Telephone transaction support system and telephone call connection control system

• US 6,396,919 B1
• Filed: 03/20/1997
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Animo Ltd., Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Animo Ltd., Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shimada, Takashi, Akita, Kiyofumi, Idei, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/825,677
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1,68,72,76,85,88.01,88.02,88.09,88.11,88.27,91.01,93.01,93.03,93.12
• US Class Current: 379/265.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• 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 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

A telephone transaction support system includes a customer information registration unit for registering information regarding a customer in a database, the information being obtained in a conversation with the customer over a telephone, a feature analyzing unit for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained in the conversation with the customer over the telephone, and a password information registration unit for registering information-obtained by the feature analyzing unit as password information in the database, the password information corresponding to the customer in the database. The information regarding the customer for which a transaction over the telephone should be allowed and the password information for the customer can be registered over the telephone.

Claims

1. A telephone transaction support system comprising:

customer information registration means for registering information regarding a customer in a database, the information including personal information of the customer and information regarding a transaction recorded from a telephone conversation between the customer and an operator;

feature analyzing means for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained in the telephone conversation with the customer; and

password information registration means for registering information obtained by said feature analyzing means as password information in the database, the password information corresponding to the customer in the database, whereby the information regarding the customer for which the transaction over the telephone should be allowed and the password information for the customer can be registered over the telephone.

2. The telephone transaction support system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feature of the voice corresponding to the predetermined word includes a voiceprint.

3. A telephone transaction support system comprising:

customer information registration means for registering information regarding a customer in a database, the information including personal information of the customer and information regarding a transaction recorded from a telephone conversation between the customer and an operator;

feature analyzing means for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained in the telephone conversation with the customer, the feature of the voice including a voiceprint;

a database in which information obtained by said feature analyzing means is stored as password information, the password information corresponding to the customer in said database; and

checking means for checking an analyzing result obtained by said feature analyzing means before a transaction is permitted against the password information corresponding to the customer stored in said database, wherein when a checking result that the analyzing result corresponds to the password information is obtained, the telephone transaction with the customer is allowed.

4. The telephone transaction support system as claimed in claim 4, wherein when a plurality number of checking results each of which indicates that the analyzing result does not correspond to the password information are obtained, it is determined that a voice of the customer does not correspond to the voice of a customer for which the password information has been recorded in said database.

5. A telephone call connection control system comprising:

a voice feature database in which voice feature data items representing features of voices of a plurality of operators are stored;

feature analyzing means for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained from a customer over a telephone;

operator selecting means for comparing data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer obtained by said feature analyzing means with voice feature data items of respective operators of said plurality of operators in said voice feature database, and for selecting an operator corresponding to a voice feature data item which has a predetermined relationship to the data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer; and

connection control means for connecting a call from the customer to a telephone of the operator selected by said operator selecting means.

6. The telephone call connection control system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the voice feature data items representing the features of the voice of the operators and the data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer include data regarding voiceprint.

7. A telephone call connection control system comprising:

a response operator database in which relationships between customers and operators congenial to the respective customers are stored;

retrieval means for retrieving an operator congenial to a customer calling said system, the congenial operator being selected by comparing data regarding a recorded feature of a voice of the customer with recorded voice feature data items of a plurality of operators; and

connection control means for connecting a call from the customer to a telephone of the operator retrieved by said retrieval means.

8. A telephone call connection control system comprising:

a voice feature database in which voice feature data items representing features of voices of a plurality of operators are stored;

feature analyzing means for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained from a customer over a telephone;

operator selecting means for comparing data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer obtained by said feature analyzing means with voice feature data items of the respective operators in said voice feature database, and for selecting an operator corresponding to a voice feature data item which has a predetermined relationship to the data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer;

response operator registration means for registering the operator selected by said operator selecting means in a response operator database, the operator corresponding to the customer in said response operator database;

retrieval means for retrieving an operator congenial to a customer calling said system; and

connection control means for connecting a call from the customer to a telephone of the operator retrieved by said retrieval means.

9. The telephone call connection control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the voice feature data items representing the features of the voice of the operators and the data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer include data regarding voiceprint.

10. A recording medium which stores a program for a computer to perform a process for supporting a transaction over a telephone, said program comprising:

customer information registration program code means for registering information regarding a customer, recorded from a telephone conversation between the customer and an operator, in a database;

feature analyzing program code means for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained in the telephone conversation with the customer; and

password information registration program code means for registering information obtained by said feature analyzing means as password information in said database, the password information corresponding to the customer in said database.

11. A recording medium which stores a program for a computer to perform a process for supporting a telephone transaction using a database, information obtained by analyzing a feature of a voice of a customer corresponding to a predetermined word being stored as password information in said database, the password information corresponding to the customer in said database, said program comprising:

feature analyzing program code means for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word recorded in a telephone conversation between the customer and an operator; and

checking program code means for checking an analyzing result obtained by analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to the predetermined word obtained in a telephone conversation with a customer before permitting a transaction against the password information corresponding to the customer stored in said database.

12. A recording medium which stores a program for a computer to perform a process for connecting a call from a customer to a telephone of one of a plurality of operators using a voice feature database in which voice feature data items representing features of voices of said plurality of operators are stored, said program comprising:

feature analyzing program code means for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained from a customer over a telephone;

operator selecting program code means for comparing data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer obtained in accordance with said feature analyzing program means with voice feature data items of the respective operators in said voice feature database, and for selecting an operator corresponding to a voice feature data item which has a predetermined relationship to the data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer; and

connection control program means for connecting a call from the customer to a telephone of the selected operator.

13. A recording medium which stores a program for a computer to perform a process for connecting a call from a customer to a telephone of one of a plurality of operators using a response operator database in which relationships between customers and operators congenial to a respective customer is stored, said program comprising:

retrieval program code means for identifying an operator who is congenial to a customer calling said system, the congenial operator being selected by comparing data regarding a recorded feature of a voice of the customer with recorded voice feature data items of a plurality of operators; and

connection control program code means for connecting a call from the customer to a telephone of the identified operator.

14. A recording medium which stores a program for a computer to perform a process for connecting a call from a customer to a telephone of one of a plurality of operators using a voice feature database in which voice feature data items representing features of voices of a plurality of operators are stored, said program comprising:

feature analyzing program code means for analyzing a feature of a voice corresponding to a predetermined word obtained from a customer over a telephone;

operator selecting program code means for comparing data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer obtained by said feature analyzing means with voice feature data items of the respective operators in said voice feature database, and for selecting an operator corresponding to a voice feature data item which has a predetermined relationship to the data regarding the feature of the voice of the customer;

response operator registration program code means for registering the selected operator in a response operator database, the operator corresponding to the customer in said response operator database;

retrieval program code means for identifying an operator who is congenial to a customer calling said system; and

connection control program code means for connecting a call from the customer to a telephone of the identified operator.

15. A method for supporting telephone transactions, comprising:

registering information including personal information of a customer and information regarding a transaction, the information being recorded in a telephone conversation between the customer and an operator;

analyzing a predetermined word spoken by the customer; and

setting the predetermined word as a password for the customer.