Enabling voice control of telephone device

• US 10,326,869 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hart, Gregory Michael, Oliver, Brian, Hurditch, Adrian, Uppal, Nawdesh, Abdollahi, Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US15/392,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1919 characterised by the type of controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/045 using recorded signals, e.g. speech
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A system capable of connecting a device to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) using an adapter. The device may send audio data via a data network to a server and the server can determine a voice command included in the audio data. Based on the voice command, the server may send an instruction to an adapter via the data network, the instruction causing the adapter to initiate a telephone call over the PSTN. During the telephone call, the adapter and the server may forward audio data between the device and the PSTN, enabling the device to communicate over the PSTN. The system may enable the device to receive an incoming call from the PSTN and may provide additional functionality, such as determining call statistics during the telephone call, determining if another telephone receives audio data during the telephone call and detecting an alarm signal sent via the PSTN.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, via a data network from a speech-controlled device associated with a user profile, first audio data;

performing speech processing using the first audio data to determine that the first audio data represents a command to initiate a telephone call to a recipient user profile using a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

identifying, using the user profile, a phone number associated with the recipient user profile;

sending, via the data network, the phone number to the speech-controlled device; and

sending, to the speech-controlled device via the data network, an instruction to initiate the telephone call using the PSTN via an adapter, the adapter coupled to the PSTN and configured to facilitate communications from the PSTN to the speech-controlled device, the instruction causing the speech-controlled device to send the phone number to the adapter and the adapter to dial the phone number.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, by the at least one server:

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, a notification of an incoming telephone call from a second phone number;

sending, to the speech-controlled device via the data network, the notification of the incoming telephone call from the second phone number;

receiving, from the speech-controlled device via the data network, a second command to answer the incoming telephone call; and

sending, to the adapter via the data network, a second instruction to answer the incoming telephone call, the second instruction causing the adapter to answer the incoming telephone call using the PSTN.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, second audio data corresponding to call audio data received by the adapter from a recipient device over the PSTN during the telephone call;

sending, to the speech-controlled device via the data network, the second audio data, the speech-controlled device configured to output audio corresponding to the second audio data using a first speaker associated with the speech-controlled device;

receiving, from the speech-controlled device via the data network, third audio data, the third audio data generated by a microphone associated with the speech-controlled device; and

sending, to the adapter via the data network, the third audio data to be sent by the adapter to the recipient device over the PSTN during the telephone call;

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, first data corresponding to telephone statistics associated with a second telephone call over the PSTN;

receiving, from the speech-controlled device via the data network, a request for at least a portion of the telephone statistics;

generating fourth audio data corresponding to the at least the portion of the telephone statistics; and

sending, to the speech-controlled device via the data network, the fourth audio data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the speech-controlled device via the data network, second audio data;

performing speech processing using the second audio data to determine that the second audio data represents a second command to initiate a second telephone call to a second recipient user profile over the PSTN;

identifying a second phone number associated with the second recipient user profile;

sending, to the adapter via the data network, a second instruction to initiate the second telephone call over the PSTN, the second instruction causing the adapter to dial the second phone number;

receiving, from the adapter via the data network at a first time, an indication that the PSTN is currently unavailable to initiate the second telephone call;

sending, to the speech-controlled device via the data network, a first notification that the PSTN is unavailable to initiate the second telephone call;

receiving, from the adapter via the data network at a second time after the first time, a second indication that the PSTN is available to initiate the second telephone call; and

sending, to the speech-controlled device via the data network, a second notification that the PSTN is available to initiate the second telephone call.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, via a data network from a first device, first audio data;

performing speech processing using the first audio data to determine that the first audio data represents a command to initiate a telephone call using a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

sending, to the first device via the data network, a first instruction to initiate the telephone call over the PSTN via an adapter; and

sending, to the adapter via the data network, a second instruction to send second audio data corresponding to the telephone call to the first device, wherein the adapter is coupled to the PSTN and configured to facilitate communications from the PSTN to the first device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, the second audio data received over the PSTN during the telephone call;

sending, to the first device via the data network, the second audio data;

receiving, from the first device via the data network, third audio data; and

sending, to the adapter via the data network, the third audio data to be sent over the PSTN during the telephone call.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, a notification of an incoming telephone call;

sending, to the first device via the data network, the notification of the incoming telephone call;

receiving, from the first device via the data network, a second command to answer the incoming telephone call; and

sending, to the adapter via the data network, a second instruction to answer the incoming telephone call, the second instruction causing the adapter to answer the incoming telephone call over the PSTN.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, based on a user profile associated with the first device, a phone number with which to initiate the telephone call;

determining that the adapter is connected to the PSTN and is associated with the user profile;

determining a network address associated with the adapter; and

sending, to the adapter via the data network and using the network address, the instruction to initiate the telephone call, the instruction including the phone number.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

performing speech recognition on the first audio data to determine first text data;

determining, based on the first text data, that the first audio data represents the command to initiate the telephone call over the PSTN;

determining, based on the first text data and a user profile associated with the first device, a contact name;

