Method and system for an automated disambiguation

• US 20040088285A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Sueping, Ginny Ying, Chang, Hisao M., Martin, John M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,146,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and system for automating the disambiguation of search results includes one or more database including a plurality of records, a search engine, and a disambiguation engine. The search engine allows for the searching of one or more of the databases for one or more search terms provided by a caller. The disambiguation engine differentiates between one or more returned records located by the search engine where the returned records satisfy the search terms. Furthermore, the disambiguation engine disambiguates the returned records based on the number of the returned records. The disambiguation engine disambiguates the returned records by providing a direct choice if the number of returned records is below a low threshold, providing a pick list if the number of returned records is between the low threshold and a high threshold, and requesting additional information if the number of returned records is above the high threshold.

Claims

1. A method for the automated disambiguation of directory assistance search results utilizing speech recognition, the method comprising:

prompting a caller for at least one search term;

searching one or more databases for the search terms, the databases including a plurality of records;

returning a number of the records that satisfy the search terms;

determining if each of the returned records has a unique name data field;

automatically differentiating between the returned records based on each of the unique name data fields;

automatically differentiating between the returned records based on an address data field when each returned record does not have a unique name data field;

providing a direct choice between the returned records when the number of returned records is below a low threshold;

providing a pick list of the returned records when the number of returned records is between the low threshold and a high threshold;

requesting additional information when the number of returned records is above the high threshold;

defaulting to an operator when the database search returns no returned records;

determining if the returned record is included in a non-publication list before providing the returned record to the caller; and

providing a telephone number to the caller corresponding with a returned record selected by the caller.

2. A method for the automated disambiguation of search results, the method comprising:

searching one or more databases for one or more search terms, the databases including a plurality of records;

returning a number of the records that satisfy the search terms;

automatically differentiating between the returned records based on one or more data fields within each returned record;

providing a direct choice between the returned records when the number of returned records is below a low threshold;

providing a pick list of the returned records when the number of returned records is between the low threshold and a high threshold; and

requesting additional information when the number of returned records is above the high threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising defaulting to an operator when the database search returns no returned records.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein defaulting to the operator comprises populating an operator screen with one or more utterances provided by a caller.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising prompting one or more callers for the search terms.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the database comprises a frequently requested listings database.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the database comprises a D1 database.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein automatically differentiating between the returned records comprises determining if each of the returned records has a unique name data field.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically differentiating between the returned records comprises differentiating between the returned records based on each of the unique name data fields.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically differentiating between the returned records comprises differentiating between the returned records based on an address data field when each of the returned records does not have a unique name data field.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising searching a D1 database if a search of a frequently requested listings database returns no returned records.

12. The method of claim 2 further comprising utilizing an automated speech recognition system to gather the search terms and provide the returned records.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein automatically differentiating between the returned records comprises determining if each of the returned records includes one or more subordinate records.

14. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing to a caller a telephone number corresponding to a returned record satisfying the search terms.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein providing a telephone number comprises providing to the caller a name and an address corresponding to the telephone number.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein providing a direct choice between the returned records comprises:

individually identifying each of the returned records; and

prompting a caller to directly choose one of the identified returned record.

17. The method of claim 2 wherein providing a pick list of the returned records comprises:

providing a list of the returned records; and

prompting a caller to select a desired returned record from the list of the returned records when the caller hears the desired returned record.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein requesting additional information comprises prompting the caller to provide one or more additional search terms in order to further limit the returned records.

19. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining if the returned record is included in a non-publication list before providing the returned record to a caller.

20. A system for the automated disambiguation of search results, the system comprising:

one or more databases including a plurality of records;

a search engine associated with the databases, the search engine operable to search one or more of the databases for one or more search terms; and

a disambiguation engine associated with the search engine, the disambiguation engine operable to differentiate between one or more returned records satisfying the search terms and automatically disambiguate the returned records based on the number of returned records.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the disambiguation engine provides a direct choice between the returned records when the number of returned records is below a low threshold.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the disambiguation engine provides a pick list of the returned records when the number of returned records is between a low threshold and a high threshold.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the disambiguation engine requests additional information when the number of returned records is above a high threshold.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the database comprises a frequently requested listings database.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein the database comprises a D1 database.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein the disambiguation engine is further operable to determine if each of the returned records has a unique name data field.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the disambiguation engine differentiates between the returned records based on each of the unique name data fields.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the disambiguation engine differentiates between the returned records based on an address data field when each of the returned records does not have a unique name data field.

29. The system of claim 20 wherein the search engine searches a D1 database if the search engine locates no returned records satisfying the search terms in a frequently requested listings database.

30. The system of claim 20 wherein the disambiguation engine is further operable to provide to a caller a telephone number for a returned record satisfying the search terms.

31. The system of claim 20 wherein the search engine is further operable to default to an operator when the search engine locates no returned records satisfying the search terms.

32. The system of claim 20 wherein the disambiguation engine determines if each of the returned records includes one or more subordinate records.

33. The system of claim 20 wherein the disambiguation engine determines if the returned record is included in a non-publication list before providing the returned record to a caller.

34. Software for automating disambiguation of search results, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and operable to:

search one or more databases for one or more search terms, the databases including a plurality of records;

return a number of the records that satisfy the search terms;

automatically differentiate between the returned records based on one or more data fields within each returned record;

provide a direct choice between the returned records when the number of returned records is below a low threshold;

provide a pick list of the returned records when the number of returned records is between the low threshold and a high threshold; and

request additional information when the number of returned records is above the high threshold.

35. The software of claim 34 further operable to default to an operator when the database search returns no returned records.

36. The software of claim 35 wherein defaulting to the operator comprises populating an operator screen with one or more utterances provided by a caller.

37. The software of claim 34 further operable to prompt one or more callers for the search terms.

38. The software of claim 34 wherein the database comprises a frequently requested listings database.

39. The software of claim 34 wherein the database comprises a D1 database.

40. The software of claim 34 wherein automatically differentiating between the returned records comprises determining if each of the returned records has a unique name data field.

41. The software of claim 40 wherein automatically differentiating between the returned records comprises differentiating between the returned records based on each of the unique name data fields.

42. The software of claim 40 wherein automatically differentiating between the returned records comprises differentiating between the returned records based on an address data field when each of the returned records does not have a unique name data field.

43. The software of claim 34 further operable to search a D1 database if a search of a frequently requested listings database returns no returned records.