Telephone operator voice storage and retrieval system
DCFirst Claim
1. For use with an operator-assisted telephone service facility in which on-line participation by an on-line operator is required for effectively enabling an incoming caller to reach a called destination, an arrangement for providing a response message to said incoming caller accessing said facility comprising:
- first operational means for storing a plurality of prescribed response messages, each of which, when played back, effectively corresponds to the voice of the operator who is on-line with and services incoming calls; and
second operational means, coupled to said first operational means and operable in conjunction with the on-line operator'"'"'s servicing of an incoming call, for selectively accessing a response message from among said plurality of stored response messages in dependence upon information contained within said incoming call being serviced by said on-line operator and which is representative of the type of call to which said incoming call corresponds, and causing said selectively said accessed response message to be played back to said incoming caller.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone operator voice storage and retrieval system is capable of presenting to the caller a played-back, previously recorded response message in the actual voice of the operator on duty at the time. The operator is also able to follow-up the played-back, previously recorded response message with a conversation with the caller, without the caller detecting a change in the characteristics of the caller'"'"'s perceived operator voice. The storage and retrieval system employs a voice analyzer/synthesizer coupled between a response message memory and an audio inteface to the operator'"'"'s audio equipment (headset). After the storage of a series of response messages, prepared by the operator, the system is ready for use in answering incoming calls. In this playback mode, as incoming calls are monitored, the appropriate operator'"'"'s voice enunciated response message is accessed from memory and, via the voice synthesizer and an audio interface, that message is played back to the caller. When the caller speaks again, the operator, who has been on-line the entire time but has been relieved of the need to actually recite the response phrase, now proceeds to converse with the caller. The audio interface contains automatic level control circuitry which ensures that there is effectively no difference in the recorded voice played back to the caller and the "live" voice spoken by the operator. As a result, the storage and retrieval system is listener transparent.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. For use with an operator-assisted telephone service facility in which on-line participation by an on-line operator is required for effectively enabling an incoming caller to reach a called destination, an arrangement for providing a response message to said incoming caller accessing said facility comprising:
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first operational means for storing a plurality of prescribed response messages, each of which, when played back, effectively corresponds to the voice of the operator who is on-line with and services incoming calls; and second operational means, coupled to said first operational means and operable in conjunction with the on-line operator'"'"'s servicing of an incoming call, for selectively accessing a response message from among said plurality of stored response messages in dependence upon information contained within said incoming call being serviced by said on-line operator and which is representative of the type of call to which said incoming call corresponds, and causing said selectively said accessed response message to be played back to said incoming caller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. For use with an operator-assisted telephone service facility in which on-line participation by an on-line operator is required for effectively enabling an incoming caller to reach a called destination, a method of supplying a response message to said incoming caller accessing said facility comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing a plurality of prescribed response messages, each of which, when played back, effectively corresponds to the voice of the operator who is on-line with and services incoming calls; and (b) in conjunction with the on-line operator'"'"'s servicing of an incoming call, selectively accessing a response message from among said plurality of stored response messages in dependence upon information contained within said incoming call being serviced by said on-line operator and which is representative of the type of the call to which said incoming call corresponds, and causing said selectively accessed response message to be played back to said incoming caller. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. For use with an operator-assisted telephone service facility, in which on-line participation by an on-line operator is required for effectively enabling an incoming caller to reach a called destination, an arrangement for providing response messages to an incoming caller accessing said facility comprising:
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a response message storage and retrieval unit adapted to store and retrieve a selected one of a plurality of prescribed response messages which, when played back, effectively correspond to the voice of the operator who is on-line with and services incoming calls; and an audio interface unit, coupled to said response message storage and retrieval unit, which is operable in conjunction with the on-line operator'"'"'s servicing of an incoming call and selectively accesses a response message from among said plurality of response messages stored by said response message storage and retrieval unit in dependence upon information contained within said incoming call being serviced by said on-line operator and which is representative of the type of call to which said incoming call corresponds, and causes said selectively accessed response message to be played back to said incoming caller. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. For use with an operator-assisted telephone service facility, an arrangement for providing response messages to an incoming caller accessing said facility comprising:
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first operational means for storing at least one response message to be played back to said incoming caller; and second operational means coupled to said first operational means and operable in conjunction with the servicing of an incoming call, for accessing said at least one response message and causing said response message to be played back to said incoming caller and including means for enabling said operator to monitor said incoming call and the response message played back in response thereto and also have the capability of effecting a voice communication with said incoming caller, and wherein said second operational means includes means for adjusting, in effectively the same manner, at least one prescribed characteristic of each of said voice message from said operator and said played back message from said first means. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. For use with an operator-assisted telephone service facility, a method of supplying response messages to an incoming caller accessing said facility comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing at least one response message to be played back to said incoming caller; (b) in conjunnction with the servicing of an incoming call, accessing said at least one response message and causing said response message to be played back to said incoming caller, while enabling said operator to monitor said incoming call and the response message palyed back in response thereto and also having the capability of effecting a voice communication with said incoming caller; and (c) adjusting, in effectively the same manner, at least one prescribed characteristic of each of said voice message from said operator and said played back message. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. For use with an operator-assisted telephone service facility, an arrangement for providing response messages to an incoming caller accessing said facility comprising:
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a response message storage and retrieval unit adapted to store and retrieve a plurality of prescribed response messages; and an audio interface unit, coupled to said response message storage and retrieval unit, through which a response message selectively accessed from said storage and retrieval unit is played back to said incoming caller, while enabling the operator to monitor an incoming call and a response message accessed from said storage and retrieval unit and played back to said inooming caller and also have the capability of effecting a voice communication with said incoming caller, and wherein said audio interface unit includes means for adjusting, in effectively the same manner, at least one prescribed characteristic of each of a voice communication from said operator and a response message played back to an incoming caller. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification