Call management system and associated method for a local telephone circuit

• US 6,377,663 B1
• Filed: 01/03/1997
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Thurber, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/778,640
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/67.1, 379/88.01, 379/70, 379/10, 379/34, 379/100.05, 379/102.05, 379/58, 379/68, 379/80, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/88.04, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/142.01, 379/201.01, 379/201.11, 379/207.11, 379/207.13, 379/22.02, 379/23, 379/27.02, 379/31, 379/32.04, 379/87, 379/418, 379/421
• US Class Current: 379/88.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/715 using two or more extensions per line cordless telephones H04M1/725
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements

Abstract

A call management system includes a local telephone circuit, a first telephone set, a second telephone set, and a telephony device. The first telephone set, the second telephone set, and the telephony device, each coupled to the local telephone circuit. The telephony device includes an off-hook monitor that detects an off-hook state on the local telephone circuit, and a command processor which recognizes a voice command signal transmitted from either the first telephone set or the second telephone set. A method for telephone call management is also disclosed.

Claims

1. In a site comprising a local telephone circuit coupled to a branch exchange, a method for telephone call management, comprising the steps of:

placing the local telephone circuit of the site in an off-hook state;

receiving with a telephony device of the site that is coupled to the local telephone network a dial tone signal from the branch exchange via the local telephone circuit in response to the placing step;

detecting the off-hook state of the local telephone circuit via the telephony device of the site;

reducing the dial tone signal on the local telephone circuit via the telephony device of the site in response to the detecting step detecting the off-hook state;

receiving with the telephony device via the local telephone circuit, a command signal from a telephone set coupled to the local telephone circuit after the reducing step;

determining with the telephony device of the site, a call management action that corresponds with the command signal; and

executing the call management action via the telephony device of the site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a command signal includes the step of:

receiving a voice command signal from the telephone set.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of reducing the dial tone signal includes the step of:

injecting a cancellation signal upon the local telephone circuit with the telephone device in order to reduce the dial tone signal on the local telephone circuit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of reducing the dial tone signal occurs at a period of time after the step of detecting an off-hook state, the period of time being sufficient in length to enable a user to perceive a change in the dial tone signal received via the telephone set.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of reducing the dial tone signal occurs at least one (1) second after detecting the local telephone circuit is in an off-hook state.

6. A telephony device for telephone call management at a site comprising a local telephone circuit coupled to a branch exchange, comprising:

an off-hook monitor, an execution means for executing a call management action, and a signal reducer, each operatively coupled to said local telephone circuit via a telephone interface; and

a command processor operatively coupled to said off-hook monitor and said signal reducer;

wherein said off-hook monitor is configured to detect whether said local telephone circuit is in an off-hook state;

wherein said signal reducer is configured to (i) receive via the local telephone circuit a telephone signal having a dial tone signal that is produced by the branch exchange in response to said local telephone circuit being in said off-hook state, and (ii) reduce upon said local telephone circuit, said dial tone signal of said telephone signal in order to produce a dial tone reduced signal in response to receipt of said telephone signal; and

wherein said command processor is configured to receive said dial tone reduced telephone signal that includes a command signal from a telephone set coupled to said local telephone circuit, to determine said call management action that corresponds with said command signal; and

to send a plurality of control signals to said execution means to effectuate said call management action.

7. The telephony device of claim 6, wherein:

said signal reducer comprises a cancellation signal generator configured to inject into said local telephone circuit a cancellation signal that reduces said dial tone signal upon said local telephone circuit.

8. The telephony device of claim 6, wherein:

said command processor comprises a speech detector, a parser, a command generator, and a command manager;

wherein said speech detector is configured to detect a voice command signal on said dial tone reduced telephone signal and to activate said parser when said voice command is detected;

wherein said parser is configured to receive said voice command signal and to parse said voice command signal into a plurality of lexical elements in a grammar;

wherein said command generator is configured to receive said plurality of lexical elements and to map said plurality of lexical elements into a plurality of manager instructions; and

wherein said command manager is configured to receive said plurality of manager instructions and to execute said plurality of manager instructions.

9. The telephony device of claim 6, wherein:

said execution means includes a dialer configured to execute a dial command.

10. A call management system for managing telephone calls at a site comprising a local telephone circuit that is coupled to a branch exchange, comprising:

a first telephone set coupled to said local telephone circuit of said site;

a second telephone set coupled to said local telephone circuit of said site; and

a telephony device coupled to said local telephone circuit of said site, said telephony device comprising (i) an off-hook monitor that detects an off-hook state of said local telephone circuit, (ii) a signal reducer which generates and injects a cancellation signal into said local telephone circuit in response to said off-hook monitor detecting said off-hook state, said cancellation signal reducing a dial tone signal upon said local telephone circuit that is generated by said branch exchange in response to said local telephone circuit being in said off-hook state, and (iii) a command processor which recognizes a voice command signal transmitted from an input telephone set when said local telephone circuit is in said off-hook state, said input telephone set selected from said first telephone set and said second telephone set.

11. The call management system of claim 10, wherein said signal reducer includes means for injecting said cancellation signal into said local telephone circuit after a predetermined time period elapses from when said off-hook monitor detects said off-hook state.

12. The call management system of claim 10, wherein said telephony device comprises a general purpose computer and a circuit board coupled thereto, said circuit board comprising said off-hook monitor and said signal reducer.

13. The call management system of claim 10, wherein said command processor includes means for recognizing a dual tone modulated frequency command transmitted from said input telephone set.

14. The call management system of claim 10, wherein said telephony command processor includes means for associating said voice command with a predetermined telephone number, and means for automatically dialing said telephone number on said local telephone circuit.