VOICE RESPONSIVE TELEPHONE ASSISTANT HAVING NETWORK UPGRADE CAPABILITY

• US 20080027785A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Miner, Richard, Mechaley, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42127 Systems providing several special services or facilities from groups H04M3/42008 - H04M3/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A mobile telephone system device having an electronic assistant component is disclosed. The device includes a first software module configured to provide a first operating feature to a user of the mobile telephone system and a second software module that includes a first submodule configured to provide a first additional operating feature to the user and a second submodule configured to provide a second additional operating feature to the user of the mobile telephone system. A third module is configured to track the user'"'"'s use of the first operating feature by storing usage data related to the user'"'"'s interaction with the first software module. A fourth module analyzes the stored usage data and determines a usage data pattern. Based on the usage data pattern, a fifth module stores one or more rules which select one of the first submodule and the second submodule based on the usage data pattern and the selected one of the first submodule and the second submodule is offered to the user for installation on the mobile telephone system.

Claims

1. A computer implemented and user interactive method of regulating provision of software components from a set of software components arranged to control operation of a voice responsive telephone assistant, wherein composition of the set is predefined and each software component thereof provides a distinct functionality, the method comprising:

providing a computer system with a subset of software components from said set of software components;

collecting usage data describing user interaction with the subset of software components;

analyzing said usage data so as to identify a usage data pattern;

identifying a software component from the predefined set based on said identified usage data pattern; and

alerting the user to an availability of said identified software component, wherein said identified component is not within the subset of software components.

2. The method of claim 1, including identifying a data pattern when at least one user threshold has been exceeded.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising collecting usage data from a plurality of users,

collecting software usage decisions from a plurality of users, and

determining when to alert a user of the availability of said identified software component based upon at least group response data and decisions.

4. The method of claim 1, including verbally and interactively making an offer to said user for said identified software component in using said system.

5. The method of claim 1 including interactively presenting said alert in respect of said identified software product as a new message.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the subset of software components has a low functionality level associated therewith, and the method includes alerting the user to an availability of software components in multiple steps dependent at least upon said usage data patterns.

7. A computer implemented and user interactive method of regulating provision of software components from a set of software components arranged to control operation of a voice responsive telephone assistant, wherein composition of the set is predefined and each software component thereof provides a distinct functionality, the method comprising:

providing a computer system with a subset of software components from said set of software components;

collecting usage data describing user interaction with the subset of software components;

analyzing said usage data so as to identify a usage data pattern;

identifying a software component from the set based on said identified usage data pattern and predetermined rules specifying a relationship between usage of a first software component and selection of a second, different, software component, both said components being within said predefined set of software components; and

alerting the user to an availability of said identified software component, wherein said identified component is not within the subset of software components.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said collecting step comprises collecting interval of use data for said subset of software components.

9. The method of claim 7, including collecting statistical data regarding use of said subset of software components.

10. A voice responsive system arranged to regulate provision of software components from a set of software components arranged to control operation of a voice responsive telephone assistant, wherein composition of the set is predefined and each software component thereof provides a distinct functionality, the system comprising:

a computer system arranged to execute a subset of software components from said set of software components, the computer system being arranged to access predetermined rules specifying a relationship between usage of a first software component and selection of a second, different, software component, both said components being within said predefined set of software components;

a data collection system arranged to collect usage data describing user interaction with the subset of software components;

the system being arranged to analyze said usage data so as to identify a usage data pattern and to identify a software component from the set based on said identified usage data pattern and said predetermined rules and being arranged to alert the user to an availability of said identified software component, wherein said identified component is not within the subset of software components.

11. A voice responsive system according to claim 10, wherein the system is arranged to receive usage data relating to interactive communications between a plurality of users and the voice responsive telephone assistant, thereby collecting said usage data.

12. The voice responsive system according to claim 10, wherein the voice responsive system has a mobile telephone network capability.

13. A mobile telephone system device having an electronic assistant component, comprising:

a first software module, the first software module configured to provide a first operating feature to a user of the mobile telephone system;

a second software module, the second software module comprising a first submodule configured to provide a first additional operating feature to the user and a second submodule to provide a second additional operating feature to the user of the mobile telephone system;

a third module configured to track the user'"'"'s use of the first operating feature by storing usage data related to the user'"'"'s interaction with the first software module;

a fourth module configured to analyze the stored usage data and to determine a usage data pattern therefrom;

a fifth module configured to store one or more rules which select one of the first submodule and the second submodule based on the usage data pattern; and

a sixth module configured to offer the selected one of the first submodule and the second submodule to the user for installation on the mobile telephone system.