Telephone conversation quality enhancer using emotional conversational analysis

• US 6,721,704 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Milanski, John, Daniel, Pelletier, Gutta, Srinivas, Eshelman, Larry J., Strubbe, Hugo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/941,013
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/272, 704/276, 379/88.01
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/69 for evaluating synthetic or decoded voice signals

Abstract

The present invention is a telephone conversation quality enhancer using an emotional conversational analyzer for analyzing the conversation between a primary party and a secondary party. Its focus is on improving the nature of the conversation quality by first analyzing the nature and quality of the conversation, determining how the analysis fits into a set of conversation conditions, and then determining what conversational aids may be used to assist in the enhancement of the conversation. The apparatus includes a microprocessor which communicates with the first and second telephone units and a database which stores conversational conditions and conversational aids. A conversation analyzer in the microprocessor analyzes the conversation occurring between the first and second telephone units and provides an analysis of the conversation. The microprocessor then applies the conversational conditions to the conversation analysis to select conversational aids. The conversation analyzer includes; a word detection algorithm to detect speech parameters such as the time words need to be spoken, loudness, pitch, intonation, number, rate and distribution of words spoken by each party; a speech recognition algorithm which searches for emotional keywords, and a conversational analysis module. The word detection algorithm and speech recognition algorithm each provide an output to the conversation analysis module which provides an analysis of the conversation. The analysis of the conversation is applied to the conversational conditions to determine which conversational aids may be displayed on a means for review by the speaker to enhance the conversation.

Claims

1. An emotional conversational analyzer that is configured to monitor a conversation between a primary party and a secondary party comprising:

a database that is configured to store a plurality of conversational conditions and corresponding one or more conversational aids,

a conversation analyzer, operably coupled to the database, that is configured to analyze the conversation to identify a determined conversational condition of the plurality of conversational conditions, and

a presentation device, operably coupled to the conversational analyzer and the database, that is configured to present the one or more conversational aids corresponding to the determined conversational condition to the primary party.

2. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 1, further including

at least one input device, operably coupled to the presentation device.

3. An emotional conversational analyzer that is configured to monitor a conversation between a primary party and a secondary party comprising:

a conversation analyzer that includes;

a word detection algorithm to detect speech parameters;

a speech recognition algorithm which searches for emotional keywords, and

a conversational analysis module,

the word detection algorithm and speech recognition algorithm each providing an output to the conversation analysis module which provides an analysis of the conversation.

4. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3, further including:

a database that is configured to contain a plurality of conversational conditions and corresponding conversational aids, and

a rendering device that is configured to present one or more of the conversational aids corresponding to a determined conversational condition of the plurality of conversational conditions, based on the analysis of the conversation.

5. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 4, wherein

the rendering device is further configured to present the analysis of the conversation.

6. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 4 in which the conversational aids include adjustment of line conditions.

7. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3 in which the speech parameters include the time words need to be spoken by each party.

8. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3 in which the speech parameters include loudness of words spoken by each party.

9. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3 in which the speech parameters include pitch of words spoken by each party.

10. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3 in which the speech parameters include intonation of words spoken by each party.

11. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3 in which the speech parameters include number of words spoken by each party.

12. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3 in which sad the speech parameters include rate of words spoken by each party.

13. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3 in which the speech parameters include distribution of words spoken by each party.

14. The emotional conversational analyzer of claim 3 in which the speech parameters include the time words need to be spoken, loudness, pitch, intonation, number, rate and distribution of words spoken by each party.