Abstract:
The present invention relates to a system for automatically identifying enunciation of telephone numbers and email addresses in voice mail messages for presentation to a user via either voice or text, without the user being required to replay the message. Furthermore, according to the invention the extracted telephone number or email addresses may be forwarded to an application for further processing (e.g. to dial the extracted number, add the email address and/or telephone number to a contacts database, etc.) The user may specify text strings to be searched (other than telephone numbers and email addresses). Thus, a user can specify certain words such as “extension”, “email”, etc., in order to qualify the extracted number or email address information, or words such as “urgently” or “immediately” to identify important voice mail messages.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates in general to voice mail systems and more specifically to a method and apparatus for identifying and extracting voiced telephone numbers and email addresses from recorded voice mail messages. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A common complaint among users of voice mail systems relates to difficulties in extracting and transcribing important information from voice mail messages for later use. As an example, it is common for a caller whose call is answered by voice mail to leave a voice mail message that includes a telephone number or email address at which the caller may be contacted. Unless the caller enunciates the telephone number or email address very slowly, the voice mail recipient may be forced to replay all or a portion of the voice mail message in order to transcribe the telephone number or email address for later use. Most callers find very slow enunciation to be awkward and unnatural, with the result that the majority of such voice mail messages must be replayed once or even several times in order for the voice mail recipient to transcribe the information. Furthermore, the process for replaying voice mail messages is often complex (e.g. requiring memorization of keys on a telephone keypad which have been assigned for the replay function). The process can also be tedious (e.g. some systems require that the entire message be replayed in order to extract only the portion relating to the telephone number or email address). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a system is provided for automatically identifying enunciation of telephone numbers and email addresses in voice mail messages for presentation to a user via either a voice or text, without the user being required to replay the message. Furthermore, according to the invention the extracted telephone number or email addresses may be forwarded to an application for further processing (e.g. to dial the extracted number, add the email address and/or telephone number to a contacts database, etc.) 
     According to another aspect of the invention, a user may specify text strings to be searched (other than telephone numbers and email addresses). Thus, a user can specify certain words such as “extension”, “email”, etc., in order to qualify the extracted number or email address information, or words such as “urgently” or “immediately” to identify important voice mail messages. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DETAILED DRAWINGS 
     A description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a PBX voice mail system incorporating telephone number extraction in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a graphical user interface showing an example of the manner in which extracted information is presented to the user according to the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a graphical user interface showing an example of user selection of an action to be performed using the extracted information shown in FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 4 is a graphical user interface showing an initialization screen for user programming of information to be extracted from voice mail messages. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to FIG. 1, a server based PBX is shown (i.e. PBX) comprising a server  1 , to which a plurality of communication endpoints are connected such as telephone  3  and PC  5 . The telephone  3  can be a digital set, POTS set, a PC phone or LAN/IP phone. For ease of illustration and description, only two endpoints are depicted in FIG.  1 . In practice, a multiplicity of endpoint devices is provided. The server  1  establishes communication between the endpoints under control of call processing software  7 , in a well-known manner. 
     According to the invention, a voice number extraction voicemail application  9  uses an audio file  11 , knowledge database  12 , and sound database  13 , the operations of which are set forth in greater detail below. The telephone  3  includes a plurality of feature keys for executing commands in connection with the voice number extraction application  9 . Specifically, a “Listen to Message” key  15  is provided which, when pressed by a telephone user causes DTMF digits (or other signaling) to be sent by the telephone  3  to the call processing software  7 . The call processing software  7  then activates the application  9  to retrieve voice mail messages from audio file  11 . 
     In response to pressing a “Find Number” key  17  while listening to a voice mail message, DTMF digits (or other signaling) are sent by the telephone  3  to the call processing software  7 . A keypad access code, or soft key on telephone  3 , or a GUI button or menu item on PC  5  may replace the key  17 . The call processing software  7  then causes the application  9  to launch a voice recognition application (e.g. Speak@Ease by Mitel Corporation) with instructions to search for a number in the retrieved voice mail message, as described in greater detail below. When the voice recognition application finds a number, it is presented to the user at telephone  3  or PC  5  via voice or textual display (provided the phone  3  supports textual display). It is contemplated that the extracted phone number may be validated against the phone number extracted from Caller ID data that may be stored in the voice message. Upon extraction of a number, the application  9  generates a user prompt for further instructions. The user prompt can be either voice or text. In response to the prompt, the user can select from one of several feature keys (or access codes, or soft keys or GUI buttons or menu items) identified in FIG. 1 as “Accept Number” key  19 , “Continue Search” key  21 , or “Abandon Search” key  23 . 
     On selecting the “Accept Number” key  19  while listening to a voice mail message, DTMF digits (or other signaling) are sent by the telephone  3  to the call processing software  7 . The software  7  then causes the application  9  to accept a number extracted from a voice mail message as a result of the prior activation of the “Find Number” key  17 . The extracted number (or text for e-mail, etc.) may then be used to trigger further actions, as discussed in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     In response to pressing the “Continue Search” key  21  while listening or after having listened to a voice mail message, DTMF digits (or other signaling) are sent by the telephone  3  to the call processing software  7 . The software  7  then causes the application  9  to continue searching for further voiced numbers in a voice mail message after an initial voiced number or numbers have been extracted. 
     Upon pressing the “Abandon Search” key  23  while listening or after having listened to a voice mail message, DTMF digits (or other signaling) are sent by the telephone  3  to the call processing software  7  which, in response causes the application  9  to abandon any voiced number search underway. 
     In response to pressing the “Set Phrases” key  25  while listening or after having listened to a voice mail message, DTMF digits (or other signaling) are sent by the telephone  3  to the call processing software  7 . The software  7  then causes the application  9  to display a graphical user interface (FIG. 4) for assignment of voiced phrases to specific pattern items (e.g., extension, local phone number, email address, etc.). 
