Method, system, and apparatus for a voice markup language interpreter and voice browser

• US 20050261908A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muschett, Brien H., Cross, Charles W. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.100
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

The present invention can include a method of allocating an interpreter module within an application program. The application program can create one or more interpreter module instances. The method also can include updating a property descriptor of the interpreter module instance and directing the interpreter module instance to allocate speech and audio resources. Content then can be loaded into the interpreter module instance and run.

Claims

1. Within an application program, a method of allocating an interpreter module comprising:

the application program creating an interpreter module instance;

updating a property descriptor of the interpreter module instance;

directing the interpreter module instance to allocate speech and audio resources; and

loading content into the interpreter module instance and running the content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring event listeners for the interpreter module instance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the application program is a visual browser and the interpreter module instance is a voice markup language interpreter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the application program is a voice server and the interpreter module instance is a voice browser.

5. The method of claim 1, said directing step comprising instructing the interpreter module instance to allocate a text-to-speech component, an automatic speech recognition component, and an audio processing subsystem, wherein the audio processing subsystem is distinct from the text-to-speech component and the automatic speech recognition component.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the audio processing subsystem records audio for the automatic speech recognition component and plays audio for the text-to-speech component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the audio processing subsystem further records user speech received via a communications link.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of interpreter module instances are created, said method further comprising establishing a threading policy within the application program for operation of the plurality of interpreter module instances, wherein each interpreter module instance operates asynchronously from the other interpreter module instances.

9. A system for processing speech within a host application program comprising:

a voice markup language interpreter that is instantiated by the host application program;

an application programming interface through which the voice markup language interpreter communicates with the host application program; and

an updateable property descriptor specifying a listening mode and a language to be used by the voice markup language interpreter;

wherein said voice markup language interpreter is configured to allocate speech resources and audio resources under direction of the host application program, wherein the audio resources are distinct from the speech resources.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the host application program is a visual browser.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the host application program is a voice server.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said system functions within a processing architecture comprising the speech resources and audio resources, wherein the speech resources comprise a text-to-speech component and an automatic speech recognition component, wherein the audio resources are configured to record audio and provide recorded audio to the automatic speech recognition component and to play audio generated by the text-to-speech component.

13. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a portable computing device for causing the portable computing device to perform the steps of:

the application program creating an interpreter module instance;

updating a property descriptor of the interpreter module instance;

directing the interpreter module instance to allocate speech and audio resources; and

loading content into the interpreter module instance and running the content.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 13, further comprising configuring event listeners for the interpreter module instance.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the application program is a visual browser and the interpreter module instance is a voice markup language interpreter.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein the application program is a voice server and the interpreter module instance is a voice browser.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 13, said directing step comprising instructing the interpreter module instance to allocate a text-to-speech component, an automatic speech recognition component, and an audio processing subsystem, wherein the audio processing subsystem is distinct from the text-to-speech component and the automatic speech recognition component.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein the audio processing subsystem records audio for the automatic speech recognition component and plays audio for the text-to-speech component.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18, wherein the audio processing subsystem further records user speech received via a communications link.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 13, wherein a plurality of interpreter module instances are created, said method further comprising establishing a threading policy within the application program for operation of the plurality of interpreter module instances, wherein each interpreter module instance operates asynchronously from the other interpreter module instances.