Chat-IVR Bridge Emulating Voice Protocols for Text Input
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems require duplication of effort and resources in maintaining and updating both voice-enabled Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and text-based chat systems for customer service, as they operate independently and lack seamless integration, leading to inefficiencies in maintenance and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A Chat-IVR bridge system that enables text-based communication to interface with voice-enabled IVR systems, allowing text inputs to be processed using Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and emulating voice recognition protocols to leverage existing IVR business logic, thereby reducing the need for separate chat systems and minimizing changes to the IVR.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate voice-enabled IVR and text-based chat systems are maintained independently, then each system can be optimized for its specific communication modality, but duplication of effort and resources occurs in maintaining and updating both systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the text-based chat system with the voice-enabled IVR system by introducing a bridge component that translates text inputs into voice-compatible formats. This allows both communication modalities to share the same backend processing logic, business rules, and database structures, eliminating the need for separate maintenance teams and reducing operational complexity while preserving modality-specific optimizations
Solution Approach 2:
The IVR system is enhanced to handle multiple communication modalities (voice and text) through a universal interface layer. The bridge component enables the system to accept text inputs from chat interfaces, translate them into voice recognition formats, and process them through the existing IVR logic, making the system multi-functional without requiring separate dedicated systems for each modality
2Adaptability or versatility
If text-based chat inputs are processed through a separate chat system, then chat-specific features can be implemented, but the need for separate maintenance and updates increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge component serves as an intermediary between the text-based chat interface and the voice-enabled IVR system. It translates chat inputs into formats compatible with IVR processing, enabling chat-specific features to be implemented at the interface level while sharing the core processing logic with the IVR system, thereby reducing maintenance time through centralized updates
3Productivity
If voice recognition protocols are emulated for text inputs, then existing IVR business logic can be reused, but additional translation and mapping processes are required
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge component creates a copied representation of voice recognition protocols that works with text inputs. Instead of modifying the existing IVR business logic, the bridge translates text inputs into formats that mimic voice recognition outputs, allowing the original IVR logic to be reused unchanged while handling text-based communications efficiently
Data Source
AI summary
A bridging for using a non-voice-based user interface, such as a text chat interface, with a voice-enabled interactive voice response system which, during a non-voice-based communication session with a client user device, receives from the client user device, a non-voice entry entered by a client user into the communication session; identifies one or more elements in the non-voice entry constrained by one or more allowed responses by the voice-enabled interactive voice response system; maps the one or more elements to one or more of the allowed responses; and passes the mapped one or more identified elements to a voice-enabled interactive voice response system as a input via emulation of a voice recognition analysis response.