Multi-modal callback

• US 20030064716A1
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Gailey, Michael L., Portman, Eric A., Burgiss, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A method and system for generating multi-modal callback messages for a user of a wireless terminal connected to an access network. A multi-modal response is generated in response to a request for information with a multi-modal callback server. The multi-modal response is transmitted to the wireless terminal using the access network. A text-based response is included in the multi-modal response that includes a means for allowing a predetermined portion of the multi-modal response to be read aloud to the user of the wireless terminal or another message may be read aloud to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing multi-modal callback in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

generating a request for information using a wireless terminal;

transmitting said request for information to a multi-modal callback server;

generating a multi-modal response to said request for information with a response generation application;

transmitting said multi-modal response to said wireless terminal;

selecting a callback request indicator contained in said multi-modal response with said wireless terminal;

transmitting a callback request to said multi-modal callback server based on the selection of said callback request indicator with said wireless terminal;

generating a callback response based on said callback request with said multi-modal callback server; and

transmitting said callback response to said wireless terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said callback response is an automated voice-based response.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of transforming said callback response into a voice-based response with a text-to-voice application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of disconnecting said wireless terminal from said multi-modal callback server after said multi-modal response is transmitted to said wireless terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said request for information is a voice-based request for information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of identifying a plurality of words contained in said voice-based request for information using a voice recognition application.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of determining an intent associated with said identified words using a natural language processing application.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a geographic location of said wireless terminal, wherein said multi-modal response is based at least in part on said geographic location of said wireless terminal.

9. A method of providing multi-modal callback in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

generating a request for information using a wireless terminal;

transmitting said request for information to a multi-modal callback server;

generating a multi-modal response to said request for information with a response generation application, wherein said multi-modal response includes a text-based response having an interaction menu;

transmitting said multi-modal response to said wireless terminal;

disconnecting said wireless terminal from said multi-modal callback server;

selecting a callback request item contained in said interaction menu with said wireless terminal;

transmitting a callback request to said multi-modal callback server based on the selection of said callback request item;

generating a callback response to said callback request; and

transmitting said callback response to said wireless terminal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said multi-modal response includes a response that may be selected from a group of responses consisting of a voice-based response, a voice-mail response, an email response or a fax response.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said request for information is a voice-based request for information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of identifying a plurality of words contained in said voice-based request for information with a voice recognition application.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of determining an intent associated with said words with a natural language processing application.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of determining a geographic location of said wireless terminal, wherein said multi-modal response is based at least in part on said geographic location of said wireless terminal.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said callback response is a voice-based response.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of generating said callback response with a voice-to-text application.

17. A multi-modal callback system, comprising:

a wireless terminal connected to an access network, wherein said wireless terminal is operable to generate a request for information;

a multi-modal callback server connected to said access network;

a response generation application located on said multi-modal callback server operable to generate a multi-modal response to said request for information that is sent to said wireless terminal, and

wherein said multi-modal response includes a text-based response with a means for having said text-based response read aloud to a user of said wireless terminal.

18. The multi-modal callback system of claim 17, wherein said means for having said text-based response read aloud to said user of said wireless terminal includes an interaction menu selection item generated on a display of said wireless terminal.

19. The multi-modal callback system of claim 17, wherein said means for having said text-based response read aloud to said user of said wireless terminal includes selecting a predetermined keypad key of said wireless terminal.

20. The multi-modal callback system of claim 17, wherein said means for having said text-based response read aloud to said user of said wireless terminal includes a voice-based command generated by a user of said wireless terminal.

21. The multi-modal callback system of claim 17, further comprising a geographic location application operable to determine a geographic location of said wireless terminal, wherein said multi-modal response is a function of the geographic location of the wireless terminal.

22. The multi-modal callback system of claim 17, wherein said request for information is a voice-based request for information.

23. The multi-modal callback system of claim 22, further comprising a voice recognition application operable to identify a plurality of words contained in said voice-based request for information.

24. The multi-modal callback system of claim 23, further comprising a natural language processing application operable to determine an intent associated with said words.

25. A method of generating multi-modal messages for a user of a wireless terminal connected to an access network, comprising the steps of:

generating a multi-modal response to a request for information from said wireless terminal;

transmitting said multi-modal response to said wireless terminal; and

including a text-based response in said multi-modal response that includes a means for allowing a predetermined portion of said multi-modal response to be read aloud to said user of said wireless terminal.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said means for having said text-based response read aloud to said user of said wireless terminal includes an interaction menu selection item generated on a display of said wireless terminal.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said means for having said text-based response read aloud to said user of said wireless terminal includes selecting a designated keypad key of said wireless terminal.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said means for having said text-based response read aloud to said user of said wireless terminal includes a voice-based command generated by a user of said wireless terminal.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said means for having said text-based response read aloud to said user of said wireless terminal includes a link that may be selected by a pointing device of said wireless terminal.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of determining a geographic location of said wireless terminal, wherein said multi-modal response is a function of the geographic location of the wireless terminal.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein said predetermined portion of said text-based response that is read aloud to said user is based on a user preference.

32. A method for audibly reproducing text messages in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

generating a text-based message on a wireless terminal, wherein said text-based message includes a callback request indicator;

selecting said callback request indicator with said wireless terminal;

transmitting a callback request to a multi-modal callback server based on the selection of said callback request indicator;

converting said text-based message to a voice-based message; and

transmitting said voice-based message to said wireless terminal.

33. A multi-modal callback system, comprising:

text message generation means for generating a text-based message on a wireless terminal;

selection means in said text-based message for generating a callback request that is sent to a multi-modal callback server;

text-to-speech conversion means for converting said text-based message into a voice-based message with said multi-modal callback server; and

transmission means for transmitting said voice-based message to said wireless terminal.

34. A method for audibly reproducing messages in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a text-based message to a wireless terminal, where the text-based message includes a selection item;

selecting said selection item with the remote terminal;

establishing a connection between the wireless terminal and a multi-modal callback server based on the selection of the selection item; and

transmitting a voice-based message to the wireless terminal with the multi-modal callback server.

35. A multi-modal callback system, comprising:

message generation means for generating a text-based message on a wireless terminal;

selection means in said text-based message for generating a callback request that is sent to a multi-modal callback server;

response generation means for generating a response to the callback request sent from said wireless terminal;

text-to-speech conversion means for converting said response into a voice-based message with said multi-modal callback server; and

transmission means for transmitting said voice-based message to said wireless terminal.