WO2008132572A1 - Telephone call processing system amd method - Google Patents

Telephone call processing system amd method Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2008132572A1
WO2008132572A1 PCT/IB2008/000977 IB2008000977W WO2008132572A1 WO 2008132572 A1 WO2008132572 A1 WO 2008132572A1 IB 2008000977 W IB2008000977 W IB 2008000977W WO 2008132572 A1 WO2008132572 A1 WO 2008132572A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
caller
speech
telephone
utterance
telephone number
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2008/000977
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Barend Frederick Pieter Van Den Berg
Original Assignee
Van Den Berg Barend Frederick
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Van Den Berg Barend Frederick filed Critical Van Den Berg Barend Frederick
Publication of WO2008132572A1 publication Critical patent/WO2008132572A1/en
Priority to ZA2009/07627A priority Critical patent/ZA200907627B/en

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/42204—Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10L—SPEECH ANALYSIS OR SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
    • G10L15/00—Speech recognition
    • G10L15/22—Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
    • G10L2015/223—Execution procedure of a spoken command
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2201/00—Electronic components, circuits, software, systems or apparatus used in telephone systems
    • H04M2201/14—Delay circuits; Timers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2201/00—Electronic components, circuits, software, systems or apparatus used in telephone systems
    • H04M2201/40—Electronic components, circuits, software, systems or apparatus used in telephone systems using speech recognition
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M2242/00—Special services or facilities
    • H04M2242/22—Automatic class or number identification arrangements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/42025—Calling or Called party identification service
    • H04M3/42085—Called party identification service
    • H04M3/42102—Making use of the called party identifier
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/487—Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
    • H04M3/493—Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
    • H04M3/4931—Directory assistance systems
    • H04M3/4935—Connection initiated by DAS system

Definitions

  • this invention provides a call processing system and method that allows a user to dial a single telephone number so that, by using speech recognition technology, the caller may be put through automatically to the desired company or organization.
  • a speech recognition engine to receive and recognize a speech utterance from the caller
  • a database table comprising telephone numbers and associated recognized or recognizable speech utterances
  • a processor to functionally connect the receiver module, the speech recognition engine, the database table and the dialing module so that upon recognizing the speech utterance and retrieving the telephone number associated with the speech utterance, the processor can connect the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number via the dialing module.
  • a telephone call processing method comprising:
  • the method comprises assigning and returning an identifier uniquely associated with the caller utterance, the identifier being used to access a database table so as to retrieve the telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance.
  • the speech recognition engine fails to recognize the speech utterance from the caller, a failure to recognize the utterance is returned and the call from the caller is terminated.
  • a telephone call processing system comprising:
  • a processor arranged to:
  • Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a telephone call processing system according to an example embodiment
  • the system 10 may execute an algorithm that, upon receipt of an inbound call, routes the voice channel containing media bearer information related to that call to an audio media input channel of the speech reco gnition engine 20.
  • the algorithm waits for the speech recognition engine 20 to attempt recognition of caller utterance/s. If after a configurable timeout period and/or a configurable number of recognition attempts the recognition engine 20 still fails to recognize the caller utterance with a score above a configurable confidence level, the recognition engine may return a failure to recognize the utterance.
  • the system 10 Upon successful indexing of the identifier to a company contact number, the system 10 finds a free telephone channel from a plurality of channels connected to it and places an outbound call on that channel to the destination number that was indexed from the table 22. An exception may take place with IP-based outbound channels, where there is no constraint upon the channel used, as new channels are created dynamically, and so free channels are always guaranteed to exist.
  • the system 10 may monitor both channels for the duration of the call, and upon call termination from either party, termination is signaled to the other party, and both circuits released. Thus, for example, should the original caller 14 terminate the call by hanging up his/her receiver, the system 10 will perform the necessary action to terminate the outbound call to the company 16, typically using the telephony signaling protocol associated with the channel technology, and wee versa.

