, attributes (such as name, age, sex, address, family structure, occupation, and member rank), telephone number, email address, and information indicating owned points or access log.

[0041] The response scenario information 124 is information on a plurality of response scenarios prepared in advance for responding to the caller. The response scenario is made up of a plurality of messages that are issued to the caller in sequence. The messages include, for example, messages corresponding to greetings, questions, or confirmations for the caller.

[0042] The control unit 13 is realized by the processor 101 reading and executing a program from the memory 102 and cooperating with other hardware configurations. The control unit 13 controls the overall operation of the automatic voice response device 1. The control unit 13 includes a voice call control unit 131, a caller information acquisition unit 132, a response method determination unit 133, and a voice dialogue unit 134.

[0043] The voice call control unit 131 controls the voice call with the caller terminal 2 .

[0044] The sender information acquisition unit 132 acquires the sender information 121 .

[0045] The response method determination unit 133 determines the response method. The method of determining the response method includes, for example, selecting a response scenario to be used in the voice dialogue, changing at least a part of a message included in the response scenario, selecting a message included in the response scenario, changing voice settings, or transferring to the recipient terminal 3.

[0046] The voice dialogue unit 134 carries out a voice dialogue with the caller in accordance with the response method determined by the response method determination unit 133 .

[0047] The functional configuration of the interactive voice response device 1 is not limited to the above example. For example, the interactive voice response device 1 may have part of the functional configuration described above, and the caller terminal 2 may have the rest. The interactive voice response device 1 may also have functional configurations other than those described above. Each functional configuration of the interactive voice response device 1 may be realized by software as described above, or may be realized by hardware such as an IC chip, a System on Chip (SoC), a Large Scale Integration (LSI), or a microcomputer.

[0048] <Functional configuration of caller terminal 2> Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the caller terminal 2. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the caller terminal 2. As shown in Fig. 5, the caller terminal 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23.

[0049] The communication unit 21 is realized by the communication I / F 204. The communication unit 21 transmits and receives information to and from the automatic voice response device 1 via the network N.

[0050] The storage unit 22 is realized by the memory 202 and the storage 203. The storage unit 22 stores terminal information 221.

[0051] The terminal information 221 is information related to the caller terminal 2. The terminal information 221 includes, for example, a session ID of the caller terminal 2, information related to the page viewed by the caller (URL, title, query string, arbitrarily set identifier, etc.), information related to the browser (browser type, version, set language, region, etc.), or identification information of the caller (email address, telephone number, name, membership number, etc.).

[0052] The control unit 23 is realized by the processor 201 reading and executing a program from the memory 202 and working in cooperation with other hardware configurations. The control unit 23 controls the overall operation of the caller terminal 2. The control unit 23 includes a voice call control unit 231.

[0053] The voice call control unit 231 controls the voice call with the interactive voice response device 1 .

[0054] The functional configuration of the caller terminal 2 is not limited to the above example. For example, the caller terminal 2 may have a part of the functional configuration described above, and the remaining part may be provided by the interactive voice response device 1. The caller terminal 2 may also have functional configurations other than those described above. Each functional configuration of the caller terminal 2 may be realized by software as described above, or may be realized by hardware such as an IC chip, an SoC, an LSI, or a microcomputer.

[0055] <Learning Process Executed by the Interactive Voice Response System 1000> Next, the process executed by the interactive voice response system 1000 will be described. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the interactive voice response system 1000. In the following, a case will be described in which a caller X makes a procedure (e.g., a reservation) by voice call to an operator Z (e.g., a restaurant) from a membership-based web service Y (e.g., a restaurant reservation service) in which the interactive voice response system 1000 has been introduced. It is assumed that the caller X is a member of the web service Y, and the operator Z is a recipient registered in the web service Y.

[0056] (Step S101) First, sender X displays Web service Y on display device 206D of sender terminal 2, logs in with his / her member ID, and presses a call button for business operator Z provided on Web service Y. The sender terminal 2 accepts the operation of the call button (step S101).

[0057] (Step S102) The communication unit 21 of the caller terminal 2 requests the interactive voice response device 1 to make a voice call to the business operator Z. In addition, the communication unit 21 of the caller terminal 2 transmits terminal information 221 including the member ID of the caller X and the recipient ID of the business operator Z to the interactive voice response device 1 (step S102).

