Visualized Call Center Menu via Instant Messaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for interacting with call centers via voice menus require users to listen and memorize voice prompts, leading to inconvenient user operations.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that uses an audio and video client to display a visualized menu corresponding to a voice menu, allowing users to interact with call centers by selecting options on a user interface, while also playing voice prompts for each option, facilitating direct operation and compatibility with conventional call centers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users interact with call centers via voice menus, then compatibility with conventional call centers is maintained, but user operation convenience deteriorates due to the need to listen and memorize voice prompts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility with conventional call centersVSAvoiduser operation convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an instant messaging client as an intermediary between the user and the conventional call center. The client establishes network session connections to the call center via an instant messaging server, receives voice menus through these connections, and presents them in a visualized format. This intermediary approach maintains compatibility with existing call centers while significantly improving user operation convenience through visual display and direct selection capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If voice menus are presented to users, then compatibility with existing call center technologies is maintained, but information accessibility deteriorates as users must listen and memorize prompts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility with existing call center technologiesVSAvoidinformation accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the voice menu information from auditory dimension to visual dimension. The instant messaging client receives voice menus through network session connections and presents them as visualized menus with text and graphical elements on the user interface. This dimensional transformation maintains compatibility with voice-based call centers while dramatically improving information accessibility, allowing users to see and directly interact with menu options without needing to listen or memorize voice prompts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Ease of operation

If visualized menus are displayed to users, then user operation convenience is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional network session connections and menu processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser operation convenienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The instant messaging client performs multiple functions: it serves as both a conventional instant messaging application and a call center interface. The client can establish network session connections to call centers via the instant messaging server, receive and process voice menus, present visualized menus, and handle user selections. This multi-functionality approach improves user operation convenience while minimizing additional system complexity by leveraging the existing instant messaging infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3471387B1Method, device and system for communicating with call center
Publication Date: 2024.03.20 TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) CO LTD
  • EP3471387B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3471387B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3471387B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention provides a method, device and system for communicating with a call center. An audio and video client receives, through a network session connection, a voice menu in first hierarchy sent by the call center, searches a first visualized menu corresponding to the voice menu in first hierarchy according to a correspondence between the visualized menu and the voice menu of the call center, and displays the first visualized menu. Hence, a user can communicate with the call center by directly operating the first visualized menu; and in the whole communication process, the user can communicate with the call center by visually operating the menu provided by the call center instead of receiving and operating the voice menu, thus facilitating the operation of the user.