Abstract

In broad terms, this invention provides a call processing system and method that allows a user to dial a single telephone number so that, by using speech recognition technology, the caller may be put through automatically to the desired company or organization. In a first embodiment, a telephone call processing system comprises a receiver module to receive a telephone call from a caller, a speech recognition engine to receive and recognize a speech utterance from the caller, a database table comprising telephone numbers and associated recognized or recognizable speech utterances, a dialing module to place an outbound call using one of the telephone numbers in the database table, and a processor to functionally connect the components so that upon recognizing the speech utterance and retrieving the telephone number associated with the speech utterance, the processor can connect the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number via the dialing module.

Description

TELEPHONE CALL PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a telephone call processing system and method.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
When a person requires the telephone number of a company or organization, s/he would generally either look the number up in a telephone directory or dial a telephone directory service and request a consultant to manually retrieve and provide the required number.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an automated call processing system and method that, in broad terms, does not require the services of a consultant to provide the caller with the telephone number of a specific company or organization. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In broad terms, this invention provides a call processing system and method that allows a user to dial a single telephone number so that, by using speech recognition technology, the caller may be put through automatically to the desired company or organization.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a telephone call processing system comprising:
a receiver module to receive a telephone call from a caller;
a speech recognition engine to receive and recognize a speech utterance from the caller;
a database table comprising telephone numbers and associated recognized or recognizable speech utterances;
a dialing module to place an outbound call using one of the telephone numbers . in the database table; and
a processor to functionally connect the receiver module, the speech recognition engine, the database table and the dialing module so that upon recognizing the speech utterance and retrieving the telephone number associated with the speech utterance, the processor can connect the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number via the dialing module.
In an example embodiment, the speech recognition engine can assign and return an identifier uniquely associated with the recognized caller utterance, the identifier being usable by the processor to access the database table so as to retrieve the telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a telephone call processing method comprising:
receiving a telephone call from a caller; routing the telephone call to a speech recognition engine;
receiving and recognizing a speech utterance from the caller;
retrieving a telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance;
placing an outbound call using the retrieved telephone number; and
connecting the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number.
In an example embodiment, if the speech recognition engine recognizes the speech utterance from the caller, the method comprises assigning and returning an identifier uniquely associated with the caller utterance, the identifier being used to access a database table so as to retrieve the telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance.
In an example embodiment, if after a configurable timeout period and/or a configurable number of recognition attempts the speech recognition engine fails to recognize the speech utterance from the caller, a failure to recognize the utterance is returned and the call from the caller is terminated.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a telephone call processing system comprising:
memory to store telephone numbers and associated recognized or recognizable speech utterances; and
a processor arranged to:
receive a telephone call from a caller;
route the telephone call to a speech recognition engine;
receive a recognized a speech utterance from the speech recognition engine; retrieve a telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance from the memory;
place an outbound call using the retrieved telephone number; and
connect the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number.
In an example embodiment, the processor is further arranged to:
receive an identifier uniquely associated with the recognized caller utterance from the speech recognition engine; and
access the database table so as to retrieve the telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance using the identifier.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a telephone call processing system according to an example embodiment; and
Figure 2 shows a schematic flow chart of a telephone call processing method according to an example embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In broad terms, the present invention discloses a "one number for all companies" concept. In an example embodiment, this concept may be implemented as a computer system that automatically answers calls routed to it over any telephone network including, but not limited to, circuit-switched networks, time-division multiplexed networks, mobile networks, including but not limited to, GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, 3G, or IP-based packet-switched networks bearing voice. Referring first to Figure 1 , a telephone call processing system 10 comprises a receiver module 12 to receive a telephone call from a caller 14, the caller 14 typically wishing to reach telephonically a target person or entity 16. The communications network between the caller 14 and the system 10 is represented schematically by bubble 18, and may take one of the networks listed in the preceding paragraph.