determining a phone number corresponding to the contact name;

sending, to the adapter via the data network, the phone number; and

sending, to the adapter via the data network, the instruction to initiate the telephone call using the phone number.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, an indication that an alarm is triggered;

determining a physical location associated with the adapter;

determining a second device in proximity to the physical location; and

sending, to the second device via the data network, a second instruction, the second instruction causing the second device to at least one of;

generate audio using one or more speakers associated with the second device;

or

capture third audio data using one or more microphones associated with the second device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending, to the adapter via the data network, a second instruction to initiate a second telephone call over the PSTN;

receiving, from the adapter via the data network at a first time, an indication that the PSTN is currently unavailable to initiate the second telephone call;

sending, to the first device via the data network, a first notification that the PSTN is unavailable to initiate the second telephone call;

receiving, from the adapter via the data network at a second time after the first time, a second indication that the PSTN is available to initiate the second telephone call; and

sending, to the first device via the data network, a second notification that the PSTN is available to initiate the second telephone call.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending, to the adapter via the data network, a second instruction to initiate a second telephone call over the PSTN;

receiving, from the adapter via the data network at a first time, an indication that the PSTN is currently unavailable to initiate the second telephone call;

sending, to the first device via the data network, a first notification that the PSTN is unavailable to initiate the second telephone call;

receiving, from the first device via the data network, a second command to automatically initiate the second telephone call when the PSTN becomes available;

receiving, from the adapter via the data network at a second time after the first time, a second indication that the PSTN is available to initiate the second telephone call;

sending, to the adapter via the data network, the second instruction to initiate the second telephone call over the PSTN;

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, third audio data; and

sending, to the first device via the data network, a notification of the second telephone call.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, first data corresponding to telephone statistics associated with a second telephone call over the PSTN;

receiving, from a second device via the data network, a request for at least a portion of the telephone statistics;

generating third audio data corresponding to the at least the portion of the telephone statistics; and

sending, to the second device via the data network, the third audio data.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, from the adapter via the data network, an indication that a second device is connected to the PSTN during the telephone call and is receiving the second audio data; and

sending, to the first device via the data network, a notification that the telephone call is not secure.

15. A system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one network component configured to connect to at least one data network;

memory including instructions operable to be executed by the at least one processor to cause the system to;

receive, via the data network from a first device, first audio data;

perform speech processing using the first audio data to determine that the first audio data represents a command to initiate a telephone call using a public switched telephone network (PSTN);

sending, to the first device via the at least one network component, a first instruction to initiate the telephone call over the PSTN via an adapter; and

sending, to the adapter via the at least one network component, a second instruction to send second audio data corresponding to the telephone call to the first device, wherein the adapter is coupled to the PSTN and configured to facilitate communication from the PSTN to the first device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor further cause the system to:

receive, from the adapter via the at least one network component, the second audio data received over the PSTN during the telephone call;

send, to the first device via the at least one network component, the second audio data;

receive, from the first device via the at least one network component, third audio data; and

send, to the adapter via the at least one network component, the third audio data to be sent over the PSTN during the telephone call.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor further cause the system to:

receive, from the adapter via the at least one network component, a notification of an incoming telephone call;

send, to the first device via the at least one network component, the notification of the incoming telephone call;

receive, from the first device via the at least one network component, a second command to answer the incoming telephone call; and

send, to the adapter via the at least one network component, a second instruction to answer the incoming telephone call, the second instruction causing the adapter to answer the incoming telephone call over the PSTN.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor further cause the system to:

perform speech recognition on the first audio data to determine first text data;

determine, based on the first text data, that the first audio data represents the command to initiate the telephone call over the PSTN;

determine, based on the first text data and a user profile associated with the first device, a contact name;

determine a phone number corresponding to the contact name;

send, to the adapter via the at least one network component, the phone number; and

send, to the adapter via the at least one network component, the instruction to initiate the telephone call using the phone number.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor further cause the system to:

receive, from the adapter via the at least one network component, an indication that an alarm is triggered;

determine a physical location associated with the adapter;

determine a second device in proximity to the physical location; and

send, to the second device via the at least one network component, a second instruction, the second instruction causing the second device to at least one of;

generate audio using one or more speakers associated with the second device;

or

capture third audio data using one or more microphones associated with the second device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor further cause the system to:

send, to the adapter via the at least one network component, a second instruction to initiate a second telephone call over the PSTN;

receive, from the adapter via the at least one network component at a first time, an indication that the PSTN is currently unavailable to initiate the second telephone call;

send, to the first device via the at least one network component, a first notification that the PSTN is unavailable to initiate the second telephone call;

receive, from the first device via the at least one network component, a second command to automatically initiate the second telephone call when the PSTN becomes available;

receive, from the adapter via the at least one network component at a second time after the first time, a second indication that the PSTN is available to initiate the second telephone call;

send, to the adapter via the at least one network component, the second instruction to initiate the second telephone call over the PSTN;

receive, from the adapter via the at least one network component, fourth audio data; and

send, to the first device via the at least one network component, a notification of the second telephone call.