Method and system for automatically managing a voice-based communications systems

• US 20020069060A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 06/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kasturi Mudambi, Martin Lebrun, Samuel Cannavo
• Original Assignee: Kasturi Mudambi, Martin Lebrun, Samuel Cannavo
• Inventors: Mudambi, Kasturi, LeBrun, Martin, Cannavo, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US09/858,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069060A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/257
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53333 Message receiving aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

The present invention provides a subscriber with a single interface to access one or more Voice-Based Communications Systems (hereinafter “VCSs”). By employing automatic speech recognition and/or natural language understanding (hereinafter “ASR/NLU”) technologies and capabilities, the system can interact with a VCS account without direct human interaction. The system logs into a VCS account by generating voice commands (e.g., using text to speech technology or recorded voice commands) and/or DTMF, and then precedes to conduct an automated voice-based dialogue with the VCS in order to obtain notification, voice communications and/or other information. Since the system employs ASR/NLU technologies and capabilities, it can record any notifications and communications from the VCS, optionally convert them into other data signals (e.g., digital data) and then transmit them over and/or store them on other mediums.

Claims

1. A method for receiving information from a Voice-Based Communications System (VCS) account, having a voice-based interface that transmits voice-prompts and receives responses thereto, the method comprising:

providing an Automatic Speech Recognition and Natural Language Understanding application (ASR/NLU application) with access data and control data for the VCS account;

communicating between the ASR/NLU application and the voice-based interface; and

employing the ASR/NLU application to respond to the voice-based interface so as to receive information from the VCS account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein employing the ASR/NLU includes responding to the voice based interface using at least one of an audio tone, a DTMF tones, a pulse tone, a synthesized voice, and a pre-recorded voice.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the access and control data for the VCS account is provided from a computer database to the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating between the ASR/NLU application and the voice based interface occurs through a communications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating between the ASR/NLU application and the voice based interface occurs through a public switched telephone network, a private telephone network, a wireless telephone network, a voice carrier over a data protocol, or voice over IP.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying a VCS account subscriber that information has been received by the VCS account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein notifying the subscriber includes subsequently allowing the subscriber to receive the information from the VCS account.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein allowing the subscriber to receive the information from the VCS account includes receiving information from the VCS in real-time or from a second storage device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of notifying includes notifying by at least one of facsimile, instant messaging, email, an updated web page, a page, a wireless access device and a telephone call.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is a financial information, a voice message, a stock quote, news, entertainment information, a sports score, a horoscope, a prediction, or a reminder.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the information from the VCS is provided on a fee per call basis.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the subscriber is prompted to enter an access code to receive the notification.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the system includes the transceiver being configured to communicate with a client through a communications network and the application being configured to provide the client with the information received by the application from the VCS account.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the application is configured to receive from the client the VCS account access data and VCS account interface control data.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is configured to provide an automatic notification to a user by at least one of a facsimile, an instant message, an email, an updated web page, a page to a beeper, a wireless access device and a telephone call.

13. A system for managing a Voice-Based Communications System (VCS) account, having a voice-based interface that transmits voice-prompts and receives responses thereto, the system comprising:

an Automatic Speech Recognition and Natural Language Understanding application (ASR/NLU application);

a transceiver to communicate information between the VCS account and the application; and

a database to store the information received by the application from the VCS account.