Server for automatically offering a translation service to the users of a telephone network

Server automatically offering a translation service to users of a telephone network

The invention relates to a server automatically offering a translation service to users of a telephone network. When a first user calls a second user who does not speak the same language, nor any other language known to the first user, these two users must use a third person, a human translator, to have simultaneous translation. This problem arises in particular when an employee of a company telephones another employee, of the same company or of another company, located in another country. If, at the time of communication establishment, these two persons find that they do not know a common language, they should interrupt the communication to find a human translator, having adequate linguistic abilities, then organize a conference call with the human translator to have simultaneous translation.

Document US 6,690,932 describes a call center in which, if a human operator notices that a calling user speaks a language he does not know, the operator controls a device which automatically calls a translation agency in him. immediately providing information: The identity of the call center and the designation of the language to be translated, or an indicator indicating that the language to be translated has not yet been identified. A pre-recorded message causes the calling user to wait while the translation agency responds with a translator. The operator, translator, and calling user are then placed in a conference call.

Such a call center is well suited to constitute an emergency call center, because the presence of a human operator is essential to respond to requests for help, even in the absence of a language problem. On the other hand, such a call center is not suited to the needs of a company which only wishes to resolve the language problem that may arise when one of its employees has to call abroad. The presence of a human operator in a call center who would be used as an intermediary in such a case would be too costly a solution for a company or even for a group of companies.

The aim of the invention is to provide a fully automatic solution for offering a translation service to users of a telephone network.

A first object of the invention is a call server automatically offering a translation service to users of a telephone network, characterized in that it comprises:

means for receiving a first indication of linguistic capacity coming from a first user, and a second indication of linguistic capacity coming from a second user, when the establishment of a call between these two users is requested;

- means for detecting an incompatibility between the first and the second indication of linguistic capacity, then requesting a second call server to establish a communication with the terminal of a translator corresponding to the first and to the second indication linguistic capacity, and which is available at the time in question;

- means for receiving a response from the second call server;

- And means for establishing a conference call bringing together the terminals of two users and that of a translator, via the second call server, if the second call server has replied that it has found a translator corresponding to the first and the second indication of linguistic capacity, and which is available at the time in question.

A second object of the invention is a call server comprising means for playing the role of a call center for a plurality of terminals made available to a plurality of translators, characterized in that it comprises :

means for receiving, from another call server, a request for establishing a communication with the terminal of a translator corresponding to a first and a second indication of linguistic capacity, and which is available at the instant considered;

means for searching in a database for a translator corresponding to the first and to the second indication of linguistic capacity, and which is available at the time considered; then send a response to the other call server.

The invention will be better understood and other characteristics will appear with the aid of the description below and the accompanying figures:

FIG. 1 represents a first example of a network in which a first example of embodiment of the two call servers according to the invention is implemented.

FIG. 2 represents the SIP (Session Initialization Protocol) signaling messages exchanged during a first phase of the use of this first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 represents the SIP signaling messages exchanged during a second phase of the use of this first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 represents a second example of a network in which a second exemplary embodiment of the two call servers according to the invention is implemented.

FIG. 5 represents the SIP signaling messages exchanged during a first phase of the use of the second exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 represents the SIP signaling messages exchanged during a second phase of the use of the second exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 represents the SIP signaling messages exchanged during a third phase of the use of the second exemplary embodiment.

The call servers according to the invention can be used in any telecommunications network, with packet switching, supporting the Internet protocol and the SIP signaling protocol.

FIG. 1 represents a first example of a network, referenced IPN, supporting the Internet protocol and the SIP signaling protocol, and in which a first exemplary embodiment of the two call servers according to the invention is implemented.

This network is a public network which comprises:

A call server, referenced CSU, which is on the path connecting the two terminals TA, TB, considered by way of example. There may be other elements on this path, in particular proxy servers, not shown, these elements relaying the messages without playing a particular role for the functionality considered here. User A uses terminal TA to call user B using terminal TB. User A's mother tongue is French, and User B's mother tongue is Spanish.