     Upon pressing the “See Full List” key  27 , while listening or after having listened to a voice mail message, DTMF digits (or other signaling) are sent by the telephone  3  to the call processing software  7 . The software  7  then causes the application  9  to display a graphical user interface (FIG. 3) for listing all of the assigned voiced phrases and associated items. 
     As indicated above, the present invention utilizes a voice recognition application (e.g. Speak@Ease by Mitel Corporation) with instructions to search for a number in the retrieved voice mail message. It is well known that voice signals can be divided up into sections, cslu.cse.ogi.edu/tutordemos/nnet_recog/recog, Jul. 6, 1999, for analysis. Voice is usually stored in digital format, or can be converted from analog to digital format for storage in audio file  11 . Thus, when the “Find Number” key  17  is pressed, the call processor  7  launches the voice number extraction application  9  which analyzes the voice message by dividing the message into detected speech patterns. These speech patterns are compared to data in knowledge database  12  using grammar representations (i.e. so-called “hot phrases” representing) programmed by the user, as discussed in greater detail below. The sound database  13  contains sound samples and algorithms, which are used by the application  9  to evaluate speech patterns, as discussed in greater detail below. 
     The grammar representations (FIG. 4) each have associated tracking pointers (i.e. pointers to symbols in a phrase) at the beginning of each sound representation. For example, in FIG. 4 the phrase #### has a tracking pointer pointing to the first ‘#’ in the phrase, where ‘#’ represents a number wildcard which has been specified in a user programmed grammar representation. If a number is found in the voice message (e.g. the voiced number ‘1’), then the tracking pointer points to the next ‘#’ in the phrase. This means that the next sound heard in the voice mail must be a number in order for the application  9  to detect a match. The tracking pointer defaults to the beginning of the phrase, but can be positioned at a specified point in a phrase identified by a “hot symbol” such as “@” shown in FIG. 4, in which case the tracking pointer points to points adjacent the “hot symbol” on either side thereof. The drop-down actions shown in FIG. 4 contain pre-defined pattern types. For example, when a pattern of nnnn is entered, then the pattern type is defaulted to an extension. However, the user may change the default to something else. 
     If two or more phrases are extracted, the first phrase is displayed and if the user chooses the ‘continue search’ key  21 , the application  9  displays the second extracted phrase. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, extracted phrases can be selected by the user to trigger further actions in other applications and use the ‘extracted’ information. In that regard, the drop-down actions displayed are context sensitive. For example, the extracted phrase “external” has as valid actions: ‘Call Number’, ‘Phone Book’, etc. The extracted phrase “e-mail” has ‘Reply’, ‘Block e-mail Address’, etc. as actions. The user may add other actions. 
     In operation, the voice number extraction application  9  loads consecutive speech patterns into positions of a memory (e.g. a FIFO), up to the maximum number of symbols specified by the user in the grammar representation (FIG.  4 ). For each group of stored symbols, the individual stored sounds, symbols, numbers, letters or words are compared with any user identified “hot phrases”, which are groupings of “hot symbols” and wildcards. The “hot symbols” within each hot phrase are compared to the counterpart symbols in the stored sound block. If all of the hot symbols match, then all of the sound blocks are analyzed to determine what the message says. The phrase is then bookmarked for listening. 
     For example, assume the grammars specified by the user are: phrase 1=***@**.* and phrase 2=##@**.on.ca. The first phrase has eight blocks of sound required (six *&#39;s and two symbols (‘@’ and ‘.’)), whereas the second phrase has eleven blocks of sound required (two *&#39;s, two #&#39;s (any 2 numbers), and seven symbols (‘@’, two ‘.’, ‘o’, ‘n’, ‘c’, and ‘a’)). Therefore, the maximum number of sound blocks needed is eleven blocks. Consequently, eleven sound blocks are saved sequentially as each sound block is being analyzed, as follows:                           
     On the eighth block of sound from the voice mail message phrase  1  stored in sound data file  13  is compared with the sound samples in the block range 1-8. Sound block  4  is compared with ‘@’ (pronounced ‘at’) and sound block  7  is compared with ‘•’ (pronounced ‘dot’). Since there is no match in the illustrated example, the next sound bite is saved to block  9 , as follows                           
     The application  9  then compares ‘@’ with sound block  5  and ‘•’ with sound block  8 . Again, in the illustrated example there is no match. 
     After several block comparisons, the stored phrase segments become as follows:                           
     The application  9  compares ‘@’ with sound block  7  and ‘.’ with sound block  10 . Again, in the illustrated example there is no match. At this stage, a sufficient number of sound blocks have been stored that phrase  2  may begin to be compared. In particular, phrase 2 compares: 
     Block  1  to see if it is a number. 
     Block  2  to see if it is a number. 
     Block  3  with ‘@’ (pronounced ‘at’). 
     Block  6  with ‘•’ (pronounced ‘dot’). 
     Block  7  with ‘o’. 
     Block  8  with ‘n’. 
     Block  9  with ‘.’ (pronounced ‘dot’). 
     Block  10  with ‘c’. 
     Block  10  with ‘a’. 
     NOTE: in practice, for efficiency, the comparison with other blocks is continued only if a match is found for Block  1 .                           
     The sound block list is sequentially pushed through the FIFO (first in, first out) stack. Thus, the phrase ‘Hi’ disappears from the stack as the list is pushed to the left and the next sound element from the voice message is queued (i.e. the phrase ‘at’ in block  11 ).                           
     After additional comparisons and shifts, the phrases stored in the FIFO reach a position at which there is a match, as indicated above. The phase ‘reach’ used to be in sound block  9  but has now been queued to sound block  1 . 
     Phrase  1  matches because: 
     Block  7  is an ‘@’. pronounced ‘at’) 
     Block  10  is a ‘.’. (pronounced ‘dot’) 
     For a user listening to a voice mail message, the pseudo-code for each of the call processing block  7  and voice number extraction block  9  is as follows: 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Call Processing: 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “Find Number feature key pressed”: 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Launch Voice Number Extraction Application. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “Voice Number Extraction Application accepted number” 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Process accepted number. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “Voice Number Extraction Application abandoned search” 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Do nothing. 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Voice Number Extraction Application: 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “Accept Number feature key pressed”: 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Inform Call Processing of accepted number. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “Continue Search feature key pressed”: 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Voice Number Extraction Application proceeds to look for other numbers 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “Abandon search feature key pressed”: 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Inform Call Processing that search has been abandoned. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “Set Phrases” 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Bring up menu (FIG. 4) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “See Full List” 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Bring up menu (FIG. 3) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 CASE “Listen to Message” 
               
