Directory assistance dialog with configuration switches to switch from automated speech recognition to operator-assisted dialog

• US 20030194063A1
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bushey, Robert R., Chang, Hisao M., Martin, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,792,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A method of providing a caller with a directory assistance dialog. The dialog is configurable, at any level of the dialog, from an automated speech recognition (ASR) dialog to an operator-assisted (OP) dialog. The dialog is handed off to an operator if any level of the speech recognition dialog fails. Also, a configuration switch may be set to cause the dialog to be handed off to an operator even if a response at some level of the ASR dialog is successfully recognized.

Claims

1. A method of providing a caller with a directory assistance dialog, the dialog being switchable from an automated speech recognition (ASR) path to an operator-assisted (OP) path, comprising the steps of:

prompting the caller for a location;

applying a speech recognition process to the caller'"'"'s response to the location prompt;

if the applying step fails, directing the remaining dialog to the OP path;

if the applying step succeeds, providing a configuration switch that could be set to cause the remaining dialog to branch to the OP path;

prompting the caller for a listing;

applying a speech recognition process to the caller'"'"'s response to the listing prompt;

if the applying step fails, directing the remaining dialog to the OP path;

if the applying step succeeds, performing a database search for the listing;

giving out the listing to the caller upon completion of a successful search; and

forwarding at least one response to a speech recognition tuning process.

2. A method of providing a caller with a directory assistance dialog, the dialog being switchable from an automated speech recognition (ASR) path to an operator-assisted (OP) path, comprising the steps of:

prompting the caller for a location;

applying a speech recognition process to the caller'"'"'s response;

if the applying step fails, directing the remaining dialog to the OP path;

if the applying step succeeds, providing a configuration switch that could be set to cause the remaining dialog to branch to the OP path;

prompting the caller for a listing;

applying a speech recognition process to the caller'"'"'s response;

if the applying step fails, directing the remaining dialog to the OP path;

if the applying step succeeds, performing a database search for the listing;

giving out the listing to the caller upon completion of a successful search.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step, prior to the step of prompting the caller for a location, of providing a configuration switch that could be set to cause the dialog to branch to the OP path prior to any ASR dialog.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising initial steps, prior to the step of prompting the caller for a location, of:

prompting the caller for a goal;

applying a speech recognition process to the caller'"'"'s response;

if the applying step fails, directing the remaining dialog to the OP path; and

if the applying step succeeds, providing a next configuration switch that could be set to cause the remaining dialog to branch to the OP path.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the residential process is an ASR process.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the residential process is an OP process.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the OP path uses store and forward techniques.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps, performed after the step of providing a configuration switch, of:

prompting the caller to indicate whether a residential listing is being requested;

if a residential listing is being requested, providing a next configuration switch that could be set to cause the remaining dialog to branch to the OP path, and using a residential process to provide the listing;

if a residential listing is not being requested, performing the step of prompting the caller for a listing.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the database search is performed without operator-assistance and further comprising the step of providing, prior to the database search, a configuration switch that may be set to cause the dialog to branch to the OP path.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the database search results in multiple candidate listings, and of providing a configuration switch to determine whether an automatic disambiguation process is performed.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the database search results in multiple listings and further comprising the step of using at least one configuration switch to select among disambiguation techniques.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of giving out the listing is performed using at least one ASR sub-dialog.

13. A method of providing a caller with a directory assistance dialog, the dialog being switchable from an automated speech recognition (ASR) path to an operator-assisted (OP) path, comprising the steps of:

providing a series of ASR sub-dialogs, operable to prompt the caller for at least a location response and a listing response and to recognize the responses;

after each ASR sub-dialog, branching to the OP path if the recognition is not successful; and

after at least one ASR sub-dialog, providing a configuration switch that could be set to cause the remaining dialog to branch to the OP path, even if the recognition is successful.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing an initial configuration switch that could be set to cause the dialog to branch to the OP path prior to any ASR dialog.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of performing a database search for dialogs in which the responses have been successfully recognized.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the OP path uses store and forward techniques.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein in one of the ASR sub-dialogs prompts the caller to respond whether the listing is for a residence.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the ASR sub-dialogs prompts the caller to respond with a goal.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the method is performed to obtain a residential listing, and further comprising the step of providing a configuration switch that may be set to cause the dialog to branch to an OP path to obtain the residential listing.

20. The method of claim 13, whether the configuration switch follows the listing response.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the configuration switch follows the location response.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the ASR sub-dialogs determines whether the caller desires reverse directory assistance, and further comprising the step of providing a configuration switch to determine whether the RDA is performed using ASR or is operator-assisted.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of forwarding at least one response to a speech recognition tuning process.

24. An automated directory assistance system for providing a caller with a directory assistance dialog, the dialog being switchable from an automated speech recognition (ASR) path to an operator-assisted (OP) path, comprising the steps of:

an ASR sub-dialog unit, operable to prompt the caller for at least a location response and a listing response, to recognize the responses, and to branch to the OP path if the recognition is not successful; and

at least one configuration switching process, operable, after a prompt and response, to cause the remaining dialog to branch to the OP path, even if the recognition is successful.