AI-Powered IVR Middleware for Hallucination Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional IVR systems in healthcare settings are prone to hallucinations, leading to unreliable interactions with patients, and fail to provide a natural and conversational experience, resulting in operational friction and frustration for patients.

Innovation Solution

An AI-powered IVR system, specifically designed for healthcare, uses natural language processing and machine learning to reduce hallucinations by limiting input options and employing a middleware layer to validate AI-generated responses against a fixed set of expected responses, ensuring reliability and accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If conventional IVR systems use pre-recorded messaging and text-to-speech technology, then they can handle predefined tasks automatically, but they lack flexibility and cannot understand natural language voice inputs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomated task handlingVSAvoidflexibility in handling tasks
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional IVR's mechanical text-to-speech and pre-recorded messaging systems with an AI-powered natural language processing system. This substitution enables the system to understand and respond to natural language voice inputs while maintaining automated task handling, thereby resolving the contradiction between automation extent and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If conversational AI systems use large language models to process information, then they can understand natural language inputs, but they are vulnerable to hallucinations and generate inaccurate outputs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenatural language interactionVSAvoidaccuracy of outputs
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a middleware layer as an intermediary between the large language model and the IVR system. This middleware validates AI-generated responses against a fixed set of expected responses, filtering out hallucinations and inaccurate outputs while preserving natural language interaction capabilities, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If AI systems allow free-form natural language input, then they provide conversational experience, but they increase the risk of hallucinations and inaccurate patterns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconversational flexibilityVSAvoidaccuracy of AI responses
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic response validation mechanism where the middleware layer adaptively filters AI-generated responses based on a fixed set of expected responses. This dynamic filtering preserves conversational flexibility for valid inputs while blocking hallucinations and inaccurate patterns, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20250087343A1Artificial intelligence appointment scheduling system
Publication Date: 2025.03.13 LIGHTNING COMM LLC
  • US20250087343A1 patent drawing
  • US20250087343A1 patent drawing
  • US20250087343A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A solution for patient scheduling systems, designed to streamline the appointment booking process and enhance the overall patient experience is provided. The solution may include a kiosk computer system that interacts with a patient using voice recognition technology. The solution may include an appointment booking system. The appointment booking system may include an interactive voice response system, a middleware layer and an electronic health record system. The system may also include an artificial intelligence model that is less susceptible to hallucinations. provide a seamless and efficient appointment booking process. The solution may adapt to office-specific requirements and improve patient satisfaction and practice efficiency.