CONVERSATION DETECTION IN AN AMBIENT TELEPHONY SYSTEM

• US 20110164742A1
• Filed: 09/09/2009
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Harma, Aki Sakari
• Granted Patent: US 9,661,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/219
• 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: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0297 Telephone sets adapted to be mounted on a desk or on a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• 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 of controlling at least one device (8,12,13,20-25) using a telecommunications system, includes: obtaining signals communicating information from at least one remote telecommunication terminal (1,2) and from at least one local input device (14-16) for forming at least one local telecommunication terminal with at least one local output device (17-19), a connection being open between the remote and local telecommunications terminals; analyzing information (40,41) communicated from at least two of the telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13) over time in relation to each other, using at least one criterion for detecting interaction of a type corresponding to conversational turn-taking between users of the respective telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13); and adjusting at least one output signal for controlling a device (8,12,13,20-25) upon determining whether the at least one criterion is met.

Claims

1. Method of controlling at least one device (8,12,13,20-25) using a telecommunications system, including:

obtaining signals communicating information from at least one remote telecommunication terminal (1,2) and from at least one local input device (14-16) for forming at least one local telecommunication terminal with at least one local output device (17-19), a connection being open between the remote and local telecommunications terminals;

analyzing information (40,41) communicated from at least two of the telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13) over time in relation to each other, using at least one criterion for detecting interaction of a type corresponding to conversational turn-taking between users of the respective telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13); and

adjusting at least one output signal for controlling a device (8,12,13,20-25) upon determining whether the at least one criterion is met.

2. Method according to claim 1, including analyzing audio information communicated from at least two of the telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13) over time in relation to each other.

3. Method according to claim 2, including establishing a video link between telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13) upon detecting interaction of a type corresponding to conversational turn-taking between their respective users.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein an output signal is provided to at least one device (25) for producing an audible output, wherein the output signal causes an adjustment in the volume of the audible output.

5. Method according to claim 1, including, upon determining that the at least one criterion is not met in respect of at least one user of the local telecommunication terminal(s) and a user of a particular one of the remote telecommunication terminals (1,2), causing the information from the particular remote telecommunication terminal (1,2) to cease to be reproduced by at least one local output device (17-19).

6. Method according to claim 1, including, upon determining that the at least one criterion is not met in respect of a user at a particular location in relation to a plurality of the local input devices (14-16) and local output devices (17-19) and a user of a particular remote telecommunication terminal (1,2), causing the information communicated from the particular remote telecommunication terminal (1,2) to be reproduced at a selected sub-set of the local output devices (17-19).

7. Method according to claim 1, including, upon determining that the at least one criterion is not met in respect of at least one particular user of the at least one local telecommunication terminal, adjusting at least one output signal for controlling a device in dependence on input received by at least one local input device (14-16).

8. Method according to claim 1, including, upon determining that the at least one criterion is met in respect of a user of the telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13), communicating an identification associated with the user with a status indicator over a communications network (3).

9. Method according to claim 1, including, upon detecting interaction of a type corresponding to a conversation between a local user communicating information from fewer than all of a plurality of local input devices (14-16) and a user of a particular remote telecommunication terminal (1,2), adjusting a selection of local input devices (14-16) from which information is communicated to the particular remote telecommunication terminal (1,2).

10. Method according to claim 1, including, upon detecting interaction of a type corresponding to a conversation between a local user communicating information from fewer than all of a plurality of local input devices (14-16) and a user of any remote telecommunication terminal (1,2), inferring a position of the local user on the basis of known positions of those local input devices (14-16).

11. Method according to claim 1, including

detecting that the at least one criterion is met in respect of users of a set of only remote telecommunication terminals (1,2) and

providing at least one signal for identifying the set of remote terminals (1,2) to a system for establishing a direct connection between only the remote terminals (1,2) forming the set.

13. Telecommunications system according to claim 12, arranged to carry out a method according to claim 1.

14. Computer program including a set of instructions capable, when incorporated in a machine-readable medium, of causing a system having information processing capabilities to perform a method according to claim 1.

12. Telecommunications system, including:

a device (8) for establishing a connection over a telecommunications network (3) between at least one remote telecommunication terminal (1,2) and an assembly of at least one local input device (14-16) and at least one local output device (17-19) for forming at least one local telecommunication terminal;

a signal processing system (8,12,13) for processing signals communicating information from at least two of the telecommunications terminals (1,2,8,12,13) between which a connection is open,

wherein the signal processing system is arranged to analyze information (40,41) communicated from the at least two telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13) over time in relation to each other, using at least one criterion for detecting interaction of a type corresponding to conversational turn-taking between users of the respective telecommunication terminals (1,2,8,12,13); and

an interface (32) for providing an output signal for controlling at least one device (8,12,13,20-25), wherein the system is arranged, upon determining whether the at least one criterion is met, to adjust the output signal in dependence on the result of the determination.