Automated system and method for distinguishing audio signals received in response to placing and outbound call

• US 8,150,023 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virtual Hold Technology Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Virtual Hold Technology LLC (Medallia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Williams, Mark, Starcher, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US11/246,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,370 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.03, 379/114.13, 37926501-26608
• US Class Current: 379/266.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/10 Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• 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 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

A system directs action based on distinguishing audio content received in response to placing an outbound call. The system comprises an audio signal analysis system and an audio content analysis system. The audio signal analysis system directs a portion of an audio signal that comprises audio content to the audio content analysis system. The audio content analysis system: i) receives portions of the audio signal comprising audio content; and ii) directs handling of the outbound call in response to detecting a characteristic of the audio content. The audio content system: i) directs a first handling of the outbound call in response to identifying a first characteristic of the audio content; and ii) directs a second handling of the outbound call in response to identifying a second characteristic of the audio content. The first handling of the outbound call may be directed in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with recorded content and the second handling of the outbound call is directed in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with real time spoken audio.

Claims

1. An action direction system for directing action based on distinguishing audio content received in response to placing an outbound call, the action direction system comprising:

an audio signal analysis system directing a portion of an audio signal that comprises audio content to an audio content analysis system; and

the audio content analysis system;

receiving portions of the audio signal comprising audio content; and

directing handling of the outbound call in response to detecting a characteristic of the audio content that is interpreted as audio content ring back.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio content analysis system:

directs a first handling of the outbound call in response to identifying a first characteristic of the audio content; and

directs a second handling of the outbound call in response to identifying a second characteristic of the audio content.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the first handling of the outbound call is directed in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with recorded audio content; and

the second handling of the outbound call is directed in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with real time spoken audio.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the characteristic of the audio content that is associated with recorded audio content is a repetitive measure.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the characteristic of the audio content that is associated with recorded audio content is an extraneous intensity/frequency spectrum pattern.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a handling action system directing handling of the outbound call in response to a combination of:

a signal direction provided by the audio signal analysis system, the signal direction identifying a portion of the audio signal representing one of a plurality of audio events from a group of audio events consisting of;

i) binary ring cadence;

ii) binary busy cadence;

iii) an “

off hook”

transition click;

iv) audio below a silence threshold; and

v) audio content; and

a content direction provided by the audio content analysis system, the content direction identifying a characteristic of the audio content.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the handling action system:

directs a first handling of the outbound call in response to the content direction identifying a first characteristic of the audio content; and

directs a second handling of the outbound call in response to the content identify a second characteristic of the audio content.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the handling action system:

directs handling of the outbound call as unanswered in a ring back state in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with recorded content before the audio signal analysis system identifies a portion of the audio signal consisting of binary ring cadence;

directs handling of the outbound call as answered by a messaging machine in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with recorded content after the audio signal analysis system identifies a portion of the audio signal consisting of one of binary ring cadence and an “

off hook”

transition click; and

directs handling of the outbound call as answered by a person in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with real time spoken audio.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the characteristic of the audio content that is associated with recorded audio content is a repetitive measure.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the characteristic of the audio content that is associated with recorded audio content is an extraneous intensity/frequency spectrum pattern.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a handling system for directing handling of the outbound call to maintain a ring back state in response to detecting a characteristic of the audio content that is interpreted as audio content ring back.

12. The system of claim 1, the audio signal analysis system detecting the portion of the audio signal that comprises audio content.

13. A system for detecting audio content ring back in response to placing an outbound call, the system comprising:

an audio signal analysis system directing the portion of an audio signal that comprises audio content to an audio content analysis system in response to detecting such audio content before detecting a portion of an audio signal that comprises binary ring back cadence; and

the audio content analysis system;

receiving portions of the audio signal comprising audio content; and

identifying the portion of the audio signal comprising audio content as audio content ring back if a characteristic of the audio content is associated with recorded audio content.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the characteristic of the audio content that is associated with recorded audio content is a repetitive measure.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the characteristic of the audio content that is associated with recorded audio content is an extraneous intensity/frequency spectrum pattern.

16. The system of claim 13, the audio signal analysis system detecting the portion of the audio signal that comprises audio content.

17. A method for directing handling of an outbound telephone call based on distinguishing audio content in an audio signal received in response to placing the outbound call, the method comprising:

identifying a portion of the audio signal representing one of a plurality of audio events from a group of audio events consisting of;

i) binary ring cadence;

ii) binary busy cadence;

iii) an “

off hook”

transition click;

iv) audio below a silence threshold; and

v) audio content;

directing a portion of an audio signal that comprises audio content to an audio content analysis system;

analyzing the audio content and generating a content direction identifying a characteristic of the audio content;

directing handling of the outbound call based on a combination of both a sequence of events and the characteristic of the audio content, wherein the characteristic of the audio content is interpreted as audio content ring back.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of directing handling of the outbound call based on a combination of both a sequence of events and the characteristic of the audio content comprises:

directing a first handling of the outbound call in response to identifying a first characteristic of the audio content; and

directing a second handling of the outbound call in response to identifying a second characteristic of the audio content.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the first handling of the outbound call is directed in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with recorded audio content; and

the second handling of the outbound call is directed in response to identifying a characteristic of the audio content associated with real time spoken audio.

20. The method of claim 19, where the characteristic of the audio content that is associated with recorded audio content is a repetitive measure.

21. The method of claim 19, where the characteristic of the audio content that is associated with recorded audio content is an extraneous intensity/frequency spectrum pattern.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the directing handling of the outbound call comprises maintaining a ring back state when a characteristic of the audio content is interpreted as audio content ring back.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting a portion of the audio signal that comprises audio content.