FILTERING SPURIOUS VOICEMAIL MESSAGES

• US 20070280432A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audiocodes Limited
• Original Assignee: Audiocodes Limited
• Inventors: Richardson, Eitan
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/67.100
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/303 Marking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

A method is provided for discarding an audio message if the audio message meets a predefined discarding condition, which may factor in at least the audio message'"'"'s total length, presence of spoken word(s) in the audio message, presence of tone(s) in the audio message and the presence of click(s) in the audio message. An audio message may be discarded if no spoken words are detected in it and the audio message'"'"'s total length is shorter than a predefined minimal message length, or it contains a tone and the audio message'"'"'s total length minus the tone'"'"'s length is shorter than the predefined minimal message length, or it contains a click sound and the audio message'"'"'s total length minus the click'"'"'s length is shorter than the predefined minimal message length. An audio message may be first stored in a memory buffer and then moved to a legitimate messages pool memory or to a spurious messages pool memory. A messages discriminator and a voicemail system that utilize the messages discrimination method are also provided.

Claims

1. A messages discriminator, comprising:

a controller adapted to discard an audio message if said audio message meets a predefined discarding condition; and

a legitimate messages pool memory, wherein said controller is further adapted to store said audio message in said legitimate messages pool memory if said audio message is not discarded.

2. The messages discriminator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a spurious messages pool memory for storing discarded messages.

3. The messages discriminator according to claim 1, wherein the predefined discarding condition factors in the audio message'"'"'s total length;

presence of spoken word(s) in said audio message;

presence of tone(s) in said audio message; and

the presence of click(s) in said audio message.

4. The messages discriminator according to claim 1, wherein a discarding condition is defined as:

no spoken words are detected in said audio message and at least one of the following conditions is met;

the audio message'"'"'s total length is shorter than a predefined minimal message length, or

said audio message contains a tone and the audio message'"'"'s total length minus the tone'"'"'s length is shorter than said predefined minimal message length, or

said audio message contains a click sound and the audio message'"'"'s total length minus the click'"'"'s length is shorter than said predefined minimal message length.

5. The messages discriminator according to claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to render accessible both messages stored in the legitimate messages pool memory and messages stored in the spurious messages pool memory, by using two distinct access codes.

6. The messages discriminator according to claim 2, further comprising:

a buffer memory for storing an audio message, wherein the controller is further adapted to move said audio message from said buffer memory to the legitimate messages pool memory or to the spurious messages pool memory, whichever the case may be.

7. A voicemail system, comprising:

a messages discriminator adapted to discard an audio message if said audio message meets a predefined discarding condition.

8. The voicemail system according to claim 7, wherein the messages discriminator comprises:

a controller adapted to discard the audio message if the predefined discarding condition is met; and

a legitimate messages pool memory, wherein said controller is further adapted to store said audio message in said legitimate messages pool memory if said audio message is not discarded.

9. The voicemail system according to claim 8, wherein the messages discriminator further comprises:

a spurious messages pool memory for storing discarded messages.

10. The voicemail system according to claim 7, wherein the predefined discarding condition factors in the audio message'"'"'s total length;

presence of spoken word(s) in said audio message;

presence of tone(s) in said audio message; and

the presence of click(s) in said audio message

11. The voicemail system according to claim 7, wherein a discarding condition is defined as:

no spoken words are detected in said audio message and at least one of the following conditions is met;

the audio message'"'"'s total length is shorter than a predefined minimal message length, or

said audio message contains a tone and the audio message'"'"'s total length minus the tone'"'"'s length is shorter than said predefined minimal message length, or

said audio message contains a click sound and the audio message'"'"'s total length minus the click'"'"'s length is shorter than said predefined minimal message length.

12. The voicemail system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is further adapted to render accessible both messages stored in the legitimate messages pool memory and messages stored in the spurious messages pool memory, by using two distinct access codes.

13. The voicemail system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a buffer memory for storing an audio message, wherein the controller is further adapted to move said audio message from said buffer memory to the legitimate messages pool memory or to the spurious messages pool memory, whichever the case may be.

14. A method comprising:

discarding an audio message if said audio message meets a predefined discarding condition.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predefined discarding condition factors in the audio message'"'"'s total length;

presence of spoken word(s) in said audio message;

presence of tone(s) in said audio message; and

the presence of click(s) in said audio message.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein a discarding condition is defined as:

no spoken words are detected in said audio message and at least one of the following conditions is met;

the audio message'"'"'s total length is shorter than a predefined minimal message length, or

said audio message contains a tone and the audio message'"'"'s total length minus the tone'"'"'s length is shorter than said predefined minimal message length, or

said audio message contains a click sound and the audio message'"'"'s total length minus the click'"'"'s length is shorter than said predefined minimal message length.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein a discarded audio message is stored in a spurious messages pool memory.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein a non-discarded audio message is stored in a legitimate messages pool memory.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein messages stored in the legitimate messages pool memory and messages stored in the spurious messages pool memory are accessible using two distinct access codes.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the audio message is first stored in a memory buffer and then moved to the legitimate messages pool memory or to the spurious messages pool memory, whichever the case may be.