Another call server, referenced CST, to which are attached several terminals made available to translators, in particular a TT terminal shown by way of example. The call server CST comprises conventional means enabling it to play the role of a call center for a group of translators constituting a translation agency. These means are able to search a local database (not shown) for a translator who has given linguistic capacities, and who is available at the time in question.

FIG. 2 represents the signaling messages exchanged during a first phase of the use of the first exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1.

Step 201: The terminal TA of user A requests the establishment of a communication with the terminal TB of user B. These two terminals are compatible with the SIP signaling protocol. The TA terminal sends the CSU server, to which it is attached, an INVITE message, provided for in the SIP standard:

INVITE sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us To: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: UserA@Alcatel-Lucent.fr Accept-Language: fr, de; q = 0.8 Call-ld: abcdefg12345

In this message, the field “To: sip: UserB @ Alcatel-Lucent.fr” indicates the address of the destination terminal TB, and the field “From: sip:

UserA@Alcatel-Lucent.us ”indicates the address of the sending terminal TA. The "Call-ld: abcdefg 12345" field is a communication identifier.

An Accept-Language field is provided in the INVITE messages by the SIP standard to indicate the linguistic capacities of the user of a terminal, so as to be able to display on this terminal messages which are preferably in a language understandable by this user. . In this example, the content “Àccept-Language: fr, de; q = 0.8 ”of this field means that the user of terminal A has French as his mother tongue (implying that he has maximum linguistic capacities in his mother tongue), and that this user also understands German with a capacity equal to 0.8 on a predetermined capacity scale ranging from 0 to 1, in steps of 0.1. These capacity values ​​have been written once and for all in a memory of the terminal TA, by its user A.

Step 202: The CSU call server responds to the TA terminal with the following SIP message: 100 Trying .... This message means that the CSU server is trying to establish the requested communication. But, before retransmitting the INVITE message to the terminal TB, which is also attached to the CSU server, this server will check the linguistic compatibility between users A and B.

Step 203: The CSU call server sends an OPTIONS message to the TB terminal:

OPTIONS sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us To: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Call-ld: poiuy98765

This OPTIONS message, provided for by the SIP standard, invites the terminal TB to indicate its capabilities, in particular the linguistic capabilities of the user of the terminal TB. The “Call-id: poiuyy98765” field identifies the communication between the CSU server and the TB terminal.

Step 204: The terminal TB responds to the call server CSU with the following message:

200 okay

Το: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: ivr@Alcatel.-Lucent.com Accept-Language: en, es; q = 0.7 Catl-ld: poiuy98765

This 200 OK message indicates that the terminal TB is ready to establish a communication. In this message, the field “Accept-Language: en, es; q = 0.7 ”is an indication of linguistic abilities which means that user B has English as his mother tongue, but also speaks Spanish with a capacity equal to 0.7 on the scale of predetermined capacities ranging from 0 to 1. These capacity values ​​have been written once and for all in a memory of the terminal TB, by its user B. The CSU server compares the linguistic capacities indicated by the terminals TA and TB respectively, and concludes that the users A and B do not have a common language.

Step 205: The CSU server sends the TA terminal another 200 OK message:

200 okay

To: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: UserA@Alcatel-Lucent.fr Call-ld: abcdefg12345

This second message 200 OK ... indicates to the terminal TA that the terminal TB is ready to establish a communication with it. But before ordering the establishment of this communication with the terminal TB, the call server CSU connects the terminal TA to a voice answering machine, not shown in the figures, but which can be integrated into the same machine as the server. CSU calls. This voice server then sends the terminal TA a voice message to inform user A that he has a linguistic incompatibility with user B, and to ask him if he wishes the help of a translator.

Step 206: User A is invited, by the voice answering machine, to press a key on his telephone to choose an option:

- Establish communication with terminal B using a translator,

- or establish a communication with the terminal B without a translator, or abandon the call establishment request.

