System and method for providing communications services
A routing system for providing a communications service via a telecommunications network includes a switch communicatively coupled to a first interface, a second interface, and a third interface. Each interface is operable to relay an audio signal between a station and the switch. A signal processor is communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to monitor the audio signal for a trigger signal as the audio signal is relayed between the first interface and the second interface. The signal processor is further operable to selectively activate the switch upon detection of the trigger signal to communicably couple the third interface to the first interface and/or the second interface.
1 . A routing system for providing a communications service via a telecommunications network comprising:
a switch;
a first interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay an audio signal between a calling station and the switch;
a second interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay the audio signal between a called station and the switch;
a third interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay the audio signal between an operator station and the switch; and
a signal processor communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to monitor the audio signal for a trigger signal as the audio signal is relayed between the first interface and the second interface;
wherein the signal processor is further operable to selectively activate the switch upon detection of the trigger signal to communicably couple the first interface to the third interface.
2 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor comprises a digital signal processor.
3 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor comprises a DTMF decoder.
4 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger signal is a DTMF tone.
5 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor comprises a speech recognition unit.
6 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger signal is a spoken word.
7 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger signal is transmitted by the calling station.
8 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger signal is transmitted by the called station.
9 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the calling station is associated with a calling telephone number and the switch is further operable to route the call to the third interface as a function of the calling telephone number.
10 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the calling station comprises a telephone selected from the group consisting of a corded telephone, a cordless telephone, a cellular telephone, a PCS telephone, and a satellite telephone.
11 . A routing system for providing a communications service via a telecommunications network comprising:
a switch;
a first interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay an audio signal between a calling station and the switch;
a second interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay the audio signal between a called station and the switch;
a third interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay the audio signal between an operator station and the switch;
a processor communicatively coupled to the switch operable to receive a switching signal from the telecommunications network and selectively activate the switch as a function of the switching signal to communicably couple the first interface to the second interface; and
a signal processor communicably coupled to the switch;
wherein signal processor is operable to monitor the audio signal as the audio signal is relayed between the first interface and the second interface, and to selectively activate the switch as a function of the audio signal to communicably couple the first interface to the third interface.
12 . The routing system of claim 11 , wherein the signal processor comprises a digital signal processor.
11 . The routing system of claim 11 , wherein the processor comprises the signal processor.
14 . The routing system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is a service switching point.
15 . The routing system of claim 11 , wherein the signal processor comprises a DTMF demodulator.
16 . The routing system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor comprises a speech recognition unit.
17 . A method for providing a translation service via a network comprising:
receiving a call at a local exchange from a calling communication device associated with a first number;
indexing the first number into a database and selectively routing the call to a switch as a function of the first number;
receiving the call at the switch;
receiving a second number associated with a called communication device from the calling communication device;
routing the call through the switch to a called communication device as a function of the second number;
monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device for an audio signal with a processor; and
routing, upon detection of the audio signal, the call through the switch to an operator communication device.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device for an audio signal with a processor comprises detecting a tone.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein detecting a tone comprises detecting a DTMF tone.
20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device for an audio signal with a processor comprises detecting a spoken word.
21 . A routing system for providing a communications service via a telecommunications network comprising:
a switch;
a first interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay an audio signal between a calling station and the switch;
a second interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay the audio signal between a called station and the switch;
a third interface communicatively coupled to the switch and operable to relay the audio signal between an operator station and the switch;
a processor communicatively coupled to the switch operable to receive a switching signal from the telecommunications network and selectively activate the switch as a function of the switching signal to communicably couple the first interface to the second interface; and
a signal processor communicably coupled to the switch;
wherein signal processor is operable to monitor the audio signal as the audio signal is relayed between the first interface and the second interface, and to selectively activate the switch as a function of the audio signal to communicably couple the second interface to the third interface.
22 . The routing system of claim 21 , wherein the signal processor comprises a digital signal processor.
23 . The routing system of claim 21 , wherein the signal processor comprises a DTMF decoder.
24 . The routing system of claim 21 , wherein the trigger signal is a DTMF tone.
25 . The routing system of claim 21 , wherein the signal processor comprises a speech recognition unit.
26 . A method for providing a translation service via a network comprising:
receiving a call at a routing system from a calling communication device associated with a first number;
indexing the first number into a database and selectively routing the call to a switch as a function of the first number;
receiving the call at the switch;
receiving a second number associated with a called communication device from the calling communication device;
routing the call through the switch to a called communication device as a function of the second number;
monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device for an audio signal with a processor; and
routing, upon detection of the audio signal, the call through the switch to an operator communication device.
27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device for an audio signal with a processor comprises monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device with a digital signal processor.
28 . The method of claim 26 , wherein monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device for an audio signal with a processor comprises monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device with a DTMF decoder.
29 . The method of claim 26 , wherein monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device for an audio signal with a processor comprises monitoring the call between the calling communication device and the called communication device with a speech recognition unit.
30 . The method of claim 26 , wherein routing, upon detection of the audio signal, the call through the switch to an operator communication device, comprises routing, upon detection of a DTMF tone, the call through the switch to an operator communication device