Dynamic IVR Menu Routing via Input Analysis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems require callers to navigate complex menu trees, leading to frustration and inefficiency, as they must listen to all options before making a selection and often need to backtrack if a mistake is made, increasing call duration and human intervention.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic analysis method that processes input submissions with metadata to identify the most relevant menu options, allowing direct communication with a recipient, using an analysis manager, selection manager, rank manager, and profile manager to parse and rank menu options hierarchically, enabling efficient navigation and advertisement targeting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the IVR presents a complete menu tree with all options, then the system provides comprehensive service coverage, but the caller must listen to and remember all options increasing call duration and frustration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complete menu tree into hierarchical subsets. Instead of presenting all options at once, the system divides the menu structure into parent categories and child options, allowing callers to navigate through progressively refined subsets rather than listening to the entire menu tree.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the caller's input submission before presenting menu options. By analyzing the caller's stated need against the menu metadata in advance, the system pre-prepares and presents only the relevant subset of options that match the caller's intent, eliminating the need to listen to irrelevant options.
2Reliability
If the IVR requires navigation through multiple menu steps, then the system can route calls accurately, but callers must remember previous selections and may need to backtrack causing inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the caller's input submission against the menu metadata before navigation begins. This pre-analysis determines the optimal navigation path and presents only the relevant options, so callers don't need to remember previous selections or backtrack.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback by analyzing the caller's input submission and dynamically determining which menu options to present next. This feedback loop allows the system to adapt the menu presentation based on what the caller actually needs, rather than requiring the caller to navigate a fixed hierarchical structure.
3Loss of information
If the IVR presents all menu options at each step, then callers have complete information for decision making, but the system cannot provide direct routing increasing automation limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the caller's input submission against the menu metadata before presenting options. This pre-processing identifies which options are relevant to the caller's stated need, allowing the system to present a focused subset that maintains information completeness for decision-making while enabling direct routing to the appropriate option.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of menu presentation from displaying all options to displaying a dynamically filtered subset based on the caller's input. By changing what information is presented (from complete menu tree to relevant subset), the system maintains adequate information for decision-making while enabling more direct and automated routing.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention relate to effectively traversing the structure of an interactive voice response system. A menu associated with the system is organized and arranged in a hierarchy. Each received input is dynamically analyzed to enable a traversal of the hierarchy and to direct the input to an appropriate menu option associated with the system. The appropriate menu option is directly related to the input submission, and supports a direct communication with a telecommunication device that initiated communication with the system.