TECHNICAL FIELD

Examples described herein are generally related to arrangements for automatically detecting bi-directional artificial intelligence (AI) communications and automatically negotiating (i.e., switching to alternative) direct digital communications.

BACKGROUND

Users (e.g., private persons; companies; educational institutions; governmental entities; etc.) have been trending towards using AI virtual assistants which use a natural-language interface and are capable of: recognizing a spoken (i.e., voiced) natural-language of a speaking entity: reacting to a content (e.g., command or query) of the spoken language to invoke and perform actions; and returning a result back to the speaking entity. That is, the AI virtual assistant is able to listen for and recognize voice statements or queries, perform actions, answer questions, make recommendations, etc. One example action might include fulfilling requests via interacting with an opposing party across a communication session (e.g., a voice telephone call). One specific non-limiting action might be calling a restaurant or hotel to make a reservation.

That is, rather than a user (e.g., private person) making a telephone call himself/herself, the user might instead issue a voice command to his/her AI virtual assistant, to invoke the AI virtual assistant to telephone a specific restaurant or hotel to make the reservation. The AI virtual assistant would recognize the voice command, make and establish a telephone connection to the restaurant or hotel, and then utilize its provided natural-language interface to voice communicate with the answering party. The natural-language interface might be configured to synthesize a human voice which is so highly refined (in tone, inflection, content, accent, etc.) that the answering party might be unable to detect that the calling party talking is an AI virtual assistant, and not a human. Once the reservation is made, the AI virtual assistant communicates the particulars of the reservation back to the user, e.g., using any of voice, text, email, etc.

As AI virtual assistant usage becomes more-and-more prevalent, there may occur an instance where both calling and called ends of a voice communication session (e.g., telephone call) are each being conducted by respective AI virtual assistants. That is, a calling AI virtual assistant and a called AI virtual assistant might be communicating back-and-forth using voice communications. Disadvantages arise from back-and-forth voice communications between opposing AI virtual assistants which are digitally-based.

For example, each AI virtual assistant must expend time/resources (e.g., processing time; processing bandwidth; energy) both to synthesize an outgoing voice (e.g., via digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion; look-up table; etc.), and to decipher an incoming voice (e.g., via analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion, pattern recognition, etc.). Further, it is inevitable that an incoming voice might occasionally be mis-deciphered or in-decipherable. For example, background sounds, static, noise, etc., might have masked, distorted or clouded a quality of the incoming voice. In short, there is inefficiency in having two digitally-based AI virtual assistants communicating back-and-forth with each other using voice communications.

What is needed are arrangements for automatically detecting instances of bi-directional artificial intelligence (AI) voice communications, and automatically invoking a switchover to direct digital communications between AI entities.

SUMMARY

Provided are arrangements for automatically detecting bi-directional artificial intelligence (AI) communications and automatically negotiating direct digital communications.

That is, example first embodiments are directed to a method of negotiating direct digital communication between artificial intelligence (AI) entities, comprising: recognizing, by an AI entity on a first side of a bi-directional voice communication session, a predetermined indicator provided from an opposing side of the bi-directional voice communication session, indicative of a second AI entity on the opposing side conducting the bi-directional voice communication session; responsive to recognition of the second AI entity, utilizing a predetermined protocol to negotiate connection information for a direct digital communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity; terminating the bi-directional voice communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity after the connection information for the direct digital communication session have been negotiated; and utilizing the connection information to establish the direct digital communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity.

In example second embodiments based on the first embodiments, the bi-directional voice communication session includes an in-band communication channel and out-of-band communication channel; the predetermined indicator is recognized from the in-band communication channel.

In example third embodiments based on the second embodiments, the predetermined indicator recognized from the in-band communication channel is at least one item selected from a list of: a predetermined tone; a predetermined tone which is imperceptible to human hearing; a predetermined audible pattern; a predetermined AI voice; a predetermined AI salutation; and a predetermined AI phrase.

In example fourth embodiments based on the first embodiments, the bi-directional voice communication session includes an in-band communication channel and out-of-band communication channel; and the predetermined indicator is recognized from the out-of-band communication channel.

In example fifth embodiments based on the fourth embodiments, the predetermined indicator recognized from the out-of-band communication channel is at least one item selected from a list of: a predetermined caller identification (ID) number; a predetermined caller ID string portion; a predetermined caller ID prefix; a predetermined caller ID area code; a predetermined caller ID text sequence; a predetermined text sequence; and a predetermined header portion.

In example sixth embodiments based on the first embodiments, the connection information for the direct digital communication session, is at least one of listed items of: a uniform resource locator (URL) useable to establish the direct digital communication session; a token useable to authorize the direct digital communication session; an identification (ID) token to identify at least one of the AI entity and the second AI entity; and a protocol to be used in conducting the direct digital communication session.