The system 10 further comprises a speech recognition engine 20 to receive and recognize a speech utterance from the caller 12. A database table 22 may also be provided, the database table 22 comprising telephone numbers and associated recognized or recognizable speech utterances. The system 10 may further comprise a dialing module 24 to place an outbound call using one of the telephone numbers in the database table. Similarly, the communications network between the system 10 and the target person or entity 16 represented schematically by bubble 26, and may also take one of the networks listed above.
Finally, the system 10 may comprise a processor 28 to functionally connect the receiver module 12, the speech recognition engine 20, the database table 22 and the dialing module 24 so that upon recognizing the speech utterance and retrieving the telephone number associated with the speech utterance, the processor 28 can connect the caller 14 to the target person or entity 16 associated with the retrieved telephone number via the dialing module 24.
Thus, the system 10, typically in the form of a computer system, may execute an algorithm that, upon receipt of an inbound call, routes the voice channel containing media bearer information related to that call to an audio media input channel of the speech reco gnition engine 20. Upon activation through invocation of the speech recognition engine 20 on that channel, the algorithm waits for the speech recognition engine 20 to attempt recognition of caller utterance/s. If after a configurable timeout period and/or a configurable number of recognition attempts the recognition engine 20 still fails to recognize the caller utterance with a score above a configurable confidence level, the recognition engine may return a failure to recognize the utterance.
If, however, the recognition engine recognizes the utterance, the speech recognition engine 20 may return a unique identifier associated with the caller utterance. The algorithm may use the unique identifier to index the database table 22, which may take the form of a SQL database table, with a successful match returning a telephone number associated with the identifier, which in turn is associated with a company contact number for the target person or entity 16.
Upon successful indexing of the identifier to a company contact number, the system 10 finds a free telephone channel from a plurality of channels connected to it and places an outbound call on that channel to the destination number that was indexed from the table 22. An exception may take place with IP-based outbound channels, where there is no constraint upon the channel used, as new channels are created dynamically, and so free channels are always guaranteed to exist.
When the outbound call is answered, the computer system 10 connects the transmit- direction bearer of the inbound call (i.e. the original call) to the receive-direction bearer of the newly established outbound call to the company 16, and at the same time connects the receive-direction bearer of the inbound call to the transmit- direction bearer of the outbound call, thereby establishing a bidirectional, full-duplex audio channel between the original caller 14 and the called company 16.
The system 10 may monitor both channels for the duration of the call, and upon call termination from either party, termination is signaled to the other party, and both circuits released. Thus, for example, should the original caller 14 terminate the call by hanging up his/her receiver, the system 10 will perform the necessary action to terminate the outbound call to the company 16, typically using the telephony signaling protocol associated with the channel technology, and wee versa.
Turning now to Figure 2, a telephone call processing method 50 is disclosed. The method 50 comprises the steps of receiving a telephone call from a caller, as indicated by block 52, and then routing the telephone call to a speech recognition engine, as indicated by block 54. The speech recognition engine then receives and attempts to recognize a speech utterance from the caller, as indicated by block 56.
If the caller's speech utterance is recognized, the method 50 further comprises the step of retrieving a telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance, as indicated by block 58. The method 50 then concludes by placing an outbound call using the retrieved telephone number, as indicated by block 60 and then connecting the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number, as indicated by block 62. In an example embodiment, if the speech recognition engine recognizes the speech utterance from the caller, the method comprises assigning and returning an identifier uniquely associated with the caller utterance, the identifier being used to access a database table so as to retrieve the telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance.
In, however, after a configurable timeout period and/or a configurable number of recognition attempts the speech recognition engine fails to recognize the speech utterance from the caller, a failure to recognize the utterance is returned, as indicated by block 64, and the call from the caller is terminated, as indicated by block 66.
The present invention thus allows a caller to be connected telephonically and without delay to a desired company or organization by simply dialing a single telephone number and uttering the name of the company/organization. The system may be designed on a number of levels so as to allow a caller to get hold of a company and/or a particular department within the company and/or a product associated with the company.

