Illinois Patent of the Month – April 2023
Robocalls are an increasing nuisance, taking up time and driving the general population to ignore calls from anyone who is not in their contact list. These calls are usually initiated using computer hardware and software, such as an autodialer and a voice recording and response system to deliver a pre-recorded message. The volume of robocalls is currently in the billions of calls per month, and many such calls are attempts to scam or defraud the call recipients. This is incredibly problematic for those who may not know how to identify scams.
XCast Labs, Inc have blazed the trail in unified communications for two full decades. Back in the 1990’s, the founding engineers demonstrated the power of speech-recognition technology through their introduction of the first-ever digital personal assistant.
Recently, the company has put the expertise towards solving this nuisance. Their recently patented technology offers a robocall screening process by implementing techniques to screen for, detect, and prevent connection of robocalls. Their method involves receiving a request to initiate a call from an originating party, selecting from a list of terminating carrier networks, a media server, routing the request to initiate the call to the media server, forwarding a media prompt requesting the originating party to enter a response to the media prompt, and when the originating party does not enter a correct response to the media prompt, forwarding an indication that the call is forbidden.
In addition to this, XCast Labs has developed an evaluation service that analyzes a media dialog from the originating party to determine whether to allow the call. This evaluation service analyzes the media dialog using voice recognition to determine the content of the media dialog and artificial intelligence to determine whether the call is unwanted or illegal based on the determined content. If the evaluation service determines not to allow the call, it forwards an indication that the call is forbidden.
The technology behind the process is complex, requiring impressive capabilities to reliably and accurately detect and identify robocalls. This complex technology ensures the user’s experience is as simple as can be. In fact, they will hardly notice the system working since they will no longer be interrupted by annoying robocalls.
The solution that XCast Labs has come up with is not only beneficial for individuals who are tired of receiving robocalls, but it also helps to prevent scams and frauds that are commonly associated with such calls. With the implementation of these techniques, individuals can be assured that they will not receive unwanted or illegal calls, and this can be particularly useful for vulnerable populations such as the elderly or individuals with cognitive impairments.
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