Method and system for identifying a party answering a telephone call based on simultaneous activity
First Claim
1. A method for detecting whether an automated device is currently providing audio on a telephone call, the method comprising:
- establishing a telephone call between a calling party and a recipient;
outputting a first audio signal from the calling party to the recipient of the telephone call;
inputting a second audio signal from the recipient of the telephone call while outputting the first audio signal to the recipient, the second audio signal being different from the first audio signal;
determining an amount of time during which the first audio signal and the second audio signal are both active by comparing the first audio signal and the second audio signal; and
when the determined amount exceeds a threshold amount, indicating that an automated device is providing the second audio signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for identifying whether a communicating party is a person or an automated device is provided. The identification system determines whether a person or an automated device is currently providing audio of the communication. When the identification is to be determined, the identification system outputs an audio signal to the party. The identification system monitors the input audio signal from the party to determine whether a person or an automated device is providing the input audio. The identification system makes this determination based on whether there is simultaneous sound on the input audio signal and the output audio signal. The greater the amount of simultaneous sound, the greater the likelihood that the party is an automated device.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A method for detecting whether an automated device is currently providing audio on a telephone call, the method comprising:
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establishing a telephone call between a calling party and a recipient; outputting a first audio signal from the calling party to the recipient of the telephone call; inputting a second audio signal from the recipient of the telephone call while outputting the first audio signal to the recipient, the second audio signal being different from the first audio signal; determining an amount of time during which the first audio signal and the second audio signal are both active by comparing the first audio signal and the second audio signal; and when the determined amount exceeds a threshold amount, indicating that an automated device is providing the second audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An automated method for detecting whether a recorded voice or a live voice is currently providing audio of a telephone call, the method comprising:
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establishing a telephone call between a calling party and a recipient; outputting a first audio signal from the calling party to the recipient of the telephone call; inputting a second audio signal from the recipient of the telephone call while outputting the first audio signal to the recipient, the second audio signal being different from the first audio signal; and determining whether a recorded voice or a live voice is providing the second audio signal based on amount of overlap of sound on the first audio signal and the second audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for identifying a party answering a telephone call, comprising:
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a telephone line having an input line and an output line; a first component that monitors the input line to detect when the telephone call has been answered and, when answered, outputs a first audio signal to the output line; and a second component that monitors the input line for a second audio signal different from the first audio signal while the first component is outputting the first audio signal to the output line to determine when the second and first audio signals are simultaneously being input on the input line and output on the output line, respectively, the amount of overlap indicating whether a person or an automated device has answered the telephone call. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method for detecting whether an automated device is currently providing audio on a telephone call, the method comprising:
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dialing a telephone call from a calling party to a recipient; outputting a first audio signal to the recipient of the telephone call after the recipient answers the telephone call; inputting a second audio signal from the recipient of the telephone call, the second audio signal being different from the first audio signal; simultaneously sampling both the first audio signal and the second audio signal; determining an amount of time during which the first audio signal and the second audio signal are both active by comparing the first and second audio signals based on the sampling; and when the determined amount exceeds a threshold amount, indicating that an automated device is providing audio of the second audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for detecting whether an automated device is currently providing audio on a telephone call, the method comprising:
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establishing a telephone call between a calling party and a recipient; outputting a first audio signal to the recipient of the telephone call after the telephone call is established; monitoring an input audio line for a second audio signal different from the first audio signal to determine an amount of time that the input audio line is active while outputting the first audio signal by comparing the first and second audio signals; and when the determined amount of time exceeds a threshold, indicating that a machine is providing audio of the second audio signal. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification