IP Library Granted Patent US 9,947,342
Granted Patent B2
US 9,947,342 · App. 14/205,602 · Granted Apr 17, 2018

Method and apparatus for speech behavior visualization and gamification

Inventors: Joshua Feast (Boston, MA); Ali Azarbayejani (Boston, MA); Skyler Place (Boston, MA)
Assignee: Cogito Corporation
G10L25/48G06Q10/0639H04M3/5175H04M3/5183H04M7/009H04M2203/252H04M2203/357
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,947,342
App. No.
14/205,602
Granted
Apr 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosed system and methods provide real-time information about how agents and customers sound as they are speaking, allowing a supervisor to continuously monitor how agents are doing. The system allows agents to visualize their own speech behavior performance during and after a conversation while viewing important comparative information about prior conversations, and gamifies conversations in real-time by providing visual comparison between the live conversations and various target metrics. The visualization in-turn enhances agent interactive skills such as active listening and mirroring, as well as decision-making skills based on observations of customer engagement and distress levels.

Claims (42)

1. A gamification system for presenting analysis of speech audio signals in real-time, the system comprising:

a real-time audio capture system configured to receive source conversational audio signals of current audio involving an agent and convert the received audio signals into analyzable digital audio as streamed audio conversational signals at low-latency;

a real-time signal processing system configured to apply metrics to transform the streamed audio conversational signals into computed streamed behavioral signals at low-latency;

an application server configured to provide the computed streamed behavioral signals to a computing device of the agent; and

an agent dashboard operated on the computing device of the agent, the agent dashboard configured to display the computed streamed behavioral signals and gamification objectives for the agent,

wherein the gamification system enables real-time comparison of computed streamed behavioral signals and displayed gamification objectives;

wherein the gamification objectives include one or more target metrics that are identified using machine learning techniques to produce positive outcomes; and

wherein the computed streamed behavioral signals are metrics comprising any of conversational participation computations, conversational flow computations, dynamic variation computations, speaking rate computations, vocal effort computations, and hyper/hypo articulation computations.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an operational datastore configured to store the streamed audio conversational signals and the computed streamed behavioral signals.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a computing device of a supervisor configured to operate a multi-agent dashboard displaying, at the same time, the computed streamed behavioral signals involving the agent and computed streamed behavioral signals involving one or more other agents.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source conversational audio signals are provided to the real-time audio capture system from a private branch exchange.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source conversational audio signals are provided to the real-time audio capture system from a voice over internet protocol switch.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the applied metrics are statically configured in advance of receiving the source conversational audio signals.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the applied metrics are dynamically configured during a conversation using metrics of a current stream.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the applied metrics are configured to analyze one or more non-verbal audio aspects of speech.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gamification objectives include historical metrics.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the historical metrics are for prior conversations involving the agent.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the historical metrics are for prior conversations involving a team of multiple agents.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the gamification objectives include a target value configured at an individual agent, team, or organizational level.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the target value is based on learned analysis of connections between computed streamed signals and past business outcomes.

14. A method of presenting analysis of speech audio signals in real-time through gamification, the method comprising:

receiving source conversational audio signals of current audio involving an agent by a real-time audio capture system at low-latency;

converting, by the real-time audio capture system, the received audio signals into analyzable digital audio as streamed audio conversational signals at low-latency;

applying metrics, by a real-time signal processing system, to the streamed audio conversational signals to transform the streamed audio conversational signals into computed streamed behavioral signals at low-latency;

providing the computed streamed behavioral signals from an application server to a computing device of the agent at low-latency;

operating an agent dashboard on the computing device of the agent at low-latency; and

displaying, on the agent dashboard, the computed streamed behavioral signals and gamification objectives for the agent at low-latency,

wherein gamification enables real-time comparison of computed streamed behavioral signals and displayed gamification objectives;

wherein the gamification objectives include one or more target metrics that are identified using machine learning techniques to produce positive outcomes; and

wherein the computed streamed behavioral signals are metrics comprising any of conversational participation computations, conversational flow computations, dynamic variation computations, speaking rate computations, vocal effort computations, and hyper/hypo articulation computations.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising storing, in an operational datastore, the streamed audio conversational signals and the computed streamed behavioral signals.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising operating, on a computing device of a supervisor, a multi-agent dashboard and displaying, on the multi-agent dashboard at the same time, the computed streamed behavioral signals involving the agent and computed streamed behavioral signals involving one or more other agents.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing the source conversational audio signals to the real-time audio capture system from a private branch exchange.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing the source conversational audio signals to the real-time audio capture system from a voice over interne protocol switch.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising statically configuring the applied metrics in advance of receiving the source conversational audio signals.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising dynamically configuring the applied metrics during a conversation.

21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising analyzing, through the applied metrics, one or more non-verbal audio aspects of speech.

22. The method of claim 14 , further comprising including historical metrics in the gamification objectives.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising including metrics from prior conversations involving the agent in the historical metrics.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising including metrics from a team of multiple agents in the historical metrics.

25. The method of claim 14 , further comprising configuring a target value in the gamification objectives at an individual agent, team, or organizational level.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising basing the target value on learned analysis of connections between computed streamed signals and past business outcomes.

Assignments (10)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 23, 2025
From: VERINT AMERICAS INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074034/0292 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2025
From: COGITO CORPORATION
To: VERINT AMERICAS INC.
Reel/Frame 070139/0177 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 16, 2024
From: FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY
To: COGITO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 068909/0546 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2022
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: COGITO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060264/0477 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2022
From: COGITO CORPORATION
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 060157/0513 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 6, 2020
From: COGITO CORPORATION
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 052318/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 25, 2018
From: COGITO HEALTH INC.
To: COGITO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046193/0775 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2017
From: VENTURE LENDING & LEASING VIII, INC.; VENTURE LENDING & LEASING VII, INC.
To: COGITO CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 042730/0201 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2016
From: COGITO CORPORATION
To: VENTURE LENDING & LEASING VII, INC.; VENTURE LENDING & LEASING VIII, INC.
Reel/Frame 038457/0966 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2014
From: AZARBAYEJANI, ALI; FEAST, JOSHUA; PLACE, SKYLER
To: COGITO HEALTH INC.
Reel/Frame 032412/0424 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150264177A1 · Sep 17, 2015