[0058] (Step S103) When the caller information acquisition unit 132 of the interactive voice response device 1 accepts a voice call request from the caller terminal 2, it acquires the terminal information 221 from the caller terminal 2 and stores it in the storage unit 12 as the terminal information 121a of the caller X (step S103).

[0059] (Step S104) The sender information acquisition unit 132 references the member ID of the sender X included in the terminal information 121a, acquires the member information of the sender X from the member DB 123, and stores it in the storage unit 12 as the member information 121b of the sender X (step S104).

[0060] (Step S105) The response method determination unit 133 determines the response method based on the sender information 121 of the sender X and the response scenario information 124 (step S105). The method of determining the response method will be described in detail later.

[0061] (Step S106) The voice call control unit 131 starts a voice call between the interactive voice response device 1 and the caller terminal 2 (step S106). The voice call may be started automatically, or may be started after the caller terminal 2 is notified of the start of the voice call and the caller responds to the notification.

[0062] (Step S107) After that, until the voice call is ended, the voice dialogue unit 134 of the automatic voice response device 1 executes a voice dialogue with the caller X according to the response method determined in step S105 (step S107).

[0063] (Step S108) Specifically, the voice dialogue unit 134 transmits a message to the sender terminal 2 (step S108). The message may be in the form of text or voice.

[0064] (Step S109) The voice call control unit 231 of the caller terminal 2 outputs the message received from the interactive voice response unit 1 from the speaker 206S (step S109). If the message is text, the voice call control unit 231 synthesizes the text and outputs the voice. If the message is voice, the voice call control unit 231 outputs the voice as it is.

[0065] (Step S110) When the caller X speaks in response to the voice output message, the caller terminal 2 transmits voice information of the caller X's voice picked up by the microphone 205C to the interactive voice response device 1 (step S110).

[0066] (Step S111) When the caller information acquisition unit 132 of the interactive voice response device 1 acquires voice information from the caller terminal 2, it stores the voice information in the storage unit 12 as the voice information 121c of the caller X (step S111).

[0067] Furthermore, the caller information acquisition unit 132 converts the voice information 121c into text by voice recognition processing, extracts (acquires) the procedure information 121d from the obtained text, and stores it in the storage unit 12. As a result, information such as the reservation date and time, the name of the person who made the reservation (caller), and the number of people making the reservation is acquired.

[0068] (Step S112) The voice call control unit 131 determines whether a voice call termination condition is satisfied (step S112). The termination condition is, for example, that the voice call is disconnected from the caller terminal 2, that the voice call is disconnected due to a communication failure, or that a termination message in the response scenario is transmitted. If the termination condition is not satisfied (step S112: NO), the process returns to step S108, and the next message in the response scenario is transmitted (step S108). If the termination condition is satisfied (step S112: YES), the process proceeds to step S115.

[0069] (Step S113) The voice call between the interactive voice response device 1 and the caller terminal 2 ends (step S113). After the voice call ends, the interactive voice response device 1 may transmit the procedure information 121d to the caller terminal 2 or to the business operator Z, for example.

[0070] <How to decide the response method> Here, a method for determining the response method will be described in detail.

[0071] [Example 1] The response method determination unit 133 selects a response scenario to be used for the voice dialogue from among a plurality of response scenarios prepared in advance, based on the caller information 121. The plurality of response scenarios are prepared in association with the caller information 121. A specific example will be described below.

[0072] (1) The response method determination unit 133 can select a response scenario to be used in a voice interaction from among a plurality of response scenarios, based on at least a part of the URL (terminal information 121a) of the page browsed by the caller.

[0073] For example, consider a case where web service Y is a restaurant reservation service that lists multiple restaurants and the URL of the page for each restaurant in web service Y includes an identifier for each restaurant. In this case, the response method determination unit 133 identifies the restaurant from the identifier included in the URL and selects a response scenario corresponding to that restaurant.

[0074] 7, response scenarios 001 to 003 are prepared corresponding to restaurants 001 to 003, respectively. When "http: / / xxx.com / xxx / 001" is acquired as the URL of the page browsed by the caller, the response method determination unit 133 selects response scenario 001 based on the restaurant identifier (001) included in the URL.

[0075] Consider a case where web service Y is a restaurant reservation service that lists multiple restaurants and the URL of the inquiry page of web service Y includes an identifier of the inquiry content. In this case, the response method determination unit 133 identifies the inquiry content from the identifier included in the URL, and selects a response scenario corresponding to the inquiry content.

