Methods and apparatus for bypassing holds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10897535-B2
Application number	US-201816610169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 28, 2018
Publication date	Jan 19, 2021
Grant date	Jan 19, 2021

Abstract

Automated monitoring of a voice communication session, when the session is in an on hold status, to determine when the session is no longer in the on hold status. When it is determined that the session is no longer in the on hold status, user interface output is rendered that is perceptible to a calling user that initiated the session, and that indicates that the on hold status of the session has ceased. In some implementations, an audio stream of the session can be monitored to determine, based on processing of the audio stream, a candidate end of the on hold status. In response, a response solicitation signal is injected into an outgoing portion of the audio. The audio stream can be further monitored for a response (if any) to the response solicitation signal. The response (if any) can be processed to determine whether the end of the on hold status is an actual end of the on hold status.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method implemented by one or more processors, comprising:
detecting that a voice communication session is in an on hold status, where the voice communication session is initiated by a client device of a calling user, and wherein detecting that the voice communication session is in the on hold status is based at least in part on an audio stream of the voice communication session;
initiating an on hold client on the client device, wherein initiating the on hold client is during the voice communication session and is based on detecting that the voice communication session is in the on hold status;
monitoring, using the on hold client, the audio stream of the voice communication session for a candidate end of the on hold status, wherein monitoring the audio stream of the voice communication session occurs without direct interaction from the calling user;
detecting, based on the monitoring, the candidate end of the on hold status;
in response to detecting the candidate end of the on hold status:
sending, from the client device, a response solicitation signal as input to the audio stream of the voice communication session;

monitoring the audio stream of the voice communication session for a response to the response solicitation signal;
determining that the response to the response solicitation signal indicates that the candidate end of the on hold status is an actual end of the on hold status, wherein the actual end of the on hold status indicates that a human user is available to interact with the calling user in the voice communication session; and
causing user interface output to be rendered in response to determining the actual end of the on hold status, wherein the user interface output is perceptible by the calling user and indicates the actual end of the on hold status.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the candidate end of the on hold status comprises:
detecting a human voice speaking in the audio stream of the voice communication session.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client device is a mobile telephone or a standalone interactive speaker.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the on hold client is responsive to user interface input provided at the client device by the calling user.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
in response to detecting that the voice communication session is in the on hold status:
rendering, at the client device, a suggestion for initiating the on hold client;

wherein the user interface input provided by the calling user is affirmative user interface input that is provided responsive to rendering the suggestion at the client device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the on hold client is automatically initiated by the client device in response to detecting that the voice communication session is in the on hold status.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the voice communication session is in the on hold status comprises:
detecting music in the audio stream of the voice communication session; and
determining the music is included in a list of known on hold music.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the voice communication session is in the on hold status is further based on:
determining a telephone number associated with the voice communication session is on a list of telephone numbers known for placing callers in the on hold status.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the candidate end of the on hold status comprises using audio fingerprinting to determine at least a threshold change in the audio stream.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the response to the response solicitation signal indicates that the candidate end of the on hold status is the actual end of the on hold status comprises:
processing the response using at least one machine learning model to generate at least one predicted output; and
determining the candidate end of the on hold status is the actual end of the on hold status based on the at least one predicted output.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one predicted output includes predicted text for the response, and wherein determining the candidate end of the on hold status is the actual end of the on hold status based on the predicted output comprises:
determining that the text is responsive to the response solicitation signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one predicted output includes a prediction of whether the response is a human voice, and wherein determining the candidate end of the on hold status is the actual end of the on hold status based on the predicted output comprises:
determining that the prediction of whether the response is a human voice indicates that the response is a human voice.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, subsequent to determining that the response to the response solicitation signal indicates that the candidate end of the on hold status is the actual end of the on hold status:
sending, from the client device, an end of hold message as input to the audio stream of the voice communication session, wherein the end of hold message is audible to the human user and indicates that the calling user is returning to the voice communication session; and
ending the on hold client on the client device.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface output that indicates the actual end of the on hold status is rendered via one or multiple of:
the client device,
an additional client device that is linked to the client device, and
a networked light.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying one or more pre-recorded voice characteristics of a pre-recorded human voice that is associated with a telephone number associated with the voice communication session;
wherein determining that the response to the response solicitation signal indicates that the candidate end of the on hold status is an actual end of the on hold status comprises:
determining one or more response voice characteristics for the response; and
determining that the one or more response voice characteristics differ from the one or more pre-recorded voice characteristics.

16. A method implemented by one or more processors of a client device, the method comprising:
receiving user interface input provided via the client device, the user interface input provided by a calling user when a voice communication session is in an on hold status, wherein the voice communication session is initiated by the client device, and wherein a called party controls the on hold status;
in response to receiving the user interface input:
monitoring audio generated by the called party during the voice communication session for a candidate end of the on hold status;

detecting, based on the monitoring, the candidate end of the on hold status;
in response to detecting the candidate end of the on hold status:
sending, by the client device, audible output for inclusion in the voice communication session,
wherein the audible output comprises a recorded human voice speaking one or more words or a synthetically generated voice speaking the one or more words;

monitoring audio generated by the called party following the audible output;
determining that the audio generated by the called party following the audible output satisfies one or more criteria that indicate the candidate end of the on hold status is an actual end of the on hold status, wherein the actual end of the on hold status indicates that a human user is available to interact with the calling user in

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Xia Cassandra
• Cobo Rus Luis Carlos

Classifications

• H04W4/16

  Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold · CPC title

• H04M2201/40

  using speech recognition · CPC title

• H04M3/4286 Primary

  Notifying a held subscriber when his held call is removed from hold · CPC title

• H04M3/4285

  Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold · CPC title

• H04M3/2272

  Subscriber line supervision circuits, e.g. call detection circuits · CPC title