Personalized, Automated Receptionist

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016188961-A1
Application number	US-201514750274-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for creating a personalized, automated, receptionist are provided herein. A method for providing an automated receptionist for a host user includes obtaining one or more images of a work environment of the host user; processing the one or more images to determine if a visitor is present in the work environment; and if the visitor is determined to be present in the work environment, notifying the host user that the visitor is present in the work environment, wherein at least one of the steps are performed by at least one hardware device. The method may be initiated, for example, when the host user is not present in the work environment. The automated receptionist can optionally (i) provide a greeting to the visitor; (ii) enable communication between the visitor and the host user; and/or (iii) provide one or more information items to the visitor when the host user is not present.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for providing an automated receptionist for a host user, the method comprising the steps of:
obtaining one or more images of a work environment of said host user; processing said one or more images to determine if a visitor is present in said work environment; and if said visitor is determined to be present in said work environment, notifying said host user that said visitor is present in said work environment, wherein at least one of said steps are performed by at least one hardware device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of obtaining an association of one or more faces in said one or more images and one or more names of said at least one visitor.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of evaluating at least one of said obtained associations of said one or more faces and said one or more names of said at least one visitor.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of learning one or more commands for said automated receptionist from said host user.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of initiating said method when said host user is not in said work environment.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a greeting to said visitor.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein said greeting includes a name of said visitor.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of enabling communication between said visitor and said host user, wherein said host user is not in said work environment.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing one or more information items to said visitor when said host user is not in said work environment.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein said one or more information items are provided to said visitor following a determination that said visitor has authorization for accessing said one or more information items.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of notifying said host user that said visitor is present in said work environment further comprises a notification of an identity of said visitor.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Guo Shang Q
• Jones Christopher P
• Lenchner Jonathan
• Masters Nathan
• Mazzella Daniel A
• Oravec James A

Classifications

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• G10L13/00

  Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems · CPC title

• G10L15/22

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · CPC title

• G10L15/26

  Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06N5/04

  Inference or reasoning models · CPC title