[0076] 8, response scenarios 001 to 003 are prepared which correspond to a reservation, a change in reservation details, and a cancellation of a reservation, respectively. When "http: / / xxx.com / xxx / reservation" is acquired as the URL of the caller's browsing page, the response method determination unit 133 selects response scenario 001 based on the identifier (reservation) of the inquiry content included in the URL.

[0077] In this way, by selecting a response scenario to be used for a voice dialogue from among multiple response scenarios based on at least a portion of the URL of the caller's viewed page, the automated voice response system 1000 can carry out a voice dialogue with the caller using a response message that corresponds to the recipient and the content of the inquiry, without having to prepare a telephone number for each recipient and the content of the inquiry.

[0078] (2) The response method determination unit 133 can select a response scenario to be used for the voice interaction from among a plurality of response scenarios, based on at least a part of the query character string (terminal information 121a) of the page browsed by the caller.

[0079] For example, the response method determination unit 133 selects a response scenario corresponding to a keyword included in the query string. The keyword is, for example, but not limited to, a referrer of a viewed page, a media name, a campaign name, a content name, or a keyword of a paid search advertisement. The response method determination unit 133 may also select a response scenario corresponding to a combination of multiple keywords included in the query string.

[0080] 9, response scenarios 001 and 002 are prepared for a purchase application for product 001, which correspond to normal times and sales times, respectively. When "utm_campaign=sale&utm_content=product001" is acquired as the query string of the sender's browsing page, the response method determination unit 133 selects response scenario 001 based on the campaign type (sale) and product identifier (product001) included in the query string.

[0081] In this way, by selecting a response scenario to be used for a voice dialogue from among multiple response scenarios based on at least a portion of the query string of the caller's viewed page, the interactive voice response system 1000 can carry out a voice dialogue with the caller using a response message corresponding to the recipient's viewed page, without having to prepare a telephone number for each of the recipient's viewed pages.

[0082] (3) The response method determination unit 133 can select a response scenario to be used for the voice dialogue from among a plurality of response scenarios, based on the language or region (terminal information 121a) set in the browser of the caller terminal 2.

[0083] 10, Japanese and English response scenarios 001 and 002 are prepared. When "Accept-Language=en" is acquired as the browser setting language, the response method determination unit 133 selects the English response scenario 002.

[0084] In this way, by selecting a response scenario to be used for a voice dialogue from among multiple response scenarios based on information regarding the browser of the caller terminal 2, the automated voice response system 1000 can carry out a voice dialogue with the caller using a response message that corresponds to the caller's language and region.

[0085] (4) The response method determination unit 133 can select a response scenario to be used in a voice dialogue from among a plurality of response scenarios based on the attributes of the caller (member information 121b).

[0086] 11, response scenarios 001 and 002 are prepared, which correspond to membership ranks A and B, respectively. If the caller's membership rank is "membership rank A", the response method determination unit 133 selects response scenario 001, which corresponds to membership rank A.

[0087] In this way, by selecting a response scenario to be used for a voice dialogue from among a plurality of response scenarios based on information on the attributes of the caller, the automated voice response system 1000 can execute a voice dialogue with the caller using a response message according to the attributes of the caller. For example, it is conceivable to select a response message with a different greeting according to the member rank of the caller (see FIG. 11), or to select a response message with a different speaking style according to the age, sex, or occupation of the caller.

[0088] [Example 2] The response method determination unit 133 generates at least a part of a message included in a response scenario based on the caller information 121. More specifically, the response method determination unit 133 generates a message to be used in a voice dialogue by adding information corresponding to the caller information 121 to a template of a message in the response scenario. Here, it is assumed that there is only one response scenario to be used in a voice dialogue, or that one has already been selected. A specific example will be described below.

[0089] (1) The response method determination unit 133 generates a message to be used in a voice dialogue by adding the title of the page viewed by the sender (terminal information 121a) to a message template. The title corresponds to the name of the recipient.

[0090] In the example of Fig. 12, a response scenario template is prepared that includes the message "Thank you for contacting [title]." [title] is a tag to which the title of the page viewed by the caller is added. When "xxx shopping" is acquired as the title of the page viewed by the caller, the response method determination unit 133 generates the message "Thank you for contacting xxx shopping." by adding the title to the template.

