Automatic Monitoring of a Call Participant's Attentiveness
A system is disclosed that enables a first call participant, such as an agent at a call center, to receive feedback about his attentiveness towards a second call participant while on a video call. Using the real-time image of the first call participant while on a video call, as well as additional information, the system of the illustrative embodiment evaluates one or more facial characteristics of the first participant, such as eye gaze; accumulates a record of predetermined, attentiveness-related conditions having been met; and notifies the first participant, or some other person such as the participant's supervisor, of the participant's attentiveness patterns.
1 . A method comprising:
receiving an image of a first call participant of a video call, the first call participant being in video communication with a second call participant of the video call;
evaluating whether a predetermined condition has been met based on a facial characteristic of the image; and
when the condition has been met, transmitting a signal that is based on the condition having been met.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the signal is transmitted to a telecommunications endpoint of the first call participant.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the signal is transmitted to a database.
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving vocal communication from the second call participant;
wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is also based on the vocal communication from the second call participant.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is based on whether the second call participant is speaking.
6 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining the gender of the second call participant based on the vocal communication;
wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is also based on the gender of the second call participant.
7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving vocal communication from the first call participant;
wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is also based on the vocal communication from the first call participant.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the facial characteristic comprises eye gaze.
9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a modified image of the first call participant to a telecommunications endpoint of the second call participant during the video call, wherein the modified image is based on the evaluation.
10 . A method comprising:
receiving i) an image of a first call participant of a video call and ii) vocal communication from a second call participant of the video call;
evaluating whether a predetermined condition has been met based on the eye gaze of the first call participant and the vocal communication from the second call participant; and
when the condition has been met, transmitting a signal that is based on the condition having been met.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is based on whether the second call participant is speaking.
12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining the gender of the second call participant based on the vocal communication;
wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is also based on the gender of the second call participant.
13 . The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving vocal communication from the first call participant;
wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is also based on the vocal communication from the first call participant.
14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the signal is transmitted to a telecommunications endpoint of the first call participant.
15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the signal is also transmitted to a database.
16 . The method of claim 10 further comprising transmitting a modified image of the first call participant to a telecommunications endpoint of the second call participant during the video call, wherein the modified image is based on the evaluation.
17 . A method comprising:
receiving i) an image of a first call participant of a video call and ii) vocal communication from the first call participant, the first call participant being in video communication with a second call participant of the video call;
evaluating whether a predetermined condition has been met based on the eye gaze of the first call participant and the vocal communication of the first call participant; and
when the condition has been met, transmitting a signal that is based on the condition having been met.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is based on whether the first call participant is speaking.
19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving vocal communication from the second call participant;
wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is also based on the vocal communication from the second call participant.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the evaluation of whether the predetermined condition has been met is based on whether the second call participant is speaking.
21 . The method of claim 17 wherein the signal is transmitted to a telecommunications endpoint of the first call participant.
22 . The method of claim 17 wherein the signal is transmitted to a database.
23 . The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting a modified image of the first call participant to a telecommunications endpoint of the second call participant during the video call, wherein the modified image is based on the evaluation.