Integrated voice-mail based voice and information processing system

• US 5,479,491 A
• Filed: 12/16/1994
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tele Guia Talking Yellow Pages
• Inventors: Jimenez Rodriguez, Carlos R., Herrero Garcia, Jose E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US08/357,769
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/84, 379/211, 379/212, 379/213, 379/214, 379/399, 379/355, 379/86, 379/92, 379/93, 379/100, 348/7
• US Class Current: 379/88.15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• 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 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/625 Arrangements in the private branch exchange

Abstract

An innovative "one-stop" full service telephone call/communications handling system combining voice mail, voice recognition, database handling and networking features into an integrated system provides highly cost effective solutions for even small organization and individual users. A voice mail system is programmed to automatically answer incoming telephone calls from incoming sources, and offers callers different options depending upon the number they call in on. Some incoming telephone lines are dedicated to particular services or types of callers, while other incoming lines provide a more general public interface for a variety of services offered by the system. The system of the present invention provides a more generalized interface offering callers a variety of different functions/operations/capabilities, including electronic yellow pages, long distance credit card calling services, voice mail and voice conversion, one-stop travel arrangements, and high quality voice mail audio prompts.

Claims

1. A method of automatically delivering communications services to a telephone caller comprising the following steps all performed interactively in real time during the same telephone call:

(a) automatically answering said telephone call;

(b) receiving and automatically processing signals provided by said caller;

(c) recording speech provided by said caller;

(d) reading prestored digitized information, transforming said prestored digitized information into speech signals, and providing said speech signals to said caller;

(e) reading stored text information, converting said stored text information into speech signals, and providing said converted speech signals to said caller; and

(f) automatically activating a pager in response to said call.

2. A method of automatically delivering communications services to a telephone caller comprising the following steps all performed interactively in real time during the same telephone call:

(a) automatically answering said telephone call;

(b) receiving and automatically processing signals provided by said caller,

(c) recording speech provided by said caller;

(d) reading prestored digitized information, transforming said prestored digitized information into speech signals, and providing said speech signals to said caller; and

(e) reading stored text information, converting said stored text information into speech signals, and providing said converted speech signals to said caller,

wherein said step (b) includes the step of recognizing the speech of said caller.

3. An interactive real time integrated call routing and processing system capable of automatically delivering communications services to a caller during a call on a communications network comprising:

call answering means, coupled to said network, for automatically answering said call;

speech generating means, coupled to said call answering means, for automatically generating and supplying speech to said caller;

signal processing means, coupled to said call answering means, for receiving and processing signals provided by said caller;

voice recording means, coupled to said signal processing means, for recording speech signals provided by said caller;

voice converting means, coupled to said signal processing means, for accessing prestored text information and for converting said prestored text information into speech signals and providing said speech signals to said caller; and

call forwarding means coupled to said call answering means for forwarding said call;

wherein said call forwarding means includes means for forwarding said call to an automated attendant.

4. An interactive real time integrated call routing and processing system capable of automatically delivering communications services to a caller during a call on a communications network comprising:

call answering means, coupled to said network, for automatically answering said call;

speech generating means, coupled to said call answering means, for automatically generating and supplying speech to said caller;

signal processing means, coupled to said call answering means, for receiving and processing signals provided by said caller;

voice recording means, coupled to said signal processing means, for recording speech signals provided by said caller;

voice converting means, coupled to said signal processing means, for accessing prestored text information and for converting said prestored text information into speech signals and providing said speech signals to said caller; and

call forwarding means coupled to said call answering means for forwarding said call,

wherein said call forwarding means comprises means for forwarding said call to an extension selected by the caller.

5. An interactive real time integrated call routing and processing system capable of automatically delivering communications services to a caller during a call on a communications network comprising:

call answering means, coupled to said network, for automatically answering said call;

speech generating means, coupled to said call answering means, for automatically generating and supplying speech to said caller;

signal processing means, coupled to said call answering means, for receiving and processing signals provided by said caller;

voice recording means, coupled to said signal processing means, for recording speech signals provided by said caller; and

voice converting means, coupled to said signal processing means, for accessing prestored text information and for converting said prestored text information into speech signals and providing said speech signals to said caller,

said system further including means for automatically activating a pager in response to receipt of said call.

