Dual compression voice recordation non-repudiation system

• US 8,095,370 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Promptu Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Agiletv Corporation (Promptu Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Foster, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADESANYA, OLUJIMI A
• Application Number:
  US10/943,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,671 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A dual compression voice recordation non-repudiation system provides a voice recognition system that compresses voice samples for two purposes: voice recognition and human communication. The user navigates through menus displayed to a user through a television set using both voice commands and button presses on a remote control. The invention accepts voice samples from the remote control and compresses the voice sample for voice recognition while a copy of the voice sample is stored on a storage device. Compressed voice samples are sent to a Voice Engine that performs voice recognition on the voice sample to verify if it is from an authorized user from the consumer'"'"'s household and determines the action required. If the command is to form a contractual agreement or make a purchase, the Voice Engine determines the merchant server that is appropriate for the action and sends the action request to the server. The voice sample is compressed for human communication and stored on a storage device along with any additional information. The stored human communication compressed sample and any additional information on the storage device may be later retrieved and the human communication compressed sample decompressed into a form that can be played back when a user attempts to repudiate a contractual agreement or purchase. Alternatively, the invention performs both compressions at the same time.

Claims

1. A process for a dual-compression voice recognition system for non-repudiation of contractual agreements in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

providing a video content head-end voice processing engine configured for receiving requests to navigate through available content and for purchasing content products from an on-line merchant by identifying the content in a natural language and speaking a challenge phrase;

providing user interface means for displaying a plurality of menus on a television screen to said user;

receiving a voice sample from a user indicating an action and speaking said challenge phrase into a voice sample reception means;

concurrently compressing said voice sample in two ways, comprising both;

compressing said voice sample according to a first compression technique to yield an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) compression, wherein ASR compression is configured for processing by an automatic speech recognition engine, wherein said first compression technique involves using a cepstrum to minimize bandwidth, wherein a cepstral compression is noninvertible; and

compressing said voice sample according to a second compression technique to yield a human communication compression, wherein said human communication compression is formed using an invertible compression process;

transmitting both said ASR compression and said human communication compression through a set-top box and across a hybrid fiber coax network to said head-end voice processing engine, and wherein said head-end voice processing engine is configured for performing the steps of;

analyzing said ASR compression to determine if said ASR compression is from an authorized user;

correlating said ASR compression with an interface navigation command and a request to make a purchase of content via said plurality of menus;

executing said interface navigation command, thereby causing said user interface means to navigate to a menu containing an option to purchase user-specified content on said television screen to said user;

executing said request to make a purchase of user-specified content;

sending said request to make a purchase of user-specified content to an appropriate merchant server;

delivering said user-specified content to said user;

receiving a repudiation request from said user alleging that said user did not request to make a purchase of said user-specified content;

decompressing said human communication compression for playback; and

playing back said decompressed challenge phrase to said user, thereby confirming the identity of said user as a provider of said request to make a purchase of user-specified content challenge phrase and avoiding repudiation of said request to make a purchase by said user.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said user interface means displays a confirmation of said action upon completion of said action.

3. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing additional information with said decompressing said human communication compression that comprises any of said user'"'"'s location, ID number, merchant, the last predetermined number of utterances, and the last predetermined number of button presses.

4. An apparatus for a dual-compression voice recognition system for non-repudiation of contractual agreements in a computer environment, comprising:

a video content head-end voice processing engine configured for receiving requests to navigate through available content and for purchasing content products from an on-line merchant by identifying the content in a natural language and speaking a challenge phrase;

a graphical user interface (GUI) for displaying a plurality of menus on a television screen to a user;

voice sample reception means for receiving a plurality of voice samples from said user, wherein at least some of said voice sample indicate action and speaking said challenge phrase;

a module for concurrently compressing at least one voice sample for voice recognition in two ways, said module comprising both;

a first processing means for compressing said voice sample according to a first compression technique to yield an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) compression, wherein ASR compression is configured for processing by an automatic speech recognition engine, wherein said first compression technique involves voice recognition using a cepstrum to minimize bandwidth, wherein a cepstral compression is noninvertible; and

compressing said voice sample according to a second compression technique to yield a human communication compression, wherein said human communication compression is formed using an invertible compression process;

a set-top box for transmitting both said ASR compression and said human communication compression over a hybrid fiber coax network to a head-end voice engine, wherein said head-end voice engine further comprises;

a module for analyzing said ASR compression to determine if said ASR compression is from an authorized user;

a module for correlating said ASR compression with an interface navigation command and a request to make a purchase of content via said plurality of menus;

a module for executing said interface navigation command, thereby causing said user interface means to navigate to a menu containing an option to purchase user-specified content on said television screen to said user;

a module for executing said request to make a purchase of user-specified content;

a module for sending said request to make a purchase of user-specified content to an appropriate merchant server;

a module for delivering said user-specified content to said user;

a module for receiving a repudiation request from said user alleging that said user did not request to make a purchase of said user-specified content;

a module for decompressing said human communication compression

a module for playing back said decompressed playback sample to said user, thereby confirming the identity of said user as a provider of said request to make a purchase of user-specified content and challenge phrase or said command phrase.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said user interface means displays a confirmation of said action upon completion of said action.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said compressed human communication sample storing module stores additional information with said decompressing said human communication compression that comprises any of said user'"'"'s location, ID number, merchant, the last predetermined number of utterances, and the last predetermined number of button presses.