Organizing conference calls using speaker and topic hierarchies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016286049-A1
Application number	US-201514670631-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In an approach for creating a hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics, a processor determines an identity of a first speaker from a group of participants on a conference call, wherein the group of participants are known. A processor determines a first conference call topic, wherein the first conference call topic is determined using a portion of the first speaker's speech. A processor adds a second speaker's identity to a queue of speakers while recording the first speaker's voice. A processor determines a second conference call topic. A processor links the first conference call topic and the second conference call topic into a hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for creating a hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics, the method comprising:
determining, by one or more processors, an identity of a first speaker from a group of participants on a conference call, wherein the group of participants are known; determining, by one or more processors, a first conference call topic, wherein the first conference call topic is determined using a portion of the first speaker's speech; adding, by one or more processors, a second speaker's identity to a queue of speakers while recording the first speaker's voice; determining, by one or more processors, a second conference call topic, wherein the second conference call topic is associated with words spoken close to a point in time during the recording of the first speaker's voice when the second speaker's identity is at front of the queue of speakers following a removal of the identity of the first speaker at the front of the queue of speakers; and linking, by one or more processors, the first conference call topic and the second conference call topic into a hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the identity of the first speaker and the second speaker comprises:
associating, by one or more processors, the first speaker and the second speaker with a phone used during the conference call.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the identity of the first speaker and the second speaker comprises:
associating, by one or more processors, the first speaker and the second speaker with the first speaker's voice and the second speaker's voice through voice recognition capabilities.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, by one or more processors, a complete hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics in a user interface after the conference call ends using recording analysis, wherein each conference call topic comprises a text summary of speech and a duration of time associated with each speaker.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second conference call topic comprises:
using, by one or more processors, a user interface to choose a new conference call topic, wherein the new conference call topic is different from the first conference call topic.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, by one or more processors, the first conference call topic in a user interface in near real-time after the first speaker begins to speak.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second speaker in the queue of speakers is in a muted mode and the first speaker is in an unmuted mode while the first speaker is speaking.

8 . A computer program product for creating a hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics, the computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to determine an identity of a first speaker from a group of participants on a conference call, wherein the group of participants are known; program instructions to determine a first conference call topic, wherein the first conference call topic is determined using a portion of the first speaker's speech; program instructions to add a second speaker's identity to a queue of speakers while recording the first speaker's voice; program instructions to determine a second conference call topic, wherein the second conference call topic is associated with words spoken close to a point in time during the recording of the first speaker's voice when the second speaker's identity is at front of the queue of speakers following a removal of the identity of the first speaker at the front of the queue of speakers; and program instructions to link the first conference call topic and the second conference call topic into a hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics.

9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein program instructions to determine the identity of the first speaker and the second speaker comprise:
program instructions to associate the first speaker and the second speaker with a phone used during the conference call.

10 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein program instructions to determine the identity of the first speaker and the second speaker comprise:
program instructions to associate the first speaker and the second speaker with the first speaker's voice and the second speaker's voice through voice recognition capabilities.

11 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising:
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to display a complete hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics in a user interface after the conference call ends using recording analysis, wherein each conference call topic comprises a text summary of speech and a duration of time associated with each speaker.

12 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein program instructions to determine the second conference call topic comprise:
program instructions to use a user interface to choose a new conference call topic, wherein the new conference call topic is different from the first conference call topic.

13 . The computer program product of claim 8 , further comprising:
program instructions, stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, to display the first conference call topic in a user interface in near real-time after the first speaker begins to speak.

14 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the second speaker in the queue of speakers is in a muted mode and the first speaker is in an unmuted mode while the first speaker is speaking.

15 . A computer system for creating a hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors, one or more computer readable storage media, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising: program instructions to determine an identity of a first speaker from a group of participants on a conference call, wherein the group of participants are known; program instructions to determine a first conference call topic, wherein the first conference call topic is determined using a portion of the first speaker's speech; program instructions to add a second speaker's identity to a queue of speakers while recording the first speaker's voice; program instructions to determine a second conference call topic, wherein the second conference call topic is associated with words spoken close to a point in time during the recording of the first speaker's voice when the second speaker's identity is at front of the queue of speakers following a removal of the identity of the first speaker at the front of the queue of speakers; and program instructions to link the first conference call topic and the second conference call topic into a hierarchal organization of spoken conference call topics.

16 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein program instructions to determine the identity of the first speaker and the second speaker comprise:
program instructions to associate the first speaker and the second speaker with a phone used during the conference call.

17 . The computer system of claim 15 , wherein program instructions to determine th

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Guo Shang Q
• Jones Christopher P
• Lenchner Jonathan
• Mazzella Daniel A
• Nelson John C
• Rey Rodrigo A
• Saxena Adarsh

Classifications

• G10L17/00

  Speaker identification or verification techniques · CPC title

• G10L15/1822

  Parsing for meaning understanding · CPC title

• H04W4/06

  Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services · CPC title

• G10L25/48

  specially adapted for particular use · CPC title

• H04M3/566 Primary

  relating to a participants right to speak (arrangements for multi-party communication with floor control, e.g. for conferences, H04L65/4038, H04L65/4046, H04L65/4053) · CPC title