Concierge for portable electronic device

• US 8,489,080 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2012
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Breau, Jeremy R., Miller, Eric E., Ng, Sei Y., Persson, Carl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cai, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US13/568,004
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 455/267, 455/414.1, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.3, 455/563
• US Class Current: 455/414.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/306 Prerecordings to be used during a voice call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/351 Pre or post-call/conference information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/432 Arrangements for calling a subscriber at a specific time, e.g. morning call service

Abstract

A system is provided. The system comprises a processor, a memory, and an application stored in the memory. When executed by the processor, the application activates a concierge function in response to a first trigger, and deactivates the concierge function in response to a second trigger. While the concierge function is active, the application analyzes a first digital signal encoding voice content from the portable electronic device to identify a context and, in response to identifying the context, transmits a second digital signal encoding a voice message to be presented by the portable electronic device based on the context keyword.

Claims

1. A system for analyzing voice content of a voice call between a first portable electronic device and a second electronic device, and generating an in-call voice message based on a context in the voice content of said voice call, said system comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor,

analyzes, in response to establishment of the voice call, voice content of the voice call between the first portable electronic device and the second electronic device when a concierge information function is in a deactivated state during the voice call,

activates a concierge information function to an activated state in response to a first trigger in the voice content received when the concierge information function is in the deactivated state,

analyzes, while the concierge information function is in the activated state, the voice content of the voice call to identify a context of the voice call,

based on the context of the voice call, compares a profile associated with the first portable device and a profile associated with the second electronic device to identify at least one similarity between them,

based on the comparison, accesses one or more third party databases and identifies information related to the context of the voice call and the at least one similarity between the profile associated with the first portable device and the profile associated with the second electronic device,

generates, in response to identifying the information, a voice message based on the information and transmits the voice message to the first portable electronic device during the voice call, wherein the voice message is heard by the first portable electronic device and the second electronic device during the voice call, and

deactivates the concierge information function to the deactivated state in response to a second trigger in the voice content received when the concierge information function is in the activated state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first trigger is provided by a first message received from the first portable electronic device when the first portable electronic device is in the deactivated state and the second trigger is provided by a second message received from the first portable electronic device when the first portable electronic device is in the activated state.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice message is based further on a current location of the first portable electronic device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice message comprises one of a recommendation of a restaurant, a traffic report, a sports report, and a flight status.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the voice message contains information derived from one of a real simple syndication (RSS) feed, from a subscription news service, from a subscription traffic information service, and from a search engine.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first trigger is a first sequence of less than 5 words and wherein the second trigger is a second sequence of less than 5 words.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the profile associated with the first portable electronic device and the profile associated with the second electronic device comprises at least one of a restaurant preferences, demographic information, and entertainment tastes.

8. A method for analyzing voice content of a voice call between a first portable electronic device and a second electronic device, and generating an in-call voice message based on a context in the voice content of said voice call, said method comprising:

analyzing, in response to establishment of the voice call, voice content of the voice call between the first portable electronic device and the second electronic device received while a concierge information function is in a deactivated state during the voice call;

activating the concierge information function to an activated state in response to a first trigger in the voice content received while the concierge information function is in the deactivated state;

analyzing, while the concierge information function is in the activated state, the voice content of the voice call to identify a context of the voice call;

based on the context of the voice call, comparing a profile associated with the first portable device and a profile associated with the second electronic device to identify at least one similarity between them;

based on the comparison, accessing one or more third party databases and identifying information related to the context of the voice call and the at least one similarity between the profile associated with the first portable device and the profile associated with the second electronic device;

generating, in response to identifying the information related to the context of the voice call, a voice message based on the information;

transmitting the voice message to the first portable electronic device during the voice call, wherein the voice message is heard by the first portable electronic device and the second electronic device during the voice call; and

deactivating the concierge information function to the deactivated state in response to a second trigger in the voice content received when the concierge information function is in the activated state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the voice message is based further on a current location of the first portable electronic device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the voice message comprises one of a recommendation of entertainment, a restaurant, a traffic report, a sports report, and a flight status.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the voice message contains information derived from one of a real simple syndication (RSS) feed, from a subscription news service, from a subscription traffic information service, and from a search engine.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the profile associated with the first portable electronic device and the profile associated with the second electronic device comprises at least one of a restaurant preferences, demographic information, and entertainment tastes.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first trigger is provided by a first message received from the first portable electronic device while the concierge information function is in the deactivated state and the second trigger is provided by a second message received from the first portable electronic device while the concierge information function is in the activated state.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first trigger is a first sequence of less than 5 words and wherein the second trigger is a second sequence of less than 5 words.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the voice content of the voice call between the first portable electronic device and the second electronic device comprises analyzing both voice content transmitted by the first portable electronic device to the second electronic device during the voice call and voice content transmitted by the second electronic device to the first portable electronic device during the voice call.

16. A system for analyzing voice content of a voice call between a first portable electronic device and a second electronic device, and generating an in-call voice message based on a context in the voice content of said voice call, said system comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor,

monitors, in response to establishment of the voice call, the voice content transmitted by the first portable electronic device to identify a first word string, when a concierge information function of the application is in an inactive state, wherein the first word string comprises at least one word,

activates the concierge information function of the application to an active state when the concierge information function of the application is in the inactive state and the first word string is identified in the voice content transmitted by the first portable electronic device,

analyzes voice content of the voice call between the first portable electronic device and the second electronic device to identify a context of the voice content of the voice call when the concierge information function is in the active state,

based on the context of the voice call, compares a profile associated with the first portable device and a profile associated with the second electronic device to identify at least one similarity between them,

based on the comparison, accesses one or more third party databases and identifies information related to the context of the voice call and the at least one similarity between the profile associated with the first portable device and the profile associated with the second electronic device,

generates the voice message based on the information and transmits the voice message to the first portable electronic device and during the voice call in response to identifying the information, wherein the voice message is heard by the first portable electronic device and the second electronic device during the voice call,

monitors the voice content transmitted by the first portable electronic device to identify a second word string when the concierge information function of the application is in the active state, wherein the second word string comprises at least one word and is different from the first word string, and

deactivates the concierge information function of the application to the inactivated state when the concierge information function of the application is in the active state and the second word string is identified in the voice content transmitted by the first portable electronic device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the application one of arranges a restaurant reservation, purchases movie tickets, purchases sporting event tickets, and purchases concert tickets based on the context of the voice call and based on the personal schedule, and wherein the application adds an event to calendar information associated with the restaurant reservation, the movie tickets, the sporting event tickets, or the concert tickets.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the context of the voice call is one of a discussion about eating at a restaurant, a discussion about entertainment plans, a discussion about sports, a discussion about travel plans, a discussion about road conditions, and a discussion about weather conditions.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the application further transmits the voice message to the second electronic device.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the profile associated with the first portable electronic device and the profile associated with the second electronic device comprises at least one of a restaurant preferences, demographic information, and entertainment tastes.