[0091] In this way, by generating at least a portion of the message included in the response scenario based on the title of the page viewed by the caller, the interactive voice response system 1000 can conduct a voice dialogue with the caller using a message including the recipient's name, without having to prepare a message for each recipient.

[0092] (2) The response method determination unit 133 refers to the recipient DB 122, identifies the recipient's name from the recipient's identification information (terminal information 121a) set on the sender's browsing page, and adds it to the message template to generate a message to be used in the voice dialogue. The recipient's identification information is included in the URL or query string of the browsing page.

[0093] In the example of Fig. 13, a response scenario template is prepared that includes the message "Thank you for contacting [name]." [name] is a tag to which the recipient's name is added. When the recipient's name is identified as "xxx Co., Ltd." from the recipient's identification information, the response method determination unit 133 generates the message "Thank you for contacting xxx Co., Ltd." by adding the recipient's name to the template.

[0094] In this way, by generating at least a portion of the message included in the response scenario based on the recipient's identification information set on the caller's viewing page, the interactive voice response system 1000 can carry out a voice dialogue with the caller using a message including the recipient's name, without having to prepare a message for each recipient.

[0095] (3) The response method determination unit 133 references the caller information 121b, identifies the caller's name from the caller's member ID, and adds the name to a message template, thereby generating a message to be used in the voice dialogue.

[0096] In the example of Fig. 14, a response scenario template is prepared that includes the message "Dear [name], thank you for calling." [name] is a tag to which the caller's name is added. When the caller's name is identified as "Taro Sato" from the member ID, the response method determination unit 133 generates the message "Dear Sato Taro, thank you for calling." by adding the caller's name to the template.

[0097] In this way, by generating at least a portion of the message included in the response scenario based on the member ID, the interactive voice response system 1000 can conduct a voice dialogue with the caller using a message including the caller's name.

[0098] [Example 3] The response method determination unit 133 selects at least one message to be used in the voice dialogue from among the multiple messages contained in the response scenario, based on the caller information 121. Here, it is assumed that there is only one response scenario to be used in the voice dialogue, or that the response scenario has already been selected. A specific example will be described below.

[0099] (1) The response method determination unit 133 selects, from among a plurality of messages (question messages) corresponding to questions to the caller included in the response scenario, a message corresponding to a question to which no answer is included in the member information 121b, as a message to be used in the voice dialogue.

[0100] 15, the response scenario includes question messages 1 to 3. Since the sender's name (answer to question message 1) can be acquired as the member information 121b, the response method determination unit 133 selects question messages 1 and 2, which request an answer other than the sender's name, from among question messages 1 to 3 included in the response scenario, as messages to be used in the voice dialogue.

[0101] In this way, by selecting a question message whose answer is not included in the member information 121b as a message to be used in a voice dialogue, the voice interactive response system 1000 can carry out a voice dialogue with the caller using a question message corresponding to the caller information 121.

[0102] [Example 4] The response method determination unit 133 changes the voice settings to be used in the voice dialogue based on the caller information 121. Here, it is assumed that there is only one response scenario to be used in the voice dialogue or that the scenario has already been selected. A specific example will be described below.

[0103] (1) The response method determination unit 133 changes the voice settings to be used in the voice dialogue based on the attributes of the caller (member information 121b). The voice settings include at least one of the gender, age, speed, pitch, and speaking style of the voice. The speaking style includes at least one of simplicity of expression, politeness, presence or absence of technical terms, and dialect. For example, it is possible to match the gender of the voice to the gender of the caller, or to lower the pitch of the voice if the caller is over a certain age.

[0104] In this way, by changing the voice settings used in a voice dialogue based on the attributes of the caller, the automated voice response system 1000 can conduct a voice dialogue with the caller using a voice that corresponds to the attributes of the caller.

[0105] (2) The response method determination unit 133 changes the voice settings used in the voice dialogue based on the voice of the caller (voice information 121c). In this embodiment, step S105 is additionally performed during execution of step S107. Specifically, the response method determination unit 133 performs voice analysis on the voice information 121c acquired through the voice dialogue with the caller to acquire elements of the caller's voice (volume, pitch, pitch, formant, etc.), and changes the voice settings used in the voice dialogue to voice settings corresponding to the elements of the caller's voice. For example, it is possible to match the pitch of the voice used in the voice dialogue to the pitch of the caller's voice, or match the volume of the voice used in the voice dialogue to the volume of the caller's voice.

