XSL DIALOG MODULES

• US 20080313606A1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Poi, Parind, Kamath, Prashant
• Granted Patent: US 8,196,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product are provided for generating an XDM. VoiceXML documents operating under voice portal applications employ a series of dialog modules that facilitate operational flow through the application by invoking specific caller-centric events. These dialog modules are divided into two components—XML and XSL dialog modules. The division of the modules causes a clean separation between data (the XML component) and behavior (the XSL component). The XSL component in conjunction with an XML framework operable with the XSL component forms an XDM. Because behavioral aspects remain consistent from application to application, a library of XDMs can be provided to facilitate reuse, thereby minimizing redundancy and reducing development time and cost, and facilitating rapid market entry for organizational products.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable code for generating XSL dialog modules (XDMs), the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code for configuring XDM logic; and

computer readable program code for specifying an XML structure,

wherein the XML structure comprises a predicate framework for forming an XML instance, and the XDM logic comprises processing routines and run-time event handling routines compatible with a voiceportal application.

2. The computer readable program code of claim 1, wherein the run-time event handling routines comprise computer readable program code for:

collecting caller information;

responding to caller events;

confirming the caller information; and

returning the caller information collected to the voiceportal application.

3. The computer readable program code of claim 1, wherein the voiceportal application facilitates interaction with callers, the interaction comprising input collection, retries, timeouts, repeats, confirmations, and hang-ups.

4. The computer readable program code of claim 1, wherein each XDM generated, serving a different caller interaction, comprises GetDate, GetCurrency, GetDigits, GetGeneric, and GetAddress routines.

5. The computer readable program code of claim 1, further comprising:

working in tandem with the XML instance, processing the XDM to facilitate logical flow through the voiceportal application,

wherein the XDM can be applied to a plurality of XML instances of a particular type without change to the XDM.

6. The computer readable program code of claim 1, further comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the generated XDM to transform the XML instance in forming a VoiceXML document.

7. The computer readable program code of claim 1, wherein the generated XDM operates in tandem with the XML instances including prompts and settings specific to a caller interaction.

8. The computer readable program code of claim 1, wherein the generated XDM is reusable.

9. The computer readable program code of claim 1, further comprising:

applying an XSL transformation to the XML instance using the generated XDM specific to the XML instance type to form a VoiceXML document.

10. A system operable over a network, the system comprising:

at least one database system for housing one or more XSL dialog modules (XDMs);

at least one server computer in communication with the at least one database system through the network; and

a computer program product, responsive to a request by one or more user computers through the network, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable code for generating XSL dialog modules (XDMs), the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code for configuring XDM logic; and

computer readable program code for specifying an XML structure,

wherein the XML structure comprises a predicate framework for forming an XML instance, and the XDM logic comprises processing routines and run-time event handling routines typical to a voiceportal application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein one or more of the at least one database system is contained within one or more of the at least one server, the database system being responsive to interactions with the computer program product.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each database system comprises a computer data structure stored in a memory of a computer configured to manipulate the data structure, the computer being responsive to interactions with the computer program product.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program product is configured to operate on the at least one server computer.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer program product is configured to operate on the one or more user computers.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an interface, operable on the one or more user computers and at least one server computer, the interface comprising;

receiving a request for generating XML code, the generated code being operable with the XDM;

in response to the request, receiving prompts and conditions appropriate for an information providing state and an information gathering state, the appropriate prompts being executed based on run-time values;

generating XML code in accordance with the received prompts and conditions; and

returning the generated XML code to the voice portal application, wherein the XML code operable with the generated XDM for inclusion in a voiceXML document.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the interface operates only on the one or more user computers.

17. A method for developing a VoiceXML application, the method comprising:

configuring XSL dialog module (XDM)logic; and

specifying an XML structure,

wherein the XML structure comprises a predicate framework for forming an XML instance, and the XDM logic comprises processing routines and run-time event handling routines compatible with a voiceportal application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the run-time event handling routines comprise:

collecting caller information;

responding to caller events;

confirming the caller information; and

returning the caller information collected to the voiceportal application.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the voiceportal application facilitates interaction with callers, the interaction comprising input collection, retries, timeouts, repeats, confirmations, and hang-ups.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein each XDM generated, serving a different caller interaction, comprises GetDate, GetCurrency, GetDigits, GetGeneric, and GetAddress routines.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

working in tandem with the XML instance, processing the XDM to facilitate logical flow through the voiceportal application,

wherein the XDM can be applied to a plurality of XML instances of a particular type without change to the XDM.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable program code for causing the generated XDM to transform the XML instance in forming a VoiceXML document.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the generated XDM operates in tandem with the XML instances including prompts and settings specific to a caller interaction.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the generated XDM is reusable.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

applying an XSL transformation to the XML instance using the generated XDM specific to the XML instance type to form a VoiceXML document.