Step 207: In this example, user A accepts the translation proposal.

Step 208: The CSU call server sends the following message to the terminal TB:

INVITE sip: UserB@Atcatel-Lucent.us To: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Call-ld: poiuy98765

This message means that the call server CSU requests the establishment of a communication between the terminal TB, and a voice answering machine identified by the field “From sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com”. This responder, not shown in the figures, can be integrated into the same machine as the CSU server. The “Call-id: poiuyy98765” field identifies the communication between the CSU server and the TB terminal. On receipt of this message, the terminal TB begins to ring.

Step 209: When user B picks up the terminal TB, the latter sends the CSU server the following message:

200 okay

To: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Accept-Language: en, es; q = 0.7 Call-ld: poiuy98765

This message indicates that the terminal TB is ready to establish a communication with this answering machine.

Step 210: The call server CSU connects the terminal TB to this answering machine. The latter then sends a voice message to the terminal TB for:

inform user B that he is called but that he has a linguistic incompatibility with the user of the calling terminal, TA,

- and to ask him if he would like the help of a translator.

This voice message is sent in a language understood by user B: English or Spanish in this example. This message indicates to user B that the calling user speaks neither English nor Spanish, but speaks French and German. User B is then invited to press a key on his telephone to choose an option:

- Establish communication with the TA terminal using a translator,

- or establish a communication without a translator,

- or refrain from establishing a call.

Step 211: User B indicates, in this example, that he wishes to establish a communication with user A using a translator.

FIG. 3 represents the signaling messages exchanged during a second phase of the use of the first exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1:

Step 301: The CSU server determines a combination of two languages ​​between which a translation will be requested from a translation agency. In this example, he will ask for a French-English translation (in both directions) which corresponds to the respective mother tongues of the two interlocutors. The CSU server then sends the following message to the CST call server which comprises conventional means allowing it to play the role of call center for a group of translators constituting a translation agency. These means are able to search a local database (not shown) for a translator who has given linguistic capacities, and who is available at the time in question.

INVITE sip: translator@Translator.com To; sip: translator@Translator.com From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Accept-Language: fr, en Call-ld: nbvcx12345

The "To: sip: translator@Translator.com" field identifies a translation agency for which the CST call server acts as a call center. The "Accept-Language: fr, en" field indicates the linguistic capacities expected of a translator, ie French-English and vice versa. It is a reuse of the Accept-Language field which is dedicated to another use by the SIP standard (indicating the linguistic capacities of a given user). But the CSU call server knows that this field should be used in a special way when it comes to calling a translation agency to request translation between two languages. On the other hand, the call server CST which is the recipient also knows that this field indicates the linguistic capacities expected of a translator, when it comes to calling a translation agency. The "Call-ld: nbvcx12345" field identifies the communication to be established with a translator.

Step 302: The call server CST searches for a translator who has the expected linguistic capacities, and who is available at the time considered, on the basis of linguistic capacity data and presence data read from a local database. If it finds one, it responds to the CSU call server with the following SIP message:

200 okay

To: sip: translator@Translator.com From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Accept-Language: fr, en Call-ld: nbvcx12345

The fact that the CST call server responds 200 OK (and not an error message) indicates that it is ready to provide French-English translation (in both directions).

Step 303: The CSU server then controls the conferencing of the three terminals TA, TB, TT.

In the event that the CST call server does not find a translator available for the French-English translation (in both directions), in the database, the CST call server sends a "603" message to the CSU server. (“Declined” in SIP terminology) not shown in the figures.

In the event that the CST call server finds a translator for the French-English translation (in both directions), but it is unavailable for the moment, the CST server sends to the CSU server a message "600" (" Busy Everywhere ”in SIP terminology).

To select a language pair among the four possible languages ​​according to the indications given by the two terminals, the CSU server calculates a value to classify each possible pair, by making the product of the coefficient qi of the first language of the pair with the coefficient q2 of the couple's second language. Growing values ​​set increasing priorities for choice.

