Method and apparatus for setting user communication parameters based on voice identification of users

• US 6,327,346 B1
• Filed: 09/01/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Infosino, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/145,073
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/88.21, 379/88.17, 379/88.13, 379/88.25, 379/389, 379/390, 379/395, 379/201.1, 379/207.13, 379/93.03
• US Class Current: 379/88.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for customized call processing based on voice identification of users. In the present invention, each user is registered as a user of a user device in a user profile database. When a user activates the user device and speaks into the audio receiver of the user device, a voice input message is sent to a customized service processor. The voice input message includes a header that contains an identifier that identifies the user device. The customized service processor searches the user profile database for the entry(s) corresponding to the identity of the user device. Once found, the customized service processor extracts voice pattern features from the received voice input message and compares the extracted voice pattern features against the pre-stored voice pattern features for each of the registered users of the user device. If a match is found within a predetermined tolerance, the corresponding communication settings stored in the user profile database are used to set the communication parameters. If a match is not found, default settings are used to set the communication parameters.

Claims

1. A method of setting user communication parameters for a communication between a voice calling party and a called party, comprising:

establishing said voice communication between the calling party and the called party;

receiving a first user identification from a user during the communication;

retrieving at least one second user identification from a user profile database;

comparing the first user identification and the at least one second user identification, the comparing step determining if the first user identification matches the at least one second user identification within a predetermined tolerance, and identifying a user if the first user identification and the at least one second user identification match within the predetermined tolerance; and

setting the user communication parameters based on a result of the comparison step, the setting step including retrieving preferred communication setting information from the user profile database corresponding to the identified user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user identification and second user identification are at least one of voice pattern features and keywords.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user device identifier from the user device, wherein the step of retrieving at least one second user identification includes retrieving the at least one second user identification from an entry in the user profile database that corresponds to the received user device identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user device identifier includes at least one of a telephone number, a mobile identification number and an IP address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting the communication parameters includes sending command signals to at least one of the user device and a network switch instructing the at least one of the user device and the network switch to change the communication parameters.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication parameters include one of setting of a preferred volume level of the output of the user device, enabling of a call waiting service, disabling of a call waiting service, enabling of a subscribed service, disabling of a subscribed service, enabling of call blocks, disabling of call blocks, providing separate billing statements, providing an indication of the party having been involved in the communication on a monthly statement, and limiting the amount of communication time available.

7. A method of setting user communication parameters according to claim 1, wherein the user is the called party.

8. A method of setting user communication parameters according to claim 1, wherein the user is the calling party.

9. An apparatus for setting communication parameters for a voice communication between a calling party and a called party, comprising:

a controller; and

a user profile database that stores at least one user profile, wherein the controller establishes said voice communication between the calling party and the called party, receives a first user identification from the user during the communication, retrieves at least one second user identification from the user profile database, compares the first user identification and the at least one second user identification by determining if the first user identification matches the at least one second user identification within a predetermined tolerance, and identifying a user if the first user identification and the at least one second user identification match within the predetermined tolerance, and sets communication parameters based on a result of the comparison of the first user identification and the at least one second user identification by retrieving preferred communication setting information from the user profile database corresponding to the identified user.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first user identification and the second user identification are at least one of voice pattern features and keywords.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller receives a user device identifier from the user device and retrieves the at least one second user identification from an entry in the user profile database that corresponds to the received user device identifier.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the user device identifier includes at least one of a telephone number, a mobile identification number and an IP address.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller sets the communication parameters by sending command signals to at least one of a user device and a network switch instructing the at least one of the user device and the network switch to change the communication parameters.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication parameters include one of setting of a preferred volume level of the output of the user device, enabling of a call waiting service, disabling of a call waiting service, enabling of a subscribed service, disabling of a subscribed service, enabling of call blocks, disabling of call blocks, providing separate billing statements, providing an indication of the party having been involved in the communication on a monthly statement, and limiting the amount of communication time available.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user is the called party.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user is the calling party.

17. A method of setting user communication parameters for setting a preferred volume level of an output of a user device, enabling a call waiting service or disabling a call waiting service, comprising:

receiving a first user identification from a user;

retrieving at least one second user identification from a user profile database;

comparing the first user identification and the at least one second user identification; and

performing at least one of (a) setting a preferred volume level of an output of the user device, (b) enabling a call waiting service and (c) disabling a call waiting service, based on a result of the comparison step.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the performing at least one of (a) setting a preferred volume level of an output of the user device, (b) enabling a call waiting service and (c) disabling a call waiting service is performed by the user device.

19. An apparatus for setting communication parameters for setting a preferred volume level of an output of a user device, enabling a call waiting service or disabling a call waiting service for a user device, comprising:

a controller; and

a user profile database that stores at least one user profile, wherein the controller receives a first user identification from the user, retrieves at least one second user identification from the user profile database, compares the first user identification and the at least one second user identification, performs at least one (a) setting a preferred volume level of an output of the user device, (b) enabling a call waiting service and (c) disabling a call waiting service, based on a result of the comparison step.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least one of the controller and the user profile database is incorporated into the user device.

21. An apparatus for setting communication parameters for a user device, comprising:

a controller; and

a user profile database that stores at least one user profile, wherein the controller establishes a voice communication between a calling party and a called party via the user device, receives a first user identification from a user during the voice communication, retrieves at least one second user identification from a user profile database, performs a first comparison comparing the first user identification and the at least one second user identification, and sets the user communication parameters by retrieving preferred communication setting information from the user profile database based on a result of the first comparison,

wherein at least one of the controller and the user profile database is incorporated into the user device.