WO1999040713A2

WO1999040713A2 - Procedure to, via an established telephone connection, transfer information via signalling

Info

Publication number: WO1999040713A2
Application number: PCT/SE1999/000168
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lars Devallius
Original assignee: Telia Ab (Publ)
Priority date: 1998-02-10
Filing date: 1999-02-09
Publication date: 1999-08-12
Also published as: SE9800413L; WO1999040713A3; SE519231C2; SE9800413D0

Abstract

Procedure to transfer information via a telephone connection (B) in a communications network. An information searching party (A) makes a call to an information supplying party (C) and, after established telephone connection, announcing machine (5) gives the information searching party a first audio message, and the information searching party (A) answers the given audio message by, via a communication equipment (1) belonging to the information searching party, transmitting to the information supplying party one on voice-frequency signalling based code which is received and checked, and which at approved checking effects the announcing machine (5) to give a second audio message, intended to give further information about the information searching party's further pattern of behaviour. One in the public communication network located speech recognition equipment (3) receives the speech signals and in co-operation with a computer (4) returns relevant message to the information searching party.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION : PROCEDURE TO, VIA AN ESTABLISHED

TELEPHONE CONNECTION, TRANSFER INFORMATION VIA SIGNALLING

TECHNICAL FIELD

Procedure to, via an established telephone connection (B) in a communications network transfer information via signalling, where an information searching party (A) makes a call to an information supplying party (C) and where, after established telephone connection, one to the information supplying party belonging announcing machine gives the information searching party a first audio message, such as "Welcome to the company XXX", or in the case where identification is necessary for safe transfer, "Please, identify yourself", and where the information searching party (A) answers the given audio message by, via a keyset of a communication equipment belonging to the information transferring party, transferring to the information supplying party one on tone signalling based code which is received and checked, and which at approved checking acts on the announcing machine to deliver a second audio message, intended to give further information about the information searching party's further pattern of behaviour, namely to via tone signalling transfer wanted message .

PRIOR ART

Within the previous known technology there are a number of examples of telecommunications services which are realised by a procedure via an established telephone connection and where information is transferred via tone signalling.

By the Swedish patent document 462 824 is shown a procedure to, via an established telephone connection, transmit information via tone signalling. The procedure implies to via an established telephone connection, transmit information via tone signalling. An information supplying party makes a call to an information receiving party. After established telephone connection, an announcing machine belonging to the information receiving party gives the information supplying party a first audio message, such as "Who are you? What do you want ?" . The message transmission can be performed by utilising the keyset of the telephone, or by moving a light pen over a bar-code, the read form of which is converted to one to said tone signalling adapted form, and via a cable is fed directly out on a previously established connection. The present invention solves the disadvantages which are connected to this procedure, by not needing to the same extent use the hands to control the message transmission.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

In most trades competition for the customers is a reality which more and more companies will be aware of . In many cases the customer service can be that which decides whether a customer is satisfied with the company. Therefore the customer service departments frequently are prioritised parts of a company. At the same time manpower will be more and more expensive to the company. This results in that the customer service departments must provide better service, but with a smaller number of staff .

In this situation, different forms of automatization must be introduced in order to reduce the stress of the staff. Even if Internet and similar technologies increases, the telephone still is the most used means of communication, and perhaps especially for routine tasks.

One example of automatization of the communication between companies and individuals has been given above under prior art . One problem to which the present invention provides a solution is to simplify the in prior art described procedure, and create a simpler method to transfer information from a first user of telecommunication equipment, which can consist of any type of telephone or computer which communicates via some type of communications network, to a second user who one intends to communicate with. More specified, the problem is to simplify the previously known procedure when the information transmission is of a repeated character.

One more problem with the previous known technology is that the procedure shall function also when the user does not have communication equipment which can generate DTMF-tones, and when people need to have hands and eyes free when they communicate via the network.

TECHNICAL SOLUTION

The technical solution is described in what is specified in the patent claim 1.

ADVANTAGES

By the present invention, the existing message procedure, shown by prior art and which today exists on the market, is improved. By the procedure, possibility is given to reduce the size of the communication equipment. Telephones etc. can be made considerably smaller. By the invention it also will be possible to use a loudspeaking telephone when communicating according to procedure, which means that one can be at a short distance from the telephone and communicate according to the procedure. Further, it is by the invention made possible to have the hands free at the telephone to, at the same time, perform other tasks. Disabled persons also have possibility to use the procedure in an advantageous way. The location of the speech recognition equipment also is very advantageous because speech recognition technology can be installed without buying a new telephone. Further, the telephone can be carried about, and one then has increased access to different services day and night.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

Figure 1 illustrates a solution of principle according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In Figure 1 is shown a telecommunications system which in principle can be utilised to one according to the invention assigned procedure, and which now shall be described with reference to enclosed figure which shows a simplified design in the form of a block diagram. With reference to the figure there is shown a telecommunications system which can operate according to the procedure of the invention, and in this system there is a communication equipment 1, including i.a. microphone 6, and loudspeaker which in known way transfers human speech, at which the transfer is made by means of an electric signal which reproduces the speech signal, via a line 2, to a speech recognition equipment 3, which is located at a node in the telecommunications system.

