Patents Examined by Solomon Bezuayehu
  • Patent number: 10171659
    Abstract: A customer portal of an intelligent automated agent for a contact center is provided. The customer portal is configured to run on a processor coupled to a non-transitory storage device. The customer portal includes a customer profile module configured to access a profile for a customer from a customer profile database stored on the storage device, and a customer emotion and mood detection module configured to detect emotions and moods of the customer during an interaction between the customer and the contact center. The intelligent automated agent is configured to run on the processor, take part in the interaction between the customer and the contact center, adjust its behavior in the interaction by factoring in the accessed profile for the customer and the detected emotions and moods of the customer during the interaction, and update the accessed profile on the storage device to reflect the interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Inventors: Akbar Riahi, Herbert Willi Artur Ristock
  • Patent number: 10148609
    Abstract: In one implementation a computer-implemented method includes generating a group of telephone contacts for a first user, wherein the generating includes identifying a second user as a contact of the first user based upon a determination that the second user has at least a threshold email-based association with the first user; and adding the identified second user to the group of telephone contacts for the first user. The method further includes receiving a first request to connect a first telephone device associated with the first user to a second telephone device associated with the second user. The method also includes identifying a contact identifier of the second telephone device using the generated group of telephone contacts for the first user, and initiating a connection between the first telephone device and the second telephone device using the identified contact identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Brian Patrick Strope, Francoise Beaufays, Hy Murveit
  • Patent number: 10142461
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention facilitates the investigation of networks of criminals, by gathering associations between phone numbers, the names of persons reached at those phone numbers, and voice print data. In another aspect the invention automatically detects phone calls from a prison where the voiceprint of the person called matches the voiceprint of a past inmate. In another aspect the invention detects identity scams in prisons, by monitoring for known voice characteristics of likely imposters on phone calls made by prisoners. In another aspect, the invention automatically does speech-to-text conversion of phone numbers spoken within a predetermined time of detecting data indicative of a three-way call event while monitoring a phone call from a prison inmate. In another aspect, the invention automatically thwarts attempts of prison inmates to use re-dialing services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Securus Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Gainsboro, Lee Weinstein, Charles Barrasso, Ken Sinclair
  • Patent number: 10127928
    Abstract: A multi-party conversation analyzer and logger uses a variety of techniques including spectrographic voice analysis, absolute loudness measurements, directional microphones, and telephonic directional separation to determine the number of parties who take part in a conversation, and segment the conversation by speaking party. In one aspect, the invention monitors telephone conversations in real time to detect conditions of interest (for instance, calls to non-allowed parties or calls of a prohibited nature from prison inmates). In another aspect, automated prosody measurement algorithms are used in conjunction with speaker segmentation to extract emotional content of the speech of participants within a particular conversation, and speaker interactions and emotions are displayed in graphical form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Securus Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Loring Gainsboro, Lee Davis Weinstein
  • Patent number: 10084920
    Abstract: A multi-party conversation analyzer and logger uses a variety of techniques including spectrographic voice analysis, absolute loudness measurements, directional microphones, and telephonic directional separation to determine the number of parties who take part in a conversation, and segment the conversation by speaking party. In one aspect, the invention monitors telephone conversations in real time to detect conditions of interest (for instance, calls to non-allowed parties or calls of a prohibited nature from prison inmates). In another aspect, automated prosody measurement algorithms are used in conjunction with speaker segmentation to extract emotional content of the speech of participants within a particular conversation, and speaker interactions and emotions are displayed in graphical form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Securus Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Gainsboro, Lee Weinstein
  • Patent number: 10069966
