System and method to access content from a speech-enabled automated system

• US 20070047718A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bushey, Robert, Idler, Julie, Knott, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

A method of accessing content at a speech-enabled automated system is disclosed and comprises receiving a verbal input at an interactive voice response system. The interactive voice response system can include one or more table-driven state tables, in which action-objects are embedded. Further, the method can include retrieving content from an information store, wherein the content is associated with the verbal input. The information store is logically external to the interactive voice response system.

Claims

1. A method of accessing content at a speech-enabled automated system, the method comprising:

receiving a verbal input at an interactive voice response system;

retrieving content from an information store, wherein the retrieved content is determined based on the verbal input; and

wherein the information store is logically external to the interactive voice response system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating a prompt to a caller, prior to receiving the verbal input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first action-object and an associated first value, based on the verbal input; and

retrieving content associated with the first value from the information store.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a non-verbal input;

determining a second action-object and an associated second value, based on the non-verbal input; and

retrieving content associated with the second value from the information store.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a next action-object and an associated next value, based on the verbal input; and

retrieving content associated with the next value from the information store.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining an additional action-object and an associated additional value, based on the non-verbal input; and

retrieving content associated with the additional value from the information store.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising submitting a query to the information store.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the retrieved content to a caller.

9. A method of providing content at a speech-enabled automated system, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of content items at an information store, wherein each of the plurality of content items is associated with an action-object; and

receiving a query at the information store from an interactive voice response system, wherein the information store is logically external to the interactive voice response system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each action-object comprises a parameter chosen from a group consisting of a desired action, a call purpose, a product, a service, a location, a language, and any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content items relate to a service chosen from a group consisting of call notes, voice mail, call blocking, privacy management, call tracing, call return, auto-redial, call forwarding, call waiting, direct reply, caller ID, and remote access.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the query comprises an action-object having a value that is derived from a verbal input received at the interactive voice response system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the query further comprises an action-object having a value that is derived from a non-verbal input received at the interactive voice response system.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether a modification of content is in progress at the information store;

determining, if the modification is in progress, whether to suspend processing of the query until the modification is complete; and

processing the query after the modification is complete, if it is determined to suspend the processing of the query until the modification is complete.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

searching at least one record at the information store for at least one of the plurality of content items;

retrieving, from the at least one record at the information store, the at least one of the plurality of content items; and

communicating the at least one of the plurality of content items to the interactive voice response system.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of content items comprises table-driven instructional content.

17. A system of managing content at a speech-enabled automated system, the system comprising:

a server, wherein the server comprises;

a processor;

a memory accessible to the processor; and

an interactive voice response system embedded within the memory, wherein the interactive voice response system comprises;

instructions to process a verbal input; and

instructions to retrieve content from an information store that is external to the interactive voice response system, wherein the retrieved content is associated with the verbal input.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the server further comprises an interface to communicate with a communications network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the communications network comprises a network chosen from a group consisting of a public switched telephone network, a Voice-over-Internet Protocol network, a cellular telephone network, a mobile telephone network, or a combination thereof.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the information store further comprises a plurality of content items, and wherein each of the plurality of content items is associated with at least one action-object and at least one value.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the information store further comprises:

computer-readable instructions to search at least one record at the information store, for at least one of the plurality of content items; and

computer-readable instructions to retrieve, from the at least one record, the at least one of the plurality of content items.

22. A computer program embedded within a computer-readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to process a verbal input; and

instructions to retrieve content from an information store that is logically external to the computer program, wherein the content is associated with the verbal input.

23. The computer program of claim 22, further comprising instructions to communicate a prompt to a caller prior to receiving the verbal input.

24. The computer program of claim 22, further comprising:

instructions to determine a first action-object and a first value associated with the first action-object, wherein the first value is derived from the verbal input; and

instructions to retrieve content associated with the first value.

25. The computer program of claim 22, further comprising:

instructions to process a non-verbal input;

instructions to determine a second action-object and a second value associated with the second action-object, wherein the second value is derived from the non-verbal input; and

instructions to retrieve content associated with the second value.

26. The computer program of claim 24, further comprising:

instructions to determine a next action-object and a next value associated with the next action-object, wherein the next value is derived from the verbal input; and

instructions to retrieve content associated with the next value.

27. The computer program of claim 25, further comprising:

instructions to determine an additional action-object and an additional value associated with the additional action-object, wherein the additional value is derived from the verbal input; and

instructions to retrieve content associated with the additional value.

28. The computer program of claim 22, further comprising instructions to submit at least one query to the information store.

29. The computer program of claim 22, further comprising instructions to communicate the retrieved content to a caller.