EMBEDDED PHONETIC SUPPORT AND TTS PLAY BUTTON IN A CONTACTS DATABASE

• US 20020041659A1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: PERSSON, MATS, BESWICK, ANTONY PAUL
• Granted Patent: US 6,462,616 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424

Abstract

Improved methods and arrangements are provided for use in a computer telephony system that supports dial by name operations. A multiple purpose contacts database is modified through a graphical user interface (GUI) to include corresponding phonetically spelled information and/or other alias information for a contact. Voice recognition capabilities in the computer telephony system, which support the dial by name operations, can be directly invoked through the GUI to playback the phonetically spelled information and/or other alias information.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising:

a processor;

at least one user device configured to provide user inputs to the processor and outputs from the processor to a user;

a contacts database comprising a first field having at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, and a corresponding second field having at least one phonetically spelled contact identifier; and

a voice recognizer configured at least partially within the processor to directly access the first and second fields in the contacts database to interpret the user inputs.

2. The arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the contacts database further comprises an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields.

3. The arrangement as recited in claim 2, wherein the contacts database further comprises an alias field that corresponds to as least one of the first and second fields.

4. The arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the user inputs and in response to access at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

5. The arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

6. An apparatus for use in a computer system having a processor, and at least one user device configured to provide user inputs to the processor and outputs from the processor to a user, the apparatus comprising:

a contacts database having a first field that includes at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, and a corresponding second field that includes at least one phonetically spelled contact identifier; and

a voice recognizer configured at least partially within the processor to directly access the first and second fields in the contacts database to interpret user inputs.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the contacts database further comprises an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the contacts database further comprises an alias field that corresponds to as least one of the first and second fields.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the user inputs and in response to access at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

11. A computer readable medium for with a computer system having a processor, and at least one user device configured to provide user inputs to the processor and outputs from the processor to a user, the computer readable medium comprising computer instructions that:

establish a contacts database having a first field that includes at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, and a corresponding second field that includes at least one phonetically spelled contact identifier; and

provide a voice recognizer that directly accesses the first and second fields in the contacts database to interpret user inputs.

12. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the contacts database further comprises an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields.

13. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein the contacts database further comprises an alias field that corresponds to as least one of the first and second fields.

14. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the user inputs and in response to access at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

15. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the contacts database further comprises an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the contacts database further comprises an alias field that corresponds to as least one of the first and second fields.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising analyzing the user voice inputs using an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising using a text-to-speech (TTS) engine to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

16. A method for supporting name dialing in a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving user voice inputs; and

in response to the user voice inputs, directly accessing a contacts database having a first field that includes at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, and a corresponding second field that includes at least one phonetically spelled contact identifier to interpret the user voice inputs.

21. An editor for use with a contacts database in a computer having at least one input device and at least one output device, the editor comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) arranged to display at least a portion of the contacts database including a correctly spelled identifier and a corresponding phonetically spelled identifier associated with at least one contact;

a selector, within the GUI; and

a text-to-speech (TTS) engine responsive to activation of the selector in the GUI that causes at least the phonetically spelled identifier to be output as sound through an output device.

22. The editor as recited in claim 21, wherein the GUI is further configured to support a computer telephony system by providing access to at least a portion of a contacts database.

23. The editor as recited in claim 22, wherein the TTS engine is within the computer telephony system and further configured to support voice recognition within the computer telephony system such that when the selector is activated the TTS engine, in response, is invoked without requiring user voice inputs.