US5724420A — Automatic call distribution with answer machine d…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 227 words

In an automatic call distributor having a multiport switch controlled by a central control processing unit and an associated memory for receipt of voice energy from answered telephonic calls through an external telephonic public switching network and to selectively connect said answered calls with internal telephonic units coupled with the multiport switch, the improvement being an answer machine detection apparatus comprising: means for establishing a first minimum time period that an initial pause in the received voice energy must exceed to indicate the presence of a live voice including a delay timer for establishing a preselected maximum delay time interval beginning when the received voice energy is initially detected, a pause timer for establishing a preselected pause time period, and means for disabling the pause timer from beginning timing in response to any pause until lapse of the end of the preselected maximum delay time interval; means for establishing a second minimum time period no longer than the first minimum time period that a pause must exceed after the lapse of the preselected maximum delay time interval to indicate the presence of live voice including means for enabling the pause timer to start timing any pause after the lapse of the delay time interval; and means responsive to lapse of the second minimum time period before the end of any pause to indicate detection of live voice.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 227 words

In an automatic call distributor having a multiport switch controlled by a central control processing unit and an associated memory for receipt of voice energy from answered telephonic calls through an external telephonic public switching network and to selectively connect said answered calls with internal telephonic units coupled with the multiport switch, the improvement being an answer machine detection apparatus comprising: means for establishing a first minimum time period that an initial pause in the received voice energy must exceed to indicate the presence of a live voice including a delay timer for establishing a preselected maximum delay time interval beginning when the received voice energy is initially detected, a pause timer for establishing a preselected pause time period, and means for disabling the pause timer from beginning timing in response to any pause until lapse of the end of the preselected maximum delay time interval; means for establishing a second minimum time period no longer than the first minimum time period that a pause must exceed after the lapse of the preselected maximum delay time interval to indicate the presence of live voice including means for enabling the pause timer to start timing any pause after the lapse of the delay time interval; and means responsive to lapse of the second minimum time period before the end of any pause to indicate detection of live voice.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 55 words

The answer machine detection apparatus of claim 1 including a greeting timer having a preselected greeting time period in which the preselected greeting time period is longer than the preselected maximum delay time interval, and means for initiating the running of the greeting timer in response to the initial detection of the received voice energy.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 36 words

The answer machine detection apparatus of claim 2 including means for activating the delay timer to prevent enablement of the pause timer for the preselected maximum delay time interval upon the initiation of the greeting timer.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 97 words

The answer machine detection apparatus of claim 2 in which said preselected greeting time period is greater than said preselected pause time period and including means for determining the expiration of the greeting timer reaching the preselected greeting time period, means for determining the expiration of the pause timer reaching the preselected pause time period, means for detecting the expiration of the greeting timer prior to expiration of the pause timer, and means responsive to the expiration detection means for establishing the presence of an answer machine upon the greeting timer expiring prior to the pause timer.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

The answer machine detection apparatus of claim 4 including means for resetting the pause timer in response to a subsequent detection of subsequent voice energy prior to the expiration of the preselected pause time period.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 59 words

The answer machine detection apparatus of claim 5 including a digital signal processing circuit coupled with the multiport switch in which the digital signal processing circuit has a plurality of kernal processing circuits which receive the voice energy serially encoded on pulse code modulation channels to distinguish between the presence of live voice and recorded voice from answering machine.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 227 words

In an automatic call distributor having a multiport switch controlled by a central control processing unit and an associated memory for receipt of audio voice energy from answered telephonic calls through an external telephonic public switching network and to selectively connect said answered calls with internal telephonic units coupled with the multiport switch, the improvement being a method for detecting an answer machine, comprising the steps of: establishing a first minimum time period that an initial pause in the received voice energy must exceed to indicate the presence of a live voice including a delay timer for establishing a preselected maximum delay time interval beginning when the received voice energy is initially detected, a pause timer for establishing a preselected pause time period, and disabling the pause timer from beginning timing in response to any pause until lapse of the end of the preselected maximum delay time interval; establishing a second minimum time period no longer than the first minimum time period that a pause must exceed after the lapse of the preselected maximum delay time interval to indicate the presence of live voice including the step of enabling the pause timer to start timing any pause after the lapse of the delay time interval; and indicating detection of live voice in response to lapse of the second minimum time period before the end of any pause.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 227 words

In an automatic call distributor having a multiport switch controlled by a central control processing unit and an associated memory for receipt of audio voice energy from answered telephonic calls through an external telephonic public switching network and to selectively connect said answered calls with internal telephonic units coupled with the multiport switch, the improvement being a method for detecting an answer machine, comprising the steps of: establishing a first minimum time period that an initial pause in the received voice energy must exceed to indicate the presence of a live voice including a delay timer for establishing a preselected maximum delay time interval beginning when the received voice energy is initially detected, a pause timer for establishing a preselected pause time period, and disabling the pause timer from beginning timing in response to any pause until lapse of the end of the preselected maximum delay time interval; establishing a second minimum time period no longer than the first minimum time period that a pause must exceed after the lapse of the preselected maximum delay time interval to indicate the presence of live voice including the step of enabling the pause timer to start timing any pause after the lapse of the delay time interval; and indicating detection of live voice in response to lapse of the second minimum time period before the end of any pause.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 7 including the step of initiating the running of a greeting timer having a preselected greeting time period which is longer than the preselected maximum delay time interval in response to the initial detection of the received voice energy.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method of claim 8 including the step of activating the delay timer to prevent enablement of the pause timer for the preselected maximum delay time interval upon the initiation of the greeting timer.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 83 words

The method of claim 8 in which said preselected greeting time period is greater than said preselected pause time period and including the steps of determining the expiration of the greeting timer reaching the preselected greeting time period, determining the expiration of the pause timer reaching the preselected pause time period, detecting the expiration of the greeting timer prior to expiration of the pause timer, and establishing the presence of an answer machine upon the greeting timer expiring prior to the pause timer.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method of claim 10 including the step of resetting the pause timer in response to a subsequent detection of subsequent voice energy prior to the expiration of the preselected pause time period.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-03-02	2001-09-01	2002-03-03	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-03-02	2005-09-01	2006-03-03	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-03-02	2009-09-01	2010-03-03	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Automatic call distribution with answer machine detection apparatus and method

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