Method an apparatus for converting a voice signal received from a remote telephone to a text signal

• US 8,611,508 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Myers, Theodore James, Walsh, Patrick Jay, Nabilsi, Muna, Kaschke, Kevin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US13/182,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20110268259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.03, 379 8813- 8814, 455/566
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2753 providing data content
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/68 with means for recording information, e.g. telephone number during a conversation recording of telephone conversations H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

A telephone call is established between a local telephone (110) associated with a local party and a remote telephone (104) associated with a remote party. The local telephone (110) receives a voice signal from the remote telephone (104) responsive to establishing the telephone call. The voice signal represents directory assistance information, a name, a phone number or directions provided by the remote party. The local telephone (110) stores the voice signal in a memory unit (212) in the local telephone (110) responsive to receiving the voice signal. The local telephone (110) converts the voice signal to a text signal responsive to storing the voice signal. The local telephone (110) stores the text signal in the memory unit (214) in the local telephone (110) responsive to converting the voice signal to a text signal. The local telephone (110) edits the stored text signal in the memory unit responsive to storing the text signal. The local telephone (110) correlates the remote party'"'"'s identity with the stored voice and/or text signal responsive to storing the voice and/or text signal. The local telephone (110) uses the stored edited text signal to make a new telephone call or to transfer the stored edited text signal to another electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing at a local communication device a voice communication between the local communication device and a remote communication device;

receiving a voice signal associated with the voice communication;

determining, via the local communication device, whether to convert the voice signal into a text signal, to yield a determination, wherein the determination indicates to perform a conversion upon receiving a distinct audio service prompt; and

when the determination indicates to perform the conversion;

converting, via a processor, a portion of the voice signal to text, wherein the portion of the voice signal represents numerical values; and

editing the text to yield edited text.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal from a user to store the portion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the local communication device receives the signal from the user via a data input key.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one of the portion and the edited text to an additional device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional device provides delayed processing of the one of the portion and the edited text.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the voice signal to text occurs in real time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a copy of the portion is stored in the local communication device.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

establishing at a local communication device a voice communication between the local communication device and a remote communication device;

receiving a voice signal associated with the voice communication;

determining, via the local communication device, whether to convert the voice signal into a text signal, to yield a determination, wherein the determination indicates to perform a conversion upon receiving a distinct audio service prompt; and

when the determination indicates to perform the conversion;

converting, via a processor, a portion of the voice signal to text, wherein the portion of the voice signal represents numerical values; and

editing the text to yield edited text.

9. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

receiving a signal from a user to store the portion.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the local communication device receives the signal from the user via a data input key.

11. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

initiating a second voice communication between the local communication device and a second remote communication device associated with the numerical values.

12. The system of claim 8, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

transmitting one of the portion and the edited text to an additional device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the additional device provides delayed processing of the one of the portion and the edited text.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein converting the voice signal to text occurs in real time.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein a copy of the portion is stored in the local communication device.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

establishing at a local communication device a voice communication between the local communication device and a remote communication device;

receiving a voice signal associated with the voice communication;

determining, via the local communication device, whether to convert the voice signal into a text signal, to yield a determination, wherein the determination indicates to perform a conversion upon receiving a distinct audio service prompt; and

when the determination indicates to perform the conversion;

converting, via a processor, a portion of the voice signal to text, wherein the portion of the voice signal represents numerical values; and

editing the text to yield edited text.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instruction stored which result in the operations further comprising:

receiving a signal from a user to store the portion.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the local communication device receives the signal from the user via a data input key.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instruction stored which result in the operations further comprising:

initiating a second voice communication between the local communication device and a second remote communication device associated with the numerical values.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, the computer-readable storage medium having additional instruction stored which result in the operations further comprising:

transmitting one of the portion and the edited text to an additional device.