Programmed conversation recording system

• US 4,692,817 A
• Filed: 05/09/1985
• Issued: 09/08/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Illinois Technology Transfer LLC
• Original Assignee: Morgan Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Theis, Peter F.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/732,513
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 434/321, 434/320, 434/319, 369/50, 360/12, 179/6.04, 179/6.05, 179/6.06, 179/6.09, 179/6.14, 179/6.17, 179/6.03, 379/70, 379/71, 379/72, 379/73, 379/75, 379/80, 379/84
• US Class Current: 360/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/00 Selecting arrangements H04Q5/00 - H04Q11/00 take precedence

Abstract

A programmed conversation recording system utilizes distinctive control signals to condition voice actuated circuitry to respond to silence intervals, pause intervals, and speech length intervals to select and start the appropriate prerecorded message for creating a facsimile of a live conversation with an unrehearsed and untrained respondent.

Claims

1. An apparatus for carrying on a programmed conversation with a respondent, comprising:

a message storage unit operative to store a sequence of audio messages for playback to the respondent;

a response recorder unit operative to record responses of the respondent after individual ones of the audio messages;

a pause detector coupled to the message storage unit to initiate playback of a next one of the audio messages automatically following a pause exceeding a selected duration in a response of the respondent;

an alternate message storage unit operative to store an alternate audio message for playback to the respondent; and

means for activating the alternate message storage unit to cause playback of the alternate audio message only in the event the respondent responds to a designated one of the audio messages and the respondent'"'"'s response to said designated one of the audio messages has a duration within a selected time interval.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the selected time interval is less than a specified maximum time.