The table below gives an example where the pair fr - en has the highest priority:

<td>Priority</td><td>Language of A</td><td>Language of B</td><td>q1 x q2</td>

<td> 1</td><td>fr (coef = 1)</td><td>in (coef = 1)</td><td> 1</td>

<td> 2</td><td>of (coef = 0.8)</td><td>in (coef = 1)</td><td> 0.8</td>

<td> 3</td><td>fr (coef = 1)</td><td>es (coef = 0.7)</td><td> 0.7</td>

<td> 4</td><td>of (coef = 0.8)</td><td>es (coef = 0.7)</td><td> 0.56</td>

In the event of a negative response from the translation agency, the CSU server searches for another language pair. He then determines the German-Spanish combination, in this example, thanks to the indications of linguistic abilities which allow him to know that user A understands German fairly well and that user B understands Spanish fairly well. It repeats step 301. In the embodiment described above, the CSU server determines a single pair of pitchings before sending the message 301. The server only determines if a translator is available to translate this language pair. This embodiment has the drawback of possibly requiring the sending of several messages 301 respectively for several language pairs, but it has the advantage of not requiring a modification of the SIP standard.

According to another embodiment, the determination of the language pair to be translated would not be made in the CSU server to which the two users are attached but would be made in the CST server to which the telephone terminals of the translation agency are attached. However, this variant embodiment would require a modification of the SIP standard to make it possible to transmit from the terminal TA (respectively TB) to the server CST, to which the terminal of the agency is attached, in the same message, all the capacity indications. linguistic, of the user of the terminal TA and of the user of the terminal TB, so that this CST server can choose a pair of languages, without the CSU server having to redo at least one second request if the first request is refused. For example, a SIP message would transmit from the TA terminal to the CST server, in a single message, the indication fr, de; q = 0.8 and It; q = 0.7 to indicate that the user understands French, German, and Italian.

FIG. 4 represents a second example of a network in which a second exemplary embodiment of the two call servers according to the invention is implemented. In this example, we consider two terminals TA 'and TB' belonging to two separate private networks, respectively PR1 and PR2, connected by a public network PUBIPN supporting the SIP signaling protocol. This example of a public network PUBIPN comprises a call server, referenced CSIVR, produced according to the invention.

A translation agency has a private network PR3 comprising a call server CST 'which is connected to the public network PUBIPN. In this example, the call server CST 'is a private branch exchange supporting the Internet protocol. The translators working for this agency each have a telephone set, supporting the SiP protocol, such as the TT 'set shown in the figure by way of example. This call server CST 'comprises conventional means allowing it to play the role of a call center.

The private network PR1 supports the SIP protocol. The terminal TA ′ is connected to the public network PUBIPN via a proxy server, referenced PRPRO, which belongs to the private network PR1.

The private network PR2 is a conventional analog network, therefore not supporting the SIP signaling protocol. The terminal TB ′ is connected to a SIPGW gateway which is connected to the public network via a link supporting the SIP protocol. This SIPGW gateway is located in a private branch exchange which is used to interconnect all the terminals of the private network PR2.

In this example, the call server, CS-IVR, simultaneously performs two functions:

- Memorize information on translation service subscribers (calling subscribers, called subscribers, and translation agency translators).

- Segment a communication to be able to establish a conference between the caller, the called party, and the translator.

In this example, it also hosts a voice mailbox. In other examples of networks supporting the SIP protocol, these three functions can be distributed over separate entities.

There may be other elements on the path between the terminals TA 'and TB', in particular proxy servers, not shown, these elements relaying the messages without playing a particular role for the functionality considered here.

FIG. 5 represents the signaling messages exchanged during a first phase of the use of the second exemplary embodiment, CS-IVR, of the call server according to the invention.

