REAL TIME AUTOMATIC CALLER SPEECH PROFILING

• US 20120328085A1
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DAYE, SHERI G., JAISWAL, PEEYUSH, WANG, FANG
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/06 Creation of reference templates; Training of speech recognition systems, e.g. adaptation to the characteristics of the speaker's voice G10L15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/0631 Creating reference templates; Clustering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product recognizes a voice input received by an interactive voice recognition system. An unintelligible voice input is received from a caller. The unintelligible voice input is unintelligible to a computer due to background noise at a caller environment of the caller. Upon determining that the unintelligible voice input does not match any entry from a lexicon of known voice inputs, the caller is prompted to transmit a non-verbal electronic input to clarify the unintelligible voice input. This non-verbal electronic input is used to match the unintelligible voice input with a specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs, which is updated with the unintelligible voice input. The updated lexicon is subsequently used in future phone calls from the user to match the unintelligible voice input to the user-requested activity for the caller.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of recognizing a voice input received by an interactive voice recognition system, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an unintelligible voice input from a caller, wherein the unintelligible voice input is unintelligible to a computer due to background noise at a caller environment of the caller;

a processor determining that the unintelligible voice input does not match any entry from a lexicon of known voice inputs;

prompting the caller to transmit a secondary input to clarify the unintelligible voice input, wherein the secondary input is a non-verbal electronic input that identifies a user-requested activity that the caller was requesting when transmitting the initial caller voice input;

utilizing the non-verbal electronic input to match the unintelligible voice input with a specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs;

updating the lexicon of known voice inputs with the unintelligible voice input, wherein the unintelligible voice input is matched to the specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs;

matching the unintelligible voice input to the user-requested activity in a database that is specific for the caller;

receiving the unintelligible voice input in a subsequent phone call from the user; and

matching the unintelligible voice input to the user-requested activity for the caller.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the secondary input further comprises another caller voice input from the caller.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to said another caller voice input from the caller matching the specific known voice input, discarding said another caller voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the secondary input is a caller'"'"'s response to a menu of input options, wherein one of the input options identifies an input whose definition matches that of the specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the lexicon of known voice inputs is exclusive to the caller.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the lexicon of known voice inputs is non-exclusive to the caller.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

matching the unintelligible voice input to an interactive voice recognition activity; and

utilizing a match between the unintelligible voice input and the interactive voice recognition activity to match the unintelligible voice input to the specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein updating the lexicon of known voice inputs with the unintelligible voice input creates an updated lexicon of known voice inputs, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

receiving a new call from the caller, wherein the caller transmits a new caller voice input; and

matching the new caller voice input with a known voice input from the updated lexicon of known voice inputs.

9. A computer program product for recognizing a voice input received by an interactive voice recognition system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to receive an unintelligible voice input from a caller, wherein the unintelligible voice input is unintelligible to a computer due to background noise at a caller environment of the caller;

second program instructions to determine that the unintelligible voice input does not match any entry from a lexicon of known voice inputs;

third program instructions to prompt the caller to transmit a secondary input to clarify the unintelligible voice input, wherein the secondary input is a non-verbal electronic input that identifies a user-requested activity that the caller was requesting when transmitting the initial caller voice input;

fourth program instructions to utilize the non-verbal electronic input to match the unintelligible voice input with a specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs;

fifth program instructions to update the lexicon of known voice inputs with the unintelligible voice input, wherein the unintelligible voice input is matched to the specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs;

sixth program instructions to match the unintelligible voice input to the user-requested activity in a database that is specific for the caller;

seventh program instructions to receive the unintelligible voice input in a subsequent phone call from the user; and

eighth program instructions to match the unintelligible voice input to the user-requested activity for the caller; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the secondary input further comprises another caller voice input from the caller.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising:

ninth program instructions to, in response to said another caller voice input from the caller matching the specific known voice input, discard said another caller voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs and wherein

the ninth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the secondary input is a caller'"'"'s response to a menu of input options, wherein one of the input options identifies an input whose definition matches that of the specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the lexicon of known voice inputs is exclusive to the caller.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the lexicon of known voice inputs is non-exclusive to the caller.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

ninth program instructions to match the unintelligible voice input to an interactive voice recognition activity; and

tenth program instructions to utilize a match between the unintelligible voice input and the interactive voice recognition activity to match the unintelligible voice input to the specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs; and

wherein

the ninth and tenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein updating the lexicon of known voice inputs with the unintelligible voice input creates an updated lexicon of known voice inputs, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

ninth program instructions to receive a new call from the caller, wherein the caller transmits a new caller voice input; and

tenth program instructions to the new caller voice input with a known voice input from the updated lexicon of known voice inputs; and

wherein

the ninth and tenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium.

17. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth program instructions are downloaded to the computer readable storage medium from a remote software deploying server in an on-demand basis.

18. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium;

first program instructions to receive an unintelligible voice input from a caller, wherein the unintelligible voice input is unintelligible to a computer due to background noise at a caller environment of the caller;

second program instructions to determine that the unintelligible voice input does not match any entry from a lexicon of known voice inputs;

third program instructions to prompt the caller to transmit a secondary input to clarify the unintelligible voice input, wherein the secondary input is a non-verbal electronic input that identifies a user-requested activity that the caller was requesting when transmitting the initial caller voice input;

fourth program instructions to utilize the non-verbal electronic input to match the unintelligible voice input with a specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs;

fifth program instructions to update the lexicon of known voice inputs with the unintelligible voice input, wherein the unintelligible voice input is matched to the specific known voice input from the lexicon of known voice inputs;

sixth program instructions to match the unintelligible voice input to the user-requested activity in a database that is specific for the caller;

seventh program instructions to receive the unintelligible voice input in a subsequent phone call from the user; and

eighth program instructions to match the unintelligible voice input to the user-requested activity for the caller; and

wherein

the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the lexicon of known voice inputs is exclusive to the caller.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the lexicon of known voice inputs is non-exclusive to the caller.