Identifying voice mail messages using speaker identification

Details Identifying voice mail messages using speaker identification Identifying voice mail messages using speaker identification

1999-10-04

2003-03-04

Dorvil, Richemond (Department: 2654)

Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language

Speech signal processing

Recognition

C704S276000, C455S415000, C379S001020

Reexamination Certificate

active

06529870

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of voice mail messaging. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of identifying voice mail messages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A voice mail system of the prior art is illustrated in FIG.
1
. The voice mail system
10
includes a PBX (Private Branch eXchange) telephone system
12
, a voice mail server
14
, and a LAN (Local Area Network)
16
. Incoming telephone lines
18
are coupled to the PBX telephone system
12
. The PBX telephone system
12
is coupled to the voice mail server. The voice mail server
14
is coupled to the LAN.
The PBX telephone system
12
includes a PBX
24
and first, second, third, and fourth telephones,
26
,
28
,
30
, and
32
. The first, second, third, and fourth telephones,
26
,
28
,
30
, and
32
are coupled to the PBX
24
. The PBX telephone system
12
can include more or less telephones than the first, second, third, and fourth telephones,
26
,
28
,
30
, and
32
. The PBX
24
is coupled to the voice mail server
14
.
The LAN
16
includes first and second file servers,
34
and
36
, and first, second, third, and fourth computers,
38
,
40
,
42
, and
44
. The first and second file servers,
34
and
36
, and the first, second, third, and fourth computers,
38
,
40
,
42
, and
44
, are coupled together by computer network cables. The LAN can include more or less file servers and more or less computers.
In operation, a telephone caller will place a telephone call. The PBX
24
routes the telephone call to an appropriate telephone, for example the first telephone
26
. If the telephone call is unanswered, the telephone caller will be prompted to leave a voice mail message for a voice mail recipient. The voice mail message is received by the voice mail server
14
. The voice mail server
14
routes the voice mail message to an appropriate file server, for example the first file server
34
, for storage.
The voice mail recipient retrieves the voice mail message by accessing the voice mail server
14
via the first, second, third, or fourth telephones,
26
,
28
,
30
, or
32
, via the external telephone, or via the first, second, third, or fourth computers,
38
,
40
,
42
, or
44
. When accessing the voice mail server
14
via the first, second, third, or fourth telephone,
26
,
28
,
30
, or
32
, or via the external telephone, the voice mail recipient will typically retrieve the voice mail message using touch-tone telephone keys and a voice prompted menu system. When accessing the voice mail message using the first, second, third, or fourth computers,
38
,
40
,
42
, or
44
, the voice mail recipient uses a voice mail GUI (Graphical User Interface), and a speaker coupled to the first, second, third, or fourth computer,
38
,
40
,
42
, or
44
. The speaker can be part of the first, second, third, or fourth telephone,
26
,
28
,
30
, or
32
, or can be a separate speaker.
The voice mail GUI of the prior art is illustrated in FIG.
2
. The voice mail GUI
46
includes a title bar
48
, a drop-down menu bar
50
, an icon menu bar
52
, a system control bar
54
, a folder list
56
, a voice mail message list
58
, and a message list status
60
. The title bar
48
indicates a software title, which in this case is “Voice Mail Software,” a generic title. The title bar
48
also indicates a voice mail recipient name, which in this case is “Chris Hunter,” and a telephone extension number, which in this case is “4327.” The drop-down menu bar
50
, the icon menu bar
52
, and the system control bar
54
are typical of GUI's in general.
The folder list
56
includes an inbox
64
, which indicates that there are six voice mail messages in the inbox
64
. Since the inbox
64
is highlighted, the voice mail message list
58
displays the six voice mail messages in the inbox
64
. The message list status
60
indicates that the six voice mail message are in the inbox
64
and that one voice mail message
66
is highlighted. The voice mail message list
58
of the prior art will identify a telephone caller name if the telephone caller is calling from an internal telephone, for example the second telephone
28
, using ANI (Automatic Number Identification). The ANI is integral to the voice mail server
14
. The voice mail server
14
is programmed with either the telephone caller name, a location, such as “library,” or a telephone extension number for the first, second, third, and fourth telephones,
26
,
28
,
30
, and
32
.
The voice mail message list
58
of the prior art will indicate a caller telephone number or the telephone caller name if ICLID (InComing Line IDentification) is present. The telephone caller name is indicated if the voice mail server
14
has been programmed to indicate the telephone caller name rather than the caller telephone number for the ICLID.
It would be advantageous to be able to identify the telephone caller name for the voice mail message when the ANI or the ICLID is not present. Further, it would be advantageous to be able to identify the voice mail message without relying on a specific telephone number or a specific telephone extension number for the telephone caller.
What is needed is a method of identifying the voice mail message when the ANI or the ICLID is not present. What is also needed is a method of identifying the voice mail message that identifies the telephone caller rather than the specific telephone number or the specific telephone extension that is being used by the telephone caller.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method and apparatus for identifying voice mail messages using speaker identification. The method preferably includes comparing a voice mail message to existing voice samples in order to determine a matching coefficient. If the matching coefficient is within an allowed range, the voice mail message is categorized as a matched voice mail message and a name indicator is coupled to the voice mail message.
The apparatus includes a user interface, a processing unit, and a storage media. The user interface is coupled to the processing unit and the processing unit is coupled to the storage media. The user interface receives the voice mail message and allows access to the voice mail message by a voice mail recipient. The processing unit compares the voice mail message to the existing voice samples, determines the matching coefficient, and assigns the name indicator. The storage media stores the voice mail message.
An embodiment of the invention includes a computer readable medium bearing computer program code. The computer program code includes means for identifying the voice mail message using the speaker identification.


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