Using a speech analytics system to control recording contact center calls in various contexts

• US 9,942,392 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Noble Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Ouimette, Jason P., Koster, Karl H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEZUAYEHU, SOLOMON G
• Application Number:
  US14/833,236
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 379 68- 85, 379 8801- 8819, 37926504-26609
• 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 2203/403 Agent or workforce training
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements

Abstract

An architecture and process flow for a system that processes event notifications from a speech analytics system for the purpose of controlling the recording of calls in a contact center for various contexts. Based on the regulatory context of the call, call recording may require requesting and receiving consent from the remote party to record the call. A speech analytics system operating in conjunction with an event handler module and a call recording application specific module can facilitate automatically recording the call and minimize agent intervention. The application specific module may provide icons and text on the agent'"'"'s display to remind or inform the agent of the context and various conditions. The application specific module may also control various recording equipment.

Claims

1. A method for automatically recording audio of a telephone call in a contact center, comprising:

establishing the telephone call between a human agent and a remote party using a call handler;

determining that consent from the remote party is required to record the telephone call;

providing a graphical indication on a computer used by the human agent indicating the consent from the remote party is required to record the telephone call;

providing the audio of the telephone call from the call handler to a speech analytics system (“

SAS”

) using two audio streams, wherein a first audio stream conveys speech of the human agent and a second audio stream conveys speech of the remote party;

providing a first one or more speech-related event notifications from the SAS to a call recording application specific module (“

CR-ASM”

) executing on an application specific processing system indicating the first audio stream comprises a request from the human agent to obtain the consent from the remote party to record the telephone call;

detecting by the SAS in the second audio stream the remote party providing the consent to record the telephone call;

providing a second one or more speech-related event notifications from the SAS to the CR-ASM indicating the second audio stream comprises the remote party providing the consent to record the telephone call; and

causing the audio of the telephone call to be recorded in one or more storage media by the CR-ASM in response to receiving the second one or more speech-related event notifications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the consent is based on a U.S. state associated with a location of the remote party.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the U.S. state requires consent from both parties on the telephone call to record the telephone call.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining the U.S. state associated with the location of the remote party is based on a telephone number associated with the telephone call.

5. A system for controlling recording of telephone calls comprising:

a call handler configured to;

establish a telephone call between a human agent and a remote party; and

provide audio of the telephone call to a speech analytics component using two audio streams, wherein a first audio stream conveys speech of the human agent and a second audio stream conveys speech of the remote party; and

an application specific processing component configured to;

determine that consent from the remote party is required to record the telephone call;

provide a graphical indication on a computer used by the human agent indicating the consent from the remote party is required to record the telephone call;

receive a first one or more speech-related event notifications from the speech analytics component indicating the first audio stream comprises a request from the human agent to obtain the consent from the remote party to record the telephone call;

receive a second one or more speech-related event notifications from the speech analytics component indicating the second audio stream comprises the remote party providing the consent to record the telephone call; and

cause the audio of the telephone call to be recorded in one or more storage media in response to receiving the second one or more speech-related event notifications.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the graphical indication comprises an icon based in part on a U.S. state associated with a geographic location of the remote party.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the application specific processing component is further configured to:

determine that recording the telephone call is allowable prior to providing the graphical indication based in part on a U.S. state associated with a geographic location of the remote party.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the call handler is configured to provide a call-related event notification to the application specific processing component contemporaneously with establishing a call leg to the speech analytics component.

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

determine consent from a remote party is required to record a telephone call between a human agent and the remote party, wherein audio of the telephone call is provided to a speech analytics system using two audio streams, a first audio stream conveying speech of the human agent and a second audio stream conveying speech of the remote party;

provide a graphical indication on a computer used by the human agent indicating the consent from the remote party is required to record the telephone call;

receive a first one or more speech-related event notifications from the speech analytics system indicating the first audio stream comprises a request from the human agent to obtain the consent from the remote party to record the telephone call;

receive a second one or more speech-related event notifications from the speech analytics system indicating the second audio stream comprises the remote party providing the consent to record the telephone call; and

cause the audio of the telephone call to be recorded in one or more storage media in response to receiving the second one or more speech-related event notifications.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine that recording the telephone call is allowable prior to providing the graphical indication based in part on a geographic location associated with the remote party.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the telephone call is placed to a landline telephone number and the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a U.S. state of the remote party based on the landline telephone number.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

start a timer in response to receiving the first one or more speech-related event notifications; and

stop the timer in response to receiving the second one or more speech-related event notifications.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

provide a visual icon for display on the computer used by the human agent indicating the telephone call is being recorded.