Abstract:
A calling card service that optionally provides access to an Internet portal. The customer dials the calling card number and selects between normal telephone 5 service or portal access. If the customer selects portal access, an IVR system is used to guide the customer to the desired information, which is translated from text to voice so that the customer may listen to an audio version of the Internet content.
Abstract:
A voice application creation and deployment system includes a voice application server for creating and serving voice applications to clients over a communication network; at least one voice portal node having access to the communication network, the portal node for facilitating client interaction with the voice applications; and an inference engine executable from the application server. In a preferred embodiment the inference engine is called during one or more predetermined points of an ongoing voice interaction to decide whether an inference of client need can be made based on analysis of existing data related to the interaction during a pre-determined point in an active call flow of the served voice application, and if an inference is warranted, determines which inference dialog will be executed and inserted into the call flow.
Abstract:
A test application allows configuration of test parameters and launches a voice processing engine and a timing object. The voice processing engine outputs data to the timing object. The timing object receives data, regularly removes data, and tracks the amount of data remaining in the timing object. The timing object reports an underflow if there is no data in the timing object and the voice processing engine has not signaled end of processing.
Abstract:
A system and method for providing a message-based communications infrastructure for automated call center operation is described. A call from a user into a call center is accepted. The accepted call includes a stream of transcribed verbal speech utterances. Each transcribed verbal speech utterance is recorded as a user message. The accepted call is assigned to a session, which is then assigned to an agent. The call is progressively processed in the assigned session by presenting each user message to the assigned agent, executing commands responsive to the assigned agent, and sending an agent message to the user. The agent message includes a stream of synthesized audible speech utterances.
Abstract:
A system and method are provided for converting a textual portion of an electronic mail message into audio and delivering the audio through a telephone call to a recipient. An electronic mail server is configured to receive a mail message and parse an address to retrieve a telephone number included in or associated with said address. One or more textual portions of the mail message are converted to audio by a text-to-audio converter and combined into an audio message. The audio message may include an identifier of a sender or originator of the mail message, a subject of the mail message, text included in the body of the mail message, etc. An audio attachment included with the mail message may be included in the audio message. A call processor establishes a telephonic connection with the recipient, plays the audio message and may record a response from the recipient. If a response is provided, it is relayed back to the originator of the mail message. The recipient may be able to specify circumstances (.g., time of day, different telephone number) or criteria (e.g., originator identity, size of mail message) under which the recipient will or will not accept telephone delivery of audio forms of electronic mail messages. The system may apply a set of rules to ensure that audio forms of mail messages are limited, or not sent at all, to emergency numbers, directory assistance, toll-free numbers, etc.
Abstract:
A system (10) and method (40) for providing audible caller information to telephone service subscribers is presented. The system (10) includes a pre-processor (28) that converts textual caller information from a first data format to a second data format suitable for text-to-speech synthesis (TTS). The pre-processor (28) can be incorporated in a service node/intelligent peripheral (SN/IP) (24) in an advanced intelligent network (AIN). In this configuration, the pre-processor (28) can be used to convert caller-ID with name database entries into a predetermined TTS format. The TTS formatted information can be provided to a TTS synthesized (30) included in the SN/IP (24). In conjunction with a switching service point (SSP) (20), the pre-processor (28) can provide a talking call-waiting feature to subscribers with significantly improved intelligibility.
Abstract:
A method for accessing and browsing the internet through the use of a telephone and the associated DTMF signals is disclosed. The preferred embodiment provides a system that converts the information content of a web page from text to speech (voice signals), signals the hyperlink selections of a web page in an audio manner, and allows selection of the hyperlinks through the use of DTMF signals generated from a telephone keypad. Upon receiving a DTMF signal corresponding to a hyperlink, the corresponding web page is fetched and again delivered to the user via one of the available delivery methods such as voice, fax-on-demand, electronic mail, or regular mail.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are described for providing automated operator services and in particular, a reverse directory assistance service. A calling customer is connected to an automated system that prompts the caller for a listing identifier which is used by the system to retrieve a textual listing corresponding to the listing identifier from a database of textual listings. The textual listing contains a TTS ID which identifies a particular one TTS device from a plurality of TTS devices and the listing is optionally preprocessed and parsed into a plurality of fields which define the listing. The listing text is then sent to the particular one TTS device for text to speech synthesis of the text contained within the listing. The method further includes teaching the system which one TTS device of the plurality of TTS devices, best synthesizes the text contained within the listing and then identifying that one TTS device within the listing so that subsequent synthesis will utilize that TTS device.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a multi-mode communication notification system and method for improving communication between an inmate and a third party by enabling a third party to send a web-initiated contact request for a specific inmate and further allowing the inmate to check his/her contact requests or be automatically notified of contact requests. Additionally, the system electronically notifies the third party when the specific inmate has been notified of the contact request. Further, the system notifies the third party if they have missed a call from the specific inmate.
Abstract:
Implementations are directed to using an assistant to initiate automated telephone calls with entities. Some implementations identify an item of interest, identify a group of entities associated with the item, and initiate the calls with the entities. During a given call with a given entity, the assistant can request a status update regarding the item, and determine a temporal delay before initiating another call with the given entity to request a further status update regarding the item based on information received responsive to the request. Other implementations receive a request to perform an action on behalf of a user, identify a group of entities that can perform the action, and initiate a given call with a given entity. During the given call, the assistant can initiate an additional call with an additional entity, and generate notification(s), for the user, based on result(s) of the given call and/or the additional call.