Keyword Alerting in Conference Calls

• US 20080232556A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Gilbert, Ezra Raphael, Lalka, Vipul Kishore, Gilakattula, Venkat R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,059,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/651 Text message transmission triggered by call automatic reactions in messaging within packet-switching networks H04L51/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• 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

A conferencing system is disclosed in which a participant to a conference call can program the embodiment to listen for one or more “keywords” in the conference call. The keywords might be a participant'"'"'s name or words associated with him or her or words associated with his or her area of knowledge. The embodiments uses speech recognition technology to listen for those words. When the embodiments detects that those words have been spoken, the embodiment alerts the participant—using audible, visual, and/or tactile signals—that the participant'"'"'s attention to the call is warranted. When the keywords are chosen wisely, the benefit can be great.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing a call comprising a first telecommunications terminal, a second telecommunications terminal, and a third telecommunications terminal;

receiving a first directive signal to transmit a first alert signal to the second telecommunications terminal when a first keyword is spoken in the call;

detecting that the first keyword is spoken in the call; and

transmitting the first alert signal to the second telecommunications signal because the first keyword has been spoken in the call.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the first directive signal from the first telecommunications terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the first directive signal from the second telecommunications terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first directive signal is received at a telecommunications switch.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first directive signal is received at the first telecommunications terminal from a user of the first telecommunications terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the first alert signal from a telecommunications switch.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting the first alert signal from the first telecommunications terminal.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second directive signal to transmit a third alert signal to the second telecommunications terminal when a second keyword is spoken in the call;

detecting that the second keyword is spoken in the call; and

transmitting the third alert signal to the second telecommunications signal because the second keyword has been spoken in the call.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a second directive signal to add a fourth telecommunications terminal to the call when a second keyword is spoken in the call;

detecting that the second keyword is spoken in the call; and

adding the fourth telecommunications signal to the conference call because the second keyword has been spoken in the call.

10. A method comprising:

establishing a call comprising a first telecommunications terminal and a second telecommunications terminal;

receiving a first directive signal to add a third telecommunications terminal to the call when a first keyword is spoken in the call;

detecting that the first keyword is spoken in the call; and

adding the third telecommunications terminal to the call because the first keyword is spoken in the call.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising transmitting the first directive signal from the first telecommunications terminal.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising transmitting the first directive signal from the second telecommunications terminal.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the first directive signal is received at a telecommunications switch.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the first directive signal is received at the first telecommunications terminal from a user of the first telecommunications terminal.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the third telecommunications terminal is added to the call by the first telecommunications terminal.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the third telecommunications terminal is added to the call by the second telecommunications terminal.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a second directive signal to transmit a first alert signal to the second telecommunications terminal when a second keyword is spoken in the call;

detecting that the second keyword is spoken in the call; and

transmitting the first alert signal to the second telecommunications signal because the second keyword has been spoken in the call.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a second directive signal to add a fourth telecommunications terminal to the call when a second keyword has been spoken in the call;

detecting that the second keyword is spoken in the call; and

adding the fourth telecommunications signal to the conference call because the second keyword has been spoken in the call.

19. A method comprising:

establishing a call comprising a first telecommunications terminal, a second telecommunications terminal, and a third telecommunications terminal;

receiving a first directive signal to transmit a first alert signal to the second telecommunications terminal when a first Boolean expression of keywords is spoken in the call within a time interval t₁;

detecting that the first Boolean expression of keywords is spoken in the call within the time interval t₁; and

transmitting the first alert signal to the second telecommunications signal because the first Boolean expression of keywords has been spoken in the call within the time interval t₁.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving a second directive signal to add a fourth telecommunications terminal to the call when a second Boolean expression of keywords is spoken in the call within a time interval t₂;

detecting that the second Boolean expression of keywords is spoken in the call within the time interval t₁; and

adding the fourth telecommunications signal to the conference call because the second Boolean expression of keywords has been spoken in the call within the time interval t₂.