This blog post will describe 4 ways you can use Telnyx with the Voicegain's Deep Neural Network based Speech-to-Text/ASR platform.

#1: Real-time Transcription and Speech-Analytics

For developers looking to get the raw text/transcript, the Voicegain STT API supports real time transcription of streamed audio from Telnyx.

For conversational AI applications that need NLU tags like sentiment, named entities, intents and keywords in the submitted audio, Voicegain's real-time Speech Analytics API provides those metrics in addition to the transcript.

While both the STT API and the Speech Analytics API support multiple methods to stream audio, Voicegain recommends RTP streaming as the primary method with Telnyx. Developers can stream either 1-channel or 2-channel RTP (the two channels are tied together which is important for some Speech Analytics features).

You can use Telnyx Call Control API to fork the call audio and send it to Voicegain. Call Control API allows you to send either inbound (rx) or outbound (tx) audio or both, this is done using the fork_start command. You can find a complete example of a code needed for real-time transcription of a call here: platform/examples/telnyx/call_control_fork_of_bridged_call at master · voicegain/platform (github.com)

Applications of real-time transcription and speech analytics include live agent assist in contact centers, extraction of insights for sales calls conducted over telephony, and meeting analytics.

#2: Voice Bot or IVR using Voicegain Telephony Bot API

If you want to build a Voice Bot or an IVR application that handles calls coming over Telnyx then we suggest using Voicegain Telephony Bot API - this is a callback API similar in style to Twilio's TwiML. This API handles speech-to-text, DTMF digits and also plays prompts (TTS, pre-recorded, or a combination).

Your calls are transferred from Telnyx to Voicegain using a simple SIP INVITE. The SIP INVITE is accomplished using Telnyx Call Control Dial command. You can find a complete example how to do this here: platform/telnyx-dial-outbound-lambda.py at master · voicegain/platform (github.com)

Voicegain Telephony Bot API allows you to build two types of applications:

• Voice Bot applications using either your own Bot framework or using frameworks like RASA or Google Dialog flow for the bot logic. The "ear" and "mouth" of the bot is provided by Voicegain. This blog shows how a Voice Bot using RASA can be constructed: Easy How-To: Build a Voicebot using Voicegain, RASA, and AWS Lambda.
• Alternatively, you can build more traditional IVRs using call flows and grammars. You can either program them directly using Telephony Bot API by implementing appropriate callbacks. Alternatively, we provide a simple script that allows you to specify the entire IVR application in a declarative way in a YAML file. You can find a complete example how to do this on our github: platform/declarative-ivr at master · voicegain/platform (github.com)
  

#3: Use Voicegain STT API as needed in your Call Control App

If your application has only a limited need for speech recognition, you can invoke Voicegain STT API only as needed. Every time you need speech recognition you simply start a new ASR session with Voicegain either in transcribe (large vocabulary transcription) or recognize (grammar-based recognition) mode. The session will return an RTP ip:port to which you can fork your Telnyx audio. You can receive speech-to-text results either over a websocket or via a callback. After you a done with the transcription/recognition session you stop the Telnyx audio fork.

An example application that could be built like that is a voice controlled voicemail retrieval application where Voicegain recognize API is used in a continuous mode and listens to commands like play, stop, next, etc.

#4: Build your own Voice Bot using Long-Session STT API

Finally, you could use Voicegain Long-Session API (planned to be released later in 2021). This API allows you to establish single long session that takes an ongoing stream of inbound audio from Telnyx (via fork command). Once the session is established you can issue commands for transcription or recognition. They would return results upon finding a speech endpoint or when you explicitly stop them. After processing the results you could issue additional commands on the same Voicegain session.

In addition to returning recognition results, Long-Session STT API returns important events, like e.g. start-of-speech that allows you to implement proper barge-in behavior.

Using this API you could build your own Voice Bot just like the Voice Bots from #2, but you could have more control over your Telnyx session, e.g. you could use conference commands.