IP Library Granted Patent US 9,299,343
Granted Patent B1
US 9,299,343 · App. 14/661,676 · Granted Mar 29, 2016

Contact center speech analytics system having multiple speech analytics engines

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,299,343
App. No.
14/661,676
Granted
Mar 29, 2016
Kind
B1
Abstract

Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and computer-program products for providing a plurality of speech analytics engines in a speech analytics module for detecting semantic and non-semantic speech characteristics in the audio of a call involving an agent in a contact center and a remote party. The speech analytics module generates event notification messages reporting the detected semantic and non-semantic speech characteristics and these messages are sent to an event handler module that forwards the messages to one or more application specific modules. In turn, the application specific modules provide functionality based on the semantic and non-semantic speech characteristics detected during the call such as, for example, causing information to be presented on the screen of a computer used by the agent during the call.

Claims (57)

1. A method for providing speech-related characteristics of speech audio during a call involving a first party and a second party, comprising:

bridging in a speech analytics system (“SAS”) to the call, wherein the SAS receives the speech audio from at least one of the first party and the second party;

analyzing the speech audio by the SAS to ascertain a semantic speech characteristic of the speech audio, the semantic speech characteristic indicating a meaning of speech or uttered word made by at least one of the first party and the second party;

analyzing the speech audio by the SAS to ascertain a non-semantic speech characteristic of the speech audio, the non-semantic speech characteristic being pertinent to at least one of the first party and the second party or delivery of the speech by at least one of the first party and the second party that does not directly indicate the meaning of the speech or the uttered word made by at least one of the first party and the second party;

determining by the SAS to provide a first indicator to a first application specific module (“ASM”) based on ascertaining the semantic speech characteristic, the first ASM configured to perform functionality for a first particular application; and

determining by the SAS not to provide the first indicator to a second ASM, the second ASM configured to perform functionality for a second particular application in which the first particular application is different than the second particular application.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining by the SAS to provide a second indicator to the second ASM based on ascertaining the non-semantic speech characteristic; and

determining by the SAS not to provide the second indicator to the first ASM.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

providing the first indicator to the first ASM and the second indicator to the second ASM;

performing the functionality for the first particular application by the first ASM in response to receiving the first indicator; and

performing the functionality for the second particular application by the second ASM in response to receiving the second indicator.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

generating a call instance data structure for the call in the first ASM in response to receiving an identifier of the call prior to receiving the first indicator, wherein the call instance data structure stores the identifier of the call and the identifier of the call is received along with the first indicator.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining by the SAS to provide a third indicator to a third ASM based on ascertaining both the semantic speech characteristic and the non-semantic speech characteristic, the third ASM configured to perform functionality for a third particular application in which the third particular application is different than the first particular application and the second particular application.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing the second indicator to the second ASM along with a confidence value identifying a level of confidence for ascertaining the non-semantic speech characteristic of the speech audio.

7. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

memory storing a speech analytics module (SAM), a first application specific module (ASM) configured to perform functionality for a first particular application, and a second ASM configured to perform functionality for a second particular application that is different from the first particular application, wherein

the one or more computer processors execute the SAM to

receive speech audio of a call involving a first party and a second party,

analyze the speech audio to ascertain a semantic speech characteristic and a non-semantic speech characteristic in the speech audio, the semantic speech characteristic indicating a meaning of speech or uttered word made by at least one of the first party and the second party and the non-semantic speech characteristic being pertinent to at least one of the first party and the second party or delivery of the speech by at least one of the first party and the second party that does not directly indicate the meaning of the speech or the uttered word made by at least one of the first party and the second party,

determine to provide a first indicator to the first ASM based on ascertaining the semantic speech characteristic, and

determine not to provide the first indicator to the second ASM.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

the one or more computer processors execute the SAM to

determine to provide a second indicator to the second ASM based on ascertaining the non-semantic speech characteristic, and