The speech signal is converted in the speech recognition equipment 3, which functions as interface between the one who is speaking and a computer, to digital signals which are transferred and interpreted by a computer or server 4, and depending on what kind of information the digital signals represent, a voice message is returned via an announcing machine 5, and which is based on the information collected from said computer. At indistinct speech or indistinct questions which the speech recognising equipment does not apprehend, the announcing machine of the system is connected directly via line 7, and the announcing machine will ask attendant questions in order to be able to give as relevant an answer as possible. This is made by refined algorithms which are designed according to specific syntaxes and grammars. The system is a speaker independent system which can be used directly without training. The dialogue with the system is performed in a natural way, with natural speech. This because they are based on a model of the language which has been created by a lot of people having spoken and recorded phrases and words, at which the examples have been weighed together to a general language model .

Further, the speech recognising equipment 3 is adjusted to break the execution of a voice message if the system detects normal speech signals during a synthetic announcement procedure. This gives possibility to quick correction of given messages.

A large number of companies give their customers service via telephone, where the service implies that the customers are given certain information which is collected from a database. It can be different types of numbers or messages of different kinds. This is example of a task which can be automatized by application in the procedure of the present invention. By connection of the speech recognition equipment, in the procedure according to the invention, to the computer of a company, and adjustment of the system, is possible to achieve the advantages of the invention.

The present invention consequently assigns a procedure when an information transferring party, in form of information searching party "A" via an established telephone connection "B" shall transfer information via signalling to an information supplying party, or an information supplying company "C", or the like.

For this is required that the information searching party "A" in known way makes a call to the information supplying company "C" by transferring a specific connection or subscriber number, and after that wait for establishing of the telephone connection "B" .

As answer to such a call, an announcing machine, which is dedicated for the information supplying company, will give one with artificial speech created message such as "What car registration number is concerned ?", or the like. The information searching party answers this message by, by a voice message, giving the car registration number, for instance "abc 123" on one to the information searching party belonging telephone. The voice then answers via the announcing machine 5 by giving some information which is stored in the database which is connected to the speech recognition equipment. For instance it is stated that the owner is "Bertil Bertilsson" . Further, the announcing machine 5 is designed to give audio answers of the information which is stored in the computer and which the information supplying company is placing at disposal. In an alternative embodiment it is possible to, with common resources, in form of announcing machine and speech recognition equipment serve the computers of a multiple of customer.

The invention of course is not limited to the above given embodiment, but may be subject to modifications within the frame of the idea of invention illustrated in the following patent claims.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Procedure to, via an established telephone connection (B) in a public communication network, transfer information via signalling, where an information searching party (A) makes a call to an information supplying party (C) and where, after established telephone connection, one to the information supplying party belonging announcing machine (5) gives the information searching party a first audio message, such as "Welcome to the company XXX", or in the case where identification is necessary for safe transfer "Please, indentify yourself", at which the information searching party (A) answers the given audio message by, via a keyset of a communication equipment (1) belonging to the information transmitting party, transmitting to the information supplying party one on tone signalling based code, which is received and checked, and which at approved checking acts on the announcing machine (5) to give a second audio message, intended to give further information about the information searching party's further pattern of behaviour, namely to, via tone signalling, transfer wanted message, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that, in addition to that this message transmission is possible to perform by utilising the key set of the communication device (1) , it alternatively can be performed by giving, by the voice, speech signals, which are detected by a microphone equipment (6) and via a line is fed directly out on the previously set up connection, at which one in the public communications network located speech recognition equipment (3) receives the speech signals, and in co-operation with a computer (4) returns relevant message to the information searching party.

2. Procedure as claimed in patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the announcing machine makes attendant questions in order to give as correct an answer as possible.

3. Procedure as claimed in patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the dialogue is performed in a natural way, with natural speech.

4. Procedure as claimed in patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the computer which supplies information to the system is located at the information supplying company, and that the speech recognition equipment and the announcing machine are located in the public telecommunications network.

5. Procedure as claimed in patent claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the announcing machine breaks the execution of a voice message if the system detects normal speech signals during an announcing procedure .