Delayed interactive auto attendant

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method of receiving, by a processing system including a processor, a call for a subscriber; determining, by the processing system, that the call is from an interactive voice response (IVR) system; determining whether the IVR system is providing a query that requires a response; and responsive to a first determination that the IVR system requires the response, providing the response. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:   validating caller identification information of an incoming call to determine whether a calling number is authentic before routing the incoming call to a subscriber device, wherein the device drops the incoming call if the calling number is not authorized;   responsive to a first determination that the calling number is authentic, answering the incoming call and analyzing audio of the incoming call to determine whether the incoming call is from an interactive voice response (IVR) system;   responsive to a second determination that the incoming call is from an IVR system, determining whether the IVR system lodges a query that requires a response; and   responsive to a third determination that the IVR system requires the response, providing the response.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise forwarding the incoming call to the subscriber device if the incoming call is not from the IVR system. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise providing a notification to the subscriber device if the incoming call was dropped. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise routing the incoming call to the subscriber device if the IVR does not require the response. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the device makes the first determination based on caller identification (ID). 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the caller ID is authenticated by a carrier forwarding the incoming call. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the response is a request to the IVR system to repeat the query, thereby delaying the incoming call. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the response comprises providing a synchronous application program interface command to the IVR system. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the response is obtained from information made accessible by the subscriber device. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the response is provided to the IVR system after ending the incoming call. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the response is obtained from the subscriber device. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 determining whether a call to a subscriber device is from an interactive voice response (IVR) system;   responsive to a first determination that the call is from the IVR system, determining whether the IVR system lodges a query that requires a response; and   responsive to a second determination that the IVR system requires the response, providing the response to the IVR system.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 determining whether the call is fraudulent; and   responsive to a third determination that the call is fraudulent, dropping the call.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise: responsive to a fourth determination that the IVR does not require the response, routing the call to the subscriber device. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise: providing the response to the IVR system after ending the call. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the processing system comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed operating environment. 
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 determining, by a processing system comprising a processor, that a call for a subscriber is from an interactive voice response (IVR) system;   determining whether the IVR system lodges a query that requires a response; and   responsive to a first determination that the IVR system requires the response, providing the response, thereby delaying the call.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first determination is based on speech-to-text, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein caller identification information is used, at least in part, to determine that the call is from an IVR system.