Patents by Inventor Silke Witt-ehsani

Silke Witt-ehsani has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10298764
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing caller experiences is disclosed. One example method may include determining a call event type occurring during a call and assigning a weight to the call event type via a processing device. The method may also include calculating a caller experience metric value representing a caller's current call status responsive to determining the at least one call event type, the caller experience metric being a function of the current event type weight and a discounting variable that discounts a value of past events. The method may also provide comparing the caller experience metric to a predefined threshold value and determining whether to perform at least one of transferring the call to a live agent and switching from a current caller modality to a different caller modality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: OPEN INVENTION NETWORK LLC
    Inventors: Silke Witt-ehsani, Aaron Scott Fisher
  • Patent number: 10236017
    Abstract: A speech-based system is configured to interact with a user through speech to determine intents and goals of the user. The system may analyze multiple dialog turns in order to determine and fully define a goal that the user is trying to express. Each dialog turn comprises a user utterance. Each dialog turn may also comprise a system speech response. In order to evaluate the performance of the system, logged data is analyzed to identify goal segments within the logged data, where a goal segment is a sequence of dialog turns that relate to a corresponding user goal. A subset of the dialog turns is annotated manually to delineate goal segments. A predictive model is then constructed based on the manually annotated goal segments. The predictive model is then used to identify goal segments formed by additional dialog turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Silke Witt-Ehsani, Giuseppe Pino Di Fabbrizio
  • Patent number: 9866516
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing communications with end users are disclosed. One example method may include detecting a message or post on a website over the Internet that matches a monitoring company's keywords or rules and processing the message by parsing the message and performing a natural language interpretation of the message and processing the parsed message to determine the user's topic of interest. In response, the method may further provide generating a response to the message based on the user's requested objective and sending the response to the user acknowledging the user's topic of interest. Live agents may be notified to check the status of a message and continually override automated message responses to ensure the integrity of the responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Open Invention Network, LLC
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Fisher, Bruce Pollock, Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 9860381
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing caller experiences is disclosed. One example method may include determining a call event type occurring during a call and assigning a weight to the call event type via a processing device. The method may also include calculating a caller experience metric value representing a caller's current call status responsive to determining the at least one call event type, the caller experience metric being a function of the current event type weight and a discounting variable that discounts a value of past events. The method may also provide comparing the caller experience metric to a predefined threshold value and determining whether to perform at least one of transferring the call to a live agent and switching from a current caller modality to a different caller modality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Open Invention Network, LLC
    Inventors: Silke Witt-ehsani, Aaron Scott Fisher
  • Patent number: 9602654
    Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method that includes collecting caller response timings to each of a plurality of dialog states conducted during a call, and estimating a plurality of parameters based on the caller response timings. The method may also include selecting a response completeness value responsive to the estimated plurality of parameters, the response completeness value is used to calculate at least one optimal timeout value. The method may also include selecting the at least one optimal timeout value, and setting the at least one optimal timeout value for each of the corresponding dialog states. The timeout value(s) may be used for subsequent calls to provide optimal user satisfaction and call success rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventor: Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 9576579
    Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method that provides transcribing spoken utterances occurring during a call and assigning each of the spoken utterances with a corresponding set of first classifications. The method may also include determining a confidence rating associated with each of the spoken utterances and the assigned set of first classifications, and performing at least one of reclassifying the spoken utterances with new classifications based on at least one additional classification operation, and adding the assigned first classifications and the corresponding plurality of spoken utterances to a training data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventor: Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 9553842
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing communications with end users are disclosed. One example method may include detecting a message or post on a website over the Internet that matches a monitoring company's keywords or rules and processing the message by parsing the message and performing a natural language interpretation of the message and processing the parsed message to determine the user's topic of interest. In response, the method may further provide generating a response to the message based on the user's requested objective and sending the response to the user acknowledging the user's topic of interest. Live agents may be notified to check the status of a message and continually override automated message responses to ensure the integrity of the responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Fisher, Bruce Pollock, Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 9253139
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing communications with end users are disclosed. One example method may include detecting a message or post on a website over the Internet that matches a monitoring company's keywords or rules and processing the message by parsing the message and performing a natural language interpretation of the message and processing the parsed message to determine the user's topic of interest. In response, the method may further provide generating a response to the message based on the user's requested objective and sending the response to the user acknowledging the user's topic of interest. Live agents may be notified to check the status of a message and continually override automated message responses to ensure the integrity of the responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Fisher, Bruce Pollock, Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 9253322
    Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method that includes collecting caller response timings to each of a plurality of dialog states conducted during a call, and estimating a plurality of parameters based on the caller response timings. The method may also include selecting a response completeness value responsive to the estimated plurality of parameters, the response completeness value is used to calculate at least one optimal timeout value. The method may also include selecting the at least one optimal timeout value, and setting the at least one optimal timeout value for each of the corresponding dialog states. The timeout value(s) may be used for subsequent calls to provide optimal user satisfaction and call success rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventor: Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 9232057
