101 results about "Human agent" patented technology

A method of providing rapid business support of insured property using image analysis can include the step of receiving at least one digital image of damaged property. Damage can be automatically accessed for insurance purposes based upon the received images. An incident response can be automatically determined based at least in part upon the damage assessment. Incident responses can include, but are not limited to, tendering a claim payoff offer, referring a claim to a human agent, providing repair instructions, and / or arranging for a physical damage assessment of the damaged property.

A speech-to-text conversion module uses a central database of user speech profiles to convert speech to text. Incoming audio information is fragmented into numerous audio fragments based upon detecting silence. The audio information is also converted to numerous text files by any number of speech engines. Each text file is then fragmented into numerous text fragments based upon the boundaries established during the audio fragmentation. Each set of text fragments from the different speech engines corresponding to a single audio fragments is then compared. The best approximation of the audio fragment is produced from the set of text fragments; a hybrid may be produced. If no agreement is reached, the audio fragment and set the text fragments are sent to human agents who verify and edit to produce a final edited text fragment that best corresponds to the audio fragment. Fragmentation that produces overlapping audio fragments requires splicing of the final text fragments to produce the output text file.

There is disclosed a system functional for operating and updating an interactive voice response self care system which utilizes various types of models. The system is capable of improving the performance of the self care system through updating the models used in that system in a closed loop manner. The system is also potentially configured to utilize input from a human agent, such as a customer service representative, to which a customer call is transferred by a self care system.

A three party authenticating protocol is disclosed. During an enrollment phase, a user contacts a call center and is directed to a user verification server. The user verification server instructs the user to select and answer a number of questions that will be used for verification. The selected questions along with identifying indices for each question are stored at the user's location and at the user verification server. The user verification server sends the question indices to the call center, which in turn sends these indices to the user to obtain answer indices for each question. During a verification phase, the user contacts the call center and an authentication module asks the user to provide an asserted identity. The authentication module provides a random selection of question indices from those selected by the user. The user provides answer indices for each question to the authentication module. If the number of correctly matching answers exceeds a threshold, then the user is verified. Otherwise, the user fails verification. After verification, the user is transferred from the authentication module of the call center to a human agent for further processing.

An interactive voice and data response system that directs input to a voice, text, and web-capable software-based router, which is able to intelligently respond to the input by drawing on a combination of human agents, advanced speech recognition and expert systems, connected to the router via a TCP / IP network. The digitized input is broken down into components so that the customer interaction is managed as a series of small tasks rather than one ongoing conversation. The router manages the interactions and keeps pace with a real-time conversation. The system utilizes both speech recognition and human intelligence for purposes of interpreting customer utterance or customer text. The system may use more than one human agent, or both human agents and speech recognition software, to interpret simultaneously the same component for error-checking and interpretation accuracy.

A method in one embodiment includes authenticating a first agent to an on board unit (OBU) of a vehicle if the first agent validates a first set of one or more authentication requirements and identifying a first identity profile corresponding to the first agent. The method also includes determining a role of the first agent in the vehicle and configuring the vehicle with the first identity profile, where the vehicle is configured based, at least in part, on the role of the first agent. In this embodiment, the first identity profile is one of a plurality of identity profiles provisioned on the OBU. In specific embodiments, each one of a plurality of agents corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of identity profiles, and includes one or more of a human agent, a machine device, a software agent, an authorized entity, and a mobile device.

A simulator trains for hemorrhage control using hemostatic agents, tourniquets, and / or other hemorrhage control techniques in a simulator that works with a wide variety of existing human surrogates. The simulator merges a live video feed of the surrogate and trainee's hands (or objects interacting with the surrogate) with a computer-generated visual representation of the wound and hemorrhaging blood to provide an immersive display experience to the trainee without requiring different surrogates for different simulated wounds. The trainee may wear pulse-generating glove(s) that simulate the patient's pulse where the trainee's finger tip contacts the surrogate. A sensorized substrate (e.g., load sensors, haptic output generators) may automatically be moved between the trainee and the surrogate to sense interaction with the surrogate and provide haptic feedback. The substrate may replace the surrogate altogether. The simulator may alternatively simulate events and objects other than wounds and humans.

