Dynamic IVR Menu Reconfiguration for Caller Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interactive voice response systems present menu items in a fixed temporal and hierarchical order, leading to inefficiencies for callers seeking recurring or similar information, causing frustration as they must navigate through multiple menus each time they contact an enterprise.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that reconfigure the temporal and hierarchical order of menu items based on the caller's identity, geo-location, and contextual information, such as global events or weather, to provide a more direct path to desired information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a predefined hierarchical menu is used to present information to callers, then the system structure is simple and easy to maintain, but callers must navigate through multiple menus each time they contact the enterprise, causing frustration and inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transforming the static, fixed hierarchical menu into a dynamic menu system that automatically reconfigures its structure and temporal order based on real-time contextual information, caller analytics, and historical data. The menu items are dynamically inserted, removed, or reordered without requiring changes to the underlying system architecture, thus improving caller navigation efficiency while maintaining manageable complexity through automated adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-analyzing caller information, historical interaction patterns, and contextual data before the caller even begins navigating the menu. This allows the system to pre-configure the optimal menu structure and temporal order tailored to each caller's needs, eliminating the frustration of navigating through irrelevant menus and directly presenting the most relevant options.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the menu structure is fixed and predefined, then the system is easy to maintain, but it cannot adapt to recurring caller needs or contextual changes, leading to repeated navigation through the same menus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously analyzing caller analytics data, historical interaction patterns, and contextual information to automatically adjust the menu structure and temporal order. The system receives feedback from each interaction, learns from recurring caller needs, and adapts the menu configuration accordingly, enabling the menu to evolve and personalize itself without manual intervention, thus achieving high adaptability while keeping reconfiguration complexity managed through automated processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The menu system performs self-service by automatically reconfiguring itself based on embedded analytics and contextual data without requiring external manual intervention. The system autonomously identifies recurring caller patterns, determines optimal menu structures, and implements reconfiguration decisions, thereby achieving high adaptability to caller needs while minimizing the operational complexity of manual menu management.
3Loss of time
If callers must navigate through multiple predefined menus to access specific information, then the information architecture is organized and consistent, but the time required to obtain information increases significantly for recurring queries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies skipping by enabling the dynamic menu system to bypass unnecessary intermediate menus and directly present the most relevant information or options to callers based on their historical patterns and contextual needs. For recurring queries, the system skips through the traditional multi-menu navigation path and delivers the desired information in fewer steps, significantly reducing information access time while maintaining interaction simplicity through direct, context-aware presentation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method comprising receiving, at a call-processing switch, a call from a calling entity in which the calling entity is a natural person and a telecommunications terminal, and, wherein the call received at the call-processing switch comprises (i) the identity of the caller telecommunications terminal, (ii) the identity of the caller, and (iii) the geo-location of the calling entity. Upon receiving the call, the call-processing switch identifies (i) global contextual information, (ii) contextual information at the calling entity, and (iii) contextual information at the call-processing switch, wherein the temporal order and the hierarchical order of menu items in a menu are reconfigured for presentation to the calling entity based on (i) the identity of the caller telecommunications terminal, (ii) the identity of the caller, (iii) the geo-location of the calling entity, (iv) global contextual information, (v) contextual information at the calling entity, and (vi) contextual information at the call-processing switch.