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing caller experiences is disclosed. One example method may include determining a call event type occurring during a call and assigning a weight to the call event type via a processing device. The method may also include calculating a caller experience metric value representing a caller's current call status responsive to determining the at least one call event type, the caller experience metric being a function of the current event type weight and a discounting variable that discounts a value of past events. The method may also provide comparing the caller experience metric to a predefined threshold value and determining whether to perform at least one of transferring the call to a live agent and switching from a current caller modality to a different caller modality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Silke Witt-ehsani, Aaron Scott Fisher
  • Patent number: 9195641
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing communications with a mobile station are disclosed. One example method may include receiving a message from the mobile station and processing the message by parsing the message and performing a natural language interpretation of the message and processing the parsed message to determine the user's requested objective. In response, the method may further provide generating a response to the message based on the user's requested objective and sending the response to the mobile station acknowledging the user's requested objective. Live agents may be notified to check the status of a message and continually override automated message responses to ensure the integrity of the responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Fisher, Bruce Pollock, Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 9123332
    Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method that provides transcribing spoken utterances occurring during a call and assigning each of the spoken utterances with a corresponding set of first classifications. The method may also include determining a confidence rating associated with each of the spoken utterances and the assigned set of first classifications, and performing at least one of reclassifying the spoken utterances with new classifications based on at least one additional classification operation, and adding the assigned first classifications and the corresponding plurality of spoken utterances to a training data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventor: Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 8954317
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing communications with a mobile station are disclosed. One example method may include receiving a message from the mobile station and processing the message by parsing the message and performing a natural language interpretation of the message and processing the parsed message to determine the user's requested objective. In response, the method may further provide generating a response to the message based on the user's requested objective and sending the response to the mobile station acknowledging the user's requested objective. Live agents may be notified to check the status of a message and continually override automated message responses to ensure the integrity of the responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Fisher, Bruce Pollock, Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 8918468
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing communications with end users are disclosed. One example method may include detecting a message or post on a website over the Internet that matches a monitoring company's keywords or rules and processing the message by parsing the message and performing a natural language interpretation of the message and processing the parsed message to determine the user's topic of interest. In response, the method may further provide generating a response to the message based on the user's requested objective and sending the response to the user acknowledging the user's topic of interest. Live agents may be notified to check the status of a message and continually override automated message responses to ensure the integrity of the responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron Scott Fisher, Bruce Pollock, Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 8892437
    Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method that provides transcribing spoken utterances occurring during a call and assigning each of the spoken utterances with a corresponding set of first classifications. The method may also include determining a confidence rating associated with each of the spoken utterances and the assigned set of first classifications, and performing at least one of reclassifying the spoken utterances with new classifications based on at least one additional classification operation, and adding the assigned first classifications and the corresponding plurality of spoken utterances to a training data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventor: Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 8787534
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing caller experiences is disclosed. One example method may include determining a call event type occurring during a call and assigning a weight to the call event type via a processing device. The method may also include calculating a caller experience metric value representing a caller's current call status responsive to determining the at least one call event type, the caller experience metric being a function of the current event type weight and a discounting variable that discounts a value of past events. The method may also provide comparing the caller experience metric to a predefined threshold value and determining whether to perform at least one of transferring the call to a live agent and switching from a current caller modality to a different caller modality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventors: Silke Witt-ehsani, Aaron Scott Fisher
  • Patent number: 8762154
    Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method that includes collecting caller response timings to each of a plurality of dialog states conducted during a call, and estimating a plurality of parameters based on the caller response timings. The method may also include selecting a response completeness value responsive to the estimated plurality of parameters, the response completeness value is used to calculate at least one optimal timeout value. The method may also include selecting the at least one optimal timeout value, and setting the at least one optimal timeout value for each of the corresponding dialog states. The timeout value(s) may be used for subsequent calls to provide optimal user satisfaction and call success rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventor: Silke Witt-ehsani
  • Patent number: 8606575
    Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention may include a method that provides transcribing spoken utterances occurring during a call and automatically assigning each of the spoken utterances with a corresponding set of first classifications. The method may also include determining a confidence rating associated with each of the spoken utterances and the assigned set of first classifications, and performing at least one of reclassifying the spoken utterances with new classifications based on at least one additional classification operation, and adding the assigned first classifications and the corresponding plurality of spoken utterances to a training data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: West Corporation
    Inventor: Silke Witt-ehsani