Step 401a: The terminal TA 'of a user A' requests the establishment of a communication with the terminal TB 'of a user B'. The terminal TA 'sends to the proxy server PRPRO, to which it is attached, the following INVITE message:

INVITE sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us To: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: UserA@Alcatel-Lucent.fr Accept-Language: fr, de; q = 0.8 Call-ld: abcdefg12345

In this message, the field "To: sip: UserB @ Àlcatel-Lucent.fr" indicates the address of the destination terminal TB ', and the field "From: sip: UserA@Alcatel-Lucent.us" indicates the address of the TA sender terminal '. The "Call-ld: abcdefg 12345" field is a communication identifier. The field "Accept-Language: fr, de; q = 0.8 "means that the user of the terminal TA 'has French as his mother tongue (implying that he has maximum linguistic capacities in his mother tongue), and that this user also understands German with a capacity equals 0.8 on a predetermined capacity scale ranging from 0 to 1, in steps of 0.1. These capacity values ​​have been written once and for all in a memory of the terminal TA ′, by its user A ′.

Step 401b: The proxy server PRPRO retransmits this INVITE message to the call server CS-IVR.

Step 402: The CS-IVR call server receives and interprets this message. It replies to the terminal TA 'with the following SIP message: 100 Trying .... This message means that the call server CS-IVR is trying to establish the requested communication. But, before continuing to establish a communication, this server will check the linguistic compatibility between the users A 'and B'.

Step 403: The CS-IVR call server sends the following message to the terminal TB ':

OPTIONS sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us To: sip: UserB@Alcatel.-Lucent.us From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Call-ld: poiuy98765

This OPTIONS message invites the terminal TB 'to indicate its capabilities, in particular the linguistic capabilities of the user of the terminal TB'. The "Call-id: poiuyy98765" field identifies the communication between the CS-IVR server and the terminal TB '.

Step 404: The SIPGW gateway receives this message and interprets it as a request addressed to itself, because it knows the capacities of the terminal TB ′ and can respond in its place (the terminal TB being a terminal which is not not SIP compatible, it could not answer itself). The SIPGW gateway responds, sending the CS-IVR call server the following message:

200 okay

To: sip: UserB @ Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: ivr @ Alcatel- Lucent.com Accept-Language: en, es; q = 0.7 Call-ld: poiuy98765

This 200 OK message indicates that the terminal TB ′ is ready to establish a communication. In this message, the field “Accept-Language: en, es; q = 0.7 ”is an indication of linguistic abilities which means that user B 'has English as his mother tongue, but also speaks Spanish with a capacity equal to 0.7 on the scale of predetermined abilities spreading out from 0 to 1. These capacity values ​​have been written once and for all in a memory of the SIPGW gateway, by the user B 'of the terminal TB'. The "Call-id: poiuyy98765" field identifies the communication between the call server CS-IVR and the terminal TB '.

Step 405a: The 200 OK message is received by the CS-IVR call server. The call server CS-IVR then compares the linguistic capacities of the terminals TA 'and TB' respectively, and concludes that the users A 'and B' do not have a common language. It then sends a new 200 OK message to the terminal TA ', this message having the following content:

200 okay

To: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: si p: UserA @ Alcatel- Lucent. en Call-ld: abcdefg12345

Step 405b: The new message 200 OK is received by the proxy server PRPRO which retransmits it to the terminal TA ′.

FIG. 6 represents the signaling messages exchanged during a second phase of the use of the second CS-IVR embodiment of the call server according to the invention.

Step 406: A connection is established between the terminal TA ′ and the voice answering machine which is located in the call server CS-IVR. User A 'is invited, by the voice answering machine, to press a key on his telephone to choose an option:

- Establish communication with the terminal TB 'using a translator,

- Or establish a communication with the terminal TB ′ without a translator, or abandon the call establishment request.

Step 407: In this example, user À 'accepts the translation proposal.

