Providing enhanced services through double SIV and personal dial tone

• US 6,067,347 A
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 05/23/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Strauss, Michael J., McAllister, Alexander I., Farris, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BENNY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/997,539
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/201, 379/207, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/216, 379/229, 379/230, 379/142, 379/189, 379/188
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• 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 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An intelligent telephone network provides personalized communication services based on subscriber prescribed double voice identification of the calling and answering parties on a subscriber line. Specifically, when a person requests a service, the network executes a double speaker identification/verification procedure to identify first and second subscriber identified voices on a call. One or more switching offices of the network utilize profile data associated with the identified subscriber to control services over a predetermined communication link. For example, on a call over a telephone line, the speaker identification/verification process provides a virtual office equipment number corresponding to one of the subscriber designated voices. The central office switch that is servicing the call receives the virtual office equipment number and uses that number to retrieve profile data associated with the subscriber including the subscriber prescribed processing routine. The central office switch provides a personalized form of service to the subscriber by processing the call using the retrieved profile data. As part of this service, the switch and the network provide individualized double voice identification to tailor call processing and subscribed designated external action on the basis of the double voice identification rather than the line or station that carries the call. The network can provide the personalized services to several subscribers sharing a common line or for some subscriber selected period of time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a request to make a call from a first link to a second link through a multiple link communication network;

receiving and processing speech signals from a person initiating said request to identify a person with whom said person initiating said request desires to communicate;

instructing a switching office of the communication network to retrieve a subscriber service profile for controlling communication services through the network corresponding to the identified person from among a plurality of stored service profiles;

receiving and processing speech signals from a person responding via said second link to identify the responding person as the person with whom said person initiating said request desires to communicate; and

processing of the call from said first to said second link through the network in accord with the retrieved subscriber service profile.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of instructing a switching office comprises providing a virtual office equipment number to the switching office.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said virtual office equipment number is associated with said identified person.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said processing of the call includes bridging the call to a third link connected to a terminal of a person associated with said second link.

5. A method as in claim 4 wherein said person associated with said terminal connected to said third link is associated with a virtual office equipment number associated with said second link, said virtual office equipment number being different than the virtual office equipment number associated with said identified person.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of receiving and processing speech signals from the person responding via said second link comprises comparing information characteristic of the speech signals received via said second link to stored speech data corresponding to a plurality of persons associated with said second link.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a telephone network having a plurality of central offices each of which serves a plurality of communication links.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the plurality of communication links comprise telephone lines.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein said processing of the call includes recording of at least a portion thereof.

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein said processing of the call includes bridging the call to a third link.

11. A method as in claim 10 wherein said third link is connected to a terminal of a person associated with said first link.

12. A method comprising;

detecting a request to make a call from a first link to a second link through a multiple link communication network;

receiving and processing speech signals from a person initiating said request to identify said person;

instructing a switching office of the communication network to retrieve a subscriber service profile for controlling communication services through the network corresponding to said identified person from among a plurality of stored service profiles;

receiving and processing speech signals from a person responding via said second link to identify the responding person as a person with which said person initiating said request desires to communicate;

instructing a switching office of the communication network to retrieve a subscriber service profile for controlling communication services through the network corresponding to the identified responding person from among a plurality of stored service profiles; and

processing of the call from said first link to said second link through the network in accord with a portion of each of the profiles.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein each step of instructing a switching office comprises providing a virtual office equipment number to a switching office.

14. A method as in claim 13 wherein a first virtual office equipment number is associated with said person initiating said request, and the second virtual office equipment number is associated with the identified responding person.

15. A method of establishing a communication connection in a communication network having multiple links associated with multiple switching systems, comprising the steps of;

responsive to initiation of a request to establish a connection between terminals connected to first and second of said links, establishing through voice processing the identity of one person associated with one of said links;

providing to a switching system associated with one of said links a virtual office equipment number identifying a subscriber profile of the one person associated with said one of said links;

establishing through voice processing the identity of one other person associated with one of said links;

processing said request at least in part by establishing a connection between two terminals pursuant to said profile and to the identity of said one other person.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein said connection is established between the two identified persons.

