Patent EP0480622A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0480622A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automation of telephone operator assistance calls
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1991-10-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-10-02
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to methods and apparatus for automatically processing operator assistance calls. A caller is connected to an automated operator position. The automated position has speech recognition facilities to replace those of an operator, has announcement capabilities to replace those of an operator, and has control means for transmitting and receiving the same set of messages transmitted and received by an operator position. Advantageously, the operator assistance switch has the same interface to an automated position as to an operator position and interacts with the two identically. Since the capabilities of the automated position are limited by its program, the automated position switches a call to an automated position when a situation occurs for which it has not been programmed. Advantageously, a switch need not be specially programmed to communicate with an automated position. Advantageously, new operator assistance services can be provided automatically without rewriting the complex control software of the switch. The invention further relates to the use of automated operator positions for providing spontaneous voice message service wherein a caller converts a call to a message call if the called party does not answer or is busy, and to a method of recognizing a voice specified destination and establishing a call to that destination. The invention further relates to the use of automated operator positions for providing spontaneous voice message service wherein a caller converts a call to a message call if the called party does not answer or is busy, and to a method of recognizing a voice specified destination and establishing a call to that destination.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas Calhoun Dowden
- 👤 Richard Warren Hemmeter
- 👤 Diane Elaine Herr
- 👤 William Keating Mccormick
- 👤 Robert Petrelli
- 👤 Richard Joseph Piereth
- 👤 Samuel Martin Salchenberger
- 👤 Chander Sekhar Sehgal
- 👤 Mahendra Kumar Verma
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 18:42
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/50; H04M3/51; H04M3/5166; H04M3/44; H04M3/527; H04M3/53; H04M3/533; H04Q; H04Q11/00; H04Q11/04; H04Q11/0428; H04M15/00; H04M2201/00; H04M2201/40
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
In a telephone switching system having a switching network, a method for serving a call whose destination is specified by dialed signals from a caller, comprising: in automated equipment, comprising speech recognition equipment, analyzing speech signals from a caller received via said network to identify a class of said call; responsive to the class identification, sending a switching network request message from said automated equipment to said system for requesting connection of said call to a call destination.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
In a telephone switching system having a switching network, a method for serving a call whose destination is specified by dialed signals from a caller, comprising: in automated equipment, comprising speech recognition equipment, analyzing speech signals from a caller received via said network to identify a class of said call; responsive to the class identification, sending a switching network request message from said automated equipment to said system for requesting connection of said call to a call destination.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said system is further connected to at least one attended operator position and wherein said request message is essentially the same as a corresponding request message transmitted from an attended operator position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: establishing said requested connection; and monitoring said requested connection for detecting an answer signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
The method of claim 3, wherein said automated equipment comprises means for announcing messages further comprising: responsive to detecting said answer signal, announcing from said automated equipment to said called terminal a request to issue a prespecified command; and responsive to detecting said prespecified command from said called terminal, transmitting a second data message to said switch to request a connection between said calling and said called terminal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said system is further connected to at least one attended operator position and further comprising: responsive to detecting another command from said called terminal, transmitting a request to said switch to connect said called terminal to an attended operator position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said command is a speech command.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said automated equipment is further adapted to detect dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) signals and said command is a DTMF signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said system is further connected to at least one attended operator position and further comprising the step of: preceding said analyzing step, prompting, from said automated equipment, a calling customer at said calling customer terminal to issue a command.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising a method of providing voice message service, comprising the step of: responsive to detection of a prespecified spoken command by said position means, connecting said call to means for recording a message for subsequent delivery to said called customer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of: detecting a busy condition reported for said called customer, and responsive to said detection of a busy condition, announcing to said incoming call an offer to provide voice message service if a caller of said incoming call provides said prespecified spoken command.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
84 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said destination is only an intermediate destination specifying said automated equipment further comprising a method of establishing another call comprising the steps of: responsive to receiving a number for identifying a calling customer, establishing a connection to said automated equipment; in said automated equipment, recognizing a spoken command from said calling customerfor identifying a number of a called customer corresponding to said spoken command; and establishing said another call to a telephone station identified by said identified number.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
90 words
Automated position means for connection to a telecommunications switch having a switching network, said network having a plurality of inputs for connection to an interconnection network, for connection to customer terminals,and for connection to a plurality of automated position means, said position means comprising: voice processing means for analyzing a received voice input signal receivable from said switching network and generating a corresponding data output signal; and control means responsive to said data output signal for transmitting a control message to request establishment of a connection through said switching network.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
90 words
Automated position means for connection to a telecommunications switch having a switching network, said network having a plurality of inputs for connection to an interconnection network, for connection to customer terminals,and for connection to a plurality of automated position means, said position means comprising: voice processing means for analyzing a received voice input signal receivable from said switching network and generating a corresponding data output signal; and control means responsive to said data output signal for transmitting a control message to request establishment of a connection through said switching network.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
84 words
The automated position means of claim 12, wherein said switch is further connected to at least one attended operator position and wherein said control means comprises means responsive to a data signal from said switch for detectingan answer signal subsequently received from a called customer terminal; and wherein said control means is responsive to said detecting of said answer signal for selectively transmitting messages to said switch for establishing a connection between said one of said network inputs and one of said operator positions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
61 words
The automated voice position means of claim 12, wherein said switch is further connected to at least one attended operator position and wherein said control means is further responsive to a data message signifying an answer signal from a called terminal from said switch, for transmitting a data message to said switch requesting connecting said called terminal to an operator position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
117 words
A service circuit means for use in a switching system having controller means for controlling said system to establish call connections, said service circuit means connectable through a switching network of said system to a caller for furnishing operator-like automated speech interactions with that caller on special service calls normally requiring operator assistance for their completion, and as a substitute for operator position services, said service circuit means comprising: means for analyzing a speech command issued by said caller in response to a prompting signal and received in said service circuit means to automatically identify a class of each said special service call; and means for analyzing said class to determine a requested connection for each call.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
117 words
A service circuit means for use in a switching system having controller means for controlling said system to establish call connections, said service circuit means connectable through a switching network of said system to a caller for furnishing operator-like automated speech interactions with that caller on special service calls normally requiring operator assistance for their completion, and as a substitute for operator position services, said service circuit means comprising: means for analyzing a speech command issued by said caller in response to a prompting signal and received in said service circuit means to automatically identify a class of each said special service call; and means for analyzing said class to determine a requested connection for each call.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The service circuit means of claim 15 further comprising means for transmitting a data message to said controller means for controlling establishment of a requested connection for said each call.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
59 words
The service circuit means of claim 16 wherein said system comprises operator position means, connected to said controller means by a hardware/software interface, for use with attendant operators, and wherein said means for transmitting comprises: means for transmitting said data message over a hardware/software interface that is essentially identical with said hardware/software interface connected to said operator position means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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