Intelligent human/computer interface system

• US 6,651,045 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BAE Systems Plc
• Original Assignee: BAE Systems Land and Sea Systems Ltd (BAE Systems Plc)
• Inventors: Macaulay, Archibald
• Primary Examiner(s): STARKS, WILBERT L
• Application Number:
  US09/453,688
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 706/11, 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• 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 human computer interface system capable of providing real time context intelligence in relation to automatically recognized input signals. The system provides for the real time monitoring of operator and/or user inputs providing intelligent support by way of text, electronically presented data, information and speech outputs.

Claims

1. A computer system for aiding a communication between at least one operator and at least one other person, said system comprising:

a communications monitor for monitoring said communication for the existence of specific voice phrases; and

a data storage, responsive to the communications monitoring system identification of a specific voice phrase, for retrieving and presenting, to said operator, data relating to said specific voice phrase.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said communications monitor, upon finding the existence of a specific voice phrase, assigns a particular context to the communications and limits, to a context-related subset, the specific voice phrases to which the monitor is subsequently responsive.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said data storage retrieval is limited by the context assigned to the communication.

4. The system according to claim 1, including a computer display, accessible to said operator, for displaying said data relating to said specific voice phrase.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said monitor comprises:

a voice recognition system, responsive to said communication, recognizing any one of specific voice phrases.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said data storage comprises a plurality of data bases.

7. A computer system for aiding a communication between at least one operator and at least one other person, said operator having a computer display terminal and computer input device, said system comprising:

a communications monitor for monitoring said communication for the existence of specific input voice phrases and providing a characteristic output when a specific voice phrase is monitored; and

a data storage, responsive to the communications monitoring system output, for retrieving and presenting, to said operator display terminal, data relating to said monitored specific voice phrase.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said monitor also monitors information provided by said operator with said computer input device for a specific input phrase, and provides a characteristic output when said specific input phrase is input by said operator.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said communications monitor, upon finding the existence of a specific voice phrase or specific input phrase, assigns a particular context to the communications and limits the subsequent voice phrases and input phrases, to which the monitor is responsive, to a context-related subset.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein, responsive to said monitor finding the existence of one of a specific voice phrase or specific input phrase in said communication, said data storage provides related data to said operator display.

11. A method of aiding communications between at least one operator and at least one other person, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring said communication for the existence of specific voice phrases; and

in response to identification of a specific voice phrase, retrieving and presenting, to said operator, data relating to said specific voice phrase.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said monitoring step includes the step of, when said specific voice phrase is present, assigning a particular context to said communications.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said data retrieval is limited by the context assigned to the communication.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein said presenting step includes presenting on a computer display, accessible to said operator, said data relating to said specific voice phrase.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said monitoring step includes a voice recognition step which, responsive to said communication, recognizes specific voice phrases.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said retrieving steps comprises retrieving data from a plurality of data bases.

17. A method of aiding a communication between at least one operator and at least one other person, said operator having a computer display terminal and computer input device, said method comprising the steps of:

monitoring said communication for the existence of specific input voice phrases and providing a characteristic output when a specific voice phrase is monitored; and

responsive to the communications monitoring step, retrieving and presenting to said operator display terminal data relating to said monitored specific voice phrase.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said monitoring step includes monitoring information provided by said operator with said computer input device for a specific input phrase, and providing a characteristic output when said specific input phrase is input by said operator.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein during said monitoring step, upon finding the existence of a specific voice phrase or specific input phrase, assigning a particular context to the communication and limiting the subsequent voice phrases and input phrases, to which the monitoring step is responsive, to a context-related subset.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein, responsive to said monitoring step finding the existence of one of a specific voice phrase or specific input phrase in said communication, providing related data from said data storage to said operator display.