[0106] In this way, by changing the voice settings used in the voice dialogue based on the caller's voice, the voice interactive response system 1000 can carry out a voice dialogue with the caller using a voice that corresponds to the caller's voice.

[0107] The response method determination unit 133 may determine the response method by combining two or more of the above-described embodiments 1 to 4. As a result, for example, the response method determination unit 133 can select a response scenario (embodiment 1), change a message (embodiment 2), select a message (embodiment 3), and change audio settings (embodiment 4) based on the caller information 121.

[0108] <Summary> As described above, according to this embodiment, an automatic voice response device 1 that has a voice dialogue with a caller is realized, which executes the following steps: step S103 of accepting a voice call request from the caller terminal 2; step S103 of acquiring terminal information 121a from the caller terminal 2; step S105 of determining a response method to be used for the voice dialogue based on caller information 121 including the terminal information 121a; and step S107 of executing a voice dialogue with the caller in accordance with the determined response method when the voice call is started.

[0109] In this way, by determining the response method based on the caller information 121 (at least one of the terminal information 121a, the member information 121b, and the voice information 121c), it is possible to realize an automatic voice response that can respond according to the caller of the voice call.

[0110] In this embodiment, the description is given on the assumption that the storage unit 12 has the member DB 123, but the storage unit 12 does not have to have the member DB 123. In this case, the automatic voice response device 1 may determine the response method by using the caller information 121 other than the member information 121b. This also applies when the caller's member information 121b does not exist in the member DB 123.

[0111] Furthermore, the interactive voice response device 1 may acquire the member information 121b from the caller terminal 2. In this case, the caller inputs the member information 121b into an input form of the caller terminal 2, and the caller terminal 2 transmits this member information 121b together with the terminal information 121a to the interactive voice response device 1. The interactive voice response device 1 can determine the response method using the member information 121b acquired from the caller terminal 2.

[0112] In addition, in this embodiment, the caller operates the call button, and the interactive voice response device 1 acquires all of the terminal information 121a. However, the caller may operate multiple buttons, and the interactive voice response device 1 may acquire the terminal information 121a in stages.

[0113] For example, when a caller operates a call button, the interactive voice response device 1 acquires the terminal information 121a such as a session ID, and transmits a preset message to the caller terminal 2. Thereafter, buttons for selecting the purpose of the voice call are displayed on the caller terminal 2, and when the caller selects a desired button, the interactive voice response device 1 acquires the terminal information 121a such as information indicating the purpose of the voice call corresponding to the selected button, and determines the response method. That is, when the interactive voice response device 1 acquires the terminal information 121a in stages, the interactive voice response device 1 may determine the response method after all the terminal information 121a necessary for determining the response method is collected. The interactive voice response device 1 may acquire the terminal information 121a in three or more stages.

[0114] [Second embodiment] In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the interactive voice response device 1 determines whether to execute a voice dialogue with the caller or to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal 3 based on the caller information 121.

[0115] The recipient terminal 3 is an information processing device that the recipient uses for a voice call with the sender. The recipient makes a voice call with the sender using the recipient terminal 3. The recipient terminal 3 is, for example, a telephone, a PC, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal, but is not limited to these.

[0116] 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the process executed by the interactive voice response system 1000. The recipient terminal 3 is assumed to be a telephone set.

[0117] 16 are the same as steps S101 to S104 in FIG. 6, and therefore will not be described.

[0118] (Step S205) The response method determination unit 133 determines the response method based on the caller information 121 of the caller X (step S205). More specifically, the response method determination unit 133 determines whether to execute a voice dialogue with the caller or to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal 3 based on the caller information 121 of the caller X.

[0119] The response method determination unit 133 determines, for example, based on the member rank of the sender (member information 121b), whether to execute a voice dialogue with the sender or to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal 3. For example, if the member rank is lower than a predetermined rank, the response method determination unit 133 determines to execute a voice dialogue, and if the member rank is equal to or higher than the predetermined rank, determines to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal 3. This makes it possible to respond according to the member rank of the sender.

[0120] In step S205, if the response method determination unit 133 determines to execute a voice dialogue with the caller, the subsequent processing is the same as that in step S106 and thereafter in Fig. 6, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted. On the other hand, in step S205, if the response method determination unit 133 determines to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal 3, the processing proceeds to step S206.

