Apparatus and method for managing voice communications

• US 9,191,712 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• 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:
  US14/565,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725 34- 36, 725/109, 725/110
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 media processor comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

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

presenting media content at a display device;

determining that an image pattern displayed from a video component of the media content and presented at the display device represents a first telephone number, using selectively implemented image pattern recognition;

converting the image pattern to a first text comprising the first telephone number;

converting an audio component of the media content to a second text;

detecting a second telephone number in the second text;

comparing the first telephone number with the second telephone number to determine whether the first telephone number matches the second telephone number; and

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

wherein the image pattern recognition is selectively implemented according to a user profile or according to a user service plan.

2. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise buffering a portion of the audio component to generate a buffered portion, and wherein converting the audio component comprises converting the buffered portion.

3. The media processor of claim 2, wherein the buffered portion is converted using speech recognition activated upon determination of the first telephone number.

4. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

responsive to a determination that the media 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.

5. The media processor of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving an input from user equipment associated with the media processor in response to the message, the input comprising selection of a telephone number from the menu; and

transmitting a call request to a remote server in accordance with the input, to establish the voice communication between a first telephone device associated with the media processor and a second telephone device associated with the selected telephone number.

6. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

recognizing a telephone number format in the image pattern; and

detecting that the image pattern conforms to a valid telephone number having seven digits, ten digits, or eleven digits.

7. The media processor of claim 6, wherein the memory comprises a telephone area code of a user of the media processor, wherein the image pattern comprises seven digits representing a seven-digit telephone number, and wherein the operations further comprise combining the area code with the seven-digit telephone number to obtain a valid ten-digit telephone number.

8. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring media content consumption behavior at the media processor; 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.

9. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the image pattern recognition is implemented according to the user profile.

10. The media processor of claim 1, wherein the image pattern recognition is implemented according to the user service plan, wherein the user service plan is offered by a service provider in communication with the media processor.

11. A method comprising:

presenting, by a media processor comprising a processor, media content at a display device coupled to the processor;

scanning, by the media processor, a video component of the media content using image pattern recognition to detect an image pattern representing a first telephone number, the scanning comprising searching for a valid telephone number displayed in any of a plurality of formats;

converting, by the media processor, the image pattern to a first text comprising the first telephone number;

converting, by the media processor, an audio component of the media content to a second text;

detecting, by the media processor, a second telephone number in the second text;

comparing, by the media processor, the first telephone number with the second telephone number to determine whether the first telephone number matches the second telephone number; and

presenting, by the media processor, an option to establish voice communication with a party associated with the media content, in accordance with the first telephone number matching the second telephone number,

wherein the image pattern recognition is selectively implemented according to a user profile or according to a user service plan.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising buffering a portion of the audio component to generate a buffered portion, and wherein converting the audio component comprises converting the buffered portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the buffered portion is converted using speech recognition activated upon detection of the first telephone number.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to a determination that the media 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.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an input from user equipment associated with the media processor in response to the message, the input comprising selection of a telephone number from the menu; and

transmitting a call request to a remote server in accordance with the input, to establish the voice communication between a first telephone device associated with the media processor and a second telephone device associated with the selected telephone number.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring media content consumption behavior at the media processor; 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.

17. A media processor comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

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

storing in the memory a telephone number associated with media content;

presenting the media content at a display device;

determining that an image pattern displayed from a video component of the media content and presented at the display device represents a first telephone number, using image pattern recognition;

converting the image pattern to a first text comprising the first telephone number;

converting an audio component of the media content to a second text;

detecting a second telephone number in the second text;

comparing the first telephone number with the second telephone number to determine whether the first telephone number matches the second telephone number;

upon determining that the first telephone number matches the second telephone number and accordingly are matching telephone numbers, comparing the stored telephone number with the matching telephone numbers; and

responsive to the matching telephone numbers matching the stored telephone number, presenting an option to establish voice communication with a party associated with the media content,

wherein the image pattern recognition is selectively implemented according to a user profile or according to a user service plan.

18. The media processor of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise buffering a portion of the audio component to generate a buffered portion, and wherein converting the audio component comprises converting the buffered portion.

19. The media processor of claim 18, wherein the buffered portion is converted using speech recognition activated upon determination of the first telephone number.

20. The media processor of claim 17, wherein the image pattern recognition is selectively implemented according to the user service plan, wherein the user service plan is offered by a service provider in communication with the media processor.