Abstract: A directory assistance service includes a database and an interface module. The database stores a set of audio advertisements, and the audio advertisements are priced based on a tiered pricing model. The interface module is in communication with the database and receives a directory assistance request from a caller, plays the caller one or more audio advertisements from the database, and charges an advertiser for playing the audio advertisements based on the tiered pricing model.

Abstract: A method of determining and an apparatus for displaying, for an organization, a relationship rank between a first party and a second party. A customer relationship management score, a telephone call score, and an e-mail score for the first party relative to the second party may be calculated using a computer system. The customer relationship management score, the telephone call score, and the e-mail score may be calculated using data for the first party and the second party stored in databases. A relationship score for the first party relative to the second party may be calculated using the customer relationship management score, the telephone call score, and the e-mail score. A relationship rank may be calculated for the first party relative to the second party using a computer system. The relationship rank for the first party relative to the second party may be an indication of the strength of the first party's relationship to the second party. The relationship rank may be based on the relationship score.

Abstract: Traditionally, echo cancellation has employed linear adaptive filters to cancel echoes in a two way communication system. The rate of adaptation is often dynamic and varies over time. Disclosed are novel rates of adaptation that perform well in the presence of background noise, during double talk and with echo path changes. Additionally, the echo or residual echo can further be suppressed with non-linear processing performed using joint frequency-time domain processing.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for interactive voice response system traversal are disclosed. In one example, a user selectable dialer is created including a dial number for an interactive voice response (IVR) system and an ordered sequence of IVR response data operable to transmit to the IVR system perform a desired operation. A user selection of the user selectable dialer is received, and the dial number is automatically dialed to connect to the IVR system and the ordered sequence of IVR response data is automatically transmitted to perform the desired operation.

Abstract: System and method to improve quality of a high-availability recording of a media stream, the method including: recording the media stream by at least a first and second recorders at separate network locations, to produce first and second recordings; comparing quality metrics of the first and second recordings; and creating an archival copy of the media stream based upon a comparison of quality metrics. In some embodiments, the method may further include: segmenting the first and second recordings into a respective first and second plurality of coextensive segments; and for substantially each segment of the first plurality of segments: comparing a quality metric of said segment with a quality metric of a corresponding segment from the second plurality of segments; and creating an archival copy of a segment of the media stream based upon a comparison of quality metrics for said segment.

Abstract: A two-way automatic transcription telephone, which can operate over analog and/or digital networks and, during a telephone call, is able to automatically transcribe in real time incoming voice signals and/or outgoing voice signals of the telephone into associated text that can be displayed on a display of the telephone. The incoming and outgoing voice signals are transcribed based on settings received by the telephone via its input keyboard or touch screen input.

Abstract: The invention features a computer-implemented method for playing back an announcement message to a user device. The method includes initiating, by a computing device, an announcement session in response to a user device establishing communication with the computing device and determining, by the computing device, the announcement message to be played back to the user device. The method includes loading, by the computing device, into a queue associated with the announcement session, a descriptor referencing a memory buffer on the computing device. The memory buffer includes a plurality of memory partitions, each memory partition storing at least one portion of the announcement message encoded at a different rate. The method includes the computing device scheduling play back of the announcement message, playing the announcement message to the user device at a first rate and receiving a request from the user device for playback at a second rate.

Abstract: A subscriber who seeks to block access to contact information may receive identifying information for people attempting to access the subscriber's contact information. The subscriber also may be provided interfaces to enable the attempting person to contact the subscriber, in a variety of escalating forms, without revealing the subscriber's contact information. In a particular implementation, a request is received from an information seeker for contact information for a subscriber. A data structure is accessed that includes an indication that the subscriber should be provided with information relating to requests received for the subscriber's contact information. A message address for the subscriber is accessed, and a message is sent to the subscriber indicating the request for the subscriber's contact information.

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.

Abstract: A system for a contact center includes: a processor; an interactive voice response (IVR) node configured to engage in an incoming interaction from a customer to the contact center by presenting set scripts to the customer and receiving corresponding responses; an intelligent automated agent including an artificial intelligence engine; a call server node configured to route the interaction and the responses to one of a pool of live agents or to the automated agent; and a non-transitory storage device coupled to the processor and configured to store customer profile data built from previous interactions. The automated agent is further configured to retrieve a profile of the customer from the customer profile data during the interaction and to update the retrieved profile on the storage device to reflect the interaction. The artificial intelligence engine is configured to learn knowledge from the interaction and to apply the learned knowledge to future interactions.

