User programmable call progress tone detection

USER PROGRAMMABLE CALL PROGRESS TONE DETECTION

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to communication in general and, more particularly, to the design of telecommunication switches.

HISTORY OF THE INVENTION

Direct marketing is often done by calling potential customers in a call-out campaign. External call campaigns have very low success rates and therefore need to be efficient. One factor that affects the efficiency of the external call campaign is the use of human sales agents. When a sales agent just sits there waiting for the called party to answer the call, the sales agent's time is being wasted. This is clearly inefficient.

To address this inefficiency, telecommunication switches have been built that automatically place calls and wait for the called party to answer before transferring the call to an available sales agent. The telecommunication switch knows that the call was answered by a human being waiting, and not, for example, by a fax machine or an answering machine when listening to the sounds made at the other end. This faces some of the disadvantages of telecommunication switches in the prior art, but not all of them, and therefore, there is a need for new inventions in the design of telecommunication switches.

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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention enables the design and operation of telecommunication switches that avoid some of the costs and disadvantages of telecommunication switches in the prior art. A disadvantage of the prior art is that the sounds they hear are encoded by the manufacturer of the telecommunication switch. This is disadvantageous, as it makes it impossible for the user of the telecommunication switch to be able to change sounds without needing the manufacturer to make the changes. In general, this is a slow and costly process.

To remedy this situation, the illustrative version of the present invention allows the telecommunication switch to be programmable by the user in the field - in contrast to only programmable by the manufacturer or third party software company - with audio samples. Each audio sample. Each audio sample is an example of a sound that can be found during or after the establishment of a telecommunication call that is handled by the telecommunication switch. According to the illustrative version, audio samples are received by the telecommunication switch through one or more of the same ports that the telecommunication switch uses to route calls, in contrast to programs and program data that are received by the telecommunication switch. telecommunication through a programming port.

The illustrative version comprises: receiving a first audio sample on a switch through a first

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3/12 bidirectional telecommunication port; receive a first telecommunication call on a second bidirectional telecommunication port; and establish a first flag when an instance of the first audio sample occurs on the first telecommunication call.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 represents a schematic diagram of a portion of a typical telecommunication system.

Figure 2 represents a block diagram of the components of the telecommunication switch 102.

Figure 3 represents a flow chart of the tasks highlighted in the illustrative version of the present invention.

Figure 4 represents a flowchart of the highlighted tasks involved in carrying out task 303 of the illustrative version of the present invention.

Figure 5 represents a flowchart of the highlighted task involved in carrying out task 403 of the illustrative version of the present invention.

Figure 6 represents a flowchart of the highlighted task involved in carrying out task 403 in an alternative version of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 represents a schematic diagram of the detached components of the telecommunication system 100 according to the illustrative version of the present invention. Telecommunication system 100 comprises: telecommunication terminals 101-1, 101-2, 101-3, 101-4, 101-5, and 101-6, telecommunication switch 102, and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 110, interconnected as is

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4/12 shown.

Although the illustrative version comprises three telecommunication terminals connected directly to telecommunication switch 102 and three telecommunication terminals connected to telecommunication switch 102 via Public Switched Telephone Network 110, it will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use alternative versions of the present invention which comprise:

i. any number of telecommunication terminals that are directly connected to telecommunication switch 102; or ii. any number of telecommunication terminals that are connected to telecommunication switch 102 via Public Switched Telephone Network 110; or iii. any combination of i and ii.

According to the illustrative version, the telecommunication terminal 101-i, where i ε {1,2,3,4,5,6} is a device (for example, a cordless handset that you do not use hand, desk phone, etc.), which is capable of carrying out the functionality described below and the accompanying figures. Although the illustrative version comprises identical telecommunication terminals, it will be clear to those of skill in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use versions of the present invention in which some or all of the telecommunication terminals are identical. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use the

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5/12 telecommunication 101-i.

Telecommunication switch 102 is a switch that is capable of carrying out the functionality described below and the accompanying Figures. For example, telecommunication switch 102 establishes telecommunication calls between terminals 101-1, 101-2, 101-3, 101-4, 101-5, and 101-6, scanning these calls for occurrences of the audio samples that were provided to the telecommunication switch 102, and handles calls like that, based on the occurrence of the audio signals. Details on how to make and use telecommunication switch 102 are described in detail below and in the accompanying figures.

The Public Switched Telephone Network 110 is the Public Switched Telephone Network as it is well known to those skilled in the technology. Although the illustrated version uses the Public Switched Telephone Network, it will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use alternative versions of the present invention, which use a different network (for example, the Internet, etc.) .

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the detached components of the telecommunication switch 102 according to the illustrative version of the present invention. Telecommunication switch 102 comprises:

i. administrative interface port 201, and ii. programming port 202, and iii. signaling port 203, and iv. memory 204, and

v. 205 processor, and

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6/12 vi. telecommunication ports 206-1, 206-2, 206-3, 206-4, 208.5, and 206-6, and vii. commuter plant 207.

interconnected as shown. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use alternative versions of the present invention, where the telecommunication switch 102 comprises any sub-combination of i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, and vii .

According to the illustrative version, telecommunication switch 102 is a single integrated device. However, it will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use alternative versions of the present invention in which the telecommunication switch 102 comprises one or more telecommunication switches and one or more general purpose computers that process software computer telephony integration.

Administrative interface 201 is the mechanism by which the telecommunication system administrator manages telecommunication switch 102. According to the illustrative version, administrative interface 201 comprises a graphical user interface and a reset button. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use the administrative interface 201.

Programming port 202 enables delivery of programs and program data to telecommunication switch 102 by the switch manufacturer.