             
          
           
               
                 If not doing a search, play entire message. 
               
               
                 Else plays message around the current position in the Voice Mail search (3-5 seconds before 
               
               
                 and after symbol). 
               
               
                 Call Processing: 
               
               
                 Case: Find Number 
               
               
                 Use Voice Number Extraction to extract the Number/E-mail 
               
               
                 If voice number extraction application 9 finds a number: 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Allow user to listen to message (activate Listen to Message button) 
               
               
                   
                 Wait for user to select button 
               
               
                   
                 If user selects Accept button 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Either do pre-selected action (FIG. 2), or allow user to make selection box 
               
               
                   
                 (FIG. 3), or read number over phone. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Else if Abandon Search button pressed 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Exit Search 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Else if See Full List button pressed 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Bring up FIG. 2 or read message over phone. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Else if Listen to Message button pressed 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Play edited message. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Else 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Continue 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Endif 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Endif 
               
               
                 Voice Number Extraction Application: 
               
               
                 All Tracking Pointers (TP) initialized 
               
               
                 Set aside number of blocks of data needed for ‘Hot Phrases’ 
               
               
                 Take voice message and compare it with Sound database algorithms relative to the symbols 
               
               
                 pointed to by the tracking pointers. 
               
               
                 If symbol, number, letter, or word found 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Do until grammars list completed 
               
               
                   
                 Compare number, letter, or word found with tracking pointer to the current grammar. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 If Tracking Pointer satisfied 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 If grammar satisfied 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Display grammar string (FIG. 1) and provide information to 
               
               
                   
                 call processing 
               
               
                   
                 Wait for user to select button 
               
               
                   
                 If user selects Accept button 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Either do pre-selected action (FIG. 2), or allow user to 
               
               
                   
                 make selection box (FIG. 3), or read number over 
               
               
                   
                 phone. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Else if Abandon Search button pressed 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Exit Search 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Else if See Full List button pressed 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Bring up FIG. 2 or read numbers over phone. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Else 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Continue 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Endif 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Else 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Increment tracking pointer of grammar 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Endif 
               
               
                   
                 Else 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Go to next grammar 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Endif 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 End Do 
               
               
                   
                 If no phrase satisfied 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Disable accept, continue, and abandon buttons. 
               
               
                   
                 Enable Find Number button. 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Endif 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     It will be appreciated that, although embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in detail, various changes and modifications may be made. All such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the sphere and scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended herein.