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention facilitates the investigation of networks of criminals, by gathering associations between phone numbers, the names of persons reached at those phone numbers, and voice print data. In another aspect the invention automatically detects phone calls from a prison where the voiceprint of the person called matches the voiceprint of a past inmate. In another aspect the invention detects identity scams in prisons, by monitoring for known voice characteristics of likely imposters on phone calls made by prisoners. In another aspect, the invention automatically does speech-to-text conversion of phone numbers spoken within a predetermined time of detecting data indicative of a three-way call event while monitoring a phone call from a prison inmate. In another aspect, the invention automatically thwarts attempts of prison inmates to use re-dialing services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Securus Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Gainsboro, Lee Weinstein, Charles Barrasso, Ken Sinclair
  • Patent number: 10063701
    Abstract: A request to execute an interaction site associated with a custom grammars file is received from a user device and by a communications system. An interaction flow document to execute the interaction site is accessed by the communications system. The custom grammars file is accessed by the communications system, the custom grammars file being configured to enable the communications system to identify executable commands corresponding to utterances spoken by users of user devices. An utterance spoken by a user of the user device is received from the user device and by the communications system. The utterance is stored by the communications system. The custom grammars file is updated by a grammar generation system to include a representation of the stored utterance for processing utterances in subsequent communications with users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: GENESYS TELECOMMUNICATIONS LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventors: Praphul Kumar, Aaron Wellman
  • Patent number: 10063702
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes an intelligent customer service system comprising a customer end, a customer service robot, and a human customer-service end. The customer service robot is configured to: receive a session message from the customer end; identify content of the session message; determine whether it is capable of processing the session message based on the identified content; if so, obtain an answer message matching the identified content from pre-stored service resource and transmit the answer message to the customer end; or otherwise, set its state to a session suspended state, obtain a comforting answer message matching the session message from the pre-stored service resource, send the comforting answer message to the customer end, and transmit to the human customer-service end the session message that the customer service robot is not capable of processing or the content of which the customer service robot cannot identify.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: SHANGHAI XIAOI ROBOT TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Siyuan Li, Pinpin Zhu
  • Patent number: 10057424
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a method for voice calling, voice playing, and devices thereof, in the field of communication. The method for voice calling includes: detecting whether a sensed distance value of an on-site terminal is less than a preset threshold, entering a predetermined call mode if the sensed distance value is less than the preset threshold, auto-playing a voice signal of an opposite terminal in the predetermined call mode, and if a voice signal of the on-site terminal is detected in the predetermined call mode, collecting the voice signal of the on-site terminal, and transmitting the voice signal of the on-site terminal to the opposite terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Xiaomi Inc.
    Inventors: Ming Wu, Yuan Zhan, Dongfang Ji, Bin Wang, Zhiguang Zheng
  • Patent number: 10057421
    Abstract: Communications-capable devices and agents can each register with a single address of record (AOR), or other such identifier. Various AORs or virtual AORs (VAORs) can then be mapped together whereby a device can be associated with multiple groupings, such as for households where devices may be shared amongst two or more users. The ability to maintain mappings between the AORs/VAORs enables the devices to be associated with multiple groupings while only registering with a single AOR, and simplifies the call routing logic as call connection requests only need to specify a single AOR/VAOR to reach a particular user or grouping of users via the corresponding registered devices. Depending upon the mapping complexity, at least some of the AORs can be function as VAORs for purposes of group mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: King Chiu, Venkatesh Kancharla, Saibaba Telukunta
  • Patent number: 10044864
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method for assigning call agents to callers is provided. A call from a caller is received into a call center. A voice sample is obtained from the caller during the call and analyzed. Traits of the caller are identified from the analyzed voice sample. A determination that at least one of the identified traits includes characteristics of multiple populations for that trait is made. The identified trait is defined as a percentage of each population included in that trait. The caller traits are compared to traits associated with each active agent within the call center. The agent with the traits most similar to the caller traits is assigned to the caller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Intellisist, Inc.
    Inventors: Gilad Odinak, Thomas Veatch
  • Patent number: 10044869
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing an audio communication system include receiving from a first user, by a microphone of a first voice-controlled device of a plurality of voice-controlled devices in an audio communication system, a first audio message and an audio command to provide the audio message to a second user. An identity of the second user associated with a user profile based on the audio command is determined. The first audio message is provided to a second voice-controlled device of the plurality of voice-controlled devices to output the audio message at a speaker of the voice-controlled device to the second user that is proximity to the second voice-controlled device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: PayPal, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael C. Todasco
  • Patent number: 10044337
    Abstract: Equalizer controller and controlling method are disclosed. In one embodiment, an equalizer controller includes an audio classifier for identifying the audio type of an audio signal in real time; and an adjusting unit for adjusting an equalizer in a continuous manner based on the confidence value of the audio type as identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Lie Lu, Jun Wang, Alan J. Seefeldt, Mingqing Hu
  • Patent number: 10033857
    Abstract: An automated system is disclosed for detecting situations in which identical segments of conversation appear within two different recordings. The system automatically detects where within each of two audio recordings an identical conversation segment begins and ends, thus enabling detection of conversations where multiple prison inmates participated in a conference call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Securus Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Gainsboro, Lee Weinstein
  • Patent number: 10027804
    Abstract: A system and method for providing hiring recommendations of agents within a call center is provided. A voice sample is received from a candidate agent. The voice sample is analyzed by comparing the voice sample with at least one voice model associated with voice characteristics for two or more populations of a trait. One of the populations to which the candidate agent belongs for that trait is identified. A score is assigned to the candidate agent based on the identified population for the trait. A recommendation for hire for the candidate agent is provided based on the assigned score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Intellistist, Inc.
    Inventors: Gilad Odinak, Thomas Veatch
  • Patent number: 10027797
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an inmate call monitoring station including a processor and/or circuit configured to display data regarding a plurality of inmate communications occurring in a correctional facility on a display, wherein each inmate communication includes a participating inmate from among a plurality of inmates in the correctional facility, receive, from a monitoring server, a first notification indicating detection of a predefined event in a first inmate communication, play audio of the first inmate communication through an output device in response to receiving the first notification, receive, from the monitoring server, a second notification indicating activation of an alarm in response to the detection of the predefined event, wherein the alarm is activated to emit a sound in an area of the correctional facility until the alarm is manually turned off, and transmit, to the monitoring server, a request to suspend the first inmate communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Global Tel*Link Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen L. Hodge, Catherine Rose Darring-Collins, Dominick Marino
  • Patent number: 10015319
    Abstract: This system pertains to a communication processing system that effectively makes phone conversations possible from a communication terminal even in a non-business mode that does not identify a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Okanoue, Hiroshi Terasaki, Yoshihiro Kojima, Kenichi Utsuda
  • Patent number: 10009740
    Abstract: A method enables a portable communication device to redirect a call initiated from the portable communication device and to execute a visual interactive voice response application for interfacing with a user. The method includes screening calls initiated from the portable communication device by a communication application resident on the portable communication device, and redirecting a call initiated from the portable communication device when the screening determines that the call matches predetermined criteria. The method also includes authenticating an account corresponding to the portable communication device that initiated the call by communicating with a service provider communication network, and executing a visual interactive voice response application that visually interacts with the user of the portable communication device upon authentication of the account by the service provider communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventors: Charles Langevin, Brian Nab, Eric Reed
  • Patent number: 9992318
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method to store messages is disclosed. The method may include obtaining a minimum message length for stored messages. The minimum message length may be greater than zero. The method may further include determining an amount of available storage space allocated for storage of user messages on a computer-readable medium. The method may also include, in response to a communication session not being established between a user of a first communication device and a second communication device and in response to the amount of available storage space being greater than zero but being insufficient to store the minimum message length, not storing a user message and providing an indication that there is no available storage space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Stimpson, Brian Chevrier
  • Patent number: 9979826
    Abstract: Software and computer processor implemented system and method of providing customized automated responses to different types of incoming electronic messages from various contact sources, particularly useful for preventing distracted driving or distractions at a place of work or at a place of rest and relaxation. Here the invention's software, often in the form of an app, runs on a smartphone or other computerized device configured to automatically connect to various devices, such as automobile associated Bluetooth peripherals or WiFi access points/routers. When operating, the app causes active connections to automatically trigger auto response mode in response to incoming messages. Optionally, different automated responses to be assigned to different connected device identification codes or different incoming message originators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Inventors: Loralee Hajdu, Oliver Hajdu