Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for an automated calling system are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving audio data of an utterance spoken by a user who is having a telephone conversation with a bot. The actions further include determining a context of the telephone conversation. The actions further include determining a user intent of a first previous portion of the telephone conversation spoken by the user and a bot intent of a second previous portion of the telephone conversation outputted by a speech synthesizer of the bot. The actions further include, based on the audio data of the utterance, the context of the telephone conversation, the user intent, and the bot intent, generating synthesized speech of a reply by the bot to the utterance. The actions further include, providing, for output, the synthesized speech.

Systems, devices, and methods for more effectively and accurately determining when a participant in a call or similar form of communications session that has placed their channel into an on-hold state ends the on-hold state, and the call or communication session returns to an active mode. In some embodiments, an on-hold state may be indicated by the playing of music and/or a message on the channel placed into that state.

The present disclosure relates to a method of managing a voice call having been queued to await a response by a human representative of a call centre, and a device performing the method. In an aspect, a method is provided of managing a voice call having been queued to await a response by a human representative of a recipient of the voice call, the method being performed by a communications device of a calling party and which includes detecting, from a voice indication provided by the recipient, information indicating a current position of the voice call in the queue, and displaying the detected information indicating a current position of the voice call in the queue.

Systems and methods are described herein for handling video calls placed on hold or otherwise parked by one or more parties within the video call. The systems and methods can determine a video call has been placed on hold (or otherwise set to be parked), and transfer the video call to a call park server (CPS). The systems and methods can then access a content server, retrieve one or more content items (e.g., video clips, interactive content or advertisements, and so on), and present the content items within the on hold video call.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for an automated calling system are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving audio data of an utterance spoken by a user who is having a telephone conversation with a bot. The actions further include determining a context of the telephone conversation. The actions further include determining a user intent of a first previous portion of the telephone conversation spoken by the user and a bot intent of a second previous portion of the telephone conversation outputted by a speech synthesizer of the bot. The actions further include, based on the audio data of the utterance, the context of the telephone conversation, the user intent, and the bot intent, generating synthesized speech of a reply by the bot to the utterance. The actions further include, providing, for output, the synthesized speech.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for an automated calling system are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes the actions of receiving audio data of an utterance spoken by a user who is having a telephone conversation with a bot. The actions further include determining a context of the telephone conversation. The actions further include determining a user intent of a first previous portion of the telephone conversation spoken by the user and a bot intent of a second previous portion of the telephone conversation outputted by a speech synthesizer of the bot. The actions further include, based on the audio data of the utterance, the context of the telephone conversation, the user intent, and the bot intent, generating synthesized speech of a reply by the bot to the utterance. The actions further include, providing, for output, the synthesized speech.

A communication session with a communication endpoint is established. The communication session is placed on hold. For example, the communication session is placed on hold by being sent to a contact center queue. In response to placing the communication session on hold, a message is sent to the communication endpoint that indicates the communication session has been placed on hold. In response to the message, the communication endpoint may initiate a second media stream, such as to play personal media while the communication session is on hold. The second media stream may be a local media file or a remote media file, such as an internet radio station. In response to determining that the communication session is taken off hold, a second message is sent to the communication endpoint to stop playing the personalized media. This process allows the user to play personalized media while being placed on hold.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for providing smart notifications during voice call transitions from hold status to active status are described. An example method can include establishing a call between an endpoint and a remote device; after a determination that the call was placed on hold by the remote device, monitoring, by the endpoint, the call for an indication of a call resume transition, the indication of the call resume transition including at least one of a particular keyword transmitted by the remote device, an active speaker at the remote device, and a dual-tone multi-frequency signaling (DTMF) input from the remote device; detecting, by the endpoint, the indication of the call resume transition; and in response to detecting the indication of the call resume transition, generating, by the endpoint, a notification indicating that the hold has ended and the call has resumed.

The system allows a consumer to shortcut through a call queue to reach a human agent faster. For phone or voice-based calls that require a consumer wait on hold, the system can give that consumer an accurate estimate of the wait time and allow them to skip all or some of it. It does this by using automated processes to proactively dial and wait in those call queues, measuring their time in queue. A new consumer making an incoming call can then join the call queue occupied by of those automated processes, shortcutting the consumer past all or some of the wait time.

Automated monitoring of a voice communication session, when the session is in an on hold status, to determine when the session is no longer in the on hold status. When it is determined that the session is no longer in the on hold status, user interface output is rendered that is perceptible to a calling user that initiated the session, and that indicates that the on hold status of the session has ceased. In some implementations, an audio stream of the session can be monitored to determine, based on processing of the audio stream, a candidate end of the on hold status. In response, a response solicitation signal is injected into an outgoing portion of the audio. The audio stream can be further monitored for a response (if any) to the response solicitation signal. The response (if any) can be processed to determine whether the end of the on hold status is an actual end of the on hold status.