Voice xml network gateway

Abstract

A system ( 10 ) for controlling telecommunications calls includes a voice XML network gateway ( 12 ) including a voice interpreter module ( 20 ) and a call center server module ( 28 ) association with a telecommunications switch ( 58 ). The voice interpreter module ( 20 ) receives voice telecommunications signals, and the call center server module ( 28 ) receives call center telecommunications data signals. Interpreting circuitry ( 22, 24 ) interprets the voice telecommunications signals using the voice interpreter module in association speech recognition application (s) ( 16 ). Call center service providing ( 18 ) means provides call center service in response to the call center telecommunications data signals in association with call center application program(s). Control circuitry ( 26 ) associated with the telecommunications network server ( 12 ) controls the interpreting circuitry ( 20 ) and the call center providing means ( 28 ) in response to the flow of telecommunications calls from the telecommunications switch ( 58 ) according to the capabilities of the at least one speech recognition application ( 16 ) and the at least one call center application program ( 18 ).

1 . A method for controlling telecommunications calls from a telecommunications switch associated with a telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
 receiving in a voice interpreter module a plurality of voice telecommunications signals from the associated telecommunications switch, said voice interpreter module associated with a voice XML network gateway;   receiving in a call center server module a plurality of call center telecommunications data signals from the associated telecommunications switch, said call center server module associated with said voice XML network gateway;   interpreting said voice telecommunications signals using said voice interpreter module in association with at least one speech recognition application;   providing at least one call center service in response to said call center telecommunications data signals using said call center server module in association with at least one call center application program; and   controlling said step of interpreting said voice signals and said step of providing at least one call center service in response to the flow of telecommunications calls from said telecommunications switch using said voice XML network gateway according to the capabilities of said at least one speech recognition application and said at least one call center application program.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step for interpreting said voice telecommunications signals further comprises the step of interpreting said voice telecommunications signals using said voice interpreter module as a voice-based mark-up language document. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of providing at least one call center service further comprises the step of providing said at least one call center service in association with at least one call center application program using a text-based mark-up language document. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of associating a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module server for supporting telephony operations associated with said voice telecommunications signals. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of associating a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module server relating to the arrival from the telecommunications switch of said voice telecommunications signals. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of associating a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module relating to the termination at the telecommunications switch of said voice telecommunications signals. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of associating a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module server for mapping said voice telecommunications signals to a plurality of designated speech recognition applications. 
     
     
         8 . A system for controlling telecommunications calls from a telecommunications switch associated with a telecommunications network, comprising:
 a voice XML network gateway comprising a voice interpreter module and a call center server module;
 said voice interpreter module for receiving a plurality of voice telecommunications signals from the associated telecommunications switch; 
 said call center server module for receiving a plurality of call center telecommunications data signals from the associated telecommunications switch, said call center server module associated with said telecommunications network server; 
   interpreting circuitry for interpreting said voice telecommunications signals using said voice interpreter module in association with at least one speech recognition application;   call center service providing means for providing at least one call center service in response to said call center telecommunications data signals using said call center server module in association with at least one call center application program; and   control circuitry associated with said telecommunications network server for controlling said interpreting circuitry and said call center providing means in response to the flow of telecommunications calls from the telecommunications switch according to the capabilities of said at least one speech recognition application and said at least one call center application program.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said voice telecommunications signals further comprise a voice-based mark-up language document. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said at least one call center service uses a text-based mark-up language document. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module for receiving output from said call center server module server for supporting telephony operations associated with said voice telecommunications signals. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module receives output from said call center server module server relating to the arrival from the telecommunications switch of said voice telecommunications signals. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module receives output from said call center server module server relating to the termination at the telecommunications switch of said voice telecommunications signals. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein said telephony client between said voice interpreter module and said call center server module receives output from said call center server module server for mapping said voice telecommunications signals to designated speech recognition applications. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said control circuitry further controls said interpreting circuitry and said call center providing means in response to the flow of telecommunications calls from the telecommunications switch according to changes in the capabilities of said at least one speech recognition application and said at least one call center application program. 
     
     
         16 . A method for processing a telephone call requesting information from a database, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a call at a telecommunications switch from a telephone and transmitting said call to a voice XML network gateway;   selecting a voice channel call center program from within said voice XML network gateway for receiving said call;   initiating a voice-based assistance automation application using a voice interpreter module for automatically providing a voice-based response for requested information for said call;   returning at least one voice-based page to said telecommunications switch relating to said voice-based assistance automation application for automatically providing said voice-based response for requested information;   generating a request from said voice interpreter module to a call center program server for a call center operator to conference into said call for assisting in automatically providing said voice-based response for requested information;   signaling said telecommunications switch to conference said call center operator into said call using said call center program server;   providing a database response of information responsive to a request relating to said call, said database accessible to said call center operator.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of initiating a voice-based assistance automation application further comprises the step of initiating said voice-based assistance automation application using a voice-based mark-up language document. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said step of generating a request further comprises the step of generating said request using a text-based mark-up language document. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said requested information comprises a request for directory assistance and further comprising the step of connecting said telephone to a second telephone. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said requested information comprises a request for directory assistance and further comprising the step of verifying the response to the request for directory assistance prior to connecting said telephone to said second telephone.