Automatic analysis of voice mail content

• US 8,238,528 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Zafar, Shadman
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US11/771,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/93.24, 379/88.19, 379/88.12, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/142.04, 379/142.16, 379/265.02, 704 2- 3, 704/235, 709/204, 709206-207, 709/227, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/413, 455/414.2, 455/461, 455/466
• US Class Current: 379/88.23
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects

Abstract

A device receives an audio voice mail message, converts the audio voice mail message to a text voice mail message, analyzes the text voice mail message for voice mail information, and provides the voice mail information associated with the audio voice mail message to enable review of the voice mail information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, an audio voice mail message;

converting, by the device, the audio voice mail message to a text message;

analyzing, by the device, the text message to identify;

information identifying a topic of the audio voice mail message, and

information identifying a context of the audio voice mail message;

extracting, by the device and from the text message, the information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message and the information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message;

providing, by the device and to a user device, the audio voice mail message, the text message, the extracted information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message, and the extracted information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message; and

receiving, by the device, a reply to the audio voice mail message, the reply including the extracted information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message and the extracted information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message.

2. The method of claim 1, where converting the audio voice mail message comprises:

converting the audio voice mail message to the text message using a speech recognition application, and

where the extracted information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message is different from the extracted information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message.

3. The method of claim 1, where providing the audio voice mail message, the text message, the extracted information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message, and the extracted information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message comprises:

transmitting the audio voice mail message, the text message, the extracted information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message, and the extracted information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message to a set top box associated with the user via a network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying another message that is the audio voice mail message based on at least one of the information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message or the information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message, and

where providing the audio voice mail message, the text message, the extracted information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message, and the extracted information identifying the context of the voice mail message includes;

providing information identifying the other message to the device associated with the user.

5. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first device, voice mail information extracted from an audio voice mail message from a second device, the voice mail information including topical information and contextual information associated with a content of the audio voice mail message;

determining, by the first device, a delivery technique for the voice mail information based on one or more user preferences of a user;

providing, by the first device, the voice mail information to a third device, of a plurality of third devices associated with the user, based on the determined delivery technique;

receiving, by the first device and from the third device, a selection of the audio voice mail message based on the voice mail information;

receiving, by the first device and from the third device, a reply to the selected audio voice mail message, the reply including the topical information and the contextual information included in the voice mail information; and

transmitting, by the first device, the reply, including the topical information and the contextual information to the second device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending notification information about the audio voice mail message based on the determined delivery technique.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying content, related to the selected audio voice mail message, based on the topical information and the contextual information; and

providing the content to the third device, for display on the third device in conjunction with the selected audio voice mail message based on receiving the selection.

8. The method of claim of claim 5, where receiving the reply to the selected audio voice mail message comprises at least one of:

providing the selected audio voice mail message with the reply;

or

providing text of the selected audio voice mail message with the reply.

9. The method of claim 7, where identifying the content comprises:

associating the content with the selected audio voice mail message based on the one or more user preferences.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that the voice mail information does not include information identifying a party associated with providing the audio voice mail message;

comparing a phone number associated with the audio voice mail message to one or more entries included in an address book that is associated with the user; and

determining the information identifying the party based on comparing the phone number to the one or more entries;

where providing the voice mail information comprises;

providing the information identifying the party and at least one of;

information identifying a date and a time associated with the audio voice mail message;

information identifying a duration of the audio voice mail message;

information identifying an urgency of the audio voice mail message;

or

information identifying whether the audio voice mail message has been reviewed.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

selecting a user interface, of a plurality of user interfaces, based on the determined delivery technique,

where providing the voice mail information includes;

providing the selected user interface to the third device, the voice mail information being displayed to the user via the selected user interface, and

the selection of the audio voice mail message and the reply being received, from the third device, via the selected user interface.

12. The method of claim 10, where the address book is stored in a memory of the first device.

13. A system, comprising:

one or more devices to;

receive an audio voice mail message,

convert the audio voice mail message to a text message,

extract voice mail information from the text message,

provide the voice mail information, associated with the audio voice mail message, to enable review of the voice mail information by a user,

receive, from the user, a selection of the audio voice mail message based on the voice mail information, and

receive, from the user, a reply to the selected audio voice mail message, the reply including the voice mail information.

14. The system of claim 13, where the one or more devices are further to:

examine the text message for topical information;

examine the text message for context information; and

extract the topical and context information from the text message, where the voice mail information includes the extracted topical and context information.

15. The system of claim 13, where the one or more devices are further to:

determine, based on voice mail information, to provide the voice mail information to a device associated with the user, the device comprising at least one of;

a computer;

a cellular phone;

a telephone;

or

a set top box,

provide a user interface, of a plurality of user interfaces, based on the device, and

receive, via the user interface;

the selection of the audio voice mail message, and

the reply.

16. The system of claim 13, where the one or more devices are further to at least one of:

provide the voice mail information via an e-mail message;

provide the voice mail information via a Short Message Service (SMS) message;

or

provide the voice mail information via an instant message.

17. The system of claim 13, where the one or more devices are further to:

determine a delivery technique for the voice mail information based on user preferences; and

provide the voice mail information for display to the user based on the determined delivery technique.

18. The system of claim 17, where the one or more devices are further to:

send notification information to notify the user that the audio voice mail message has been received based on the determined delivery technique.

19. The system of claim 18, where the one or more devices are further to at least one of:

send the notification information via an e-mail message;

send the notification information via a Short Message Service (SMS) message;

send the notification information via an instant message;

or

send the notification information via a pop-up message.

20. The system of claim 13, where the one or more devices are further to:

associate one or more other messages with the selected audio voice mail message based on the voice mail information; and

provide the associated one or more other messages and the selected audio voice mail message based on receiving the selection.

21. The system of claim 20, where the one or more devices are further to:

receive information identifying related content from the user, and

associate the related content with the selected audio voice mail message based on receiving the information identifying the related content.

22. The system of claim 21, where the one or more devices are further to at least one of:

provide the selected audio voice mail message with the reply;

or

provide text of the selected audio voice mail message with the reply.

23. The system of claim 21, where the one or more devices are further to:

provide the related content for display to the user.

24. The system of claim 21, where the related content comprises at least one of:

a message;

a document;

or

an image.

25. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory to store one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive an audio voice mail message;

convert the audio voice mail message to a text message;

analyze the text message to identify;

information identifying a topic of the audio voice mail message, and

information identifying a context of the audio voice mail message;

extract, from the text message, the information a identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message and the information a identifying the context of the audio voice mail message;

provide, to a device associated with a user, the audio voice mail message, the text message, the extracted information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message, and the extracted information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message;

receive, from the device associated with the user, a response to the audio voice mail message, the response including the audio voice mail message, the text message, the extracted information identifying the topic of the audio voice mail message, and the extracted information identifying the context of the audio voice mail message.