Media translator for transaction processing system

• US 20040059580A1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alvaria Cayman
• Original Assignee: Firstpoint Contact Technologies, LLC (Alvaria Incorporated)
• Inventors: Shambaugh, Craig R., Dezonno, Anthony J., Sumner, Roger A., Beckstrom, Robert P., Michelson, Mark J., Power, Mark J., Hodson, Jeffrey D., Bonifazi, Carlo
• Granted Patent: US 7,058,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

A media handler is used in a transaction processing system, where the system is configured to route incoming calls from callers to agents associated with the transaction processing system, and the incoming calls are based on voice-mode communication and text-mode communication. The media handler includes a media translator operatively incorporated into the transaction processing system and configured to facilitate translation between the voice-mode communication and the text-mode communication. An agent preference setting is selectable by the agent between a voice-mode and a text-mode. Also included is a speech recognition unit configured to convert the voice-mode communication to the text-mode communication and a speech synthesizer configured to convert the text-mode communication to the voice-mode communication.

Claims

1. A media handler for use in a transaction processing system, the system configured to route incoming calls from callers to agents associated with the transaction processing system, the incoming calls based on at least one of a voice-mode communication and text-mode communication, the media handler comprising:

a media translator configured to facilitate translation between the voice-mode communication and the text-mode communication;

a speech recognition unit configured to convert the voice-mode communication to the text-mode communication;

a speech synthesizer configured to convert the text-mode communication to the voice-mode communication;

an agent preference setting selectable between a voice-mode and a text-mode;

wherein if the agent preference setting is set to the voice-mode and communication from the caller is a text-mode communication, the speech synthesizer converts the text-mode communication from the caller to a voice-mode communication for the agent, and the speech recognition unit converts the voice-mode communication from the agent to a text-mode communication for the caller; and

wherein if the agent preference setting is set to the text-mode and communication from the caller is a voice-mode communication, the speech synthesizer converts the text-mode communication from the agent to a voice-mode communication for the caller, and the speech recognition unit converts the voice-mode communication from the caller to a text-mode communication for the agent.

2. The media handler according to claim 1 wherein the media translator is set to a pass-through mode if the agent preference setting corresponds to the communication mode of the caller such that the mode of the communication is not altered.

3. The media handler according to claim 1 wherein the agent preference setting is at least one of a hardware switch and a software switch.

4. The media handler according to claim 1 wherein the agent preference setting is contained in a file that is accessible by at least one of the media translator and the transaction processing system.

5. The media handler according to claim 1 wherein the mode of the communication is converted transparently without intervention by the agent.

6. The media handler according to claim 1 wherein the mode of the communication is converted in real-time.

7. The media handler according to claim 1 wherein the speech synthesizer adds a predetermined accent to the converted voice-mode communication.

8. The media handler according to claim 7 wherein the speech synthesizer adds the predetermined accent to the converted voice-mode communication based upon a geographical location of the caller.

9. The media handler according to claim 7 wherein speech synthesizer unit adds the predetermined accent to the converted voice-mode communication based upon predetermined data contained in a database corresponding to the caller.

10. The media handler according to claim 8 wherein the geographical location of the caller is determined from call information identifiers.

11. The media handler according to claim 10 wherein the call information identifiers correspond to at least one of automatic number identification and dialed number information service.

12. A media translator for use in a transaction processing system, the system configured to route incoming calls from callers to agents associated with the transaction processing system, the incoming calls based on voice-mode communication and text-mode communication, the media translator comprising:

first converting means for converting the voice-mode communication to the non-voice-mode communication;

second converting means for converting the non-voice-mode communication to the voice-mode communication;

means for indicating an agent preference selectable by the agent between a voice-mode and a non-voice-mode, and configured such that when the voice-mode is selected and communication from the caller is a non-voice-mode communication, the second converting means converts the non-voice-mode communication from the caller to a voice-mode communication for the agent, and the first converting means converts the voice-mode communication from the agent to a non-voice-mode communication for the caller; and

when the non-voice-mode is selected and communication from the caller is a voice-mode communication, the second converting means converts the non-voice-mode communication from the agent to a voice-mode communication for the caller, and the first converting means converts the voice-mode communication from the caller to a non-voice-mode communication for the agent.

13. The media translator according to claim 12 wherein the first converting means is a speech recognition device.

14. The media translator according to claim 12 wherein the second converting means is a speech synthesizer.

15. The media handler according to claim 12 wherein the means for indicating agent preference is at least one of a hardware switch and a software switch.

16. The media handler according to claim 12 wherein the means for indicating agent preference is contained in a file that is accessible by at least one of the media translator and the transaction processing system.

17. The media handler according to claim 12 wherein the mode of the communication is converted transparently without intervention by the agent.

18. In a transaction processing system configured to route incoming voice-mode communication and incoming text-mode communication to agents associated with the transaction processing system, a method for translating a mode of the communications comprising the steps of:

setting an agent preference indicator, the indicator selectable according to at least one of a voice-mode and a text-mode;

converting the text-mode communication from the caller to a voice-mode communication for the agent and converting the voice-mode communication from the agent to a text-mode communication for the caller if the indicator is set to the voice-mode and the communication from the caller is a text-mode communication; and

converting the text-mode communication from the agent to a voice-mode communication for the caller and converting the voice-mode communication from the caller to a text-mode communication for the agent if the indicator is set to the text-mode and the communication from the caller is a voice-mode communication.

19. A media handler for use in a transaction processing system, the system configured to route incoming calls from callers to agents associated with the transaction processing system, the incoming calls based on at least one of a voice-mode communication and text-mode communication, the media handler comprising:

a media translator configured to facilitate translation between the voice-mode communication and the text-mode communication;

a speech recognition unit configured to convert the voice-mode communication to the text-mode communication;

a speech recognition unit configured to convert the voice-mode communication to the text-mode communication;

an agent preference setting selectable between a voice-mode and a text-mode; and

wherein if the agent preference setting is set to the voice-mode and communication from the caller is a text-mode communication, the speech synthesizer converts the text-mode communication from the caller to a voice-mode communication for the agent, and the speech recognition unit converts the voice-mode communication from the agent to a text-mode communication for the caller.

20. A media handler for use in a transaction processing system, the system configured to route incoming calls from callers to agents associated with the transaction processing system, the incoming calls based on at least one of a voice-mode communication and text-mode communication, the media handler comprising:

a media translator configured to facilitate translation between the voice-mode communication and the text-mode communication;

a speech recognition unit configured to convert the voice-mode communication to the text-mode communication;

a speech synthesizer configured to convert the text-mode communication to the voice-mode communication;

an agent preference setting selectable between a voice-mode and a text-mode; and

wherein if the agent preference setting is set to the text-mode and communication from the caller is a voice-mode communication, the speech synthesizer converts the text-mode communication from the agent to a voice-mode communication for the caller, and the speech recognition unit converts the voice-mode communication from the caller to a text-mode communication for the agent.