System and method for automatic distribution of conversation topics

• US 8,296,152 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Concert Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Grandios Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Issa, Alfredo C., Walsh, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Paras D
• Application Number:
  US13/053,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20110200181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 704/231, 704/251, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275, 379/201.01, 379/202.01, 379/93.21, 379/265.03
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method and system for distributing to a destination a notification of a topic being discussed by two participants of a voice call. Terms are extracted from an audio stream generated during the voice call. A topic is determined based on the extracted terms. A topic notification identifying the topic and at least one of the two participants is sent to a destination. A recipient of the notification may indicate a desire to join the voice call. Upon approval by one of the participants, the recipient may be joined to the voice call.

Claims

1. A method for distributing a topic notification, comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a first audio stream comprising voice signals generated by a first participant in a voice call speaking with a second participant during a duration of the voice call;

detecting, by the processing device, at least one term in the voice signals;

determining, by the processing device, at least one topic based on the at least one term;

processing the first audio stream to identify an emotion of the first participant;

accessing user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user reference data precludes to sic notification distribution if at least one particular emotion is identified based on the first audio stream;

determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion;

distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic and an identification of at least one of the first participant and the second participant to a plurality of destinations in response to determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion; and

joining a recipient of the topic notification to the voice call in response to the topic notification.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the topic notification comprises a textual notification.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one topic is an approved topic identified on an approved topics list, and further comprising detecting at least one second term in the voice signals, determining a second topic based on the at least one second term, determining that the second topic is a disapproved topic identified on a disapproved topics list, and not distributing a second topic notification of the second topic based on the determination that the second topic is a disapproved topic.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of topic notifications is distributed during the duration of the voice call, and wherein each of the plurality of topic notifications is a topic notification about a different topic from a topic included in any other topic notifications distributed during the duration of the voice call.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a first of the plurality of topic notifications is distributed to a first destination of the plurality of destinations and not a second destination of the plurality of destinations, and a second of the plurality of topic notifications is distributed to the second destination and not the first destination.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the at least one topic based on the at least one term further comprises determining the at least one topic based on an ontology.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an approval to distribute the topic notification from at least one of the first participant and the second participant prior to distributing the topic notification, and wherein the topic notification is distributed to the plurality of destinations in response to determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion and to the approval.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the plurality of destinations based on a distribution list associated with the first participant.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving an approval to allow the recipient of the topic notification to participate in the voice call from one of the first participant and the second participant before joining the recipient to the voice call.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the topic notification further comprises an actuatable link, and wherein joining the recipient of the topic notification to the voice call is done in response to actuation of the actuatable link by the recipient.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the processing device, a second audio stream comprising second voice signals generated by the second participant in the voice call and detecting at least one second term in the second voice signals;

and wherein determining the at least one topic based on the at least one term further comprises determining the at least one topic based on the at least one term and the at least one second term.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing an approved topics list associated with the first participant, and wherein determining, by the processing device, the at least one topic based on the at least one term further comprises determining the at least one topic based on the at least one term and the approved topics list.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the topic notification comprises the at least one topic, an identification of the first participant, and an identification of the second participant.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a distribution list associated with the first participant;

accessing filter criteria associated with the first participant; and

filtering the distribution list based on the filter criteria to determine the plurality of destinations.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing the user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user preference data identifies a time frame during which the topic notification may be distributed;

determining that the current time is within the time frame; and

wherein distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic and the identification of the at least one of the first participant and the second participant to the plurality of destinations is in response to determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion and determining that the current time is within the time frame.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing the user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user preference data identifies a location;

determining that a mobile communications device via which the first participant is participating in the voice call is at the location; and

wherein distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic and the identification of the at least one of the first participant and the second participant to the plurality of destinations is in response to determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion and determining that the mobile communications device is at the location.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein determining, by the processing device, the at least one topic based on the at least one term further comprises determining, by the processing device, at least one topic based on the at least one term and based on contextual information associated with a location of one of the first participant and the second participant.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the contextual information comprises an identity of a movie being offered by a movie theater in proximity to the location.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic and the identification of the at least one of the first participant and the second participant to the plurality of destinations further comprises distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic, the identification of the at least one of the first participant and the second participant, and an identification of the emotion to the plurality of destinations.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining the at least one topic, sending, by the processing device, a topic authorization request identifying the at least one topic to a communications device associated with the first participant;

subsequently receiving, by the processing device, an authorization to distribute the topic notification from the communications device; and

wherein distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic and the identification of the at least one of the first participant and the second participant to the plurality of destinations is in response to determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion and receiving the authorization.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing the user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user preference data identifies a particular topic that may be distributed only to the plurality of destinations;

determining that the at least one topic is the particular topic; and

wherein the plurality of destinations is determined based on determining that the at least one topic is the particular topic.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing the user preference data associated with the first participant; and

wherein determining, by the processing device, the at least one topic based on the at least one term further comprises determining, by the processing device, the at least one topic based on the at least one term and the user preference data.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of destinations comprises mobile communication devices associated with individuals other than the first participant and the second participant.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

