WO2001035620A1

WO2001035620A1 - Voice activated dialling

Info

Publication number: WO2001035620A1
Application number: PCT/GB2000/004322
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Grenville Brockbank; Derek John Emerson; David Maddox; Paul Francis Russell Marsh; Laurence Jon Booton; Timothy Midwinter; Philip Brian Quilliam; Gary Alan Crook
Original assignee: British Telecommunications Public Limited Company
Priority date: 1999-11-12
Filing date: 2000-11-13
Publication date: 2001-05-17
Also published as: GB9926879D0

Abstract

An enquirer makes a telephone call to a published telephone number for automatic call completion directory service. The call is delivered to the corresponding port of a CTI-enabled PBX and received at an interactive voice response (IVR) unit having speech recognition equipment. The enquirer speaks the name of the person he wishes to speak to. The spoken words are recognised and used to access the directory database. The IVR unit sends to a CTI server controlling the PBX a transfer request message together with its own telephone number, and the CTI server uses that telephone number and the directory number retrieved from the database to command the PBX to make a call to the retrieved directory number and perform a transfer operation. Thus, the enquirer is automatically connected to his desired destination without having to know the actual number, or having to perform any dialling actions.

Description

VOICE ACTIVATED DIALLING

The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for operating a voice activated dialling service for automatic completion of a directory call. As used herein the terms voice activated dialling and automatic call completion are synonymous.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating a voice activated dialling service comprising the steps of: receiving at a computer telephony integration (CTI) -enabled destination switch an originating call made by an originating user from a telephone connected to an originating switch to a published directory number for a voice activated dialling service; sending from the CTI-enabled destination switch to an associated CTI server a route request message; sending from that CTI server to the CTI-enabled destination switch a routing message for extending that received call to speech processing apparatus connected to a predetermined port of the CTI-enabled destination switch; sending from the CTI server to the speech processing apparatus an answer message for answering that extended call by presenting an off-hook condition to said predetermined port; deriving by the speech processing apparatus from speech received from the originating user an indication of a desired destination user; accessing a directory database in accordance with the derived indication, and, if a unique entry is found, retrieving a desired destination directory number from that unique entry; sending from the CTI server to a CTI-enabled one of the originating and destination switches a call processing message for further call processing of the originating call in relation to that desired destination directory number; and sending from the CTI server to the speech processing apparatus a clear message for presenting an on-hook condition to said predetermined port. Preferably, there is included the step of sending the derived indication from the speech processing apparatus to the CTI server, and the step of accessing the directory database is preferably performed by the CTI server.

Preferably, the step of sending a call processing message from the CTI server to said CTI-enabled one of the originating and destination switches is performed upon receipt at the CTI server of a complete call message from the speech processing apparatus.

More preferably, the speech processing apparatus sends to the CTI server the directory number of said predetermined port to which the speech processing apparatus is connected for use in responding to the complete call message.

The step of sending from the CTI server to said CTI-enabled one of the originating and destination switches a call processing message may comprise a substep of sending a query message for establishing a query call to the desired destination directory number and, dependent upon an acceptance outcome of the query call, a substep of sending a complete call message to complete the originating call to the desired destination directory number.

Preferably, the originating switch is constituted by the destination switch.

Preferably, the deriving step may comprise a substep of recording the received speech.

More preferably, the deriving step comprises a further substep of responding at the CTI server to failure of the speech processing apparatus to derive a said indication by sending the recorded received speech to a corresponding speech processing apparatus on a remote CTI-enabled switch.

Alternatively, the deriving step comprises a further substep of responding at the CTI server to failure of the speech processing apparatus to derive a said indication by sending a transfer message to the CTI-enabled destination switch for transferring the originating call to a corresponding speech processing apparatus on a remote CTI- enabled switch.