An interactive voice and data response system then directs input to a voice, text, and web-capable software-based router, which is able to intelligently respond to the input by drawing on a combination of human agents, advanced speech recognition and expert systems, connected to the router via a TCP / IP network. The digitized input is broken down into components so that the customer interaction is managed as a series of small tasks rather than one ongoing conversation. The router manages the interactions and keeps pace with a real-time conversation. The system utilizes both speech recognition and human intelligence for purposes of interpreting customer utterance or customer text. The system may use more than one human agent, or both human agents and speech recognition software, to interpret simultaneously the same component for error-checking and interpretation accuracy.

Multiple communication types are integrated into a call center. The communication types can be chat, email, Internet Protocol (IP) voice, traditional telephone, web page, digital image, digital video and other types. Features of the invention include allowing a single agent to handle multiple customers on multiple channels, or “endpoints.” Prioritizing and assigning calls to agents based on a specific criteria such as the number of endpoints assigned to an agent, the agents availability, the priority of a customer call, the efficiency of a given agent and the agent's efficiency at handling a particular communication type call. An agent user interface is described that allows the agent to have control over accepting multiple calls. The agent can drag and drop canned responses, images, URLs, or other information into a window for immediate display on a customer's computer. The system provides for detailed agent performance tracking. The system provides failure recovery by using a backup system. If the network server fails, then the customer is connected directly to an agent. When a failed computer comes back on line, the statistics gathered are then used to synchronize the returned computer. The system provides extensive call recording or “data wake” information gathering. The system provides flexibility in transferring large amounts of historic and current data from one agent to another, and from storage to an active agent. The system integrates human agents' knowledge with an automated knowledge base. The system provides for an agent updating, or adding, to the knowledge base in real time. The system also provides for “blending” of different communication types.

A contact center for servicing a contact is provided that includes (a) an input operable to receive a contact from a customer; (b) a selection function 26 operable to direct the contact to a human agent associated with the contact center for servicing; and (c) a contact monitor 62 operable (a) to track a service time required by the human agent to service the contact and (b), when the service time at least one of equals and exceeds a selected first threshold, notify the agent that the selected first threshold has been at least one of equaled and exceeded.

A method and apparatus for screening and blocking certain telecommunications sent via a communication network by telemarketers or other message senders is disclosed. This service is provided to subscribing parties that initiate the telecommunications. A periodically updated “do-not-contact” database is incorporated in cooperation with network nodes to block screened messages from being delivered to an intended destination that is listed in the database. Screening and blocking can be accomplished on the customer premises or at a network node shared with non-subscribing parties. The network node ignores messages sent from non-subscribing parties. Various marking or screening techniques can be used to identify those telecommunication messages sent from or on behalf of subscribing message senders. Blocking is accomplished by various techniques including audio disconnect instructions routed back to a human agent, or actuating coded signals to automatically cancel delivery in accordance with the updated database.

A method for a speech response system to automatically transfer users to human agents. The method can establish an interactive dialog session between a user and an automated speech response system. An error score can be established when the interactive dialog session is initiated. During the interactive dialog session, responses to dialog prompts can be received. Error weights can be assigned to receive responses determined to be non-valid responses. Different non-valid responses can be assigned different error weights. For each non-valid response, the assigned error weight can be added to the error score. When a value of the error score exceeds a previously established error threshold, a user can be automatically transferred from the automated speech response system to a human agent.

