Systems, methods, and apparatus to record conference call activity

• US 20070206759A1
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Boyanovsky, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/364,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20070206759A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4563 Voicemail monitoring during recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53383 Message registering commands or announcements; Greetings
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus are disclosed to record conference call activity. An example method disclosed herein includes monitoring a conference call for an action item voice command, detecting the action item voice command, and storing a signal representative of the action item voice command in a memory.

Claims

1. A method for conference call management comprising:

monitoring a conference call for an action item voice command;

detecting the action item voice command; and

storing a signal representative of the action item voice command in a memory.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein monitoring a conference call further comprises monitoring audio signals associated with a plurality of conference call participants.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising receiving a call from a conference participant.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein the call is received at a conference bridge.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising identifying a conference call participant based on the signal representative of the action item voice command.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising excluding a participant without an authenticated voice signature from participating in the conference call.

7. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein excluding the participant without the authenticated voice signature comprises disconnecting the participant from the conference call.

8. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein excluding the participant without the authenticated voice signature comprises blocking the participant from transmitting voice but allowing the participant to listen to the conference call.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising converting the action item voice command to text.

10. A method as defined in claim 9 further comprising broadcasting the text to one or more communication devices.

11. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the action item voice command comprises one or more associated tasks assigned to one or more individuals.

12. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising broadcasting an action item list including at least one action item specified by the action item voice command.

13. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising generating a log of conference call activity.

14. A method as defined in claim 13 wherein the log of conference call activity further comprises at least one of a list of recited action items or meeting minutes.

15. A method as defined in claim 14 further comprising associating a conference call participant with at least one of the list of recited action items or the meeting minutes.

16. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

monitor a conference call for an action item voice command;

detect the action item voice command; and

store a signal representative of the action item voice command in a memory.

17. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 16 wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to exclude a participant without an authenticated voice signature from participating in the conference call.

18. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 16 wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to convert the action item voice command to text.

19. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 18 wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to broadcast the text to one or more conference co-participants.

20. A system to record conference call activity comprising:

a call receiver to connect conference call participants to a conference call;

a voiceprint server to identify a conference call participant based on a voice signal;

a voice-command server to identify a command recited by a conference call participant, the voice-command server configured to execute an action in response to the identified command; and

a conference log server to save a log of conference call activity to a database.

21. A system as defined in claim 20 further comprising a communication server to publish the log of conference call activity to the conference call participants.

22. A system as defined in claim 20 wherein the call receiver comprises a conference bridge.

23. A system as defined in claim 20 wherein the voiceprint server further comprises a voiceprint database to store the voiceprint of the authorized participant.

24. A system as defined in claim 20 wherein the voice-command server further comprises a command table to store a plurality of conference call commands and corresponding instructions.

25. A system as defined in claim 24 further comprising a database to store the command table.

26. A system as defined in claim 20 wherein the voice-command server further comprises a local memory to store a plurality of conference call commands and a subset of corresponding instructions.

27. A system as defined in claim 26 wherein the corresponding instructions stored in the local memory are dynamically selected in accordance with a threshold metric.

28. A system as defined in claim 27 wherein the threshold metric comprises at least one of a number of times the command is recited per unit of time or a frequency weight.

29. A system as defined in claim 20 wherein the conference log server further comprises a speech-to-text engine to convert voice signals to text.

30. A system as defined in claim 20 wherein the voice-command server executes the action if the call participant speaking the identified command is identified as having authority to issue the command in an authorization log.

31. A user interface for a conference call management system comprising:

a voice command configuration screen area to display at least one of a plurality of conference call voice command instructions; and

a plurality of user selectable buttons to at least one of add, delete, or modify at least one of a plurality of the conference call voice command instructions.