The deriving step may comprise applying two or more respective language-related speech recogniser programs of the speech processing apparatus simultaneously to the received speech.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a voice activated dialling system comprising: a computer telephony integration (CTI) -enabled switch coupled to an associated CTI server via a control link; a directory database coupled to the CTI server; and speech processing apparatus connected via a telephony link to a predetermined port of the CTI-enabled switch and arranged to derive from speech received from an originating user an indication of a desired destination user, the CTI server being responsive to receipt from the CTI-enabled switch of a route request message in respect of a call received from the originating user to a published directory number for a voice activated dialling service to command the CTI-enabled switch to extend that received call to said predetermined port and to command the speech processing apparatus to present an off- hook condition to said predetermined port, and to receipt from the speech processing apparatus of a derived indication of a desired destination user to retrieve from the directory database a corresponding directory number, to command the CTI-enabled switch to perform further call processing of the received call in relation to the desired destination directory number, and to command the speech processing apparatus to present an on- hook condition to said predetermined port. Preferably, the directory database is arranged to store names in a predetermined format, and the speech processing apparatus is arranged to provide said derived indication in that predetermined format.

More preferably, the speech processing apparatus is arranged to send the derived indication to the CTI server, actually or effectively, with the directory number of said predetermined port.

The speech processing apparatus may be arranged to record the received speech.

Preferably, the CTI server is responsive to failure of the speech processing apparatus to derive a said indication to send the recorded received speech to a corresponding speech processing apparatus on a remote CTI-enabled switch.

Alternatively, the CTI server is responsive to failure of the speech processing apparatus to derive a said indication to send a transfer message to the CTI-enabled switch for transferring the originating call to a corresponding speech processing apparatus on a remote CTI-enabled switch.

Preferably, the CTI server is arranged to command the further call processing in two stages of which a first stage comprises sending a query message for establishing a query call to the desired destination directory number and a second stage comprises sending a complete call message to complete the originating call to the desired destination directory number, in the event of an acceptance outcome of the query call.

Preferably, the speech processing apparatus comprises a plurality of respective language-related speech recogniser programs arranged to process simultaneously the received speech.

A particularly advantageous embodiment is the use of the invention in a corporate environment where employees can have single key press access to the directory service, speak the name of the person they wish to be connected to, and be automatically connected to that person, with, if necessary, intermediate interactive clarifying steps to remove any ambiguity in the accessing of the directory database. By controlling the operation of the voice activated dialling service at the destination switch via CTI commands from the CTI server, the provider of the service has great flexibility to vary or modify that operation. For example, where a speech recogniser program records a voice clip, or sends the received speech to a recorder for this purpose, the CTI server can re-present the voice clip to the original speech recogniser program, or another speech recogniser program, for confirmation of the derived indication, without requesting further speech input from the originating user. Such a voice clip together with the derived indication, or possibly an indication-to- text translation, can be passed to other services be run by the CTI server to improve their operation. If the speech recogniser program or programs at the destination switch fail to provide a derived indication, the CTI server can involve a corresponding speech processing apparatus at a remote CTI-enabled switch, preferably sending the voice clip to the remote CTI server, whereby the service will appear seamless to the originating user, or transferring the call to the remote voice activated dialling service for normal handling at the remote switch.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the component parts of an automatic call completion system in a first corporate network;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic call completion system incorporated into another corporate network; and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic call completion system used on a public switched telephone network.

Acronyms used in this specification. ACC Automatic Call Completion CTI Computer Telephony Integration

CLI Calling Line Identity

DPNSS Digital Private Network Signalling System

DNIS Dialled Number Identification Service (but referring to the dialled number) IVR Interactive Voice Response

PBX Private Branch Exchange

In Figure 1 there is shown an automatic call completion (ACC) system arranged for providing an ACC service. The ACC system comprises a CTI-enabled PBX 10 coupled to a server 1 2. The CTI-enabled PBX 10 has a plurality of internal ports, also known as extensions, to which are connected a plurality of telephones 1 6, only one of which is shown for convenience, an operator console 20, and an interactive voice response (IVR) unit 1 4, having an ACC program including a voice recognition program, which has a data connection to the server 1 2. Automatic call completion is also known as voice activated dialling.