Claims

1. A telephone call processing system comprising:
a receiver module to receive a telephone call from a caller;
a speech recognition engine to receive and recognize a speech utterance from the caller;
a database table comprising telephone numbers and associated recognized or recognizable speech utterances;
a dialing module to place an outbound call using one of the telephone numbers in the database table; and
a processor to functionally connect the receiver module, the speech recognition engine, the database table and the dialing module so that upon recognizing the speech utterance and retrieving the telephone number associated with the speech utterance, the processor can connect the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number via the dialing module.
2. The telephone call processing system of claim 1 , wherein the speech recognition engine can assign and return an identifier uniquely associated with the recognized caller utterance, the identifier being usable by the processor to access the database table so as to retrieve the telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance.
3. A telephone call processing method comprising:
receiving a telephone call from a caller;
routing the telephone call to a speech recognition engine;
receiving and recognizing a speech utterance from the caller; retrieving a telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance;
placing an outbound call using the retrieved telephone number; and
connecting the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number.
4. The telephone call processing method of claim 3, wherein if the speech recognition engine recognizes the speech utterance from the caller, the method comprises assigning and returning an identifier uniquely associated with the caller utterance, the identifier being used to access a database table so as to retrieve the telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance.
5. The telephone call processing method of either claim 3 or claim 4, wherein if after a configurable timeout period and/or a configurable number of recognition attempts the speech recognition engine fails to recognize the speech utterance from the caller, a failure to recognize the utterance is returned and the call from the caller is terminated.
6. A telephone call processing system comprising:
memory to store telephone numbers and associated recognized or recognizable speech utterances; and
a processor arranged to:
receive a telephone call from a caller;
route the telephone call to a speech recognition engine;
receive a recognized a speech utterance from the speech recognition engine;
retrieve a telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance from the memory; place an outbound call using the retrieved telephone number; and
connect the caller to the person or entity associated with the retrieved telephone number.
7. The telephone call processing system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further arranged to:
receive an identifier uniquely associated with the recognized caller utterance from the speech recognition engine; and
access the database table so as to retrieve the telephone number associated with the recognized speech utterance using the identifier.
PCT/IB2008/000977 2007-04-25 2008-04-21 Telephone call processing system amd method WO2008132572A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ZA2009/07627A ZA200907627B (en) 2007-04-25 2009-10-30 Telephone call processing system and method

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ZA2007/03361 2007-04-25
ZA200703361 2007-04-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2008132572A1 true WO2008132572A1 (en) 2008-11-06

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PCT/IB2008/000977 WO2008132572A1 (en) 2007-04-25 2008-04-21 Telephone call processing system amd method

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WO (1) WO2008132572A1 (en)
ZA (1) ZA200907627B (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL1038282C2 (en) * 2010-10-01 2012-04-03 Franciscus Antonius Baan System and method for easy connecting callers to several companies and organisations via one single telephone number and telephone for such a system.

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2317782A (en) * 1996-09-30 1998-04-01 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Voice dialling server for branch exchange telephone systems
WO2000049790A1 (en) * 1999-02-01 2000-08-24 Webley Systems, Inc. Speech-recognition-based phone numbering plan
GB2356318A (en) * 1999-09-04 2001-05-16 Marconi Comm Ltd Server with voice recognition
EP1494499A2 (en) * 2003-06-30 2005-01-05 Microsoft Corporation Ideal transfer of call handling from automated systems to human operators

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2317782A (en) * 1996-09-30 1998-04-01 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Voice dialling server for branch exchange telephone systems
WO2000049790A1 (en) * 1999-02-01 2000-08-24 Webley Systems, Inc. Speech-recognition-based phone numbering plan
GB2356318A (en) * 1999-09-04 2001-05-16 Marconi Comm Ltd Server with voice recognition
EP1494499A2 (en) * 2003-06-30 2005-01-05 Microsoft Corporation Ideal transfer of call handling from automated systems to human operators

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL1038282C2 (en) * 2010-10-01 2012-04-03 Franciscus Antonius Baan System and method for easy connecting callers to several companies and organisations via one single telephone number and telephone for such a system.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ZA200907627B (en) 2010-10-29

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