Voice-Text Hybrid Directory Assistance for Information Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voice-based information systems, such as directory assistance, face challenges in conveying complex information like lists of numbers or addresses, as callers often struggle to remember or process this information audibly, especially when they lack writing materials or are engaged in other activities.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that integrates voice and text communication channels, allowing callers to receive initial spoken information followed by supplementary textual information via text messages or emails, enabling them to process and save the information at their convenience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If information is provided through voice channel only, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but the caller cannot effectively process or remember complex information such as lists of numbers or addresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines voice communication channel and text messaging channel into a unified information delivery system. The IVR system provides information through both audible speech and SMS text messages simultaneously or sequentially, allowing callers to receive information in multiple formats to improve retention without requiring complex additional devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary text messaging component that bridges the gap between voice information delivery and caller information retention. The SMS messages serve as a mediator that captures and transmits information to the caller's mobile device, enabling effective processing and storage of complex information without complicating the core voice system.
2Reliability
If information is provided auditorily only, then the communication channel remains simple, but the caller cannot save or retrieve the information later
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by sending text message summaries of the voice information before the caller hangs up. The system prepares and delivers SMS messages containing key information during or immediately after the voice interaction, ensuring information is saved in the caller's device for later retrieval without adding complex post-call processing requirements.
3Ease of operation
If the system provides only spoken information, then the interface is simple and fast, but the caller must write down information manually which is not always possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by automatically generating and sending text messages to the caller's mobile device without requiring manual writing. The system captures voice information, converts it to text format, and delivers it via SMS automatically, enabling information capture and storage without the caller needing pen, paper, or manual transcription efforts.
Data Source
AI summary
Information may be provided to a caller via text messages as a complement to information provided over a voice interface. In one implementation, a system may receive a request for information over a voice channel from a mobile terminal and respond to the request with text transmitted to the mobile terminal over a text channel.