The server 1 2 is programmed to perform two functions, and can be thought of as two separate servers, namely a CTI server, referred to as CTI server 1 2A for convenience, for handling command messages to and from the CTI-enabled PBX 10 and the IVR unit 1 4, and in this respect is also known as a CTI controller, and an ACC server, referred to as ACC server 1 2B for convenience. The ACC server 1 2B communicates operationally with the ACC program of the IVR unit 14 via the command messages handled by the CTI server 1 2A, and in the following description, when the ACC server 1 2B sends a message to, or receives a message from, the ACC program of the IVR unit 1 4, the intermediacy of the CTI server 1 2A is to be assumed and will not be stated explicitly. Similarly, the intermediacy of the CTI server 1 2A will not be mentioned when the ACC server 1 2B needs to command the CTI-enabled PBX 10 as part of the ACC service.

The server 1 2 is connected to a database 1 8 storing a directory. In this specific embodiment, the directory is a corporate directory of employees names and contact details, e.g. forename, forename identifier, surname, surname identifier, directory number of an associated telephone, mobile telephone number, email address, postal address, etc. It will be appreciated that an entry might comprise a plurality of directory numbers for respective functions, e.g. office, home. The operation of the ACC service is as follows. An originating user makes a call from his telephone 1 6 to a published directory number for the ACC service, and upon receipt of that call, the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0 sends to the CTI server 1 2A a Route Request message containing the dialled number of that call (DNIS), i.e. the published directory number for the ACC service.

The CTI server 1 2A recognises that this Route Request message is to be handled by the ACC server 1 2B, and passes the message to the ACC server 1 2B. In response to receipt of this message, the ACC server 1 2B commands the CTI server 1 2A to send to the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0 a Routing message containing the directory number of the particular port which is connected to the IVR unit 1 4 and commanding the extension of that call to the IVR unit 14, i.e. apply ringing condition to that telephony connection. This port is referred to as the predetermined port for the IVR unit 14. The ACC server 1 2B also sends an Off-Hook command to the IVR unit 14 for it to answer that call by switching from on-hook state to off-hook state, and to play a welcome announcement which includes the question "Who would you like to speak to?" .

The originating user now speaks the name of the desired destination user, i.e. a forename and a surname, and the voice recognition program of the ACC program of the IVR unit 1 4, constituting a speech processing apparatus of the present invention, performs voice recognition processing upon the received speech. In this embodiment the voice recognition program is designed for recognition of words of a single language, e.g. English words.

Although, as shown in Figure 1 , the originating user's telephone 1 6 is connected to a port on the CTI-enabled PBX 10, the originating user may originate that call from any other telephone, e.g. his home telephone or his mobile telephone.

In the event that the voice recognition program is unable to match the spoken words with stored templates of spoken words, i.e. a recognition result meeting a predetermined confidence level, the IVR unit 14 sends a Reject message to the ACC server 1 2B, which responds by sending a command message to the IVR unit 14 for playing a Hold Request announcement, "Please hold the line. You are being connected to an operator." . Upon receipt from the IVR unit 1 4 of an Announcement Finished message, the ACC server 1 2B sends an On-Hook command message to the IVR unit 14 to switch back from off-hook state to on-hook state, i.e. to disconnect from that call, and a Transfer command message to the CTI-enabled PBX 10 to transfer the call to the port to which the operator console 20 is connected. For convenience, command messages are referred to simply as messages, e.g. "Transfer message" means Transfer command message.

The following description of the service assumes that both the spoken forename and surname are recognised, i.e. matched with respective stored templates of spoken words, each template being associated with an identifier, referred to herein as name identifiers.

The IVR unit 1 4 now sends to the ACC server 1 2B a Transfer Request message containing a pair of name identifiers corresponding to the spoken forename and surname, and also sends the content of an ACC cookie stored in the IVR unit 14. The content of this ACC cookie is, as is known, a pointer to a location in the database 1 8 which stores the actual data corresponding to that cookie. In the art, sending the cookie pointer is simply referred to as "sending the cookie" , since the receipt of the cookie pointer automatically results in a stored set of cookie data being accessed and the corresponding cookie data being retrieved. In this specific embodiment the ACC cookie data comprises the directory number corresponding to the port to which the IVR unit 1 4 is connected, and the identity of the CTI-enabled PBX 10. The sending of the cookie constitutes actual sending of the directory number in accordance with the present invention.

