Secure VoIP Bridge Segregating DTMF Tones for Agent Assistance

Solution Overview

Problem

Contact center agents face challenges in securely processing sensitive financial information during transactions, as existing solutions either expose them to sensitive information or limit their ability to monitor and assist the transaction progress without exposing this information.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a configuration that allows prompts to be provided by either the agent or an IVR, with the secure VoIP bridge segregating DTMF information from audio, enabling the agent to monitor and assist the transaction without being exposed to sensitive information, using a VoIP environment that segregates DTMF tones from speech audio and provides generic auditory and visual indications to the agent.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the agent is bridged onto the call to facilitate the transaction, then the agent can assist the remote party, but the agent is exposed to the credit card information in the form of DTMF tones

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveagent ability to assist transactionVSAvoidagent exposure to sensitive information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The audio stream is segmented into speech components and DTMF tone components. The speech components are transmitted to the agent while the DTMF tone components are blocked, allowing the agent to hear customer questions and IVR prompts without hearing the credit card information entered as DTMF tones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A voice bridge is introduced as an intermediary component between the IVR and the agent. The voice bridge selectively transmits only speech components to the agent while blocking DTMF tone components, serving as a mediator that enables communication without exposing sensitive information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the agent is muted when the remote party interacts with the IVR, then the agent is protected from sensitive information, but the agent cannot assist the remote party if difficulties arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveagent protection from sensitive informationVSAvoidagent ability to assist remote party

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The audio stream is segmented into speech components and DTMF tone components. The speech components are transmitted to the agent while the DTMF tone components are blocked, allowing the agent to hear customer questions and IVR prompts without hearing the credit card information entered as DTMF tones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A voice bridge is introduced as an intermediary component between the IVR and the agent. The voice bridge selectively transmits only speech components to the agent while blocking DTMF tone components, serving as a mediator that enables communication without exposing sensitive information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If only one approach for prompts is defined (IVR provides prompts), then the system is simple, but there is no flexibility in configuration where prompts may be provided either by the agent or the IVR

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in prompt delivery configurationVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system allows dynamic configuration of prompt delivery modes. The voice bridge can be configured to work with either IVR-based prompts or agent-based prompts, and the system can dynamically switch between these modes based on configuration parameters without requiring fundamental architectural changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The voice bridge is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple scenarios: IVR prompts, agent prompts, and DTMF tone blocking. This multi-functional design allows a single component to serve multiple purposes, reducing overall system complexity while increasing versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11689668B1Providing improved contact center agent assistance during a secure transaction involving an interactive voice response unit

Publication Date: 2023.06.27 ALVARIA INC

AI summary

A secure payment agent assist (“SPAA”) feature provides assistance to a contact center agent during a transaction involving sensitive information, where the sensitive information provided by the remote party is maintained in secure manner, so that the agent is not exposed to it. The agent is assisted by being provided with a pop-up window that allows the agent to invoke a “recollect” and “cancel” function during the transaction. The pop-up window also provides information to the agent making the agent aware of the progress of the transaction as the remote party interacts with an interactive voice response (“IVR”) unit. In other embodiments, a configuration parameter allows the prompts for the payment information to be provided by the agent or the IVR.