Method and apparatus for improved call handling and service based on caller's demographic information

• US 20020046030A1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Haritsa, Jayant Ramaswamy, Lieuwen, Daniel Francis
• Application Number:
  US09/858,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/256
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5235 Dependent on call type or called number [DNIS]

Abstract

Information that is latent in a caller'"'"'s voice is processed for purposes of improving the handling of the call in any type of voice-interactive application. This implicit information in a caller'"'"'s voice is not related to the actual words being said but rather to the characteristics of how those words are being said. This information, related to the caller'"'"'s unique demographic profile, is used to decide how to respond to the caller for improved business performance. For example, by estimating the age and the gender of a caller based on his/her voice signal, a vendor associated with a calling center or Web site is able to make a sophisticated choice of what advertisement to present to the user or how to formulate a response to the caller. Similarly, this latent voice information can be used to determine which agent is likely best suited to handle a call with a caller with an estimated demographic, with the caller then being connected to that agent. Further, the caller may be provided with information that is best associated with a person having the estimated characteristics. This information may take the form of the presentation of an advertisement geared to be of interest to a person having those characteristics. The estimated characteristics can also be used to provide personalized service and add security to transactions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

estimating demographic information associated with a user on a call at a terminal having audio capabilities from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics that are independent of the content of the words uttered by the user; and

handling the call in accordance with the estimated demographic information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s voice characteristics include acoustic and/or prosodic characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the demographic information is used to determine where to route the call.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the demographic information is used to determine what information to provide to the user on the call.

5. The method of claim 3 where the demographic information estimated from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics includes one or more of the user'"'"'s gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background.

6. The method of claim 5 where one or more of the user'"'"'s estimated gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background are used to determine the voice characteristics to respond to the caller with on the call.

7. The method of claim 5 where one or more of the user'"'"'s estimated gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background are used to determine an advertisement to present to the user on the call.

8. The method of claim 4 where the demographic information estimated from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics includes one or more of the user'"'"'s gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background.

9. The method of claim 8 where one or more of the user'"'"'s estimated gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background are used to determine the voice characteristics to respond to the caller with on the call.

10. The method of claim 8 where one or more of the user'"'"'s estimated gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background are used to determine an advertisement to present to the user on the call.

11. A method comprising:

estimating demographic information associated with a user on a call at a terminal having audio capabilities from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics that are independent of the content of the words uttered by the user;

comparing the estimated demographic information with known information about the user;

if the estimated demographic information matches the known information, handling the call in a first manner; and

if the estimated demographic information does not match the known information, handling the call is a second manner.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the user'"'"'s voice characteristics include acoustic and/or prosodic characteristics.

13. The method of claim 12 where the demographic information estimated from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics includes one or more of the user'"'"'s gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background.

14. The method of claim 11 where the call includes a credit or debit card transaction and the demographic information estimated from the user'"'"'s voice is compared with known demographic information associated with the owner of the credit or debit card.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the user'"'"'s voice characteristics include acoustic and/or prosodic characteristics.

17. The method of claim 16 where the demographic information estimated from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics includes one or more of the user'"'"'s gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the user'"'"'s voice characteristics include acoustic and/or prosodic characteristics.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the demographic information is used to determine where to route the call.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the demographic information is used to determine what information to provide to the user on the call.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 where the demographic information estimated from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics includes one or more of the user'"'"'s gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 where one or more of the user'"'"'s estimated gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background are used to determine the voice characteristics to respond to the caller with on the call.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 where one or more of the user'"'"'s estimated gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background are used to determine an advertisement to present to the user on the call.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 where the demographic information estimated from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics includes one or more of the user'"'"'s gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 where one or more of the user'"'"'s estimated gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background are used to determine the voice characteristics to respond to the caller with on the call.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 where one or more of the user'"'"'s estimated gender, age, geographic origin, ethnicity, and social background are used to determine an advertisement to present to the user on the call.

15. A method comprising:

estimating from a user'"'"'s voice characteristics, demographic information associated with the user on a call from a terminal having audio capabilities that originates from an identified telephone line;

identifying the user by comparing the user'"'"'s estimated demographic information with demographic information associated with a plurality of potential known users at the identified telephone line; and

personalizing a response to the identified user on the call.

18. Apparatus comprising:

means for estimating demographic information associated with a user on a call at a terminal having audio capabilities from the user'"'"'s voice characteristics that are independent of the content of the words uttered by the user; and

means for handling the call in accordance with the estimated demographic information.