determine not to provide the second indicator to the first ASM.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein

the one or more computer processors execute the first ASM to

receive the first indicator, and

perform the functionality for the first particular application in response to receiving the first indicator, and

the one or more computer processors execute the second ASM to:

receive the second indicator, and

perform the functionality for the second particular application in response to receiving the second indicator.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more computer processors execute the first ASM to

generate a call instance data structure for the call in response to receiving an identifier for the call prior to receiving the first indicator, the call instance data structure configured to store the identifier of the call and the identifier of the call is received along with the first indicator.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more computer processors execute the SAM to

determine to provide a third indicator to a third ASM based on ascertaining both the semantic speech characteristic and the non-semantic speech characteristic, the third ASM configured to perform functionality for a third particular application in which the third particular application is different than the first particular application and the second particular application.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more computer processors execute the SAM to

provide the second indicator to the second ASM along with a confidence value identifying a level of confidence for ascertaining the non-semantic speech characteristic of the speech audio.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed cause at least one computer processor to:

receive an indication of an establishment of a call between a first party and a second party;

receive speech audio associated with the call;

process the speech audio to ascertain a semantic speech characteristic and a non-semantic speech characteristic in the speech audio, the semantic speech characteristic indicating a meaning of speech or uttered word made by at least one of the first party and the second party and the non-semantic speech characteristic being pertinent to at least one of the first party and the second party or delivery of the speech by at least one of the first party and the second party that does not directly indicate the meaning of the speech or the uttered word made by at least one of the first party and the second party;

determine to provide a first indicator to a first application specific module (“ASM”) based on ascertaining the semantic speech characteristic, the first ASM configured to perform functionality for a first particular application; and

determine not to provide the first indicator to a second ASM, the second ASM configured to perform functionality for a second particular application that is different from the first particular application.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the at least one computer processor to:

determine to provide a second indicator to the second ASM based on ascertaining the non-semantic speech characteristic; and

determine not to provide the second indicator to the first ASM.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the at least one computer processor to:

determine to provide a third indicator to a third ASM based on ascertaining both the semantic speech characteristic and the non-semantic speech characteristic, the third ASM configured to perform functionality for a third particular application in which the third particular application is different than the first particular application and the second particular application.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions when executed further cause the at least one computer processor to:

provide the second indicator to the second ASM along with a confidence value identifying a level of confidence for ascertaining the non-semantic speech characteristic of the speech audio.

Assignments (11)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2025
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ALVARIA CAYMAN (WEM); ALVARIA CAYMAN (CXIP)
Reel/Frame 073360/0209 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: ALVARIA CAYMAN (WEM); ALVARIA CAYMAN (CXIP)
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 066850/0334 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: JEFFRIES FINANCE LLC
To: ALVARIA, INC.; NOBLE SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 066850/0428 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: NOBLE SYSTEMS, LLC
To: ALVARIA CAYMAN (CX)
Reel/Frame 066850/0556 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: JEFFRIES FINANCE LLC
To: ALVARIA, INC.; NOBLE SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 066850/0384 →
CERTIFICATE OF CONVERSION Recorded Mar 12, 2024
From: NOBLE SYSTEMS CORPORATION, A GEORGIA CORPORATION
To: NOBLE SYSTEMS, LLC, A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 066794/0435 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 10, 2021
From: WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC
To: NOBLE SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056193/0363 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 6, 2021
From: NOBLE SYSTEMS CORPORATION; ASPECT SOFTWARE, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 057674/0664 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 6, 2021
From: NOBLE SYSTEMS CORPORATION; ASPECT SOFTWARE, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 057261/0093 →
AMENDMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2015
From: NOBLE SYSTEMS CORPORATION
To: WELLS FARGO CAPITAL FINANCE, LLC
Reel/Frame 035812/0507 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2015
From: KOSTER, KARL H.; HAGGERTY, CHRISTOPHER S.
To: NOBLE SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 035194/0355 →