The invention provides a voice auto-answer cloud server, a voice auto-answer system and a voice auto-answer method. The voice auto-answer cloud server comprises a communication unit, a first recognition unit, a second recognition unit, a research and response unit and a human transferring unit. The communication unit is used for receiving a voice request sent by a user. The first recognition unit conducts recognition and fuzzy matching on the voice request so as to search for a user need category which matches with the voice request. If the user need category is successfully searched, the second recognition unit prompts the user to send out fine query information which corresponds to the user need category, receives and recognizes the fine query information. The search and response unit searches corresponding response information according to the user need category and the fine query information and sends the response information to the user. The human transferring unit transfers the user need category to a human agent if the user need category is not successfully searched. The voice auto-answer cloud server, the voice auto-answer system and the voice auto-answer method can improve reliability of automatic speech response.

The invention relates to a network communication technology, in particular to a virtual-reality-based network conference method. The method is characterized in that: the method is implemented by a network database, a master virtual venue terminal, conference participant terminals and controls, wherein the master virtual venue terminal and the conference participant terminals form a venue model with the network database, and are connected with the network database; the controls are installed at the master virtual venue terminal and the conference participant terminals; and the method comprises the conference initiation of the controls installed at the master virtual venue terminal and the conference participant terminals, the enrolling of conference participants and the conferencing. In the virtual-reality-based network conference method provided by the invention, virtual reality simulation software Vega is integrated with virtual human simulation software DI-GuyScenario to construct a virtual venue environment, a virtual human agent with sense of reality is established by three-dimensional modeling software, and the synthesis of the distributed venue and the consistency of behaviors of each conference participant terminal virtual agent are realized by the database and Winsock network communication.

A network system for enabling voice interaction between communications-center applications and human agents remote from the center has a primary server connected to the network the server controlling at least one routing point used by the center, a secondary server connected to the network the secondary server for generating and serving voice extensible markup language, a voice gateway associated with the secondary server, the gateway for executing voice extensible markup language and recognizing speech input, and a software platform based in the primary server and distributed in part as a server application to the secondary server, the software suite functioning as a data transformation interface between the center applications and the gateway. In a preferred use agents and applications communicate bi-directionally using VXML.

A computer-implemented method for providing a helpdesk service comprises receiving an electronic request from a user for help on a specified problem, automatically performing a search in a knowledge base system to find potential solutions to the problem, and assigning a confidence rating to each potential solution found. If any potential solutions are found with confidence ratings greater than a threshold value, they are automatically returned to the user without involving a human agent. If no potential solution is found with a confidence rating greater than a threshold value, the request is automatically passed to a human agent for action. Any potential solutions with confidence ratings lower than the threshold value but greater than a second, lower threshold value are automatically presented to the agent as suggested solutions.

There is disclosed a system functional for operating and updating an interactive voice response self care system which utilizes various types of models. The system is capable of improving the performance of the self care system through updating the models used in that system in a closed loop manner. The system is also potentially configured to utilize input from a human agent, such as a customer service representative, to which a customer call is transferred by a self care system.

A contact centre (120) is desirably tested for operating performance by simulating calls in the contact centre (120) in an automated manner. Simulation of calls is achieved with the use of virtual agents that mimic the behaviour of human agents that ordinarily deal with caller enquiries in a contact centre (120). A set of virtual agents, which can mirror their human counterparts, can be generated and assigned activities and behaviours that simulate the behaviour of human agents. These virtual agents can thus be enlisted in testing campaigns placed within the contact centre (120), and assigned to answer calls as if they were in fact human agents, in accordance with the usual operation of the contact centre environment.

An interactive response system directs input to a software-based router, which is able to intelligently respond to the input by drawing on a combination of human agents, advanced speech recognition and expert systems. The system utilizes human “intent analysts” for purposes of interpreting customer utterance. Automated speech recognition subsystems are trained by coupling utterances with IA-selected meanings for those utterances, using non-real time systems to develop the training information for the automated speech recognition subsystems.

