Method and system for text-to-speech conversion of caller information

• US 6,400,809 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bossemeyer, Jr., Robert Wesley, Hardzinski, Mary Louise, McBlain, Thomas Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/240,522
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/76, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.07, 379/88.08, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/93.15, 379/93.34, 379/100.13, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.21, 379/142.01, 379/142.08, 379/201.08, 379/207.15, 379/208.01, 379/215.01, 379/221.08, 704/260, 704/261, 704/266, 704/270, 704/275, 704/277, 704/258
• US Class Current: 379/88.21
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4288 Notifying a called subscriber of an incoming call during an ongoing call, e.g. Call Waiting

Abstract

A system (10) and method (40) for providing audible caller information to telephone service subscribers is presented. The system (10) includes a pre-processor (28) that converts textual caller information from a first data format to a second data format suitable for text-to-speech synthesis (TTS). The pre-processor (28) can be incorporated in a service node/intelligent peripheral (SN/IP) (24) in an advanced intelligent network (AIN). In this configuration, the pre-processor (28) can be used to convert caller-ID with name database entries into a predetermined TTS format. The TTS formatted information can be provided to a TTS synthesized (30) included in the SN/IP (24). In conjunction with a switching service point (SSP) (20), the pre-processor (28) can provide a talking call-waiting feature to subscribers with significantly improved intelligibility.

Claims

1. A system for providing audible caller information to a telephony subscriber, comprising:

a pre-processor having a combination of hardware and software for converting textual caller information from a predetermined caller information database format to a second data format suitable for text-to-speech synthesis, the pre-processor removing at least one irregular character and converting the remaining textual caller information according to at least one set of rules for pre-processing caller name information; and

a text-to-speech synthesizer, in combination with the pre-processor, for generating the audible caller information in response to the textual caller information in the second data format.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-processor and the text-to-speech synthesizer are included in a device selected from the group consisting of a service node and an intelligent peripheral.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined caller information database format is based on a set of rules for storing data in a caller ID with name database.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for providing the audible caller information to the subscriber on call waiting.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one set of rules includes a first subset of rules for business listings and a second subset of rules for residential listing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-processor includes a plurality of abbreviation expansion tables for expanding abbreviated caller information presented in the predetermined caller information database format.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-processor includes separate abbreviation expansion tables for business listings and residential listings.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-processor includes an exceptions table for converting predetermined caller information to the second data format.

9. A telecommunication system, comprising:

a service switching point (SSP) for providing textual caller information in response to an incoming call; and

a service node, in communication with the SSP, having a pre-processor for removing at least one irregular character and converting the remaining textual caller information from a predetermined caller information database format to a second data format according to at least one set of rules for pre-processing caller name information, and the service node also having a text-to-speech synthesizer for generating audible caller information in response to the converted caller information in the second data format, the audible caller information being transferable from the service node to a subscriber unit via the SSP.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the SSP includes a call waiting feature.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the service node signals the SSP call waiting feature to cut-through to the subscriber unit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the service node selectively transfers the audible caller information or an audible call indicator upon the SSP call waiting feature successfully cutting-through to the subscriber unit.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the service node transfers the audible caller information upon the SSP call waiting feature successfully cutting-through to the subscriber unit.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the service node is an intelligent peripheral.

15. A method for providing audible caller information to a telephony subscriber, comprising:

receiving textual caller information in a caller information database format;

removing at least one irregular character from the textual caller information;

converting the remaining textual caller information from the caller information database format to a second data format suitable for text-to-speech synthesis;

performing text-to-speech synthesis of the converted textual caller information to produce the audible caller information; and

providing the audible caller information to the subscriber.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

signaling a service signal point (SSP) to cut-through to the subscriber prior to providing the audible caller information thereto.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of converting includes determining whether the textual caller information represents a residential listing or a business listing.

18. A computer-usable memory storing a computer program for directing a communication server to remove an irregular character from textual caller information and to convert textual caller information from a predetermined caller information database format to a second data format according to at least one set of rules for pre-processing caller name information, and for directing the communication server to generate audible caller information by performing text-to-speech synthesis of the converted textual caller information.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 18, wherein the predetermined caller information database format is based on a set of rules for storing the caller information in a caller ID with the name database.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 18, wherein the computer program includes a software routine for communicating with a service switch point (SSP).

21. A system for selectively providing audible caller information to a telephony subscriber, comprising:

a software flag; and

a pre-processor for removing at least one irregular character from textual caller information and for converting the remaining textual caller information into caller information formatted according to a predetermined text-to-speech synthesis format, the pre-processor selectively outputting converted textual caller information and an audible call-waiting indicator based on the software flag.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a text-to-speech synthesizer, in communication with the pre-processor, for generating the audible caller information in response to the converted textual caller information.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the pre-processor converts the textual caller information according to at least one set of rules for converting information from the caller information database format to the text-to-speech synthesis format.

24. A method for providing audible caller information to a subscriber unit, comprising:

receiving textual caller information formatted according to a predetermined caller information database format;

removing an irregular character from the textual caller information;

determining whether a flag is set;

converting the remaining textual caller information from the caller information database format to a second data format suitable for text-to-speech synthesis;

performing text-to-speech synthesis of the converted textual caller information to produce the audible caller information;

selectively providing a call-waiting indicator to the subscriber unit based on the setting of the flag; and

providing the audible caller information to the subscriber unit.

25. A computer-usable memory storing software code for directing a computing device to retrieve from a predetermined caller information database textual caller information and to remove at least one irregular character and then convert the remaining textual caller information into caller information formatted according to a predetermined text-to-speech synthesis format.