Automated speech-enabled application creation method and apparatus

• US 20050125232A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vox Generation Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Vox Generation Ltd.
• Inventors: Gadd, I. Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/977,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125232A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for creating and hosting speech-enabled applications having a speech interface that can be customised by a user is disclosed. The system comprises a customisation module that manages the components, e.g. templates, needed to enable the user to create a speech-enabled application. The customisation module allows a non-expert user rapidly to design and deploy complex speech interfaces. Additionally, the system can automatically manage the deployment of the speech-enabled applications once they have been created by the user, without the need for any further intervention by the user or use of the user'"'"'s own computer processing resources.

Claims

1. A system for creating and hosting user-customised speech-enabled applications, the system comprising:

a client data processing apparatus for use by a user;

a server data processing apparatus operably coupled to the client data processing apparatus; and

a customisation module for configuring a speech interface for one or more applications executable on the system, wherein the customisation module is operable to;

a) receive user input from the client data processing apparatus;

b) determine an appropriate template for configuring the application selected by the user from the user input;

c) retrieve the appropriate template from the server data processing apparatus; and

d) generate configuration data for automatically configuring the speech interface of the application selected by the user when that customised application is executed.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server stores the configuration data and hosts the customised application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to dynamically generate one or more templates.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the customisation module is further operable to check for updated templates when applications are executed and preferentially apply updated templates to respective speech-enabled applications.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to apply multi-channel disambiguation (MCD) to input provided to a customised application in order to disambiguate the configuration data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is event-driven to automatically execute customised applications in response to input received from one or more application users.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to generate reports relating to the use of the customised application and transmit them to the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further operable to transmit messages automatically to one or more application users.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the messages are formatted as one or more of:

an SMS message, a radio message and an email message.

10. A method of creating speech-enabled applications having a speech interface customised by a user, the method comprising:

a) receiving user input;

b) determining an appropriate template for configuring an application from the user input;

c) retrieving the appropriate template from a server data processing apparatus; and

d) generating configuration data for automatically configuring a speech interface of an application selected by the user when that customised application is executed.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing the configuration data at the server.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising dynamically generating at least one template.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

checking for updated templates when applications are executed; and

applying updated templates to speech-enabled applications when updated templates are available.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising applying multi-channel disambiguation (MCD) to input provided by an application user to a customised application in order to disambiguate the configuration data.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically executing customised applications in response to input received from one or more application users.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating reports relating to the user of the customised application; and

transmitting the reports to the user or participants.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting one or more messages automatically to one or more application users.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the messages are formatted as one or more of:

an SMS message, a radio message and an email message.

19. A computer readable medium comprising software instructions for creating and hosting user-customised speech-enabled applications, wherein the software instructions comprise functionality to:

a) receive user input;

b) determine an appropriate template for configuring an application from the user input;

c) retrieve the appropriate template from a server data processing apparatus; and

d) generate configuration data for automatically configuring a speech interface of an application selected by the user when that customised application is executed.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, where the software instructions are operable to implement a wizard tool for guiding the user through a customisation process.

21. A computer program product carried on a carrier medium, said computer program product including program code operational to perform:

a) receiving user input;

b) determining an appropriate template for configuring an application from the user input;

c) retrieving the appropriate template from a server data processing apparatus; and

d) generating configuration data for automatically configuring a speech interface of an application selected by the user when that customised application is executed.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the carrier medium comprises at least one of the following:

a radio-frequency signal, an optical signal, an electronic signal, a magnetic disc or tape, solid-state memory, magnetic memory, optical memory, an optical disc, a magneto-optical disc, a compact disc and a digital versatile disc.

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26. (canceled)