System, method and article of manufacture for an emotion detection system improving emotion recognition

• US 6,353,810 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Petrushin, Valery A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knepper, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/387,037
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/274, 704/275, 704/231, 704/246, 704/251, 704/206, 704/207, 704/236
• US Class Current: 704/236
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices

Abstract

A voice signal and an emotion associated therewith is provided. Then, the emotion associated with the voice signal is determined in an automated manner and subsequently stored. Next, a user determined emotion associated with the voice signal is determined by a user and received. The automatically determined emotion with the user determined emotion are then compared.

Claims

1. A method for comparing user versus computer emotion detection of voice signals comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a voice signal and an emotion associated therewith to a workstation and a user;

(b) automatically determining the emotion associated with the voice signal using the workstation;

(c) storing the automatically determined emotion of the workstation;

(d) receiving a user determined emotion associated with the voice signal; and

(e) comparing the automatically determined emotion with the user determined emotion.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the voice signal is emitted by a person exhibiting a predetermined emotion.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the voice signal is received by the workstation from a stored file, wherein the workstation is operable to replay the voice signal to the user.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the emotion associated with the voice signal is identified upon the emotion being provided, and further comprising the step of determining whether the automatically determined emotion or the user determined emotion matches the identified emotion.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, and further comprising the step of awarding the user a prize upon user determined emotion matching the identified emotion.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the emotion is automatically determined by extracting at least one feature from the voice signals.

7. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for comparing user versus computer emotion detection of voice signals comprising:

(a) a code segment that provides a voice signal and an emotion associated therewith to a workstation and a user;

(b) a code segment that automatically determines the emotion associated with the voice signal using the workstation;

(c) a code segment that stores the automatically determined emotion of the workstation;

(d) a code segment that receives a user determined emotion associated with the voice signal; and

(e) a code segment that compares the automatically determined emotion with the user determined emotion.

8. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the voice signal is emitted by a person exhibiting a predetermined emotion.

9. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the voice signal is received by the workstation from a stored file, wherein the workstation is operable to replay the voice signal to the user.

10. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the emotion associated with the voice signal is identified upon the emotion being provided, and further comprising a code segment for determining whether the automatically determined emotion or the user determined emotion matches the identified emotion.

11. A computer program as recited in claim 10, and further comprising a code segment that awards the user a prize upon user determined emotion matching the identified emotion.

12. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the emotion is automatically determined by extracting at least one feature from the voice signals.

13. A system for comparing user versus computer emotion detection of voice signals comprising:

(a) logic that provides a voice signal and an emotion associated therewith to a workstation and a user;

(b) logic that automatically allows the workstation to determine the emotion associated with the voice signal;

(c) logic that stores the automatically determined emotion;

(d) logic that receives a user determined emotion associated with the voice signal; and

(e) logic that compares the automatically determined emotion with the user determined emotion.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the voice signal is emitted by a person exhibiting a predetermined emotion.

15. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the voice signal is received by the workstation from a stored file, wherein the workstation is operable to replay the voice signal to the user.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the emotion associated with the voice signal is identified upon the emotion being provided, and further comprising logic for determining whether the automatically determined emotion or the user determined emotion matches the identified emotion.

17. A system as recited in claim 16, and further comprising logic that awards the user a prize upon user determined emotion matching the identified emotion.

18. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the emotion is automatically determined by extracting at least one feature from the voice signals.