IVR Menu Visualization via DTMF and SMS Protocols
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users interacting with IVR systems often face difficulties in navigating menu options due to difficulty in hearing voice instructions, especially in noisy environments, leading to incorrect key selections and increased focus requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for visualizing IVR menu options using DTMF signals and network connectivity to retrieve and display a visual mapping of menu pathways, allowing users to see menu options and inputs needed to reach desired services, with features like breadcrumb tracking and predictive routing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users interact with IVR systems using only auditory voice instructions, then the system remains simple and cost-effective, but users experience difficulty in hearing instructions in noisy environments leading to incorrect key selections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines auditory voice instructions with visual menu displays into a unified IVR interface. The visual display shows menu options and required keypresses while the auditory channel provides voice guidance, creating a multi-sensory interaction that improves reliability without requiring a completely new system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The IVR system is enhanced to simultaneously provide information through multiple channels (auditory and visual) without requiring separate dedicated systems. The existing telephony infrastructure is leveraged to deliver visual information alongside traditional voice instructions, making the system more versatile and accessible.
2Ease of operation
If users rely solely on auditory instructions for IVR navigation, then the system maintains simplicity, but users experience increased focus requirements and difficulty in noisy environments
Solution Approach 1:
The visual display acts as an intermediary that complements the auditory channel. Instead of relying solely on hearing, users can visually reference the menu structure and required inputs, reducing the impact of environmental noise while maintaining the simplicity of the overall system architecture.
3Productivity
If the IVR system provides only auditory menu options, then the system remains simple to implement, but users experience increased errors and reduced navigation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The IVR interaction is segmented into multiple information delivery channels: auditory voice instructions for guidance and visual display for reference. This segmentation allows users to process information through their preferred channel while maintaining system simplicity, as the visual component is added as a complementary layer rather than replacing the existing auditory system.
Data Source
AI summary
Computer-implemented methods, systems and program products leveraging DTMF, SMS, and other transmission protocols to provide visualization of IVR menus, improving user-accessibility. Phones or other devices with DTMF decoding functions, internet connectivity and/or visualization capabilities place calls to an IVR system. DTMF codes are transmitted to IVR systems indicating compliance and request to receive IVR menus. IVR systems transmit DTMF codes encoding ASCII character sets for URLs whereupon devices can decode ASCII characters and fetch files visualizing IVR menus from the URL. Alternatively, IVR system may provide URLs using SMS text messages whereby devices provide a telephone number to the IVR system via DTMF. IVR system decodes the telephone number and transmits a representation of the URL using SMS protocol. The receiving device receiving the SMS message fetches the visualization of the IVR menu from the URL provided within the SMS message and use the menu to navigate the IVR system.