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7/12 telecommunication 102. It will be clear to those of skill in technology how to make and use programming port 202.

Signaling port 203 allows telecommunication switch 102 to exchange signaling information with Public Switched Telephone Network 110 in a well-known manner. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology how to make and use signaling port 203.

Memory 204 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs, program data, and audio samples for telecommunication switch 102. The programs instruct processor 205 how to act. The program data comprises audio samples and / or characterizations of audio signals heard by the processor 205, in task 303 during the establishment and after the establishment of a call. Task 301 is performed as often as necessary or advantageous. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology how to make and use memory 204.

The 205 processor is a general purpose processor that performs the tasks described below and in the accompanying Figures. It will be clear to those skilled in technology how to make and use the 205 processor.

Telecommunication ports 206-1, 206-2, 206-3, 2064, 206-5, and 206-6 are local and trunk ports that provide communication services to telecommunication terminals 101-1, 101-2, 101 -3, 101-4, 101-5, and 101-6 and to receive audio samples as described in

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8/12 detail below. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology how to make and use telecommunication ports 206-1, 206-2, 206-3, 206-4, 206-5, and 206-6.

The switching plant 207 is a circuit that interconnects the telecommunication ports 206-1, 206-2, 206-3, 206-4, 206-5, and 206-6 and the processor 205. It will be clear to those skilled in technology as make and use switching factory 207.

Figure 3 represents a flowchart of the highlighted tasks performed according to the operation of the illustrative version. According to the illustrative version, the three tasks represented in Figure 3 are performed concurrently, but it will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use alternative versions of the present invention in which the three tasks represented in Figure 3 are not carried out concurrently.

In task 301, telecommunication switch 102 receives a program and program data through programming port 202, whose program and program data are created by the manufacturer of telecommunication switch 102 or a third-party entity. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use versions of the present invention that perform task 301.

In task 302, telecommunication switch 102 receives audio sample k through telecommunication port 206-i, where k is an integral that is unique to each audio sample that is received by the

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9/12 telecommunication switch 102, and where i ε {1,2,3,4,5,6}. The audio sample k is an example of a sound that can be found during or after the establishment of a telecommunication call that is handled by the telecommunication switch 102. Task 302 is performed each time an audio sample is provided to the switch telecommunications network 102.

In contrast to the programs and program data received in task 301, the audio samples are created by the end user of the telecommunication switch 102 and fed into the telecommunication switch 102 by the end user. This allows the telecommunication switch 102 to be programmable by the user with new audio samples in the field, in contrast to the telecommunication switches in the previous technology that are programmed with new audio samples only by the manufacturer, in the form of program data, through the programming port. When telecommunication switch 102 receives the audio sample k through telecommunication port 206-i, processor 205 stores the audio sample k in memory 204 for use in task 303. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use versions of the present invention that perform task 302.

In task 303, telecommunication switch 102 processes telecommunication call j at telecommunication port 206-i, scans telecommunication call j for each occurrence of the audio sample k, and handles telecommunication call j accordingly. The details of

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10/12 task 303 are described below and in the accompanying figures. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology how to make and use versions of the present invention that perform task 303.

Figure 4 represents a flowchart of the highlighted tasks associated with task 303, the processing of the telecommunication call j.

In task 401, telecommunication switch 102 processes telecommunication call j at telecommunication port 206-i. According to the illustrative version, the telecommunication call j is a call initiated by the telecommunication switch 102 itself - either under its own schedule or under the direction of a computer-telephony integration application - as part of a call out campaign. . However, it will be clear to those skilled in the technology how to make and use alternative versions in which the telecommunication call j is not initiated by the telecommunication switch 102, but is initiated by one of the telecommunication terminals 101-1 to 101-6. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology how to make and use versions of the present invention that perform task 401.

In task 402, telecommunication switch 102 continuously scans telecommunication call j - both during and after its establishment - and sets the flag [j, k] when detecting an occurrence of the audio sample k in a telecommunication call j . According to the illustrative version, the marriage is determined based solely on the tonal characteristics of the

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11/12 audio. However, it will be clear to those skilled in the technology, after reading this specification, how to make and use alternative versions of the present invention in which the match is determined based on other characteristics of the audio signal, including, without limitation:

i. the semantic content, or ii. amplitude characteristics, or iii. musical characteristics (for example, key, cadence, time signature, etc.), or iv. background noise level, or

v. distortion spectrum, or vi. dynamic range, or vii. tonal characteristics, or viii. any combination of i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, and vii.

In task 403, telecommunication switch 102 handles telecommunication call j based on the status of flag [j, k]. When flag [j, k] is set, processor 205 performs an action with respect to telecommunication call j as described in detail below and in the accompanying figures.

Figure 5 represents a flow chart of the details of task 403 according to the first illustrative version of the present invention.

In task 501, telecommunication switch 102 ends telecommunication call j when flag [j, k] is fixed. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology how to make and use versions of the present invention that perform task 501.

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Figure 6 represents a flow chart of the details of task 403 according to the second illustrative version of the present invention.

In task 601, telecommunication switch 102 transfers telecommunication call j to telecommunication terminals 101-1, 101-2, 101-3, 101-4, 101-5, and 101-6 through any available from the telecommunication ports 206-1, 206-2, 206-3, 206-4, 206-5, and 206-6, when the flag [j, k] is fixed. It will be clear to those skilled in the technology how to make and use versions of the present invention that perform task 601.

It should be understood that the versions described above are merely illustrative of the present invention and that many variations of the versions described above can be made by those skilled in the technology without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in this Specification, numerous specific details are presented to provide a complete description and understanding of the illustrative versions of the present invention. Those skilled in the technology, however, will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of these details, or with other methods, materials, components, etc.