Abstract: A method for processing the payment of a bill in the bill payment service can include detecting within a PSTN an attempt to establish a telephone call between a caller and a call center configured to process bill payments. An identity for the calling party can be resolved externally to the call center. Also, a telephonic connection can be established between the caller and the call center. Finally, the resolved identity can be forwarded to the call center over a data communications link which is separate and apart from the established telephonic connection. Preferably, the resolving step can include querying a LIDB through a name resolution adapter disposed in the PSTN for identifying information for the caller. Moreover, the resolving step can be performed responsive to receiving an SS7 message in an SCP to set up the telephonic connection between the caller and the call center.

Abstract: A method of providing voice metrics over an established telephone call between a user and a subscriber can include receiving voice information from the user over the call and determining biometric information from the voice information for the user. The method further can include encoding the biometric metric information and sending the biometric information to the subscriber over the call.

Abstract: A method of and system for managing a conference call among participants and a moderator provides a control mode in which only one participant can speak at time. All participants other than the speaker are muted. The system maintains a talk queue. When a participant requests to speak, the system places the participant in the talk queue. The system may announce to the moderator that the participant has registered to speak. The system may also announce to the moderator the participant's position in the talk queue. When a speaking participant relinquishes, or is preempted from, the speaking position, the system mutes the speaking participant. The system informs the participant at the top of the talk queue that it is his or her turn to speak and unmutes that participant, whereby that participant becomes the new speaking participant. The system removes the new speaking participant from the talk queue. The system may announce their respective positions to the other participants in the talk queue.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention can include a method for restricting resources consumed by ghost agents. The method can include the step of associating a ghost agent with a host. A resource utilization value can be ascertained for the ghost agent and the host combined. The ascertained resource utilization value can be compared with a usage threshold. A determination can be made as to whether operations of the ghost agent are to be executed based upon the previous comparison.

Abstract: A method, a system, and an apparatus for permitting a user to remain in contact with at least one other person. The present invention provides a method, a system, and an apparatus that is capable of enabling a user to remain in contact with others through a service that checks contacts set up in a predetermined contact list. The contact list is then contacted and the user is contacted with the results. As such, the present invention permits the user to remain in contact with a significant number of entities while saving time and effort by ensuring the user is only contacted with certain information. The system and method also permits the user to remain in contact even when the user is unavailable.

Abstract: A method of providing identifying information over a voice communications link can include receiving, from a call participant, a personal identification code over the voice communications link, determining identifying information for the call participant using the personal identification code, and encoding the identifying information of the call participant within a voice stream carried by the voice communications link. The voice stream and identifying information can be sent to a subscriber.

Abstract: A method for restricting resources consumed by a ghost agent can include the step of identifying a host, which is a software object operating within the grid environment and movable from one grid to another grid within the grid environment. The method also can include the step of associating a ghost agent with the host. The ghost agent is configured to replicate and record at least one action of the host and follows the movement of the associated host. Additionally, the ghost agent can be registered with a ghost registry of the domain in which it is disposed. Once registered, a containment policy for the domain can be received by the ghost agent. The ghost agent can be configured according to the received containment policy. The containment policy can be utilized to restrict resources that are available to the ghost agent.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-usable medium for routing a call. A server receives a call from a client. A routing engine captures a voice print from the call. In response to the routing engine capturing the voice print from the call, the routing engine compares the voice print to a database that includes a collection of voice prints. In response to the routing engine matching the voice print to at least one voice print among the collection of voice prints, an interactive voice response (IVR) module routes the call to an appropriate call queue based on the matching of the voice print. The appropriate queue routes the call from the appropriate call queue to a call center corresponding to the appropriate call queue.

Abstract: A system and method to enable instant collaboration between a user of an instant messaging network and a user of a communications network can include the steps of connecting the instant messaging network and the communications network via a data network; providing a processor in the data network for: receiving a text message having a designation for text-to-speech conversion via an instant messaging server of the instant messaging network, wherein the text message is intended for a phone coupled to a voicemail system of the communications network; recognizing the designation; converting the text message to a voice message; calling the phone; delivering the voice message to the voicemail system; enabling a scheduled delivery of the voice message to a user of the phone; and delivering the voice message to the user.

Abstract: A method (100) of dynamically assigning a plurality of voice ports and arranging a plurality of menu choice prompting sequences for at least one application includes the step of receiving (102) a plurality of incoming calls and monitoring (104) at least one among a recognition error rate for each menu option and execution path, a success rate for completing a desired transaction and an associated origination number, and monitoring frequently used menu options. In response to the monitoring steps, at least one of the menu choice prompting sequences among the plurality of menu choice prompting sequences can be rearranged (110) and at least one voice port among the plurality of voice ports can be reassigned (114).

