Using a speech analytics system to control whisper audio

• US 9,883,036 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Pycko, Marcin, Koster, Karl H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoque, Nafiz E
• Application Number:
  US15/486,456
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• 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: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/306 Prerecordings to be used during a voice call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party-service or three-way-call computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/552 Call annotations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/00 Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements

Abstract

A speech analytics system monitors speech from a remote party and/or agent to determine when a whisper is to be provided to the agent. A whisper is aural information that may assist the agent at certain opportune times. The whisper may be verbal or non-verbal in nature. A whisper bridge is used that allows the whisper to be heard by the agent, but not by the remote party. In one embodiment, the speech analytics system may cause visual-based agent information to be provided to the computer used by the agent, and monitor the agent'"'"'s speech to ascertain if an expected speech response to the whisper was provided by the agent. If not, the speech analytics system may cause the whisper to be provided to the agent, as a form of reminder.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to:

receive a call-related event notification associated with a call established between an agent and a remote party, the call-related event notification indicating a call identifier identifying the call;

receive a speech-related event notification indicating the call identifier, the speech-related event notification reflecting detection of a keyword in speech in the call;

ascertain a whisper announcement to be provided to the agent in response to the speech-related event notification;

cause a message to be transmitted to an announcement system indicating the whisper announcement to be provided by the announcement system to a phone device used by the agent; and

provide the whisper announcement to a whisper bridge,

wherein the whisper announcement is provided to the phone device used by the agent,

wherein the whisper bridge ensures the remote party does not hear the whisper announcement, and

wherein audio from the remote party is temporarily muted to the agent when the whisper announcement is provided to the phone device.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the message indicating the whisper announcement to be provided to the phone device indicates a particular audio file storing aural agent assistance information.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

start a timer after causing the message to be transmitted to the announcement system; and

process a second speech-related event notification indicating the call identifier, wherein the second speech-related event notification indicates a second keyword detected in speech uttered by the agent during the call prior to expiry of the timer.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

cause the announcement system to provide a second whisper announcement to the agent.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

modify a call instance structure to reflect causing the whisper announcement to be provided to the agent; and

store at least a portion of data associated with the call instance structure in a file in response to receiving a call-related event notification indicating termination of the call.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

cause visual agent assistance information related to the call to be displayed on a computer used by the agent.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to:

receive a speech-related event notification indicating a call identifier of a call between an agent and a remote party, wherein the speech-related event notification reflects detection of a keyword in speech on the call;

cause visual agent assistance information to be displayed on a computer used by the agent in response to receiving the speech-related event notification;

cause aural agent assistance information comprising a whisper announcement to be provided to the agent in response to receiving the speech-related event notification; and

cause the whisper announcement to be provided to a phone device used by the agent by providing the whisper announcement to a whisper bridge, wherein the agent hears the whisper announcement and the remote party does not hear the whisper announcement, and wherein the whisper bridge mutes audio from the remote party to the agent when the whisper announcement is provided to the agent.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the whisper announcement is provided by a text-to-speech subsystem to a whisper bridge.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the aural agent assistance information further comprises a non-verbal sound.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

start a timer after causing the whisper announcement to be provided to the phone device used by the agent; and

process a second speech-related event notification indicating the call identifier, wherein the second speech-related event notification indicates a second keyword detected in speech uttered by the agent during the call prior to expiry of the timer.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

cause the announcement system to provide a second whisper announcement to the agent after processing the second speech-related event notification.

12. A system for providing a whisper announcement to an agent during a call involving a remote party, the system comprising:

a call handler configured to;

receive a whisper announcement to be provided to the agent, wherein the whisper announcement is provided to a telephone device used by the agent but is not provided to the remote party;

a speech analytics module in a speech analytics system configured to;

detect speech comprising a keyword during the call;

select the whisper announcement from among a plurality of announcements that should be provided to the agent during the call based on the keyword detected during the call; and

provide a message identifying the whisper announcement to be provided to the agent on the call; and

an announcement component configured to;

receive the message identifying the whisper announcement; and

provide the whisper announcement to a whisper bridge in the call handler, wherein the whisper bridge is configured to;

receive the whisper announcement;

ensure the agent hears the whisper announcement but the remote party does not hear the whisper announcement; and

wherein the whisper bridge mutes audio from the remote party to the agent when the whisper announcement is provided to the agent.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the announcement component originates the whisper announcement via text-to-speech using a whisper bridge.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the call handler is configured to cause agent assistance information comprising an icon to be displayed on a computer used by the agent in response to the speech analytics module detecting speech comprising the keyword during the call.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the speech analytics module is further configured to:

start a timer after causing the whisper announcement to be provided to the phone device used by the agent; and

process a second speech-related event notification indicating the call identifier, wherein the second speech-related event notification indicates a second keyword detected in speech uttered by the agent during the call prior to expiry of the timer.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the speech analytics module is further configured to:

cause the announcement system to provide a second whisper announcement to the agent.