Using stream-based change flow models to propagate source code file changes within a software configuration management system can begin with the detection of the addition of a source code file, either a new file or new version, to a software configuration management system by a change flow manager. The source code file can then be related to a component based upon the hierarchical placement of the source code file within the filesystem. Stream-based change flow models that contain the component can be identified. Change flow relationships within a stream-based change flow model can define the propagation of changes between streams (an aggregate of components) and / or components. Authorization from a human agent can be requested to initiate propagation of the source code file. Upon receipt of an affirmative response, the source code file can be automatically copied to the container objects that correspond to the identified recipients for changes.

A masking system prevents a human agent from receiving sensitive personal information (SPI) provided by a caller during caller-agent communication. The masking system includes components for detecting the SPI, including automated speech recognition and natural language processing systems. When the caller communicates with the agent, e.g., via a phone call, the masking system processes the incoming caller audio. When the masking system detects SPI in the caller audio stream or when the masking system determines a high likelihood that incoming caller audio will include SPI, the caller audio is masked such that it cannot be heard by the agent. The masking system collects the SPI from the caller audio and sends it to the organization associated with the agent for processing the caller's request or transaction without giving the agent access to caller SPI.

Multiple communication types are integrated into a call center. The communication types can be chat, email, Internet Protocol (IP) voice, traditional telephone, web page, digital image, digital video and other types. Features of the invention include allowing a single agent to handle multiple customers on multiple channels, or “endpoints.” Prioritizing and assigning calls to agents based on a specific criteria such as the number of endpoints assigned to an agent, the agents availability, the priority of a customer call, the efficiency of a given agent and the agent's efficiency at handling a particular communication type call. An agent user interface is described that allows the agent to have control over accepting multiple calls. The agent can drag and drop canned responses, images, URLs, or other information into a window for immediate display on a customer's computer. The system provides for detailed agent performance tracking. The system provides failure recovery by using a backup system. If the network server fails, then the customer is connected directly to an agent. When a failed computer comes back on line, the statistics gathered are then used to synchronize the returned computer. The system provides extensive call recording or “data wake” information gathering. The system provides flexibility in transferring large amounts of historic and current data from one agent to another, and from storage to an active agent. The system integrates human agents' knowledge with an automated knowledge base. The system provides for an agent updating, or adding, to the knowledge base in real time. The system also provides for “blending” of different communication types.

Methods combine speech recognition with telephonic sales order processing, in order to automate and improve the efficiency of telephone sales orders, by responding appropriately to vocalizations, pausing for interruption, repeating responses when appropriate, automatically transferring calls to human agents or different automated systems at appropriate points in a transaction, and collecting information. A method accepts incoming sales order calls and appropriately handles order processing. A method connects outgoing calls to customers who have disconnected before completing sales order calls, and appropriately handles sales and order processing.

The current invention discloses a solution for using a surface based computing device for verification of an identification document, such as a driver's license. A surface based computing device can be a device capable of scanning an identification document, comparing the scanned document against a set of conditions for a valid document, and reporting comparison results. A secured resource can be granted based at least in part upon identity verifications conducted by the surface based computing device. The surface based computing device can include a MICROSOFT SURFACE device or any other computing device able to scan an identification document and to process scanned results. In one embodiment, the surface based computing device can be used in conjunction with a human agent for added security.

The present invention discloses a solution for increasing the immediacy in determining a point of failure after an unexpected program termination. In the solution, a user determined object is identified by a user at compile time, where the identified object is one to be tracked. The compiler introduces executable code into the source code which is able to track modifications made to the object members during run-time. During execution, the address of each instruction modifying to the object is stored in an instruction pointer (IP) array associated with the tracked object. The IP array is continuously updated during program execution when an instruction modifies a member of the tracked object. When an unexpected program termination occurs, the instruction pointer array can be presented to a debugging agent to assist in determining the instruction causing the termination. The debugging agent can be a human agent, debugging software, report generation software, and the like.