System and method for detecting emotions at different steps in a communication

• US 8,054,964 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Taylor, John Z., Mathews, Eugene P., Flockhart, Andrew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah; Olisa
• Application Number:
  US12/433,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20100278318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 379/265.02, 379/265.01, 379/265.06, 379/265.07, 704/200.1
• US Class Current: 379/265.07
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

The system and method establish a communication with a first party. A first emotion is detected during a first step during the communication. Steps in the communication can include: establishing a call, waiting in a queue, talking with an agent, communicating with an IVR system, and the like. A second emotion is detected at a different step in the communication. Alternatively, the first and second emotions are detected in two different but related communications. The detection of the first and/or second emotion determines how to process the communication. Examples of processing a communication can include routing the communication differently, selecting a different script for an agent, selecting a different agent, and the like. In addition, the communication can also be processed differently based on other additional parameters.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a. an ACD system configured to establish a communication with a first party and affect processing of a first part of the established communication based on a detected second emotion and/or affect processing of a second part of the established communication based on a detected first emotion;

b. an emotion detection system configured to detect the first emotion during a first step of the established communication and detect the second emotion during a second step, different from the first step of the established communication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first emotion and/or the second emotion are detected at or while:

the receipt of the communication, the first party is waiting in a contact queue, an agent is waiting in an agent queue, the first party is communicating with the agent, the first party is communicating with a supervisor, the first party is speaking to a voice mail system, the first party is entering information in an interactive voice response (IVR) system, and the first party is speaking to an IVR system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the established communication is at least one item selected from the group comprising:

a voice communication, a video communication, and a text communication.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first emotion and/or the second emotion are detected using an analysis selected from the group comprising:

an acoustical analysis of a voice communication, an analysis of a text communication, an analysis of the voice communication converted to text, and an analysis of a video communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the established communication is established by the first party, by a contact center, or by an agent.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein affecting the processing is accomplished by at least one item selected from the group comprising:

routing the communication, selecting an IVR script, selecting an agent script, warning an agent, and selecting the agent.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein affecting the processing further comprises affecting the processing based on at least one other parameter selected from the group comprising:

a caller ID, a service contract, a call record, a prior communication, and a capability of an agent.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the detected first emotion and the detected second emotion are emotions of the first party.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the detected first emotion is an emotion of the first party and the detected second emotion is an emotion of an agent.

10. A system comprising:

a. an ACD system configured to establish a first communication with a first party, establish a second communication with the first party, wherein the second communication is related to the first communication, affect processing of the first communication based on a detected second emotion, and/or affect processing of the second communication based on a detected first emotion; and

b. an emotion detection system configured to detect the first emotion during a first step of the established first communication and detect the second emotion during a first step of the established second communication.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first emotion and/or the second emotion are detected at or while:

the receipt of the communication, the first party is waiting in a contact queue, an agent is waiting in an agent queue, the first party is communicating with the agent, the first party is communicating with a supervisor, the first party is speaking to a voice mail system, the first party is entering information in an interactive voice response system (IVR) system, and the first party is speaking to an IVR system.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first communication and/or the second communication are at least one item selected from the group comprising:

a voice communication, a text communication, and a video communication.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first emotion and/or the second emotion are detected using an analysis selected from the group comprising:

an acoustical analysis of a voice communication, an analysis of a text communication, an analysis of the voice communication converted to text, and an analysis of a video communication.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein affecting the processing further comprises affecting the processing based on at least one other parameter selected from the group comprising:

a caller ID, a service contract, a call record, a prior communication, and a capability of an agent.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the detected first emotion and the detected second emotion are emotions of the first party.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the detected first emotion is an emotion of the first party and the detected second emotion is an emotion of an agent.

17. A method comprising:

a. establishing a communication with a first party;

b. detecting a first emotion during a first step of the established communication;

c. detecting a second emotion during a second step, different from the first step of the established communication; and

d. affecting processing of a first part of the established communication based on the detected second emotion and/or affecting processing of a second part of the established communication based on the detected first emotion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the established communication is at least one item selected from the group comprising:

a voice communication, a video communication, and a text communication.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first emotion and/or the second emotion are detected at or while:

the receipt of the communication, the first party is waiting in a contact queue, an agent is waiting in an agent queue, the first party is communicating with the agent, the first party is communicating with a supervisor, the first party is speaking to a voice mail system, the first party is entering information in an interactive voice response system (IVR) system, and the first party is speaking to an IVR system.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first emotion and/or the second emotion are detected using an analysis selected from the group comprising:

an acoustical analysis of a voice communication, an analysis of a text communication, an analysis of the voice communication converted to text, and an analysis of a video communication.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the established communication is established by the first party, by a contact center, or by an agent.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein affecting the processing is accomplished by at least one item selected from the group comprising:

routing the communication, selecting an IVR script, selecting an agent script, warning an agent, and selecting the agent.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein affecting the processing further comprises affecting the processing based on at least one other parameter selected from the group comprising:

a caller ID, a service contract, a call record, a prior communication, and a capability of an agent.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the detected first emotion and the detected second emotion are emotions of the first party.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the detected first emotion is an emotion of the first party and the detected second emotion is an emotion of an agent.

26. A method comprising:

a. establishing a first communication with a first party;

b. detecting a first emotion during a first step of the established first communication;

c. establishing a second communication with the first party, wherein the second communication is related to the first communication;

d. detecting a second emotion during a first step of the established second communication;

e. affecting processing of the first communication based on the detected second emotion; and

/or

f. affecting processing of the second communication based on the detected first emotion.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first emotion and/or the second emotion are detected at or while:

the receipt of the communication, the first party is waiting in a contact queue, an agent is waiting in an agent queue, the first party is communicating with the agent, the first party is communicating with a supervisor, the first party is speaking to a voice mail system, the first party is entering information in an interactive voice response (IVR) system, and the first party is speaking to an IVR system.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first communication and/or the second communication are at least one item selected from the group comprising:

a voice communication, a text communication, and a video communication.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the first emotion and/or the second emotion are detected using an analysis selected from the group comprising:

an acoustical analysis of a voice communication, an analysis of a text communication, an analysis of a voice communication converted to text, and an analysis of a video communication.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein affecting the processing further comprises affecting the processing based on at least one other parameter selected from the group comprising:

a caller ID, a service contract, a call record, a prior communication, and a capability of an agent.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the detected first emotion and the detected second emotion are emotions of the first party.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the detected first emotion is an emotion of the first party and the detected second emotion is an emotion an agent.

33. An apparatus comprising:

a. means for establishing a communication with a first party;

b. means for detecting a first emotion during a first step of the established communication;

c. means for detecting a second emotion during a second step, different from the first step of the established communication;

d. means for affecting processing of a first part of the established communication based on the detected second emotion and/or affecting processing of a second part of the established communication based on the detected first emotion.

34. An apparatus comprising:

a. means for establishing a first communication with a first party;

b. means for detecting a first emotion during a first step of the established first communication;

c. means for establishing a second communication with the first party, wherein the second communication is related to the first communication;

d. means for detecting a second emotion during a first step of the established second communication;

e. means for affecting processing of the first communication based on the detected second emotion; and

/or

f. means for affecting processing of the second communication based on the detected first emotion.