METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SEARCHING AND RANKING ENTRIES STORED IN A DIRECTORY
First Claim
1. A method for searching entries in a directory coupled to a voice interface, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a voice request from a user through said voice interface for searching the directory;
retrieving one or more listings associated with said voice request;
each of said listings including one or more indicators;
ranking said one or more listings, said ranking being based on one or more of the indicators associated with the listings; and
presenting said one or more ranked listings to the user over said voice interface.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for searching and sorting or ranking entries from a directory. In one embodiment, the directory comprises a database of business listings and the directory is accessed by users through a telecommunication or voice network. A user utilizes voice commands or requests to specify a search for a business. The system conducts a search based on the request and ranks the located listings based on parameters provided by or associated with the user and/or the business listings. The parameters include proximity of the business to the location of the user, category of the business listing in the directory, or a weighting factor assigned to the business listing.
15 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for searching entries in a directory coupled to a voice interface, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a voice request from a user through said voice interface for searching the directory; retrieving one or more listings associated with said voice request; each of said listings including one or more indicators; ranking said one or more listings, said ranking being based on one or more of the indicators associated with the listings; and presenting said one or more ranked listings to the user over said voice interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. The method as claimed in claimed 3, wherein said indicators include a listing score, wherein said ranking is based on said listing scores when two or more of said listings have similar proximities.
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5. A method for searching business listings stored in a database, said database being coupled to a speech recognition server and said speech recognition server being connected to a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a voice request from a user through the communication network, said voice request being converted into a query by said speech recognition server; retrieving one or more listings from the database based on said query; determining a feature indicator for each of said retrieved listings; sorting said retrieved listings based on said feature indicator; converting said sorted listings into voice signals for said user. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for searching business listings stored in a directory, said directory being coupled to a communication network, said system comprising:
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a voice node for coupling said directory to said communication network, said voice node comprising a speech recognizer and an application server; said speech recognizer including a component for receiving a voice request from a user from said communication network and converting said voice request into a query; said application server including a component for retrieving one or more listings from the directory based on said query; said application server including a component for sorting said retrieved listings based on a feature indicator, and at least some of said listings including respective feature indicators; said speech recognizer including a component for converting one or more of said sorted listings into a voice signal for said user. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer program product, comprising:
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a medium having computer readable code embodied therein for execution by a computer for searching listings in a directory; said computer readable code including, code means for receiving a voice request from a user, and code means for converting said voice request into a query; code means for retrieving one or more listings from the directory based on said query; code means for determining a feature indicator for each of said retrieved listings; code means for sorting said retrieved listings based on said feature indicator; code means for converting said sorted listings into voice signals for said user. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification