Abstract: An infrastructure and method for making online payments without the use of a credit card is disclosed. The infrastructure includes a prepaid technology module for receiving information related to a purchased pre-paid card. The prepaid technology module stores at least one of a PIN number and a serial number associated with a plurality of pre-paid cards. The infrastructure also includes a user interface for receiving information, from the consumer, related to the purchased pre-paid card, and a digital settlement network for receiving a purchase request from a consumer, the digital settlement network further for authenticating the purchased pre-paid card.
Abstract: A system, method and computer readable medium that enhances a speech database for speech synthesis is disclosed. The method may include labeling audio files in a primary speech database, identifying segments in the labeled audio files that have varying pronunciations based on language differences, identifying replacement segments in a secondary speech database, enhancing the primary speech database by substituting the identified secondary speech database segments for the corresponding identified segments in the primary speech database, and storing the enhanced primary speech database for use in speech synthesis.
Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling IP service subscribers to share media contents with other IP service subscribers or Internet users in either a secured or open fashion are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention enables the sharing of home movies, pictures, and other media contents, where media could be stored media or media created in real-time. Namely, the present method allows IP service subscribers to effectively create their own TV station, e.g., complete with stored or live content programming and content scheduling. In turn, the method allows a viewing subscriber to select and view a shared media program created by another subscriber.
Abstract: A system and method is provided to automatically generate content for ITV products and services by processing primary media sources. In one embodiment of the invention, keywords are automatically extracted from the primary media sources using one or more of a variety of techniques directed to video, audio and/or textual content of the multimodal source. In some embodiments, keywords are then processed according to one or more disclosed algorithms to narrow the quantity of downstream processing that is necessary to associate secondary sources (reference items) with the primary video source. Embodiments of the invention also provide automatic searching methods for the identification of reference items based on the processed keywords in order to maximize the value added by the association of reference items to the video source.
Type:
Application
Filed:
February 3, 2014
Publication date:
May 29, 2014
Applicant:
AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
Inventors:
Lee Begeja, David Crawford Gibbon, Zhu Liu, Bernard Simon Renger, Behzad Shahraray, Mitchell J.. Weinraub, Stephanie A. Morrison
Abstract: A voice-enabled help desk service is disclosed. The service comprises an automatic speech recognition module for recognizing speech from a user, a spoken language understanding module for understanding the output from the automatic speech recognition module, a dialog management module for generating a response to speech from the user, a natural voices text-to-speech synthesis module for synthesizing speech to generate the response to the user, and a frequently asked questions module. The frequently asked questions module handles frequently asked questions from the user by changing voices and providing predetermined prompts to answer frequently asked questions.
Type:
Application
Filed:
February 3, 2014
Publication date:
May 29, 2014
Applicant:
AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
Inventors:
Giuseppe Di Fabbrizio, Dawn L. Dutton, Narendra K. Gupta, Barbara B. Hollister, Mazin G. Rahim, Giuseppe Riccardi, Robert Elias Schapire, Juergen Schroeter
Abstract: A system and method for translating received input from a sender to recipient in an instant messaging dialog is disclosed. The method comprises receiving instant messaging input from a sender for recipient, wherein the instant messaging input comprises at least one subculture specific term. A category is identified the defines a difference between the sender and the recipient and the received instant messaging input is modified from the sender by generating an output associated with the least one subculture specific term and based on the identified category. Multiple recipients in a chat session may also each receive a translated or annotated message according to characteristics of each individual recipient.
Abstract: Systems for improving or generating a spoken language understanding system using a multitask learning method for intent or call-type classification. The multitask learning method aims at training tasks in parallel while using a shared representation. A computing device automatically re-uses the existing labeled data from various applications, which are similar but may have different call-types, intents or intent distributions to improve the performance. An automated intent mapping algorithm operates across applications. In one aspect, active learning is employed to selectively sample the data to be re-used.
Abstract: The present invention enables the remote activation of a device by a packet-switched service, e.g., VoIP network service for the purposes of receiving calls identified as urgent from a pre-identified calling party when the device is disabled. The present invention enables registered users to select the calling parties they wish to receive emergency calls from.
Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for failing over from a current network access medium to an alternative network access medium. A customer premises equipment (CPE) box has ports for connections to a network through several network access media, such as high speed cable connections, DSL connections and dial-up connections. QoS parameters for each of the connections are monitored from a bandwidth manager remote from the CPE box. When it is determined that a fail-over would be beneficial, a message is sent from the bandwidth manager to the CPE box containing a command to fail-over and an identity of the alternate network access media.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 21, 2013
Date of Patent:
May 27, 2014
Assignee:
AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
Inventors:
Yihsiu Chen, Mark Jeffrey Foladare, Samuel Glazer, Shelly B. Goldman, Thaddeus Julius Kowalski
Abstract: A system, method and computer readable media are disclosed for presenting a simultaneous multimedia experience to a plurality of computing devices, each at different locations. The method involves coordinating a simultaneous presentation of multimedia content to a plurality of computing devices, receiving a control signal from a computer of one of the plurality of computing devices to control the presentation of multimedia content, and broadcasting the control assigned to each of the plurality of computing devices such that a control event substantially simultaneously occurs in the presentation of a multimedia content at each of the plurality of computing devices.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 13, 2007
Date of Patent:
May 27, 2014
Assignee:
AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
Inventors:
Eric Cheung, Gerald Karam, Kermit Hal Purdy
Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling users behind NAT devices to receive unsolicited VoIP calls by allowing the VoIP network to dynamically open a temporary tunnel between the users' VoIP endpoint and the VoIP network for the subscriber to receive call set up messages and media streams from other callers are disclosed. An unsolicited call is a call that can be originated from any calling party endpoint. Once the call is finished, the temporary tunnel will be closed.