6. An interactive real time integrated call routing and processing system capable of automatically delivering communications services to a caller during a call on a communications network comprising:

call answering means, coupled to said network, for automatically answering said call;

speech generating means, coupled to said call answering means, for automatically generating and supplying speech to said caller;

signal processing means, coupled to said call answering means, for receiving and processing signals provided by said caller;

voice recording means, coupled to said signal processing means, for recording speech signals provided by said caller; and

voice converting means, coupled to said signal processing means, for accessing prestored text information and for converting said prestored text information into speech signals and providing said speech signals to said caller,

wherein said signal processing means includes means for recognizing the speech of said caller.

7. A method for communicating interactively between a communications system and a user over a communications network comprising:

(a) interactively receiving and processing commands from said user communicated over said communications network;

(b) generating speech signals based on prestored data;

(c) delivering said speech signals to said user over said communications network;

(d) delivering an image including options to said user over said communications network;

(e) displaying said image including said options on a display of said user, and

(f) activating at least one of said displayed options in response to commands received from said user.

8. A system for interactively communicating with a user over a communications network comprising:

a digital computer coupled to said communications network, said computer interactively receiving and processing commands communicated from said user over said communications network;

a speech processor coupled to said communications network and being controlled by said computer, said speech processor including a storage device for storing data, said speech processor generating speech signals under control of said computer, said generating also being based on said data stored by said storage device, and delivering said speech signals to said user over said communications network; and

image generating means coupled to a cable television network on said communications network for delivering an image to said user over said communications network.

9. A system for interactively communicating with a user over a communications network comprising:

a digital computer coupled to said communications network, said computer interactively receiving and processing commands communicated from said user over said communications network;

a speech processor coupled to said communications network and being controlled by said computer, said speech processor including a storage device for storing data, said speech processor generating speech signals under control of said computer, said generating also being based on said data stored by said storage device, and delivering said speech signals to said user over said communications network; and

image generating means coupled to said communications network for delivering an image to said user over said communications network,

said system further including a television set coupled to said communications network, said television set displaying said image and generating audio in response to said speech signals delivered by said speech processor.

10. A system for interactively communicating with a user over a communications network comprising:

a digital computer coupled to said communications network, said computer interactively receiving and processing commands communicated from said user over said communications network;

a speech processor coupled to said communications network and being controlled by said computer, said speech processor including a storage device for storing data, said speech processor generating speech signals under control of said computer, said generating also being based on said data stored by said storage device, and delivering said speech signals to said user over said communications network; and

image generating means coupled to said communications network for delivering an image to said user over said communications network,

said system further including another computer coupled to said communications network, said computer and said another computer communicating together via said communications network.

11. A system for economically providing services via a telephone network and a cable television network, said cable television network including plural cable television subscribers, said system including:

an interactive automatic telephone call handling system coupled to said telephone network, said telephone call handling system performing at least the following functions;

(a) receiving incoming telephone calls from said telephone network,

(b) automatically answering said incoming telephone calls,

(c) providing audible voice prompts to said incoming calls, and

(d) receiving commands from said incoming telephone calls; and

a cable television network coupling arrangement which couples said telephone call handling system to said cable television network, said cable television network coupling arrangement passing said commands received by said receiving step (d) between said cable television network and said call handling system.

12. A system for economically providing telephone services to multiple users and for cooperating with a cable television network, said system including:

a telephone switch coupled to a telephone network, said telephone switch receiving and routing incoming telephone calls;

voice processing means, coupled to said telephone switch, said voice processing means for automatically answering said incoming telephone calls, for selectively providing audio prompts to incoming calls connected thereto, and for receiving and storing signals from said incoming telephone calls, said voice processing means including a voice converter, coupled to said telephone switch, for storing digital data and for converting between said stored digital data and audible telephone line signals; and

cable television network coupling means for coupling said voice processing means to said cable television network so as to permit said signals to be passed between said voice processing means and said cable television network.