SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED VOICE QUALITY TESTING

• US 20160261738A1
• Filed: 05/17/2016
• Published: 09/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyara Solutions Pty. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cyara Solutions Pty. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Alok, Willshire, Geoff
• Granted Patent: US 10,230,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/60 for measuring the quality of voice signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2236 Quality of speech transmission monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/323 for the arrangements providing the connection (test connection, test call, call simulation)
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/027 Spatial or constructional arrangements of microphones, e.g. in dummy heads

Abstract

A system for automated audio quality testing, comprising a plurality of endpoint emulators, call engines, and optionally audio generator devices and head and torso simulator devices, and a method for using such a system for testing of audio quality over a variety of system architectures for optimization of contact center operations and improvement of customer experience.

Claims

1. A system for automated testing of audio quality, comprising:

a call engine comprising at least a plurality of programming instructions stored in a memory and operating on a processor of a computing device, and configured to receive at least a plurality of reference audio samples via a network, and configured to generate a simulated telephone call;

a first audio generator device configured to transmit the plurality of reference audio samples; and

a head and torso simulator device comprising at least a microphone and a second audio generator device, and configured to simulate at least a plurality of physical qualities of human head and torso anatomy;

wherein the first audio generator device transmits a reference audio sample to simulate inbound audio from a calling party to a receiving party comprising the head and torso simulator device;

wherein the second audio generator device transmits audio from the head and torso simulator device to simulate receiving party interaction with the calling party; and

wherein the first audio generator device transmits audio to the head and torso simulator device to simulate calling party interaction with the receiving party.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the head and torso simulator device is further configured to simulate a plurality of acoustic properties of human head and torso anatomy.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first audio generator device is further configured to produce a plurality of reference audio samples.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the head and torso simulator device further comprises a plurality of additional microphones.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of additional microphones are configured to detect and report background noise.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the head and torso simulator device further comprises a plurality of additional audio generator devices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of additional audio generator devices is configured to produce a plurality of background noise.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the head and torso simulator device is further configured to transmit a plurality of audio via at least a portion of the plurality of additional audio generator devices, the plurality of external audio being based at least in part on a plurality of audio being transmitted by a second audio generator device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of additional head and torso simulator devices are configured to simulate audio characteristics of a crowded environment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the crowded environment is a contact center, wherein each head and torso simulator device is configured to simulate a contact center agent.

2. A method for automated testing of audio quality, comprising the steps of:

creating a simulated telephone call, using a call engine comprising at least a plurality of programming instructions stored in a memory and operating on a processor of a computing device, and configured to receive at least a plurality of reference audio samples via a network, and configured to generate simulated telephone calls over an audio connection;

receiving a plurality of reference audio at an endpoint manager comprising at least a plurality of programming instructions stored in a memory and operating on a processor of a computing device, and configured to provide at least a plurality of reference audio samples to simulate audible responses during the simulated telephone call;

transmitting a plurality of reference audio from the call engine to the endpoint manager to simulate an calling party of the simulated telephone call;

scoring received reference audio by the endpoint manager;

transmitting a plurality of reference audio from the endpoint manager to the call engine to simulate a receiving party of the simulated telephone call;

scoring received reference audio by the call engine; and

scoring the two-directional audio connection quality;

wherein a head and torso simulator device comprising at least a microphone and an audio generator simulates a plurality of properties of a human body and is configured to receive at least a plurality of reference audio transmitted by the call engine and is further configured to transmit the endpoint manager audio.

12. The method of claim 2, further wherein the head and torso simulator device is configured to report on a plurality of background noise.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of scoring the received background noise.