Method and system for the recognition of voice information

• US 20040037398A1
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Geppert, Nicholas Andre, Sattler, Jurgen
• Application Number:
  US10/430,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20040037398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• 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 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for the recognition of voice information from a call between at least two human parties or between one party and an automated attendant system. Voice data from the call may be analyzed with a voice recognition system so that a subset of the voice data is at least partially recognized and extracted. Further, the information from the results of analyzing the call may be provided to at least one of the parties and/or stored.

Claims

1. A method for the recognition of voice information from a call between at least two parties or between a party and an automated attendant system, the method comprising:

analyzing voice data from the call with a voice recognition system so that a subset of the voice data is at least partially recognized and extracted; and

providing information resulting from analyzing the voice data to at least one of the parties.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the automated attendant system comprises an automated interactive voice response system (IVRS).

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising automatically establishing, with the automated attendant system, a call connection to at least one of the parties.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing at least one of the parties of the call with standard call structures.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing at least one computer to be used for the automated attendant system or the voice recognition system.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising performing voice recognition with a plurality of computers in parallel.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising performing voice recognition using a multiple of processes on one computer in parallel.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising performing voice recognition in a computer network system in parallel.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising storing the voice data of a call in at least a largely unchanged state.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the voice data comprises performing voice recognition with information about the current call status being taken into account.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the voice data comprises performing voice recognition that is tailored individually to a request for analysis.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the voice data comprises performing voice recognition with at least one of dictation recognition, grammar recognition, single word recognition and keyword spotting.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein dictation recognition, grammar recognition, single word recognition and keyword spotting are used in parallel.

14. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein voice recognition is performed repeatedly.

15. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein voice recognition is performed with dynamic adjustment.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein the vocabulary for performing voice recognition is varied and/or adjusted.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, further comprising classifying the voice data with keyword spotting as part of a first recognition step for the dynamic adjustment of the voice recognition.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, further comprising reexamining the voice data as part of an additional recognition step by adding specific vocabulary.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, further comprising iteratively performing additional recognition steps that are controlled by recognition probabilities.

20. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the voice recognition system is linkable with at least one of a database system and an expert system.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20, further comprising extracting additional information by using the link.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein the additional information is extracted from at least one of the database system and expert system in order to dynamically control the voice recognition.

23. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising providing at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information in a graphical and/or orthographical representation.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information is provided with time delay.

25. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information is provided to at least one of the parties nearly synchronously.

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, wherein at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information is provided to at least one of the parties during the call.

27. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising enabling at least one of the parties to at least partially control the voice recognition.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27, wherein enabling at least one of the parties comprises permitting the at least one party to load user profiles to facilitate voice recognition.

29. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing additional information from at least one of a database system and expert system to facilitate voice recognition.

30. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the method is used in a call center.

31. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising integrating the method as part of a total program of a computer program.

32. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising integrating the method to train agents of a call center.

33. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising training the voice recognition system on the voice of the parties, wherein at least one of the parties is an agent of a call center.

34. A method in accordance with claim 33, further comprising increasing the recognition rate of the voice recognition system by having the agent repeat single words spoken by at least one of the parties, so that the voice recognition system can analyze the voice data of a trained voice.

42. A computer program product with program code means that are stored on a computer-readable storage medium and suitable to execute a method in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 34 when executed on a computer.

35. A system for the recognition of voice information from a call between at least two parties or between a party and an automated attendant system, the system comprising:

a voice recognition system for analyzing voice data from the call so that a subset of the voice data is at least partially recognized and extracted, the voice recognition system being linkable with at least one of a database system and an expert system; and

means for providing information from the results of analyzing the voice data to at least one of the parties.

36. A system in accordance with claim 35, wherein the voice recognition system is connected with at least one automated attendant system.

37. A system in accordance with claim 35, wherein the voice recognition system is connected to a plurality of automated attendant systems.

38. A system in accordance with claim 36 or 37, wherein at least one automated attendant system comprises an automated interactive voice response system (IVRS).

39. A system in accordance with claim 35, further comprising means for extracting additional information by using the link to the database system and/or expert system.

40. A system in accordance with claim 39, wherein the additional information is extracted from at least one of the database system and expert system in order to dynamically control the voice recognition.

41. A system in accordance with claim 39, further comprising means for providing at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information in a graphical and/or orthographical representation.