Step 408a: The CS-IVR call server sends the following message to the terminal TB ':

INVITE sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us

To: sip: UserB@Alcatel-Lucent.us From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Call-ld: poiuy98765

This message means that the call server CS-IVR requests the establishment of a communication between the terminal TB ', and a voice answering machine identified by the field “From sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com”. This answering machine is, in this example, integrated into the call server CS-IVR. The "Call-id: poiuyy98765" field identifies the communication between the call server CS-IVR and the terminal TB '.

Step 408b: The SIPGW gateway receives this INVITE message and converts it into a signaling message suited to the type of private branch exchange to which the terminal TB ′ is attached. For example, for an integrated services digital switch, it issues a SETUP message. On receipt of this message, this automatic exchange sends a ringing signal to the terminal TB '. The terminal TB 'begins to ring.

Step 409a: When user B 'picks up terminal TB', the latter sends a CONNECT signaling message to the SIPGW gateway, to indicate that user B 'is responding.

Step 409b: When the SIPGW gateway receives this signaling message, it sends the following message to the voice answering machine, associated with the call server CS-IVR, to indicate that user B 'is answering:

200 okay

To: sip: ivr @ Alcatel-Lucent.com

From: sip: UserB @ Alcatel-Lucent.us

Accept-Language: en, es; q = 0.7

Call-ld: poiuy98765

Step 410: The CS-IVR call server receives this message and retransmits it to the voice answering machine, associated with the CS-IVR call server. The CS-IVR call server connects the terminal TB 'to this answering machine. The latter then sends a voice message to the terminal TB 'for:

- inform user B 'that he is called but that there is a linguistic incompatibility with the user of the calling terminal, TA',

- and to ask him if he would like the help of a translator.

This voice message is sent in a language understood by user B ': English or Spanish in this example. This message indicates to user B 'that the calling user does not speak English or Spanish, but speaks French and German. User B 'is then invited to press a key on his telephone to choose an option:

- Establish a communication with the terminal TA 'using a translator,

- or establish a communication without a translator,

- or refrain from establishing a call.

Step 411: User B 'indicates, in this example, that he wishes to establish a communication with user A' using a translator.

FIG. 7 represents the signaling messages exchanged during a third phase of the use of the call server CS-IVR represented in FIG. 4:

Step 501: The CS-IVR call server determines a combination of two languages ​​between which a translation will be requested from a translation agency. In this example, he will ask for a French-English translation (in both directions) which corresponds to the respective mother tongues of the two interlocutors. The CS-IVR server then sends the following message to the call server CST 'to which the terminal TT' of a predetermined translation agency is attached:

INVITE sip: translator@Translator.com To: sip: translator@Translator.com From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Accept-Language: fr, en Call-ld: nbvcx12345

The "To: sip: translator@Translator.com" field identifies the recipient agency. The "Accept-Language: fr, en" field indicates the linguistic capacities expected of a translator, ie French-English and vice versa. The "Call-ld: nbvcx12345" field identifies the communication to be established with the agency.

Step 502: The call server CST 'searches, in a local database, for a translator having this linguistic capacity and who is available. If it finds one, it responds to the CS-IVR call server with the following SIP message:

200 okay

To: sip: translator@Translator.com From: sip: ivr@Alcatel-Lucent.com Accept-Language: fr, en Call-ld: nbvcx12345

The fact that the call server CST 'replies 200 OK (and not an error message) indicates that it is ready to provide French-English translation (in both directions).

Step 503: The call server CS-IVR then controls the conferencing of the three terminals TA ′, TB ′, TT ′.

According to a preferred embodiment, when the interrogated call server, CST, respectively CST ', indicates to the requesting call server , CSU, respectively CS-IVR, that there is no translator available, then the requesting call server searches, in a predetermined list, a third call server playing the role of call center for another group of translators, and it repeats the procedure described above.

The scope of the invention is not limited to call servers as described above, it can be applied with all types of call server.

The call server CST or CST 'which plays the role of call center for the translators can belong to the public network as well, in particular if the translators are freelance workers who only have in common the use of this center. call.