Abstract: A method of providing telephony services can include receiving a request to query a subscriber information data store to determine service description information for a call. The service description information can specify at least one telephony service associated with a subscriber for use in processing the call. The method further can include querying the subscriber information data store to determine the service description information, receiving the service description information from the subscriber information data store, and providing the service description information to a telephony service node to implement a telephony service specified by the service description information with respect to the call.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and program products for a client application provide child passwords mapped to a parent password authorized for login to a secure network resource server. A child user logs in to the client application by entering the child password. When a child user properly requests a secure resource from the secure network resource server, the client application uses the authorized parent password to login to the secure server and retrieve a secure resource without communicating the child password to the secure server. The child user login session is administered by the local application pursuant to access rules or limitation parameters associated with the child password. Child passwords may be set to expire. The client application may also monitor secure server access by a child user; monitored use may also be reported, and an access rule or password limitation parameter may be revised in response to monitoring and use reporting.

Abstract: A method (10) and system of adjusting a speech output rate to match a speech input rate can include the steps of receiving (12) speech input, computing (14) a speech input rate, and dynamically adjusting (18 or 26) a speech output rate to match the speech input rate. If the type of speech output is TTS, then a rate of TTS can be adjusted (18). If the type of speech output is recorded and alternate text is available, then steps (22 and 24) of counting alternate text available from a recorded output and determining an audio file length is used to compute a default output rate to adjust a recorded output rate. If the type is recorded and alternate text is unavailable, then steps (21 and 24) of obtaining an output word count from a transcription of a recorded speech output and determining an audio file length is used.

Abstract: A method of providing a translation within a voice stream can include receiving a speech signal in a first language, determining text from the speech signal, translating the text to a second and different language, and encoding the translated text within the speech signal.

Abstract: A method (10) and system of adjusting a speech output rate to match a speech input rate can include the steps of receiving (12) speech input, computing (14) a speech input rate, and dynamically adjusting (18 or 26) a speech output rate to match the speech input rate. If the type of speech output is TTS, then a rate of TTS can be adjusted (18). If the type of speech output is recorded and alternate text is available, then steps (22 and 24) of counting alternate text available from a recorded output and determining an audio file length is used to compute a default output rate to adjust a recorded output rate. If the type is recorded and alternate text is unavailable, then steps (21 and 24) of obtaining an output word count from a transcription of a recorded speech output and determining an audio file length is used.

Abstract: A method of providing a translation within a voice stream can include receiving a speech signal in a first language, determining text from the speech signal, translating the text to a second and different language, and encoding the translated text within the speech signal.

Abstract: A search algorithm utilizing confidence levels of keywords spoken by a caller to identify keyword indexed search items which best match the spoken keywords. In response to receiving a spoken search request from a caller, keywords are identified in the spoken search request. A list of candidates is created comprising a match to at least one of the keywords, wherein each candidate in the list is assigned a level of confidence in the match. Keyword indexed search items having at least one of the keywords as an index and an original matching score are then located. The original matching score of each keyword indexed search item is weighted with the level of confidence in the list of candidates to form weighted matching scores. The keyword indexed search items are sorted based on weighted matching score. A list of the sorted keyword indexed search items is then created.

Abstract: A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for dynamically balancing call loads among call center resources when a call load reaches a threshold. Responsive to receiving an incoming call at a call center, a target call center resource group is determined to handle the incoming call. A determination is then made as to whether a call load of the target call center resource group is above a threshold. If the call load is above the threshold, the least utilized call center resources in the call center are located. The resources in the least utilized call center resources which have a same skill set of the target call center resources are then identified. The identified resources are then assigned to the target call center resource group.

Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium for providing a user identity-based secure channel between a digital telephone and a service provider is presented. At the service provider, an encrypted voice transmission from a digital telephone is decrypted. The voice transmission was encrypted at the digital telephone by using a user voice encryption key that was created in the digital telephone. The user voice encryption key was created at the digital telephone by inputting a telephone identifier and a called telephone number into a public encryption key algorithm that is supplied by the service provider. By decrypting the encrypted voice transmission, the service provider is able to extract the voice transmission, the telephone identifier, and the called telephone number, thus allowing the service provider to route the voice transmission to an appropriate answering party at the service provider.

Abstract: A call routing test and verification system for an interactive voice response (IVR) system including an automated test driver (ATD) for connecting to a IVR system over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) configured to provide signals representative of content of utterances appropriate for responding to prompt signals of an IVR menu and a test module to enable a test mode of the IVR system in response to the connection by ATD, wherein the test mode allows the IVR system to transmit a call routing string to the ATD prior to transfer of the connection to one of a plurality of agent terminals in response to reaching a call routing point of the IVR menu, where the ATD is further configured to compare at least a portion of the transmitted call routing string to an expected routing string for the call routing point.