17. A method according to claim 15 including the step of establishing a connection between one of the identified persons and a third person pursuant to said profile.

18. A method according to claim 15 including the step of establishing a connection between one of the identified persons and a third terminal pursuant to said profile.

19. A method according to claim 18 including the step of recording at least a portion of any communication over said connection.

20. A method of establishing a communication connection in a communication network having multiple links associated with multiple switching systems, comprising the steps of;

responsive to initiation of a request to establish a connection between terminals connected to first and second of said links, establishing through voice processing the identity of a person associated with each of said first and second links respectively;

providing to a switching system associated with one of said links a virtual office equipment number identifying a subscriber profile of one of the identified persons;

processing said request at least in part by establishing a connection between said terminals connected to said first and second of said links pursuant to said profile and to the identity of at least one of the established identities.

21. A communication system comprising:

multiple switching systems having multiple links connected to terminals, a common channel interoffice signaling control system, and a voice recognition facility, wherein responsive to initiation of a request to establish a connection between terminals, a connection is established to said voice recognition facility, the identity of at least one person associated with a first one of said terminals is established, a virtual office equipment number identifying a subscriber profile of a person associated with said first one of said terminals is associated with the switching system to which said first one of said terminals is connected via its link, the identity of a person associated with a second one of said terminals is established via said voice recognition facility, and said request at least in part is satisfied by establishing a connection between the first and second terminals pursuant to said subscriber profile and to the identity at least one of the persons associated with the first and second terminals.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein said switching systems are connected in a telecommunications network.

23. A system according to claim 21 wherein said connection between the first and second terminals is made between one of the previously mentioned terminals and a third terminal.

24. A system according to claim 23 wherein said third terminal includes recording means.

25. A system according to claim 23 wherein said third terminal is associated with a person other than the person with which said subscriber profile is associated.

26. A system according to claim 23 wherein said person associated with said third terminal is also associated with said first one of said terminals.

27. A system according to claim 26 wherein said person associated with said third terminal is associated with a different virtual office equipment number associated with said first one of said terminals, the last mentioned virtual office equipment number being different than the first mentioned virtual office equipment number.

28. A method comprising;

detecting a request to make a call from a first link to a second link through a multiple link communication network;

receiving and processing speech signals from a person initiating said request to identify said person;

instructing a switching office of the communication network to retrieve a subscriber service profile, for controlling communication services through the network corresponding to said identified person, from among a plurality of stored service profiles;

receiving and processing speech signals from the person initiating said request to identify a person with whom the person initiating said request desires to communicate;

instructing a switching office of the communication network to retrieve a subscriber service profile for controlling communication services through the network corresponding to the identified person with whom communication is desired from among a plurality of stored service profiles; and

processing of the call from said first link to said second link through the network in accord with a portion of each of the profiles.

29. A method as in claim 28, further comprising assigning each person an office equipment member, wherein each step of instructing a switching office comprises providing an office equipment number associated with a respective identified person to a respective switching office.

30. A method as in claim 29, wherein each office equipment number assigned to a person comprises a virtual office equipment number.

31. A method as in claim 30, wherein a first virtual office equipment number is associated with the person initiating said request, and a second virtual office equipment number is associated with the identified person with whom communication is desired, the first virtual office equipment number being different from the second virtual office equipment number.

32. A method as in claim 29, further comprising receiving a processing speech signals from a person responding to the call to determine if the responding person is the identified person with whom communication is desired.

33. A method comprising:

detecting a request to make a call from a first network link to a second network link servicing a plurality of subscribers, through a multiple link communication network;

interacting with a person initiating said request to identify one of the subscribers served by the second network link as an intended recipient of the call;

obtaining a virtual office equipment number assigned to the identified subscriber;

retrieving subscriber profile data corresponding to the identified subscriber based on the virtual office equipment number; and

processing the call in accord with the retrieved subscriber profile data, including receiving and processing speech signals from a person responding to the call to determine if the responding person is the intended recipient of the call.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein the processing step comprises completing the call if the determination indicates that the responding person is the intended recipient of the call.