Voice coordination/data retrieval facility for first responders

• US 20070081637A1
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pereira, Nuno, Tabit, Robert, Beard, Joshua, Foss, Louis, Som, Tapas
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Disclosed is a communication server that uses a communication mediator to conduct voice/text communication sessions between users with different communications systems through a session initiation protocol (SIP) server. The communication server uses a voice recognition system to interface with participants in communications sessions and to provide a link between the participants and the mediator. The voice recognition system monitors ongoing voice communications for keywords and verbally prompts the participants to provide additional value to the communication session. The mediator can also access and retrieve information directly from a directory or from other data sources through an intelligent data server. Based on the directory information, additional participants can be added to the communication session. The mediator can also establish a connection between the data server, the voice recognition server, and the SIP server so that data requested by participants during a session may be retrieved from the data sources.

Claims

1. A communication server comprising:

a directory comprising stored information;

a communication mediator adapted to conduct a communication session between a plurality of users having different communication systems and to access and retrieve information from said directory; and

a voice recognition system in communication with said communication mediator and adapted to monitor communications from at least one user for at least one trigger that engages said voice recognition system, wherein once engaged said voice recognition system is adapted to interface with said at least one user and to provide a communications link between said at least one user and said communication mediator.

2. The communication server of claim 1, wherein said voice recognition system is further adapted to transmit a request for information contained in said directory from said user to said communication mediator and to transmit said information retrieved from said directory by said communication mediator back to said user.

3. The communication server of claim 1, further comprising a session initiation protocol (SIP) server adapted to initiate said communication session between said plurality of users,

wherein said voice recognition system is adapted to receive an initiation request from said at least one user to initiate said communication session and to communicate said initiation request to said communication mediator, and

wherein said communication mediator is adapted to conduct said communication session through said SIP server.

4. The communication server of claim 3, further comprising a data server in communication with a plurality of data sources, said communication mediator and said SIP server, wherein said communication mediator is adapted to coordinate communication between said users and said plurality of data sources.

5. The communication server of claim 4, wherein said data server further comprises a voice/data/text converter adapted to convert voice messages into data/text messages and data/text messages into voice messages such that a voice participant in said communication session may communicate with said data server.

6. A communication server comprising:

a directory comprising stored information;

a communication mediator adapted to access and retrieve data from said directory and adapted to conduct a communication session between a plurality of responders to an incident,

wherein said plurality of responders have a plurality of different communication systems; and

a voice recognition system in communication with said communication mediator and adapted to monitor communications from at least one of said responders for at least one trigger that engages said voice recognition system,

wherein once engaged said voice recognition system is adapted to interface with said at least one responder and to provide a communications link between said at least one responder and said communication mediator.

7. The communication server of claim 6, wherein said voice recognition system is further adapted to request details about said incident from said at least one responder and, based on said details, to automatically prompt said at least one responder to request information from said directory, and

wherein said voice recognition system is further adapted to transmit a request for said data from said at least one responder to said communication mediator and to transmit said information retrieved from said directory by said communication mediator back to said at least one responder.

8. The communication system of claim 6, wherein said directory comprises a directory of potential responders, including a corresponding communication system address for each of said potential responders, wherein said directory is organized by at least one of individual expertise and organization.

9. The communication server of claim 8, wherein said communication mediator is further adapted to access said directory and, based on said details, to identify a suitable responder to said incident from amongst said potential responders, wherein said suitable responder comprises one of an organization and an individual that has at least one of an interest in said incident and an expertise that may be of assistance in responding to said incident.

10. The communication server of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of data sources, wherein said communication mediator is adapted to access and retrieve data from said plurality of data sources, and wherein said plurality of data sources comprises at least one data source for at least one type of record relevant to investigations of public safety incidents.

11. The communication server of claim 6, further comprising a session initiation protocol (SIP) server adapted to initiate said communication session,

wherein said voice recognition system is adapted to receive an initiation request to initiate said communication session and to communicate said initiation request to said communication mediator, and

wherein said communication mediator is adapted to conduct said communication session through said SIP server.

12. The communication server of claim 11, further comprising a data server in communication with a plurality of data sources, said communication mediator and said SIP server, wherein said communication mediator is adapted to coordinate communication between said users and said plurality of data sources.

13. The communication server of claim 12, wherein said data server further comprises a voice/data/text converter adapted to convert voice messages into data/text messages and data/text messages into voice messages such that a responder, having a voice communication system, may communicate with said data server during said communication session.

14. A computer implemented method of providing communication between different communication systems, said method comprising:

monitoring communications from a communication system of at least one user for at least one trigger; and

upon detecting said at least one trigger, engaging a voice recognition system to interface with said at least one user and to provide a communication link between said user and a communication mediator,

wherein said communication mediator provides said at least one user with access to information stored in a directory and allows said at least one user to participate in a communication session with a plurality of users, having a plurality of different communication systems.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one user comprises a responder to an incident and wherein interfacing with said at least one user comprises:

requesting from said at least one responder details about said incident;

based on said details, automatically prompting said at least one responder to request at least one of selected information from said directory and selected data from other data sources; and

providing at least one of said selected information and said selected data to said at least one responder.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one user comprises a responder to an incident,

wherein said directory comprises a directory of potential responders, including a communication system address for each of said potential responders,

wherein interfacing with said at least one user further comprises, based on said details, identifying at least one other suitable responder to said incident from amongst said potential responders in said directory, and

wherein said at least one other suitable responder comprises one of an organization and an individual that has at least one of an interest in said incident and an expertise that may be of assistance in responding to said incident.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising responding to an initiation request from said at least one user to initiate said communication session.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said responding to said initiation request comprises:

initiating said communication session through a session initiation protocol (SIP) server; and

conducting said communication session.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing said plurality of users with access to a plurality of data sources during said communication session.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said providing said plurality of users with access to said plurality of data sources comprises:

establishing communication between a session initiation protocol (SIP) server, said communication mediator and a data server, wherein said data server is in communication with said plurality of data sources;

coordinating communication between said plurality of users and said plurality of data sources using said communication mediator; and

translating voice messages to data/text messages and translating data/text messages to voice messages such that said plurality of users can verbally request and receive data during said communication session.