Multimedia terminal for product ordering

• US 20050165663A1
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trentsway International Limited
• Original Assignee: Sergey N. Razumov
• Inventors: Razumov, Sergey N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/40 for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like

Abstract

A novel multimedia system for enabling a customer to order a required product in a retail system. The multimedia system has a voice recognition mechanism for recognizing a voice input, and a display mechanism responsive to the recognized voice input for displaying images assisting the customer in ordering the product during a product ordering session. The voice recognition mechanism and the display mechanism may be elements of a product ordering terminal in a retail facility.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a customer to order a required product, comprising:

a voice recognition mechanism for recognizing a voice input, and

a display mechanism responsive to the recognized voice input for displaying images assisting the customer in ordering the product during a product ordering session.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition mechanism and the display mechanism are elements of a product ordering terminal in a retail facility.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism is configured for displaying a control element for enabling the customer to modify a displayed image in a required manner when the customer selects the control element.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the voice recognition mechanism is configured to control the display mechanism so as to modify the displayed image in the required manner when a voice command corresponding to a function of the control element is recognized.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the voice input includes a voice command for requesting the display mechanism to switch to a desired screen which is not available by selecting the displayed control element.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice input includes a voice command associated with an image displayed by the display mechanism to request the display mechanism to display a screen linked to the displayed image.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism is configured for displaying at least a first screen representing a first phase of the product ordering session and a second screen representing a second phase of the product ordering session.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the display mechanism is responsive to the recognized customer'"'"'s voice input to replace the first screen with the second screen.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first screen and the second screen represent non-consecutive phases of the product ordering session.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the voice recognition mechanism is configured to recognize a first set of voice commands when the first screen is displayed, and a second set of voice commands when the second screen is displayed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first set of voice commands differs from the second set of voice commands.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the display mechanism is configured to display graphical elements indicating voice commands available in a particular phase of the product ordering session.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein voice commands recognizable by the voice recognition mechanism during the product ordering session include point-of-sale keywords for defining points of sales for delivery an ordered product.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein voice commands recognizable by the voice recognition mechanism during the product ordering session include product keywords for defining products available for ordering.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a voice recording mechanism for recording the voice input to accumulate voice information for adjusting the voice recognition mechanism.

16. A method of ordering a product comprising the steps of:

recognizing a voice input from a customer, and

in response to the recognized voice input, displaying images assisting the customer in ordering the product during a product ordering session.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of displaying a control element for enabling the customer to modify a displayed image in a required manner when the customer selects the control element.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of modifying the displayed image in the required manner when a voice command corresponding to a function of the control element is recognized.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the voice input includes a voice command for displaying a desired screen which is not available by selecting the displayed control element.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the voice input includes a voice command associated with a displayed image to display a screen linked to the displayed image.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of displaying at least a first screen representing a first phase of the product ordering session and a second screen representing a second phase of the product ordering session.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of replacing the first screen with the second screen in response to the recognized voice input.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first screen and the second screen represent non-consecutive phases of the product ordering session.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of recognizing a first set of voice commands when the first screen is displayed, and a second set of voice commands when the second screen is displayed.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first set of voice commands differs from the second set of voice commands.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of displaying graphical elements indicating voice commands available in a particular phase of the product ordering session.

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of enabling the customer to select a point of sale for delivery an ordered product using a voice command including at least one point-of-sale keyword for defining the point of sale.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of enabling the customer to select a required product using a voice command including at least one product keyword for defining products available for ordering.