a communications interface adapted to interface with a network;

a controller coupled to the communications interface and adapted to;

receive a first audio stream comprising voice signals generated by a first participant in a voice call during a duration of the voice call;

detect at least one term in the voice signals;

determine at least one topic based on the at least one term;

process the first audio stream to identify an emotion of the first participant;

access user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user preference data precludes topic notification distribution if at least one particular emotion is identified based on the first audio stream;

determine that the emotion of the first participant is not the at least one particular emotion;

distribute a topic notification including the at least one topic and an identification of at least one of the first participant and a second participant to a plurality of destinations in response to determining that the emotion of the first participant is not the at least one particular emotion; and

join a recipient of the topic notification to the voice call in response to the topic notification.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile communications device.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the apparatus comprises a server.

27. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the at least one topic is an approved topic identified on an approved topics list, and wherein the controller is further adapted to detect at least one second term from the voice signals, determine a second topic based on the at least one second term, determine that the second topic is a disapproved topic identified on a disapproved topics list, and not distribute a second notification of the second topic based on the determination that the second topic is a disapproved topic.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the controller is further adapted to iteratively determine a plurality of topics based on a first plurality of terms detected in the voice signals, and to distribute a plurality of topic notifications during the duration of the voice call, and wherein each of the plurality of topic notifications is a topic notification about a different topic from a topic included in any other topic notifications distributed during the duration of the voice call.

29. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for distributing a topic notification, said method comprising:

receiving a first audio stream comprising voice signals generated by a first participant in a voice call with a second participant during a duration of the voice call;

detecting at least one term from the voice signals;

determining at least one topic based on the at least one term;

processing the first audio stream to identify an emotion of the first participant;

accessing user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user preference data precludes topic notification distribution if at least one particular emotion is identified based on the first audio stream;

determining that the emotion of the first participant is not the at least one particular emotion;

distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic and an identification of at least one of the first participant and the second participant to a plurality of destinations in response to determining that the emotion of the first participant is not the at least one particular emotion; and

joining a recipient of the topic notification to the voice call in response to the topic notification.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein the at least one topic is an approved topic identified on an approved topics list, and wherein the method further comprises detecting at least one second term in the voice signals, determining a second topic based on the at least one second term, determining that the second topic is a disapproved topic identified on a disapproved topics list, and not distributing a second topic notification of the second topic based on the determination that the second topic is a disapproved topic.

31. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein the method is iterative, and wherein a plurality of topic notifications is distributed during the duration of the voice call, and wherein each of the plurality of topic notifications is a topic notification about a different topic from a topic included in any other topic notifications.

32. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein a first of the plurality of topic notifications is distributed to a first destination of the plurality of destinations and not a second destination of the plurality of destinations, and a second of the plurality of topic notifications is distributed to the second destination and not the first destination.

33. A method for distributing topic notifications, comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a first audio stream comprising voice signals generated by a first participant of a voice call speaking with a second participant during a duration of the voice call;

detecting, by the processing device, a plurality of terms in the voice signals;

determining, by the processing device, a plurality of topics based on the plurality of terms;

identifying a plurality of destinations based on user preference data associated with at least one of the first participant and the second participant;

generating a plurality of topic notifications based on the plurality of topics, wherein each topic notification identifies a different topic of the plurality of topics and at least one of the first participant and the second participant;

processing the first audio stream to identify an emotion of the first participant;

accessing the user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user preference data precludes topic notification distribution if at least one particular emotion is identified based on the first audio stream;

determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion; and

in response to determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion, distributing the plurality of topic notifications to the plurality of destinations.

34. A method for distributing a topic notification, comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a first audio stream comprising voice signals generated by a first participant in a voice call speaking with a second participant during a duration of the voice call;

detecting, by the processing device, at least one term in the voice signals;

determining, by the processing device, at least one topic based on the at least one term;

processing the first audio stream to identify an emotion of the first participant;

accessing user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user preference data precludes topic notification distribution if at least one particular emotion is identified based on the first audio stream;

determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion; and

in response to determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion, distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic, an identification of at least one of the first participant and the second participant, and an identification of the emotion to a plurality of destinations.

35. A method for distributing a topic notification, comprising:

receiving, by a processing device, a first audio stream comprising voice signals generated by a first participant in a voice call speaking with a second participant during a duration of the voice call;

detecting, by the processing device, at least one term in the voice signals;

determining, by the processing device, at least one topic based on the at least one term;

accessing a distribution list identifying a telephone number of a mobile device;

processing the first audio stream to identify an emotion of the first participant;

accessing user preference data associated with the first participant, wherein the user preference data precludes topic notification distribution if at least one particular emotion is identified based on the first audio stream;

determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion; and

in response to determining that the emotion is not the at least one particular emotion, distributing the topic notification including the at least one topic and an identification of at least one of the first participant and the second participant via a short message service (SMS) message to the mobile device.