Processing stored voice messages to identify non-semantic message characteristics

• US 9,363,378 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
• Inventors: McDaniel, Patrick M., Koster, Karl H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Van D
• Application Number:
  US14/219,171
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 379/68, 379/88.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/252 where a voice mode is enhanced with visual information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53358 Message preview
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

Various methods, systems, and computer-program products are provided for indicating a message characteristic indicator (“MCI”) in conjunction with a stored voice message. In various applications where voice messages may be received, a speech analytics system processes the voice message to ascertain a non-semantic speech-related characterization of the message. An indication of a corresponding MCI, such as an emoticon, is associated with the stored message, which can be used to display the corresponding MCI on a user interface. In one embodiment, the stored voice message is a voice mail message received in conjunction with a call to a wireless user. A voice mail storage system utilizes a speech analytics system to process the voice data and ascertain the non-semantic speech-related characterization of the message and a message is sent to the subscriber'"'"'s mobile phone indicating the appropriate MCI to display in conjunction with the meta-data of the voice mail message.

Claims

1. A smart phone for providing a message characteristic icon (“

MCI”

) indicator, the smart phone comprising;

an interface comprising a microphone of the smart phone configured to receive a voice message for a destination party comprising digitized voice data; and

a processor configured to;

store the digitized voice data in memory,

process the digitized voice data to generate a text message,

process the digitized voice data to ascertain a speech-related characteristic,

ascertain the MCI indicator reflecting the speech-related characteristic based on processing the digitized voice data,

store the MCI indicator in the memory, and

transmit the MCI indicator to a remote processing device in the text message, wherein the MCI indicator is used by the remote processing device to select a MCI to display to a user of the remote processing device.

2. The smart phone of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to store the MCI indicator in the memory in association with a destination address of the destination party.

3. The smart phone of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to process the voice message to generate text corresponding to the voice message, and transmit the text and the MCI indicator to the remote processing device.

4. The smart phone of claim 1, wherein the text message comprises the MCI indicator and the MCI indicator correlates to a plurality of punctuation symbols.

5. A method for indicating a speech-related message characteristic of a voice message, comprising:

receiving the voice message at a smart phone, the voice message comprising digitized voice from a user of the smart phone;

processing the voice message by the smart phone to generate a text message to be transmitted to a destination party;

processing the voice message by the smart phone to ascertain the speech-related message characteristic of the voice message; and

transmitting the text message and a message characteristic icon (“

MCI”

) indicator by the smart phone to a destination address associated with the destination party, wherein the MCI indicator reflects the speech-related message characteristic, wherein the MCI indicator is used by a remote processing device to select a MCI to display to a remote user of the remote processing device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the MCI indicator is associated with an emoticon representing a facial expression.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

presenting the MCI corresponding to the MCI indicator to the user prior to transmitting the text message; and

receiving input from the user selecting another MCI indicator to replace the MCI indicator prior to transmitting the text message.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor in a mobile processing device cause the processor to:

receive a voice message generated by a user of the mobile processing device directed to a destination party;

process the voice message to convert the voice message to a text message;

process the voice message to ascertain a speech-related message characteristic of the voice message; and

transmit the text message and a message characteristic icon (“

MCI”

) indicator representing the speech-related message characteristic to a destination address associated with the destination party, wherein the MCI indicator is used by a remote processing device to select a MCI to display to a remote user of the remote processing device.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit the text message as a short message service message to a wireless service provider.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the text message comprises the MCI indicator and the MCI indicator correlates to a plurality of punctuation symbols.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

present a MCI corresponding to the MCI indicator to the user prior to transmitting the text message; and

receive input from the user selecting another MCI indicator to replace the MCI indicator prior to transmitting the text message.