[0121] (Step S206) The voice call control unit 131 transfers the voice call to the recipient terminal 3 (step S206). Specifically, the voice call control unit 131 makes a call (requests a voice call) to the recipient terminal 3 (step S206).

[0122] (Step S207) The recipient receives a call (responds to the voice call request) at the recipient terminal 3 (step S207). This connects the telephone call between the automatic voice response device 1 and the recipient terminal 3. If the recipient does not receive a call at the recipient terminal 3 within a predetermined time, the process proceeds to S106 in FIG. 6.

[0123] (Step S208) The voice call control unit 131 starts a voice call between the originator terminal 2 and the recipient terminal 3 (step S208).

[0124] (Step S209) During the voice call, the interactive voice response device 1 receives the recipient's voice from the recipient terminal 3 and transfers it to the caller terminal 2 (step S209).

[0125] (Step S210) During the voice call, the interactive voice response device 1 receives the caller's voice from the caller terminal 2 and transfers it to the recipient terminal 3 (step S210). This allows the caller and the recipient to make a voice call via the interactive voice response device 1.

[0126] (Step S211) When the caller or the recipient performs an operation to end the call using the caller terminal 2 or the recipient terminal 3, the voice call between the caller terminal 2 and the recipient terminal 3 ends (step S211).

[0127] <Summary> As described above, according to this embodiment, the determining step S205 determines whether to execute a voice dialogue or transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal 3 based on the caller information 121, and when it is determined to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal 3, starts a voice call between the caller terminal 2 and the recipient terminal 3. This makes it possible to selectively use a voice dialogue by the automatic voice response device 1 and a voice call with the recipient depending on the caller.

[0128] <Additional Notes> The present embodiment includes the following disclosure.

[0129] (Appendix 1) An interactive voice response device that has a voice conversation with a caller, receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method to be used in the voice dialogue based on caller information including the terminal information; When a voice call is initiated, performing a voice dialogue with the caller according to the determined response method; An interactive voice response device that performs the following:

[0130] (Appendix 2) The determining step includes selecting a response scenario to be used for the voice dialogue from among a plurality of response scenarios based on the caller information. 2. An interactive voice response device as described in appendix 1.

[0131] (Appendix 3) The step of determining includes selecting a response scenario to be used for the voice interaction based on a URL or a query string of a page browsed by the caller. 3. An interactive voice response device as described in appendix 2.

[0132] (Appendix 4) The step of determining includes selecting a response scenario in a language corresponding to a language setting of a browser of the caller terminal as a response scenario to be used for the voice dialogue. 3. An interactive voice response device as described in appendix 2.

[0133] (Appendix 5) The step of determining includes selecting a response scenario corresponding to an attribute of the caller as a response scenario to be used for the voice dialogue. 3. An interactive voice response device as described in appendix 2.

[0134] (Appendix 6) The determining step generates at least a part of a message included in a response scenario based on the sender information. 2. An interactive voice response device as described in appendix 1.

[0135] (Appendix 7) The determining step generates a message including the name of the sender or recipient. 7. The interactive voice response device according to claim 6.

[0136] (Appendix 8) The determining step includes selecting at least one message to be used in the voice interaction from among a plurality of messages included in a response scenario based on the caller information. 2. An interactive voice response device as described in appendix 1.

[0137] (Appendix 9) The step of determining includes selecting, as a message to be used in the voice dialogue, a message corresponding to a question to which the caller information does not include an answer, from among messages corresponding to questions to the caller. 9. The interactive voice response device according to claim 8.

[0138] (Appendix 10) The determining step changes a voice setting to be used in the voice dialogue based on the caller information. 2. An interactive voice response device as described in appendix 1.

[0139] (Appendix 11) The voice settings include at least one of the gender, age, speed, pitch, and speaking style of the voice. 11. The interactive voice response device according to claim 10.

[0140] (Appendix 12) The determining step changes a voice setting to be used for the voice dialogue during the voice call based on the voice information of the caller. 11. The interactive voice response device according to claim 10.

[0141] (Appendix 13) The determining step determines whether to execute a voice dialogue or to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal based on the caller information, and starts the voice call between the caller terminal and the recipient terminal when it is determined to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal. 2. An interactive voice response device as described in appendix 1.

