Apparatus and method for managing voice communications

• US 8,935,737 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2010
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bi, Haifeng, Bi, Xiaolian
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US12/897,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145874A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to receive a call request from a set top box that is remote from the server where the call request identifies a telephone number that is presented from video content presented by the set top box where the telephone number is detected based on a combination of image pattern recognition and speech recognition and where the telephone number is associated with a marketing entity, establish a voice communication with a first telephone device associated with the set top box, and establish the voice communication with a second telephone device associated with the telephone number and the marketing entity if the first telephone device accepts the voice communication. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor of a set top box, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

presenting video content at a display device;

determining a first telephone number that is displayed from the video content presented at the display device using image pattern recognition;

determining a second telephone number by applying speech recognition to a buffered portion of an audio portion of the video content;

comparing the first telephone number with the second telephone number to determine whether the first telephone number matches the second telephone number so that both the first telephone number and the second telephone number represent a matching number;

responsive to the first telephone number matching the second telephone number, presenting an option to establish voice communication with a party associated with the video content;

receiving an input associated with the set top box in response to the presentation of the option;

transmitting a call request to a remote server responsive to the input being received, wherein the voice communication is established between a first telephone device associated with the set top box and a second telephone device associated with the party based on the call request and the matching number; and

responsive to a determination that the video content includes a plurality of telephone numbers, displaying a menu of the plurality of telephone numbers and an overlay at the display device with a message regarding selecting and calling one of the plurality of telephone numbers.

2. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring media content consumption behavior at the set top box; and

determining a time for presenting the option based on the monitored media content consumption behavior, wherein the option is presented at a communication device different from the display device.

3. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining an area code associated with the first telephone number and the second telephone number based on data stored at the set top box responsive to detecting a seven digit number for the first and second telephone numbers.

4. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the voice communication is based on voice over internet protocol.

5. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting the option based on a user profile associated with the set top box.

6. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the determining the second telephone number is performed by a speech recognition module to provide a text output that is analyzed for valid telephone numbers.

7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein monitoring via the image pattern recognition is continuous, and wherein the determining the second telephone number is performed by a module that operates in an on-demand mode, wherein the set top box has an audio output selectively serving as an input to a speech recognition module in response to an activation signal to provide a text stream that is analyzed for valid telephone numbers.

8. A server comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a call request from a set top box that is remote from the server, wherein the call request identifies a telephone number that is presented in video content and audio content of media content presented by the set top box, wherein the telephone number is identified based on image pattern recognition applied to the video content and confirmed based on speech recognition applied to a buffered portion of the audio content, wherein the telephone number is associated with a party;

facilitating establishing a voice communication with a first telephone device associated with the set top box; and

facilitating establishing the voice communication with a second telephone device associated with the telephone number and the party if the first telephone device accepts the voice communication,

wherein when a plurality of telephone numbers are presented in the video content, the second telephone device is associated with a selected telephone number from a menu of the plurality of telephone numbers presented by the set top box with an overlay having a message regarding selecting and calling one of the plurality of telephone numbers.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing monitored media content consumption behavior at the set top box; and

determining a call time based on the media content consumption behavior, wherein the voice communication is according to voice over internet protocol.

10. The server of claim 8, wherein the server is part of an internet protocol television media system.

11. A method comprising:

presenting, by a system including a processor, video content at a display device;

determining, by the system, a first telephone number that is displayed from the video content presented at the display device using image pattern recognition;

determining a second telephone number that is audibly presented in audio content associated with the video content using speech-to-text conversion of a buffered portion of the audio content and text pattern recognition;

comparing the first telephone number and the second telephone number to determine whether the first telephone number matches the second telephone number and thereby identify a matching telephone number;

transmitting a call request to a remote server based on the matching telephone number, wherein a voice over internet protocol communication is established between a first telephone device associated with a set top box and a second telephone device associated with a party based on the call request and the matching telephone number; and

responsive to a determination that the video content includes a plurality of telephone numbers, displaying a menu of the plurality of telephone numbers and an overlay at the display device with a message regarding selecting and calling one of the plurality of telephone numbers.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

accessing monitored media content consumption behavior at the set top box;

determining a call time based on the media content consumption behavior;

presenting an option on the display device to establish the voice over internet protocol communication at the call time.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving an input from a remote controller associated with the set top box in response to the presentation of the option.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising establishing the voice over internet protocol communication with the second telephone device at the call time if the first telephone device accepts the voice over internet protocol communication.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the audio and video content are provided over an internet protocol television network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the party comprises a marketing entity, and further comprising determining an alternative telephone number associated with the marketing entity based on metadata pointers associated with the video content.

17. The method of claim 12, comprising transmitting the option to another communication device associated with the set top box.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the other communication device is a mobile phone.

19. The method of claim 11, comprising determining the second telephone number by a speech recognition module to provide a text stream that is analyzed for valid telephone numbers and wherein an option to call the matching telephone number is presented at the display device when the first telephone number matches the second telephone number.

20. The method of claim 11, comprising buffering video content and determining the second telephone number in an on-demand mode wherein the set top box has an audio output selectively serving as an input to a speech recognition module in response to an activation signal to provide a text stream that is analyzed for valid phone numbers for the second telephone number which is compared with the first telephone number.