CONVERSATION SUPPORT

• US 20100246784A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Frazier, Kristopher T., Stallings, Heath
• Granted Patent: US 8,537,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.130
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• 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 method may include receiving, at a first device associated with a first party, communications from a second device. The communications may be associated with a communication session that includes an audio conversation, a text-based conversation or a multimedia conversation. The method may also include identifying a word or phrase from the communication session and retrieving, from a memory included in the first device, information associated with the word or phrase. The method may further include outputting, to a display associated with the first device, the retrieved information.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to send and receive communications associated with a communication session;

a memory configured to store files;

a display; and

logic configured to;

identify at least one term or phrase from the communication session,

retrieve, from the memory, at least one file associated with the at least one term or phrase, and

output, to the display, the at least one file.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

forward, during the communication session and via the communication interface, the at least one file to a second device, the second device being associated with a party involved in the communication session.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a telephone conversation and the logic is further configured to:

automatically forward, during the telephone conversation, the at least one file to at least one other device involved in the telephone conversation.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein when identifying at least one term or phrase from the communication session, the logic is configured to identify at least one of a topic, an event or a request for information associated with a subject of the communication session.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

generate an index associated with information included in the files,

search the index for the at least one term or phrase, and when retrieving the at least one file, the logic is configured to;

retrieve the at least one file based on results of the search.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises an audio conversation between a user of the device and a first party, and wherein the logic is further configured to:

perform speech recognition associated with speech input provided by the user of the device and the first party.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a video teleconference involving the device and a second device, the device and the second device being coupled via a video teleconference link, wherein the logic is further configured to:

at least one of display or forward the at least one file to the second device via the video teleconference link.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a voicemail message left for a user of the device by a first party, wherein the logic is further configured to:

forward, via the communication interface, the retrieved at least one file to a second device associated with the first party.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises communications with an interactive voice response system, wherein the logic is further configured to:

identify a request for information from the interactive voice response system and when retrieving the at least one file, the logic is configured to;

automatically retrieve, from the memory, information in response to the request, and

output, to the display, the retrieved information.

10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

monitor a communication session involving at least a first party;

identify at least one term or phrase from the communication session;

retrieve, from a first device associated with the first party, information relevant to the at least one term or phrase; and

forward the retrieved information to a second device via a network.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further including instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

display the retrieved information to the first party, prior to forwarding the retrieved information to the second device; and

receive an indication from the first party to forward the retrieved information.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein when retrieving information, the instructions cause the at least one processor to:

retrieve at least one of a text file, an audio file, an image file or a video file, and when forwarding the retrieved information, the instructions cause the at least one processor to;

forward, during the communication session, the retrieved file to the second device.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

identify a second term or phrase from the communication session;

retrieve information relevant to the second term or phrase; and

forward, during the communication session, the retrieved information relevant to the second term or phrase to the second device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the communication session comprises a telephone conversation, the instructions further causing the at least one processor to:

perform speech recognition on audio information provided during the telephone conversation.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the communication session comprises a text-based communication session or multi-media based communication session.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the communication session comprises a voicemail message left by a second party associated with the second device, the computer-readable medium further including instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

play the voicemail message; and

identify a request associated with the voicemail message, wherein when retrieving information relevant to the at least one term or phrase, the instructions cause the at least one processor to;

retrieve information based on the request.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for causing the at least one processor to:

index information stored in a memory of the first device; and

search the indexed information for the at least one term or phrase, and when retrieving information relevant to the least one term or phrase, the instructions cause the at least one processor to;

retrieve information based on results of the search.

18. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first device associated with a first party, communications from a second device, the communications being associated with a communication session comprising at least one of an audio conversation, a text-based conversation or a multimedia conversation;

identifying at least one word or phrase from the communication session;

retrieving, from a memory included in the first device, information associated with the at least one word or phrase; and

outputting, to a display associated with the first device, the retrieved information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising at least one of:

forwarding, during the communication session, the retrieved information to the second device via a network, or

providing, during the communication session, the retrieved information to a party associated with the second device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the communication session comprises a voicemail message or communications with an automated system.