METHODS AND APPARATUS TO FACILITATE VOICEMAIL INTERACTION

• US 20130010934A1
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Miller, Jon S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to facilitate voicemail interaction are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves, during a call session with a voicemail system, receiving an audio segment from the voicemail system. The example method also involves performing feature recognition on the audio segment and outputting a display element to a user interface based on a recognized feature in the audio segment.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate voicemail interaction, comprising:

during a call session with a voicemail system, receiving an audio segment from the voicemail system;

performing feature recognition on the audio segment; and

outputting a display element to a user interface based on a recognized feature in the audio segment.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein performing the feature recognition comprises:

performing speech recognition on a voice portion of the audio segment; and

recognizing one or more words of the voice portion.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the display element is a user interface control associated with the one or more words of the voice portion.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein performing the feature recognition comprises detecting human-imperceptible information embedded in the audio segment.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the human-imperceptible information is text or a code modulated for transmission over voice communications.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein performing the feature recognition comprises detecting human-imperceptible affixed information that is:

affixed to a voice portion of the audio segment;

or

transmitted in the audio segment or in another audio segment subsequent to or preceding the audio segment.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the display element is one of a graphical user interface control or a notification confirming the completion or requesting user-initiation of a user-requested operation.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the receiving of the audio segment, the performing of the feature recognition, and the outputting of the display element are performed at a telephony-capable mobile device.

9. An apparatus to facilitate voicemail interaction, comprising:

a communication interface to, during a call session with a voicemail system, receive an audio segment from the voicemail system;

a feature analyzer to perform a feature recognition on the audio segment; and

a display interface to output information to a user interface based on a recognized feature in the audio segment.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the feature analyzer performs the feature recognition by:

performing speech recognition on a voice portion of the audio segment; and

recognizing one or more words of the voice portion.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the information is a user interface control associated with the one or more words of the voice portion.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the feature analyzer is to perform the feature recognition by detecting human-imperceptible information embedded in the audio segment.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the human-imperceptible information is text or a code modulated for transmission over voice communications.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the feature analyzer is to perform the feature recognition by detecting human-imperceptible affixed information that is:

affixed to a voice portion of the audio segment;

or

transmitted in the audio segment or in another audio segment subsequent to or preceding the audio segment.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the information is one of a graphical user interface control or a notification confirming the completion of a user-requested operation.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication interface, the feature analyzer, and the display interface are implemented in a telephony-capable mobile device.

17. A machine-accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

during a call session with a voicemail system, receive an audio segment from the voicemail system;

perform a feature recognition on the audio segment; and

output a display element to a user interface based on a recognized feature in the audio segment.

18. A machine-accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to perform the feature recognition by:

performing speech recognition on a voice portion of the audio segment; and

recognizing one or more words of the voice portion.

19. A machine-accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to perform the feature recognition by detecting human-imperceptible information in the audio segment.

20. A machine-accessible medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the display element is one of a graphical user interface control or a notification confirming the selection or completion of a user-requested operation.