In a variant of an ACC system having only a single IVR unit 1 4, the ACC server 1 2B stores the directory number and automatically retrieves the directory number in response to receipt of message containing the name identifiers: this constitutes effective sending of the directory number in accordance with the present invention, since the ACC server 1 2B is programmed to respond to receipt of the message from the IVR unit 14 by retrieving the stored directory number . The sending of the cookie from the IVR unit 1 4 to the ACC server 1 2B is advantageous in ACC systems having a plurality of IVR units 1 4 connected to a respective plurality of ports, since the ACC server 1 2B is then directed by the cookie to retrieve the corresponding directory number of the port to which the particular IVR unit 1 4 sending a Transfer Request message is connected.

Upon receipt of the Transfer Request message and the ACC cookie, the ACC server 1 2B accesses the directory in accordance with the forename identifier and surname identifier. Assuming that a unique entry is found and that there is only a single telephone number, e.g. just one directory number and no mobile number, the ACC server 1 2B retrieves that directory number, i.e. the desired destination directory number, and sends to the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0 a Transfer message containing that retrieved directory number and the directory number from the ACC cookie. This Transfer message instructs the CTI-enabled PBX 10 to make a new call to the desired destination directory number, and to transfer the call currently connected to the IVR unit 14, identified by the directory number from the ACC cookie, to that new call. At the same time as sending the Transfer message to the CTI-enabled PBX 10, the ACC server 1 2B also sends an On-Hook message to the IVR unit 14 to switch back from off-hook state to on-hook state.

In a variant, the IVR unit 1 4 outputs the forename and the surname in the same format as used for storing these names in the directory, and in this case the directory does not store identifiers.

In variants, instead of transferring the call to an operator in the event that a match of the spoken words is not obtained, the IVR unit 14 will enter a dialogue with the originating user for obtaining further spoken words for increasing the confidence level of a possible match. Also, if the ACC server 1 2B does not find a unique entry in the directory, but finds no entry or a plurality of entries, it returns an appropriate message to the IVR unit 14 to enter a different dialogue with the originating user. Similarly, if a unique entry is found, but it contains more than one telephone number, e.g. it contains an office number and a mobile number, then, again, the ACC server 1 2B returns an appropriate message to the IVR unit 1 4 to enter another dialogue with the originating user to ask at which number the originating user wishes to speak to the desired destination user.

The desired destination directory number may correspond to an extension on the CTI-enabled PBX 10, referred to as on-switch, or may correspond to a telephone on a different PBX, CTI-enabled or not, or a remote telephone reachable via a public switched telephone network.

In Figure 2, the originating user's telephone 1 6 is an extension on a PBX 26 having a direct connection to the CTI-enabled PBX 10 and being part of a corporate network.

In a variant, the ACC program of the IVR unit 1 4 is arranged to capture a voice clip of the spoken words, i.e. make a digital recording of the spoken words, and to send the voice clip to the ACC server 1 2B in, or associated with, the Transfer Request message. Furthermore, the ACC server 1 2B is arranged to respond to receipt of a Reject message from its associated IVR unit 14, having an English language voice recognition program, to make a call to another IVR unit 14 having a voice recognition program for a different language, e.g. Indian, and to send the voice clip to that other IVR unit 14. Such another IVR unit 1 4 need not be connected to the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0, but can be part of an ACC system anywhere in the world.

