US 9,762,741 B2Granted

Robust DTMF detection in an unreliable voice-over-IP (VoIP) environment

AssigneeGenesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc.

InventorsChristopher M. Rienzo, Brian P. Davis

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Abstract

A method to discriminate a signal as a DTMF digit is operative in a service provider having a VoIP-based media server. The media server accepts both in-band DTMF and RTP telephone events. A digit detection module receives as input a data stream that may include one or more DTMF digits. The module processes the input data stream and provides, as output, an indication of what digit(s) have been detected and from what source (e.g., in-band audio, an RTP 2833 telephone event, of both). The output is then further processed by a discrimination algorithm to make a final digit determination. If RTP telephone events are detected, the algorithm prefers them and ignores in-band DTMF until the call ends or the media is re-negotiated. The approach detects when duplicate digits of differing types are initially received and only accepts one of them, regardless of spacing or duration.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system for detecting user input in a data stream comprising:

a processor;
a memory, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive a data stream for a call from a telephony carrier;
monitor the data stream for one or more in-band dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) events corresponding to a digit;
monitor the data stream for one or more real-time transport protocol (RTP) events corresponding to the digit;
in response to detecting one of the one or more in-band DTMF events corresponding to the digit prior to detecting one of the one or more RTP events corresponding to the digit, identify a user input associated with the digit based on the one or more in-band DTMF events corresponding to the digit and discard any of the one or more RTP events corresponding to the digit;
and
in response to detecting one of the one or more RTP events corresponding to the digit prior to detecting one of the one or more in-band DTMF events corresponding to the digit, identify the user input associated with the digit based on the one or more RTP events corresponding to the digit and discard any of the one or more in-band DTMF events corresponding to the digit;
and
a switch coupled to the processor for establishing a telephony connection for the call.

7 more elements

A method for detecting user input in a data stream comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a data stream for a call from a telephony carrier;
monitoring, by a processor, the data stream for one or more in-band dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) events corresponding to a digit;
monitoring, by the processor, the data stream for one or more real-time transport protocol (RTP) events corresponding to the digit;
in response to detecting one of the one or more in-band DTMF events corresponding to the digit prior to detecting one of the one or more RTP events corresponding to the digit, identifying, by the processor, a user input associated with the digit based on the one or more in-band DTMF events corresponding to the digit and discarding, by the processor, any of the one or more RTP events corresponding to the digit;
and
in response to detecting one of the one or more RTP events corresponding to the digit prior to detecting one of the one or more in-band DTMF events corresponding to the digit, identifying, by the processor, the user input associated with the digit based on the one or more RTP events corresponding to the digit and discarding, by the processor, any of the one or more in-band DTMF events corresponding to the digit;
and
establishing, by a switch coupled to the processor, a telephony connection for the call.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/219,177Filed 25 Jul 2016 · continuation
Priority: 17 Dec 2012
Published: US 2016/0337524 A117 Nov 2016
Granted: 12 Sep 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04M 7/1295
Where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet…:…
H04L 65/65
Network streaming of media packets: network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
H04Q 1/453
Using multi-frequency signalling: in which m-out-of-n signalling frequencies are transmitted
H04M 3/5158
Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing: in combination with…

Family

Application13/717,209Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Dec 2012
US 9,401,998 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Jul 2016
US 2016/0337524 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Nov 2016
US 2014/0169550 A1Published application
US 9,762,741 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.