Menu-based, speech actuated system with speak-ahead capability

• US 20040153322A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mavenir Systems Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Comverse Incorporated (Mavenir Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Panttaja, Erin M., Neuberger, Marc J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/193 Formal grammars, e.g. finite state automata, context free grammars or word networks

Abstract

An interactive voice response system has speak-ahead capabilities similar to type-ahead IVR systems by determining multi-level grammars for responses. Preferably, an existing IVR application is processed automatically to generate a multi-level grammar database that can then be used in recognizing multi-level responses by a user.

Claims

1. A method of processing speech input to an interactive voice response system generating prompts based on a menu, comprising:

recognizing speech input in response to a current prompt based on a grammar of acceptable responses that includes utterances responding to at least one subsequent prompt.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining the grammar of acceptable responses by adding to at least one possible response to the current prompt, at least one possible subsequent response to the at least one subsequent prompt.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said determining is performed automatically after the menu and the grammar for a plurality of prompts have been defined.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the menu is defined in VoiceXML and said determining is performed by a VoiceXML interpreter.

5. A method of defining an interactive voice response system generating prompts based on a menu and detecting speech input in response, comprising:

defining a menu of prompts for users and a grammar of possible responses for each prompt; and

automatically determining a composite grammar of acceptable responses to a current prompt by adding to at least one possible response to the current prompt, at least one possible subsequent response to at least one subsequent prompt.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said determining is performed substantially concurrently with generation of the current prompt.

7. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said determining is performed prior to generation of the current prompt.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein said determining is performed prior to generation of a first prompt to a user.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said determining is performed prior to installation of the interactive voice response system.

10. An interactive voice response system, comprising:

at least one storage to store data defining prompts to users, grammars of acceptable responses and a menu of the prompts; and

means for recognizing speech input in response to a current prompt based on a composite grammar of acceptable responses that includes utterances responding to at least one subsequent prompt.

11. An interactive voice response system as recited in claim 10, further comprising means for automatically generating the composite grammar of acceptable responses after the menu and an initial grammar for a plurality of prompts have been defined.

12. An interactive voice response system, comprising:

at least one storage unit to store data defining prompts to users, grammars of acceptable responses and a menu of the prompts; and

a speech recognizer, coupled to said storage, configured to recognize speech input in response to a current prompt based on a composite grammar of acceptable responses that includes utterances responding to at least one subsequent prompt.

13. An interactive voice response system as recited in claim 12, further comprising a composite grammar generator, coupled to said speech recognizer and said storage unit, to automatically generate the composite grammar of acceptable responses after the menu and an initial grammar for a plurality of prompts have been defined.