Method and system for aurally positioning voice signals in a contact center environment

• US 8,363,810 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Yoakum, John H., McCormack, Tony, Costello, John
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US12/555,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20110058662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/242, 379/265.02, 379/204.01, 379/158, 379/156, 370/260, 370/261, 709/204
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30

Abstract

A contact center media server for aurally positioning participants of a contact center transaction at aural positions designated by a contact center agent. The media server includes a communications interface coupled to a controller and adapted to interface with a plurality of voice paths. Each of the voice paths is associated with one of a plurality of participants in a contact center transaction. A three-dimensional (3D) spatializer engine is coupled to the controller and can receive incoming voice signals received over voice paths and corresponding aural position data. The 3D spatializer engine processes the incoming voice signals and generates outgoing voice signals that include signal characteristics that aurally position the first outgoing voice signals at an aural position with respect to the contact center agent indicated by the aural position data.

Claims

1. A contact center media server comprising:

a communications interface adapted to interface with a plurality of voice paths, each one of the plurality of voice paths associated with one of a plurality of participants in a contact center transaction;

a conference processor coupled to a controller and adapted to anchor the plurality of voice paths to the contact center media server; and

a three-dimensional (3D) spatializer engine adapted to;

receive a plurality of incoming voice signals, each one of the plurality of incoming voice signals corresponding to one of the plurality of voice paths, and for each of at least some of the plurality of incoming voice signals;

receive corresponding aural position data designated by a contact center agent; and

process the each of the at least some of the plurality of incoming voice signals to generate a corresponding outgoing voice signal, wherein the corresponding outgoing voice signal includes signal characteristics that aurally position the corresponding outgoing voice signal at an aural position indicated by the corresponding aural position data; and

form a first combined outgoing voice signal comprising each of the outgoing voice signals corresponding to the each of the at least some of the plurality of incoming voice signals.

2. The contact center media server of claim 1 wherein the first combined outgoing voice signal further comprises one of the plurality of incoming voice signals unaltered by aural position data.

3. The contact center media server of claim 2 wherein the conference processor is adapted to provide the first combined outgoing voice signal to a voice path associated with the contact center agent.

4. The contact center media server of claim 2 wherein the 3D spatializer engine is further adapted to receive second aural position data from a second contact center agent, and to create a second combined outgoing voice signal from the plurality of incoming voice signals that aurally position the second combined outgoing voice signal at an aural position indicated by the second aural position data.

5. The contact center media server of claim 1 wherein the corresponding aural position data comprises an angular offset between an orientation of a first icon representing the contact center agent and a position of a second icon corresponding to one of the plurality of participants that generated the each of the at least some of the plurality of incoming voice signals.

6. The contact center media server of claim 5 wherein the corresponding aural position data further comprises loudness data indicating a desired loudness of the corresponding outgoing voice signal.

7. A computer implemented method for aurally positioning voice signals of a contact center transaction comprising:

displaying, in a user interface window on a display device, a plurality of participant icons, each of the plurality of participant icons representing a participant in the contact center transaction, and the each of the plurality of participant icons being displayed at a position in the user interface window that is different from each of others of the plurality of participant icons;

displaying in the user interface window an agent icon, the agent icon representing a contact center agent, the agent icon being displayed at an agent position that is different from a position of the each of the plurality of participant icons;

calculating, for the each of the plurality of participant icons, corresponding aural position data identifying the position of the each of the plurality of participant icons with respect to the agent icon;

providing the corresponding aural position data for the each of the plurality of participant icons to a three-dimensional (3D) spatializer engine; and

receiving, from the 3D spatializer engine, outgoing voice signals associated with the each of the plurality of participants, wherein the outgoing voice signals for the each of the plurality of participants include aural positioning characteristics aurally positioning the voice signals for a corresponding participant at the corresponding aural position.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising providing the outgoing voice signals to a multi-channel output device for presentation to the contact center agent.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving selection indication data indicating selection of one of the plurality of participant icons by an input device;

receiving icon movement information indicating a new position in the user interface window to which the one of the plurality of participant icons has been moved;

calculating new aural position data identifying the new position of the one of the plurality of participant icons with respect to the agent icon; and

providing the new aural position data to the 3D spatializer engine.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving, from the 3D spatializer engine, outgoing voice signals associated with the corresponding participant, wherein the outgoing voice signals includes aural positioning characteristics aurally positioning the outgoing voice signals for the corresponding participant at the new aural position.

11. A computer implemented method for aurally positioning voice signals during a contact center transaction comprising:

displaying in a user interface window on a display device a participant icon representing a participant in a contact center transaction;

displaying in the user interface window an agent icon, the agent icon representing a contact center agent;

calculating for the participant icon aural position data identifying an aural position of the participant icon with respect to the agent icon;

providing the aural position data to a three-dimensional (3D) spatializer engine;

receiving, from the 3D spatializer engine, voice signals associated with the participant, wherein the voice signals include aural positioning characteristics aurally positioning the voice signals associated with the participant at the respective aural position; and

providing the voice signals to a multi-channel output device for presentation to the contact center agent.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising determining that the participant icon has been moved from a first position in the user interface window to a second position in the user interface window, and calculating second aural position data identifying a second aural position of the participant icon with respect to the agent icon, and providing the second aural position data to the 3D spatializer engine.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 11 wherein the aural position data comprises an angular offset between an orientation of the agent icon and loudness data indicating a desired loudness.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising displaying in a second user interface window a subject matter expert (SME) icon, receiving an indication that the SME icon has been moved from the second user interface window to a first user interface window, and initiating a message to a conference processor to establish a voice path between a media server and a device associated with the SME icon.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14 further comprising:

calculating for the SME icon second aural position data identifying a second aural position of the SME icon with respect to the agent icon;

providing the second aural position data to the 3D spatializer engine;

receiving, from the 3D spatializer engine, second voice signals associated with a SME corresponding to the SME icon, wherein the second voice signals include aural positioning characteristics aurally positioning the second voice signals of the SME at the second aural position.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 11 wherein the aural position data comprises loudness data based on a distance between a position of the participant icon and a position of the agent icon.

17. A method for aurally positioning voice signals in a contact center transaction comprising:

interfacing with a plurality of voice paths, each one of the plurality of voice paths associated with one of a plurality of participants in a contact center transaction;

anchoring the plurality of voice paths to a contact center media server; and

receiving a plurality of incoming voice signals, each one of the plurality of incoming voice signals corresponding to one of the plurality of voice paths, and for each of at least some of the plurality of incoming voice signals;

receiving corresponding aural position data designated by a contact center agent; and

processing the each of the at least some of the plurality of incoming voice signals to generate a corresponding outgoing voice signal, wherein the corresponding outgoing voice signal includes signal characteristics that aurally position the corresponding outgoing voice signal at an aural position indicated by the corresponding aural position data; and

form a first combined outgoing voice signal comprising each of the outgoing voice signals corresponding to the each of the at least some of the plurality of incoming voice signals.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first combined outgoing voice signal further comprises one of the plurality of incoming voice signals unaltered by aural position data.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing the first combined outgoing voice signal to a voice path associated with the contact center agent.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising receiving second aural position data from a second contact center agent, and creating a second combined outgoing voice signal from the plurality of incoming voice signals that aurally position the second combined outgoing voice signal at an aural position indicated by the second aural position data.