In another variant, not arranged for recording voice clips, the ACC server 1 2B is arranged to respond to receipt of a Reject message from its associated IVR unit 14, having an English language voice recognition program, to transfer the call to another IVR unit 14 having a voice recognition program for a different language, e.g. Indian. Where that other IVR unit 14 is part of a remotely-situated ACC system, the ACC server 1 2B is arranged to communicate with the corresponding ACC server of that remotely-situated ACC system over a data connection, e.g. the Internet or a private data network, to receive a message containing a retrieved desired destination directory number. The CTI-enabled PBX 1 0 can then make a transfer call to that desired destination directory number, with suitable charging to the originating user, without any tromboning at the remotely-situated ACC system. In yet another variant, the ACC program of the IVR unit 1 4 contains respective language-related voice recognition programs for two or more different languages, and the spoken words are processed by all the voice recognition programs in parallel. The IVR unit 14 will respond to an acceptance outcome of any one of the voice recognition programs and will ignore rejectance outcomes of the other recognition programs. If two or more acceptance outcomes occur, the IVR unit 1 4 sends a normal failure message. In this variant, the voice recognition programs have respective identifiers, and instead of a single multi-language directory, the ACC server 1 2B is connected to respective single language directories, and the appropriate directory is selected in dependence upon the appropriate recognition program identifier sent from the IVR unit 14 with the Transfer Request message.

In the above described embodiment the server 1 2 and the IVR unit 14 are physically separate apparatuses. In a variant, the separate functions of the server 1 2 and the IVR unit 1 4 can be provided by respective programs running on the same computing apparatus, which has a telephony card for interfacing with the predetermined port of the CTI-enabled PBX 10, and a data link for coupling to the control interface of the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0. In another variant, the CTI-enabled PBX 10 is based on Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) techniques, and the common computing apparatus has a single link to the CTI-enabled PBX 10 for transmission of command messages via TCP/IP and of voice signals via Voice over IP (VoIP).

In variants, the ACC server 1 2B is arranged to command the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0 to make the call to the desired destination directory number as a conference call and to remove subsequently the IVR unit 1 4 from that conference call, and in this case the IVR unit 1 4 sends the derived information to the ACC server 1 2B in a Conference Request message. Accordingly, both Conference Request messages and Transfer Request messages constitute complete call messages of the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the originating user's telephone 1 6 is connected to a CTI-enabled switch 30, having an associated CTI server 32 and constituting an originating switch of the present invention, remotely disposed with respect to the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0, which in this case constitutes a destination switch of the present invention. Upon receipt of the originating call at the CTI-enabled switch 30, the CTI server 32 causes the CTI-enabled switch 30 to extend the originating call over a transmission leg through a public switched telephone network 34 to the CTI-enabled PBX 10 and to include in the signalling information the originating user's CLI, the DNIS and the unique identity (call ID) of that call. The CTI server 32 also sends a notification message via the Internet 36 or another data network to the CTI server 1 2A, containing that CLI, DNIS, call ID, and the IP address of the CTI server 32.

If the CTI server 1 2B determines that the resulting desired destination directory number is in the vicinity of the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0, it will send the Transfer message to the CTI-enabled PBX 1 0, but if it determines otherwise, it will send the Transfer message, containing the call ID, to the CTI server 32, which responds by clearing the leg to the CTI-enabled PBX 10 and transferring the originating call to the resulting desired destination directory number.

In a further variant, instead of the CTI server 32 sending the notification message, the CTI server 1 2B maintains a table from which it can determine the identity of the originating switch corresponding to the CLI of the received call, and the IP address of its CTI server, if it is a CTI-enabled switch.

In variants, the CTI server 1 2B, or the CTI server 32, upon retrieval of the desired destination directory number, first sends a Make Query call message for a query call to be made to the desired destination directory number and waits for a positive response, i.e. an acceptance, from the called user before sending the Transfer message for transferring the originating call to the desired destination directory number.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprising" and the like are to be construed in an inclusive as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to".

