EP1511277A1

Method for answering an incoming event with a phone device, and adapted phone device

Abstract

Method for answering an incoming event, such as an incoming phone call, with a phone device (2), comprising: said phone device (2) produces a signal for announcing the incoming event (280),a called user (3) in the vicinity of said phone device speaks a voice command in order to handle the event (282),an ambient microphone (28) in said phone device (2) records said voice command,a speaker verification system (26) checks the identity of said called person (3) using said voice command (284),a voice recognition system (26) recognises said voice command (284),said voice command is executed (290) if the identity of said phone device user (3) has been positively verified and if said voice command has been correctly recognised.

EP1511277A1, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 3

Term

Term ended

Projected expiry passed 29 August 2023, 3.1 years ago.

  1. Priority and filed
  2. Published
  3. Projected expiry
  4. Today

43 claims: 4 independent, 39 dependent

  1. 1
    Method for answering an incoming event with a phone device (2), comprising:said phone device (2) produces a signal for announcing the incoming event (280), a phone device user (3) in the vicinity of said phone device speaks a voice command in order to handle the event (282), an ambient microphone (28) in said phone device (2) records said voice command, a speaker verification system (26) checks the identity of said called person (3) using said voice command (284), a voice recognition system (26) recognises said voice command (284), said voice command is executed (290) only if the identity of said phone device user (3) has been positively verified and if said voice command has been correctly recognised.
  2. 6
    The method of one of the preceding claims, wherein different users (3) are allowed to handle incoming messages or calls from different callers.
  3. 7
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 6, further comprising:establishing a dialogue between a text-to-speech converter (23) and the caller (256-266)
  4. 9
    The method of one of the claims 7 to 8, wherein said dialogue is performed during said call announcement (280).
  5. 10
    The method of one of the claims 7 to 9, wherein said dialogue (258-266) is used for determining the identity of the caller and/or for asking the caller about the urgency or importance of his call.
  6. 11
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 10, further comprising a step of identifying the caller or the calling device (254;258), and wherein said signal is an audio announcement signal indicating said identity.
  7. 14
    The method of one of the claims 12 or 13, wherein the voice and/or the words used for synthesising said audio announcement voice signal depends on said phone device user (3).
  8. 15
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 14, wherein said command includes a phone device identification identifying the commanded phone device (2).
  9. 17
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 16, further comprising:said phone device user (3) in the vicinity of said phone device speaks a redirect voice command (298) in order to redirect the call, said ambient microphone (28) in said phone device records said redirect voice command, a speaker verification system (26) checks the identity of said phone device user using his voice, a voice recognition system (26) recognises said redirect voice command (284), said incoming call is redirected (300) if the identity of said phone device user (3) has been positively verified and if said redirect voice command has been correctly recognised.
  10. 18
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 17, further comprising:said phone device user (3) in the vicinity of said phone device (2) speaks a voice mail command in order to redirect the call to a voice mail system (302), said ambient microphone (28) in said phone device records said voice mail command, a speaker verification system (26) uses said voice mail command to check the identity of said phone device user, a voice recognition system (26) recognises said voice mail command, said incoming call is redirected to voice mail system if the identity of said phone device user (3) has been positively verified and if said voice mail command has been correctly recognised.
  11. 19
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 18, further comprising:said phone device user in the vicinity of said phone device (2) speaks a reject voice command in order to reject said incoming call (294), said ambient microphone (28) in said phone device (2) records said reject voice command, a voice recognition system (26) recognises said reject voice command, said incoming call is rejected.
  12. 20
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 19, further comprising a step of identifying the calling device in the infrastructure of the telephone network (254).
  13. 21
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 20, further comprising a step of identifying the caller with a speaker identification system using a voice extract recorded prior to or during said announcement (258).
  14. 22
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 21, further comprising:between two calls, said phone device (2) determines the state of his user (3), the reaction of said phone device to an incoming call depends on said user's state.
  15. 24
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 23, further comprising a step of automatically determining the phone device user based on the identity of the caller or calling device (260).
  16. 25
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 24, comprising a step where said phone device asks the identity of the caller.
  17. 26
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 25, further comprising a step during which said phone device (2) automatically determines if said incoming event should be announced (268-276).
  18. 28
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 27, further comprising a registration step during which said user (3) registers himself with a registration voice command spoken to said phone device (2) in order to have incoming calls automatically redirected to said phone device.
  19. 29
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 28, wherein at least some said steps are performed with a user agent in the infrastructure of the telephone network.
  20. 30
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 29, further comprising a step where several phone devices share their knowledge of user's habits and preferences.
  21. 31
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 30, comprising a step where said phone device (2) answers said incoming event before producing said signal for announcing it.
  22. 34
    The method of one of the claims 31 to 33, comprising a step where said phone device has a simultaneous voice interaction with several callers.
  23. 35
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 34, comprising a step where said phone device has a simultaneous voice interaction with a caller and with said phone device user.
  24. 36
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 35, further comprising:between two calls, said user checks the state of said phone device with a dedicated voice command.
  25. 38
    The method of one of the claims 1 to 37, further comprising a step of using said phone device (2) as an authenticated terminal for a transaction with a third party.
  26. 39
    Phone device comprising:a loudspeaker (25) for audibly announcing incoming events, an ambient microphone (28) for recording voice commands spoken by a user (3) in the vicinity, a speaker verification system (26) for verifying the identity of said user, a voice recognition system (26) for recognizing said voice command, a processing system (20) for executing said voice command when the identity of said user (3) has been positively verified and when said voice command has been correctly recognised.
  27. 41
    The phone device of one of the claims 39 or 40, further comprising text-to-speech conversion means for announcing said incoming call vocally to said user.
  28. 42
    A computer program product comprising computer code portions for executing the method of one of the claims 1 to 39 when said computer code is run by a computer.
  29. 43
    A computer program product comprising computer code portions for checking the identity of a user (3), for recognising voice commands spoken by said user (3), and for executing said voice command if the identity of said phone device user (3) has been positively verified and if said voice command has been correctly recognised.
Independent claims29