[0142] (Appendix 14) An interactive voice response method executed by an interactive voice response device that has a voice dialogue with a caller, comprising: receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method to be used in the voice dialogue based on caller information including the terminal information; When a voice call is initiated, performing a voice dialogue with the caller according to the determined response method; The interactive voice response method includes:

[0143] (Appendix 15) An interactive voice response device that communicates with callers by voice, receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method to be used in the voice dialogue based on caller information including the terminal information; When a voice call is initiated, performing a voice dialogue with the caller according to the determined response method; An interactive voice response program for executing an interactive voice response method comprising:

[0144] (Appendix 16) An automated voice response system for conducting voice dialogue with a caller, comprising: A caller terminal and an automatic voice response device are provided, The interactive voice response device includes: receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method to be used in the voice dialogue based on caller information including the terminal information; When a voice call is initiated, performing a voice dialogue with the caller according to the determined response method; An interactive voice response system that runs

[0145] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is not defined by the above meaning, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1: Interactive voice response device 2: Caller terminal 11: Communications Department 12: Storage part 13: Control unit 121: Caller information 122: Recipient DB 123: Member DB 124: Response scenario information 131: Voice call control unit 132: Caller information acquisition unit 133: Response method determination unit 134: Voice dialogue section

Claims

1. An interactive voice response device that has a voice conversation with a caller, receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method based on caller information including the terminal information; When a voice call is initiated, performing a voice dialogue with the caller according to the determined response method; An interactive voice response device that performs the following:

2. The determining step includes selecting a response scenario to be used for the voice dialogue from among a plurality of response scenarios based on the caller information.

2. The interactive voice response system according to claim 1.

3. The step of determining includes selecting a response scenario to be used for the voice interaction based on a URL or a query string of a page browsed by the caller.

3. The interactive voice response system according to claim 2.

4. The step of determining includes selecting a response scenario in a language corresponding to a language setting of a browser of the caller terminal as a response scenario to be used for the voice dialogue.

3. The interactive voice response system according to claim 2.

5. The step of determining includes selecting a response scenario corresponding to an attribute of the caller as a response scenario to be used for the voice dialogue.

3. The interactive voice response system according to claim 2.

6. The determining step generates at least a part of a message included in a response scenario based on the sender information.

2. The interactive voice response system according to claim 1.

7. The determining step generates a message including the name of the sender or recipient.

7. The interactive voice response system according to claim 6.

8. The determining step includes selecting at least one message to be used in the voice dialogue from among a plurality of messages included in a response scenario based on the caller information.

2. The interactive voice response system according to claim 1.

9. The step of determining includes selecting, as a message to be used in the voice dialogue, a message corresponding to a question to which the caller information does not include an answer, from among messages corresponding to questions to the caller.

9. The interactive voice response system according to claim 8.

10. The determining step changes a voice setting to be used in the voice dialogue based on the caller information.

2. The interactive voice response system according to claim 1.

11. The voice settings include at least one of the gender, age, speed, pitch, and speaking style of the voice. The interactive voice response device according to claim 10.

12. The determining step changes a voice setting to be used for the voice dialogue during the voice call based on the voice information of the caller. The interactive voice response device according to claim 10.

13. The determining step determines whether to execute a voice dialogue or to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal based on the caller information, and starts the voice call between the caller terminal and the recipient terminal when it is determined to transfer the voice call to the recipient terminal.

2. The interactive voice response system according to claim 1.

14. An interactive voice response method executed by an interactive voice response device that has a voice dialogue with a caller, comprising: receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method based on caller information including the terminal information; When a voice call is initiated, performing a voice dialogue with the caller according to the determined response method; The interactive voice response method includes:

15. An interactive voice response device that communicates with callers by voice, receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method based on caller information including the terminal information; When a voice call is initiated, performing a voice dialogue with the caller according to the determined response method; An interactive voice response program for executing an interactive voice response method comprising:

16. An automated voice response system for conducting voice dialogue with a caller, comprising: A caller terminal and an automatic voice response device are provided, The interactive voice response device includes: receiving a voice call request from a caller terminal; acquiring terminal information from the caller terminal; determining a response method based on caller information including the terminal information; When a voice call is initiated, performing a voice dialogue with the caller according to the determined response method; An interactive voice response system that runs

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