System and process for developing a voice application

• US 20060025997A1
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Starkie, Bradford Craig, Hui, Alvaro Kau Kam, Law, Eng Boon, Ho, Khanh Thi Phuong
• Granted Patent: US 7,712,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/257
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A system for use in developing a voice application, including a dialog element selector for defining execution paths of the application by selecting dialog elements and adding the dialog elements to a tree structure, each path through the tree structure representing one of the execution paths, a dialog element generator for generating the dialog elements on the basis of predetermined templates and properties of the dialog elements, the properties templates received from a user of the system, each of said dialog elements corresponding to at least one voice language template, and a code generator for generating at least one voice language module for the application on the basis of said at least one voice language template and said properties. The voice language templates include VoiceXML elements, and the dialog elements can be regenerated from the voice language module. The voice language module can be used to provide the voice application for an IVR.

Claims

1. A process for developing a voice application, including:

generating graphical user interface components for defining execution paths of said application by arranging dialog elements in a tree structure, each path through said tree structure representing one of said execution paths;

generating said dialog elements on the basis of predetermined templates and properties of said dialog elements, said properties received from a user via said graphical user interface components, each of said dialog elements corresponding to at least one voice language template; and

generating at least one voice language module for said application on the basis of said at least one voice language template and said properties.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the voice language templates include VoiceXML elements.

3. A process as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one voice language module includes extended VoiceXML elements including VoiceXML tags and additional information to allow said dialog elements to be generated from said at least one voice language module.

4. A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein said additional information includes one or more attributes of said VoiceXML tags.

5. A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein said one or more attributes include qualified names.

6. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said at least one voice language modules includes a reference to the next of said at least one voice language modules in an execution path of said application.

7. A process as claimed in claim 1, including generating a graphical representation of said dialog elements and said execution paths on the basis of said at least one voice language module.

8. A process as claimed in claim 1, including generating extended VoiceXML code, prompt data, and grammar data for said application.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8, wherein said prompt data is represented as a grammar, and said process includes improving said grammar.

10. A process as claimed in claim 1, including generating at least one script for generating a prompt for said application on the basis of one or more parameters supplied to said script.

11. A process as claimed in claim 10, wherein said at least one script is generated on the basis of at least one script template and prompt data defined for said prompt by a user.

12. A process as claimed in claim 11, wherein said at least one script includes EMCAscript.

13. A process as claimed in claim 8, including generating VoiceXML code and IVR grammar data for execution of said application on an IVR system on the basis of said extended VoiceXML code, prompt data, and grammar data.

14. A system having components for executing the process of claim 1.

15. A system having components for executing the process of claim 1.

16. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code for executing the process of claim 3.

17. A system for use in developing a voice application, including:

a dialog element selector for defining execution paths of said application by selecting dialog elements and adding said dialog elements to a tree structure, each path through said tree structure representing one of said execution paths;

a dialog element generator for generating said dialog elements on the basis of predetermined templates and properties of said dialog elements, said properties received from a user of said system, each of said dialog elements corresponding to at least one voice language template; and

a code generator for generating at least one voice language module for said application on the basis of said at least one voice language template and said properties.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said selector is adapted to generate a graphical representation of said dialog elements and said execution paths on the basis of said at least one voice language module.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said code generator is adapted to generate extended VoiceXML code, prompt data, and grammar data for said application.

20. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said prompt data is represented as a grammar, and the system includes one or more modules for improving said grammar.

21. A system as claimed in claim 17, including a script generator for generating at least one script for generating a prompt for said application on the basis of one or more parameters supplied to said script.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein said script generator is adapted to generate said at least one script on the basis of at least one script template and prompt data defined for said prompt by a user.

23. A system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said code generator is adapted to generate VoiceXML code and IVR grammar data for execution of said application on an IVR system on the basis of said extended VoiceXML code, prompt data, and grammar data.

24. An extended VoiceXML file generated by a system of claim 17.

25. A graphical user interface for use in developing a voice application, said interface including graphical user interface components for defining execution paths of said application by arranging configurable dialog elements in a tree structure, each path through said tree structure representing one of said execution paths, and said dialog element components may include one or more of:

a start dialog component for defining the start of said application;

a variables component for use in defining variables for said application;

a menu component for defining a menu;

a menu choice component for defining a choice of said menu;

a decision component for defining a decision branching point;

a decision branch component for defining a test condition and an execution branch of said decision branching point;

a form component for defining a form to collect input from a caller;

a record component for recording audio

a speaker component for playing prompts,

a local processing component for defining local processing;

a remote processing component for performing processing on a remote system;

a loop component for defining an execution loop;

a loop call component for calling said loop;

a loop next component for proceeding to the next cycle of said loop;

a loop break component for breaking out of said loop;

a subroutine component for defining a subroutine;

a subroutine call component for calling said subroutine;

subroutine return component for returning from said subroutine;

a jump component for defining a non-sequential execution path to a dialog element;

a transfer component representing the transfer of a call to another number;

a hotwords component for defining a word or phrase and a non-sequential execution path to a dialog element to be followed upon receipt of said word or phrase; and

an end component for defining an end of said application.