Method and apparatus for voice recognition unit simulation

• US 10,181,319 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Technology Group LLC (West Corporation)
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Varman, Mahendra, Akhwand, Mahmood S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silver, David
• Application Number:
  US14/190,375
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/01 Assessment or evaluation of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2227 Quality of service monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

An apparatus and method apparatus and/or computer software to automate testing of a voice self service platform. In its software embodiment, the present invention comprises software that runs on the windows platform to simulate all the components of an Interactive Voice Recognition Unit (VRU). In addition this embodiment can also be used as a helper unit to test individual components of an interactive voice recognition (IVR).

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a simulated voice recognition unit (VRU) function environment further comprising,

a simulated TelecomIn function having functional logic configured to forward a call to an application Interpreter, and

a simulated TelecomOut function having functional logic configured to perform a bridge transfer of the call, wherein the TelecomOut function is further configured to provide a plurality of call management options, and return a code associated with a selected call management option;

an interface of the simulated VRU communicably linked to the Application Interpreter and an Application Server, the Application Server that includes a plurality of Application Server program logic code portions, each program logic code portion that corresponds to particular dialed number identification service (DNIS) information, the Application Interpreter having functional logic configured to initiate a program logic code portion that corresponds to the particular DNIS information included in a ring message on the Application Server, wherein the interface comprises a username password validation control;

a simulated dialer function having functional logic configured to generate the call responsive to a developer initiation; and

a simulated call generator having functional logic configured to generate the ring message comprising the DNIS when the call is generated by the simulated dialer function, wherein the DNIS is representative of a particular number that was dialed and interpretable by the VRU.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a simulated voice handling software (VOX) function having functional logic configured to perform voice handling functions, wherein the voice handling functions simulated by the VOX function comprise playing a prompt, recording an utterance, dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) playback, voice routing during bridge transfer and DTMF digit collection.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a simulated automatic speech recognition (ASR) function having functional logic configured to perform voice recognition operations, wherein the simulated ASR function has functional logic to perform dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) recognition.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, further comprising a simulator main console user interface operable to prompt for, receive and process developer control inputs for simulated functions and further operable to monitor, capture and present simulated function performance parameters.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the simulated functions being monitored comprise the simulated VRU function, the simulated dialer function, and the simulated call generator function.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, further comprising a database logging interface having functional logic to log in a database operational data comprising number of calls generated, and MTL message transactions generated.

7. The system as recited in claim 2, where the simulated VOX function is replaced by a real VOX.

8. The system as recited in claim 3, where the simulated ASR function is replaced by a real ASR.

9. A method, comprising:

simulating a voice recognition unit (VRU) function using a simulated VRU function environment comprising;

simulating a TelecomIn function having functional logic configured to forward a call to an Application Interpreter, and

simulating a TelecomOut function having functional logic configured to perform a bridge transfer of the call, wherein the TelecomOut function is further configured to provide a plurality of call management options, and return a code associated with a selected call management option;

providing an interface of the simulated VRU communicably linked to the Application Interpreter and an Application Server, the Application Server including a plurality of Application Server program logic code portions, each program logic code portion corresponding to a particular dialed number identification service (DNIS) information, the Application Interpreter initiating with functional logic of the Application Interpreter a program logic code portion that corresponds to the particular DNIS information included in a ring message on the Application Server, wherein the interface comprises a username password validation control;

simulating a dialer function and generating the call with the functional logic of the dialer function responsive to a developer initiation; and

simulating a call generator and generating the ring message comprising the DNIS when the call is generated by the dialer function, the ring message comprising the DNIS with the functional logic of the call generator, wherein the DNIS is representative of a particular number that was dialed and interpretable by the VRU.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising simulating a voice handling software (VOX) function having functional logic configured to perform voice handling functions, wherein the voice handling functions of the simulated VOX function comprise playing a prompt, recording an utterance, playing back dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF), routing voice during bridge transfer and collecting DTMF digit.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising simulating an automatic speech recognition (ASR) function having functional logic configured to perform voice recognition operations, wherein the simulating of the ASR function comprises recognizing dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) with functional logic of the ASR.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

providing a main console user interface operable to perform prompting for, receiving and processing developer control inputs for simulated functions and further operable for monitoring, capturing and presenting simulated function performance parameters.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the monitoring of the simulated functions comprises monitoring the simulated VRU function, the simulated dialer function, and the simulated call generator function.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising providing a database logging interface having functional logic to log in a database operational data comprising a number of calls generated, and MTL message transactions generated.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, where the step of simulating VOX function is replaced by a step of providing a real VOX interface.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, where the step of simulating the ASR function is replaced by a step of providing a real ASR interface.

17. A machine readable storage device having stored thereon a set of program instructions executable by the machine to perform:

simulating a voice recognition unit (VRU) function using a simulated VRU function environment comprising;

simulating a TelecomIn function having functional logic configured to forward a call to an Application Interpreter, and

simulating a TelecomOut function having functional logic configured to perform a bridge transfer of the call, wherein the TelecomOut function is further configured to provide a plurality of call management options, and return a code associated with a selected call management option;

providing an interface of the simulated VRU communicably linked to the Application Interpreter and an Application Server, the Application Server including a plurality of Application Server program logic code portions, each program logic code portion corresponding to a particular dialed number identification service (DNIS) information, the Application Interpreter initiating with functional logic of the Application Interpreter a program logic code portion that corresponds to the particular DNIS information included in a ring message on the Application Server, wherein the interface comprises a username password validation control;

simulating a dialer function and generating the call with the functional logic of the dialer function responsive to a developer initiation; and

simulating a call generator and generating the ring message comprising the DNIS when the call is generated by the dialer function, the ring message comprising the DNIS with the functional logic of the call generator, wherein the DNIS is representative of a particular number that was dialed and interpretable by the VRU.

18. The machine readable storage device as recited in claim 17, further comprising simulating a voice handling software (VOX) function having functional logic configured to perform voice handling functions, wherein the voice handling functions of the simulated VOX function comprise playing a prompt, recording an utterance, playing back DTMF, routing voice during bridge transfer and collecting DTMF digit.

19. The machine readable storage device as recited in claim 18, further comprising simulating an automatic speech recognition (ASR) function having functional logic configured to perform voice recognition operations, wherein the simulating of the ASR function comprises recognizing dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) with functional logic of the ASR.

20. The machine readable storage device as recited in claim 19, further comprising providing a main console user interface operable to perform prompting for, receiving and processing developer control inputs for simulated functions and further operable for monitoring, capturing and presenting simulated function performance parameters.

21. The machine readable storage device as recited in claim 20, wherein the monitoring of the simulated functions comprises monitoring the simulated VRU function, the simulated dialer function, and the simulated call generator function.

22. The machine readable storage device as recited in claim 21, further comprising providing a database logging interface having functional logic to log in a database operational data that comprises a number of calls generated, and MTL message transactions generated.

23. The machine readable storage device as recited in claim 18, wherein the simulating of the VOX function in the method is replaced by providing a real VOX interface.

24. The machine readable storage device as recited in claim 19, wherein the simulating of the ASR function in the method is replaced by providing a real ASR interface.