Method and system for the processing and storing of voice information and corresponding timeline information

• US 7,343,288 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Sattler, Jurgen, Geppert, Nicolas Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US10/430,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20040006482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,770 Days
• Field of Search: 704/235, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/235
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for processing voice data from a call between a first human party and a second or more human parties and/or an automated attendant system, or between a first human party and one or more second human parties, wherein the voice data is generated from the call. The voice data may be analyzed with an automated voice recognition system and converted into text. Further, a timeline of the call may be recorded, with the recognized text being attributed to the timeline and stored.

Claims

1. A method for processing voice data from a call between a first human party and a second or more human parties and/or an automated attendant system, or between a first human party and one or more second human parties, wherein the voice data is generated from the call, the method comprising:

analyzing the voice data either fully or in part with an automated voice recognition system and converting the voice data into text;

recording a timeline of the call;

assigning the recognized text to the timeline;

storing the recognized text with the timeline; and

providing a graphical representation of the timeline and recognized text as a display on an output device,

wherein analyzing the voice data and providing a graphical representation of the timeline and recognized text is performed online.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the call is a phone call made by the first party to at least one of the second party, another party or the automated attendant system.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising accepting the phone call with an automated attendant system and forwarding the call with the automated attendant system to the second party.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising automatically establishing, with an automated attendant system, a call connection to the first party.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising attributing particular words of the recognized text to particular segments of the timeline.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising storing the particular words with the attributed segments.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising performing a frequency analysis of the voices of one or more human parties of the call.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising attributing the recognized text to a respective party of the call.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising attributing key words from a pre-established table to the recognized text.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the automated attendant system comprises an automated interactive voice response system (IVRS).

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing the first party of the call with standard call structures.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing at least one computer to be used for the automated attendant system or the voice recognition system.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising performing voice recognition with a plurality of computers in parallel.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising performing voice recognition using a multiple of processes on one computer in parallel.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1,further comprising performing voice recognition in a computer network system in parallel.

16. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising storing the voice data of a call in at least a largely unchanged state.

17. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the voice data comprises performing voice recognition with information about the current call status being taken into account.

18. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the voice data comprises performing voice recognition that is tailored individually to a request for analysis.

19. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein analyzing the voice data comprises performing voice recognition with at least one of dictation recognition, grammar recognition, single word recognition and keyword spotting.

20. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein dictation recognition, grammar recognition, single word recognition and keyword spotting are used in parallel.

21. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein voice recognition is performed repeatedly.

22. A method in accordance with claim 19, wherein voice recognition is performed with dynamic adjustment.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the vocabulary for performing voice recognition is varied or adjusted.

24. A method in accordance with claim 22, further comprising classifying the voice data with keyword spotting as part of a first recognition step for the dynamic adjustment of the voice recognition.

25. A method in accordance with claim 24, further comprising reexamining the voice data as part of an additional recognition step by adding specific vocabulary.

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, further comprising iteratively performing additional recognition steps that are controlled by recognition probabilities.

27. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing a link between the voice recognition system and at least one of a database system and an expert system.

28. A method in accordance with claim 27, further comprising extracting additional information by using the link.

29. A method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the additional information is extracted from at least one of the database system and expert system in order to dynamically control the voice recognition.

30. A method in accordance with claim 29, further comprising providing at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information in a graphical and/or orthographical representation.

31. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information is provided with time delay.

32. A method in accordance with claim 30, wherein at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information is provided to the second party nearly synchronously.

33. A method in accordance with claim 32, wherein at least one of the result of analyzing the voice data and the additional information is provided to the second party during the call.

34. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising enabling the second party to at least partially control the voice recognition.

35. A method in accordance with claim 34, wherein enabling the second party comprises permitting the second party to load user profiles to facilitate voice recognition.

36. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising providing additional information from at least one of a database system and an expert system to facilitate voice recognition.

37. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising storing the result of analyzing the call as text.

38. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the method is used in a call center.

39. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising integrating the method as part of a total program of a computer program.

40. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising integrating the method to train agents of a call center.

41. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising training the voice recognition system on the voice of at least one of the first party and the second party, wherein the second party is an agent of a call center.

42. A method in accordance with claim 41, further comprising increasing the recognition rate of the voice recognition system by having the agent repeat single words spoken by the first party, so that the voice recognition system can analyze the voice data of a trained voice.

53. A computer program product with program code means that are stored on a computer-readable storage medium and suitable to execute a method in accordance with any one of claims 1 through 4 and 5 through 42 when executed on a computer.

43. A system for processing voice data from a call between a first human party and a second or more human parties and/or an automated attendant system, or between a first human party and one or more second human parties, wherein the voice data is generated from the call, the system comprising:

an automated voice recognition system for analyzing the voice data to recognize and extract text from the voice data, the voice recognition system comprising means for assigning the recognized text to a timeline of the call and being linkable with one or more devices to record the voice data and to record the recognized text with the timeline; and

means for providing a graphical representation of the timeline and recognized text, the means for providing being connected directly or indirectly with the voice recognition system

wherein analyzing the voice and providing a graphical representation of the timeline and the recognized text is performed online.

44. A system in accordance with claim 43, wherein the voice recognition system is connected with at least one automated attendant system.

45. A system in accordance with claim 44, wherein the voice recognition system is connected to a plurality of automated attendant systems.

46. A system in accordance with claim 43, further comprising a frequency analyzer.

48. A system in accordance with claim 44, wherein the at least one automated attendant system comprises an automated interactive voice response system (IVRS).

49. A system in accordance with claim 43, wherein the voice recognition system comprises one or a plurality of computers.

50. A system in accordance with claim 44, wherein the at least one automated attendant system comprises one or a plurality of computers.

51. A system in accordance with claim 49 or 50, wherein the plurality of computers are connected in the form of a network.

52. A system in accordance with claim 51, wherein the network comprises a client/server structure.

47. A system in accordance with 44, wherein the at least one automated attendant system comprises a stationary or mobile phone.