Abstract: A method for handling multiple call redirections in a voice messaging platform is provided that includes receiving a call at the voice messaging platform, wherein multiple, sequential redirecting numbers are associated with the call. The method also includes selecting a mailbox associated with a last number associated with the call when it is determined that the last number does not belong to a closed user group, and depositing a message in the selected mailbox. When the last number belongs to the closed user group, and if the closed user group does not allow individual call forwarding control, the method selects the mailbox based on a closed user group preference. An apparatus and a computer readable medium are provided.
Abstract: The disclosure provides a method and corresponding system for personalizing and disbursing content material in an automated fashion based on differing characteristics or profiles of the recipients. The system includes a database of potential recipients with key characteristics such as location data, revenue, product ownership, customer status, tenure with the company/organization, payment status, credit rating, whether they have recently responded to other material, and the like. Dissemination media include email communications, collaterals, brochures, textual materials, image and video information, and any similar media, where the contents of the communication material is customized based on the key characteristics profiles of the recipients and driven by a set of business rules that can be adapted to fit various scenarios.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 13, 2005
Date of Patent:
May 27, 2014
Assignee:
AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
Inventors:
David Belanger, Sam Parker, Sarat Puthenpura, Wenjie Zhao
Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling the upgrade of a VoIP endpoint device by downloading a firmware component to support CALEA related monitoring and recording of conversations for all calls originated or terminated by the endpoint device are disclosed. The upgraded CALEA firmware component can be activated by the network on demand or when the signaling information to set up a watched call is received. Once the recording is completed it can be translated into a standard audio format file that can be uploaded transparently to the network and sent in near real time to the appropriate CALEA server.
Abstract: An apparatus and a method are provided for building a spoken language understanding model. Labeled data may be obtained for a target application. A new classification model may be formed for use with the target application by using the labeled data for adaptation of an existing classification model. In some implementations, the existing classification model may be used to determine the most informative examples to label.
Abstract: A method and apparatus for enabling providers of PSTN toll free services to stagger simultaneous transmission of call setup signaling messages into an IP based teleconference bridge, supported by a VoIP network, by suspending a subset of calls and placing them on hold while placing other calls to be connected to the conference bridge are disclosed. The PSTN network can stagger calls by limiting the number of call setup signaling messages to be sent to the VoIP network within a predefined period of time interval and spread all the calls over multiple of such predefined periods. Prerecorded announcements or music can be played while the calls that have been placed on hold are in queue.
Abstract: A method of processing multi-media service requests received at a multi-media services provider computer system, including a processor coupled to a media gateway controller and to a media server. The method includes receiving a message from a SIP INVITE-enabled communication device at the media gateway controller. The message is processed at the media gateway controller for generating an instruction message with unique indicators, which is communicated to the media server in a SIP INVITE format. The media server processes the instruction message to provide media services and collect user-information from the communication device. The media server processes the user-information and generates a first message in an HTTP form POST format with unique indicators, which includes the user-information and which can be processed at the processor. In this manner, the multi-media services provider computer system is compatible with the SIP INVITE-enabled device.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 27, 2012
Date of Patent:
May 20, 2014
Assignee:
AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
Inventors:
Robert Yaeger Peters, Jr., Harish Samarasinghe
Abstract: The invention concerns a method and apparatus for performing packet loss or Frame Erasure Concealment (FEC) for a speech coder that does not have a built-in or standard FEC process. A receiver with a decoder receives encoded frames of compressed speech information transmitted from an encoder. A lost frame detector at the receiver determines if an encoded frame has been lost or corrupted in transmission, or erased. If the encoded frame is not erased, the encoded frame is decoded by a decoder and a temporary memory is updated with the decoder's output. A predetermined delay period is applied and the audio frame is then output. If the lost frame detector determines that the encoded frame is erased, a FEC module applies a frame concealment process to the signal. The FEC processing produces natural sounding synthetic speech for the erased frames.
Abstract: Test equipment including a signal generator and a method of generating a test signal associated with an overall frequency band are disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of using the test signal to test an echo canceller. The method of generating the test signal includes generating a first time segment associated with a first frequency sub-band of the overall frequency band and generating a second time segment associated with a second frequency sub-band of the overall frequency band. The second frequency sub-band is higher than the first frequency sub-band. The method further includes generating a time gap segment separating the first time segment and the second time segment.
Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments comprise a method comprising: for selected traffic that enters a backbone network via a predetermined ingress point and is addressed to a predetermined destination, via a dynamic tunnel, automatically diverting the selected traffic from the predetermined ingress point to a processing complex; and automatically forwarding the selected traffic from the processing complex toward the predetermined destination.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 19, 2012
Date of Patent:
May 20, 2014
Assignee:
AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P.
Inventors:
Christopher J. Chase, Nicholas G. Duffield, Albert G. Greenberg, Oliver Spatscheck, Jacobus E. Van der Merwe, Neal Shackleton