Claims

1 . A method of operating a voice activated dialling service comprising the steps of: receiving at a computer telephony integration (CTI) -enabled destination switch an originating call made by an originating user from a telephone connected to an originating switch to a published directory number for a voice activated dialling service; sending from the CTI-enabled destination switch to an associated CTI server a route request message; sending from that CTI server to the CTI-enabled destination switch a routing message for extending that received call to speech processing apparatus connected to a predetermined port of the CTI-enabled destination switch; sending from the CTI server to the speech processing apparatus an answer message for answering that extended call by presenting an off-hook condition to said predetermined port; deriving by the speech processing apparatus from speech received from the originating user an indication of a desired destination user; accessing a directory database in accordance with the derived indication, and, if a unique entry is found, retrieving a desired destination directory number from that unique entry; sending from the CTI server to a CTI-enabled one of the originating and destination switches a call processing message for further call processing of the originating call in relation to that desired destination directory number; and sending from the CTI server to the speech processing apparatus a clear message for presenting an on-hook condition to said predetermined port.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , including the step of sending the derived indication from the speech processing apparatus to the CTI server, and wherein the step of accessing the directory database is performed by the CTI server.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of sending a call processing message from the CTI server to said CTI-enabled one of the originating and destination switches is performed upon receipt at the CTI server of a complete call message from the speech processing apparatus.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the speech processing apparatus sends to the CTI server the directory number of said predetermined port to which the speech processing apparatus is connected for use in responding to the complete call message.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the step of sending from the CTI server to said CTI-enabled one of the originating and destination switches a call processing message comprises a substep of sending a query message for establishing a query call to the desired destination directory number and, dependent upon an acceptance outcome of the query call, a substep of sending a complete call message to complete the originating call to the desired destination directory number.

6. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the originating switch is constituted by the destination switch.

7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the deriving step comprises a substep of recording the received speech.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the deriving step comprises a further substep of responding at the CTI server to failure of the speech processing apparatus to derive a said indication by sending the recorded received speech to a corresponding speech processing apparatus on a remote CTI-enabled switch.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the deriving step comprises a further substep of responding at the CTI server to failure of the speech processing apparatus to derive a said indication by sending a transfer message to the CTI- enabled destination switch for transferring the originating call to a corresponding speech processing apparatus on a remote CTI-enabled switch.

10. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the deriving step comprises applying two or more respective language-related speech recogniser programs of the speech processing apparatus simultaneously to the received speech.

1 1 . A voice activated dialling system comprising: a computer telephony integration (CTI) -enabled switch coupled to an associated CTI server via a control link; a directory database coupled to the CTI server; and speech processing apparatus connected via a telephony link to a predetermined port of the CTI-enabled switch and arranged to derive from speech received from an originating user an indication of a desired destination user, the CTI server being responsive to receipt from the CTI-enabled switch of a route request message in respect of a call received from the originating user to a published directory number for a voice activated dialling service to command the CTI-enabled switch to extend that received call to said predetermined port and to command the speech processing apparatus to present an off- hook condition to said predetermined port, and to receipt from the speech processing apparatus of a derived indication of a desired destination user to retrieve from the directory database a corresponding directory number, to command the CTI-enabled switch to perform further call processing of the received call in relation to the desired destination directory number, and to command the speech processing apparatus to present an on- hook condition to said predetermined port.

1 2. A system as claimed in claim 1 1 , wherein the directory database is arranged to store names in a predetermined format, and the speech processing apparatus is arranged to provide said derived indication in that predetermined format.

1 3. A system as claimed in claim 1 2, wherein the speech processing apparatus is arranged to send the derived indication to the CTI server, actually or effectively, with the directory number of said predetermined port.

14. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 1 to 1 3, wherein the speech processing apparatus is arranged to record the received speech.

1 5. A system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the CTI server is responsive to failure of the speech processing apparatus to derive a said indication to send the recorded received speech to a corresponding speech processing apparatus on a remote CTI-enabled switch.

1 6. A system as claimed in claim 1 4, wherein the CTI server is responsive to failure of the speech processing apparatus to derive a said indication to send a transfer message to the CTI-enabled switch for transferring the originating call to a corresponding speech processing apparatus on a remote CTI-enabled switch.

1 7. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 1 to 1 6, wherein the CTI server is arranged to command the further call processing in two stages of which a first stage comprises sending a query message for establishing a query call to the desired destination directory number and a second stage comprises sending a complete call message to complete the originating call to the desired destination directory number, in the event of an acceptance outcome of the query call.

1 8. A system as claimed in any one of claims 1 1 to 1 7, wherein the speech processing apparatus comprises a plurality of respective language-related speech recogniser programs arranged to process simultaneously the received speech.

1 9. A method of operating a voice activated dialling service substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.

20. A voice activated dialling system substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.