Methods and systems for managing telecommunications and for translating voice messages to text messages

• US 9,686,414 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: CallWave Communications, LLC
• Inventors: Trandal, David S., Kirchhoff, Leland W., McClintock, David C., Hofstatter, David Frank, Kelley, Colin, Smith, Robert F., Bladon, Anthony, Giannini, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Amancio
• Application Number:
  US15/019,569
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 4554122, 4554144, 370300, 379 71, 379 80, 379 85, 379 8822, 379 8825, 379 8826, 704200, 704201, 704251
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/554 Data synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Systems and methods that can be utilized to convert a voice communication received over a telecommunication network to text are described. In an illustrative embodiment, a call processing system coupled to a telecommunications network receives a call from a caller intended for a first party, wherein the call is associated with call signaling information. At least a portion of the call signaling information is stored in a computer readable medium. A greeting is played the caller, and a voice communication from the caller is recorded. At least a portion of the voice communication is converted to text, which is analyzed to identify portions that are inferred to be relatively more important to communicate to the first party. A text communication is generated including at least some of the identified portions and including fewer words than the recorded voice communication. At least a portion of the text communication is made available to the first party over a data network.

Claims

1. A computerized system, comprising:

at least one networked computing device comprising hardware;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by the at least one networked computing device causes the at least one networked computing device to;

enable, at least in part, communications over a first network between a first instance of a software application installed on a computing device of a first user and a second instance of a software application installed on a computing device of a second user;

enable audio to be recorded from the first user using the first user computing device;

enable some or all of the recorded audio, including a plurality of spoken words, to be transcribed to text using at least in part a speech-to-text recognizer system;

enable a text message to be created from at least a portion of the transcribed text, and enable a transcription uncertainty indication to be provided when the text message is displayed by a user interface of the first instance of the software application to the first user for one or more transcribed words in the text message, the transcription uncertainty indication providing an indication of an uncertainty of the transcription for one or more transcribed words;

enable, at least in part, the transmission of the text message over a second network to the second instance of the software application,

wherein the text message is displayed via a user interface of the second instance of the software application after being received over the second network by the second instance of the software application;

provide a user interface control via the user interface of the second instance of the software application that enables the second user to send a text reply to the first user;

receive from the second instance of the software application over the second network, the text message reply; and

in response to receiving the text message reply from the second instance of the software application, sending, from the at least one computing device, the text message reply to the first user.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one networked computing device, are further configured to cause the at least one networked computing device to:

synchronize data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user, wherein the data includes text messages, with the networked computing device.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one networked computing device, are further configured to cause the at least one networked computing device to:

synchronize data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user, wherein the data includes photos, with the networked computing device.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one networked computing device, are further configured to cause the at least one networked computing device to:

synchronize data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user with the networked computing device, wherein the data synchronization originates from the computing device of the first user.

5. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one networked computing device, are further configured to cause the at least one networked computing device to:

synchronize data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user with the networked computing device, wherein the data synchronization originates from the at least one networked computing device.

6. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one networked computing device, are further configured to cause the at least one networked computing device to:

at least in partly in response to detecting a WiFi connection, synchronize data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user with the networked computing device.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first network and the second network comprise the same network.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the transcription uncertainty indication comprises an underline of one or more uncertain transcribed words.

9. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein the text message reply comprises an SMS or MMS message.

10. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device comprising hardware;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by at least one networked computing device causes the at least one networked computing device to enable at least in part communications over a first network between a first instance of a software application installed on a computing device of a first user, wherein the software application, when executed by the device of the user, is configured to display text messages and text messages corresponding to audio transcribed to text, and a second instance of the software application installed on a computing device of a second user;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by at least one computing device cause, at least in part, the system to implement;

enabling audio to be recorded from the first user using the first user computing device;

enabling some or all of the recorded audio, including a plurality of spoken words, to be transcribed to text using at least in part a speech-to-text recognizer;

enabling a text message to be created from at least a portion of the transcribed text and enabling a transcription uncertainty indication to be provided when the text message is displayed by a user interface of the first instance of the software application to the first user, for one or more transcribed words in the text message, the transcription uncertainty indication providing an indication of an uncertainty of the transcription for one or more transcribed words;

enabling, at least in part, the transmission of the text message over a second network to the second instance of the software application;

providing a user interface control via the user interface of the second instance of the software application that enables the second user to send a text reply to the first user; and

causing at least in part, a text reply to the first user to be routed via a third network.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

synchronizing data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user wherein the data includes text messages.

12. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

synchronizing data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user wherein the data includes photos.

13. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

synchronizing data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user wherein the data synchronization originates from the computing device of the first user.

14. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

synchronizing data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user wherein the data synchronization originates from the at least one networked computing device.

15. The system as defined in claim 10, the operations further comprising:

at least in part in response to detecting a WiFi connection, synchronizing data associated with the first instance of the software application on the computing device of the first user.

16. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the computing device of the first user comprises a mobile phone.

17. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the first network, the second network, and the third network comprise the same network.

18. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the transcription uncertainty indication comprises an underline of one or more uncertain transcribed words.

19. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the third network comprises an SMS or MMS network.

20. A system, comprising:

at least one computing device comprising hardware;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by at least one networked computing device causes the at least one networked computing device to enable, at least in part, communications over a first network between a first instance of a software application installed on a computing device of a first user and a second instance of a software application on a computing device of a second user;

non-transitory memory that stores instructions that when executed by at least one computing device cause, at least in part, the system to implement;

enabling audio to be recorded from the first user using the first user computing device;

enabling some or all of the recorded audio, including a plurality of spoken words, to be transcribed to text using at least in part a speech-to-text recognizer;

enabling a text message to be created from at least a portion of the transcribed text, and enabling a transcription uncertainty indication to be provided when the text message is displayed by a user interface of the first instance of the software application to the first user, for one or more transcribed words in the text message, the transcription uncertainty indication providing an indication of an uncertainty of the transcription for one or more transcribed words;

determining the availability of the second user computing device to receive the text message over a second network based at least in part on detection of an online presence of the second user computing device;

enabling, at least in part, the transmission of the text message over the second network to the second instance of the software application;

providing a user interface control via the user interface of the second instance of the software application that enables the second user to send a text reply to the first user; and

causing at least in part, a text reply to the first user to be routed via a third network.

21. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the first network, the second network, and the third network comprise the same network.

22. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein the third network comprises an SMS or MMS network.