Abstract: A method and communication device for scheduling a conference call. The method includes receiving, in a first communication device, an invitation message containing at least some conference call scheduling information with respect to a scheduled conference call session; displaying an interface in relation to the invitation message, the interface including an option to send a request for recorded conference call content of the scheduled conference call session; receiving an input selecting the option; and sending a communication to a second communication device including a response to the invitation message and including said request for recorded conference call content. A conference call server is also described for sending recorded conference call content to the communication device.

Abstract: It is an object of the presently disclosed subject matter to provide billing and usage data to downstream applications. According to one aspect, the subject matter described herein includes a method for acquiring billing and usage data in an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) environment. The method includes copying at least one of a call signaling message and an IMS accounting message relating to an IMS transaction upstream from a billing system (BS) and providing the at least one copied message to an application for one of billing verification, fraud detection, revenue assurance, and data analysis. The types of acquired data may be copied separately or in combination, and the copied data may be examined, compared, or otherwise utilized separately or in combination.

Abstract: Methods and systems to display, in real time, detailed attribute information regarding a calling party. This information may be presented to a user in conjunction with an incoming voice call or message on the user's smartphone/mobile internet device (MID) or other mobile device. Such information can help him/her in real time real time to decide whether to respond to the communication. Attribute information is collected at a caller attributes processing server and communicated to a receiver device of the called party.

Abstract: A method is provided for identifying a device during an emergency for callback. The method includes storing an address of a user agent (UA) during initiation of an emergency call by the UA, associating an E.164 number with the stored address of the UA that placed the emergency call, and routing the emergency call containing the E.164 number.

Abstract: A request to establish a voice communications session between a user of a telephonic device and an interactive voice response (IVR) system of a call handling system is received by a dynamic call control engine. A resource requirement for the voice communications session is determined. Resource usage data for multiple call handling systems is accessed by the dynamic call control engine. A particular call handling system from among the multiple call handling systems is selected based on the resource usage data and the resource requirement. A connection to be set up between the telephonic device and the particular call handling system to allow the user of the telephonic device to participate in the voice communications session with an IVR system of the particular call handling system is enabled.

Abstract: A method and system for voice messaging at a point of care includes at least one point of care communication device configured to record voice messages and play back voice messages that have previously been created. The point of care communication device may be, among other things, a nurse call station or console. The recorded messages may be selectively transcribed and/or routed to other systems and/or point of care devices.

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.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for notifying a group of communication devices about a missed call are disclosed. Each communication device is associated with a group identifier that is shared with all the communication devices in a group. Each communication device is also associated with an individual identifier that is unique to that communication device. An unanswered communication to the group identifier is received on all the communication devices in the group. A first communication device transmits to a remote server an acknowledgement notification that the unanswered communication related to the group identifier has been acknowledged by the user. A clear indicator indicating that the unanswered communication has been acknowledged is transmitted from the remote server to all the devices in the group except the first communication device. Each of the communication devices receiving the clear indicator can then clear its indicator that notifies the user of a missed call.

Abstract: Each user of a telecommunications system may speak and record their own name, in their own voice, and a recording of their spoken name may subsequently be accessed by or delivered to other users of the system, thereby facilitating communication between users by enabling users to better know how to pronounce the names of other users. A user may listen to the recorded spoken name of another user before placing a call to another user. When a user joins a conference call, their spoken name may be announced to other users (attendees) already in the call. A user joining a conference call may listen to the recorded spoken names of attendees in the call. A button on users' phones may invoke these features.

Abstract: Systems, methods and media for determining a phone number from a spoken alphabetic phone number are disclosed. Embodiments may include a method for determining a phone number that includes receiving spoken alphanumeric content from a user, the spoken alphanumeric content having one or more alphabetic characters, such as letters, numbers or words. The spoken alphanumeric content may include termination words or separation words in addition to alphabetic characters. The method may also include parsing the received spoken alphanumeric content to determine equivalent numbers for alphabetic characters in the alphanumeric content, such as by parsing spoken received spoken letters, numbers and/or words to determine their equivalent numbers. The method may also include determining the phone number based on the received spoken alphanumeric content and the determined equivalent numbers. Further embodiments may include dialing the determined phone number after determining the phone number.