Example seventh embodiments are directed to a method of negotiating direct digital communication between artificial intelligence (AI) entities, comprising: recognizing, by an AI entity on a first side of a bi-directional voice communication session, a predetermined indicator provided from an opposing side of the bi-directional voice communication session, indicative of a second AI entity on the opposing side conducting the bi-directional voice communication session at a called-number; terminating the bi-directional voice communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity after recognition of the second AI entity on the opposing side; responsive to recognition of the second AI entity, utilizing the called-number to poll a predetermined look-up facility to determine connection information for a direct digital communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity; and utilizing the connection information to establish the direct digital communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity.

In example eighth embodiments based on the seventh embodiments, the bi-directional voice communication session includes an in-band communication channel and out-of-band communication channel; and the predetermined indicator is recognized from the in-band communication channel.

In example ninth embodiments based on the eighth embodiments, the predetermined indicator recognized from the in-band communication channel is at least one item selected from a list of: a predetermined tone; a predetermined tone which is imperceptible to human hearing; a predetermined audible pattern; a predetermined AI voice; a predetermined AI salutation; and a predetermined AI phrase.

In example tenth embodiments based on the seventh embodiments, the bi-directional voice communication session includes an in-band communication channel and out-of-band communication channel; and the predetermined indicator is recognized from the out-of-band communication channel.

In example eleventh embodiments based on the tenth embodiments, the predetermined indicator recognized from the out-of-band communication channel is at least one item selected from a list of: a predetermined caller identification (ID) number; a predetermined caller ID string portion; a predetermined caller ID prefix; a predetermined caller ID area code; a predetermined caller ID text sequence; a predetermined text sequence; and a predetermined header portion.

In example twelfth embodiments based on the seventh embodiments, the connection information for the direct digital communication session, is at least one of listed items of: a uniform resource locator (URL) useable to establish the direct digital communication session; a token useable to authorize the direct digital communication session; an identification (ID) token to identify at least one of the AI entity and the second AI entity; and a protocol to be used in conducting the direct digital communication session.

In example thirteenth embodiments based on the seventh embodiments, the called-number is more particularly a called-telephone-number; and the predetermined look-up facility utilizes the called-telephone-number and a look-up table (LUT) to determine the connection information for the direct digital communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity.

In example fourteenth embodiments based on the seventh embodiments, the predetermined look-up facility is at least one of listed facilities of: a predetermined native look-up facility maintained as a component of the AI entity; a predetermined remote look-up facility maintained remote from the AI entity; and a predetermined centralized look-up facility accessible via a predetermined URL.

Example fifteenth embodiments are directed to an artificial intelligence (AI) entity comprising: a hardware processor, a non-transitory processor-readable memory embodying code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to: recognize, on a first side of a bi-directional voice communication session, a predetermined indicator provided from an opposing side of the bi-directional voice communication session, indicative of a second AI entity on the opposing side conducting the bi-directional voice communication session; responsive to recognition of the second AI entity, utilize a predetermined protocol to negotiate connection information for a direct digital communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity; terminate the bi-directional voice communication session with the second AI entity after the connection information for the direct digital communication session have been negotiated; and utilize the connection information to establish the direct digital communication session between the AI entity and the second AI entity.

In example sixteenth embodiments based on the fifteenth embodiments, the bi-directional voice communication session includes an in-band communication channel and out-of-band communication channel; and the predetermined indicator is recognized from the in-band communication channel.

In example seventeenth embodiments based on the sixteenth embodiments, the predetermined indicator recognized from the in-band communication channel is at least one item selected from a list of: a predetermined tone; a predetermined tone which is imperceptible to human hearing; a predetermined audible pattern; a predetermined AI voice; a predetermined AI salutation; and a predetermined AI phrase.

In example eighteenth embodiments based on the fifteenth embodiments, the bi-directional voice communication session includes an in-band communication channel and out-of-band communication channel; the predetermined indicator is recognized from the out-of-band communication channel.

In example nineteenth embodiments based on the eighteenth embodiments, the predetermined indicator recognized from the out-of-band communication channel is at least one item selected from a list of: a predetermined caller identification (ID) number; a predetermined caller ID string portion; a predetermined caller ID prefix; a predetermined caller ID area code; a predetermined caller ID text sequence; a predetermined text sequence; and a predetermined header portion.

In example twentieth embodiments based on the fifteenth embodiments, the connection information for the direct digital communication session, is at least one of listed items of: a uniform resource locator (URL) useable to establish the direct digital communication session; a token useable to authorize the direct digital communication session; an identification (ID) token to identify at least one of the AI entity and the second AI entity; and a protocol to be used in conducting the direct digital communication session.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosed embodiments, as claimed.

