CONFIGURABLE PHONE WITH INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE ENGINE

• US 20110092187A1
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Larry D Miller
• Original Assignee: Larry D Miller
• Inventors: Miller, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/251 where a voice mode or a visual mode can be used interchangeably
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A land-based or mobile phone and methods are provided for receiving inbound communications as either voice or text, and then based on the user'"'"'s configuration settings, the inbound communication is provided to the user as it was received or is automatically converted into a format that is desired by the user. The phone also takes voice or text that is input by the user of the phone and converts the user'"'"'s input to either voice or text based on the configuration settings stored in the user'"'"'s contact list or otherwise. The outbound communication is configured according to how the intended recipient wants to receive a communication based on the configuration settings stored in the user'"'"'s contact list or otherwise. The phone includes a controller that determines how the phone will handle and process inbound and outbound communications. The controller includes a speech recognition engine.

Claims

1. A phone comprising:

a receiver that is capable of receiving an inbound voice signal or an inbound text signal;

a speaker;

a screen; and

a controller that is capable of being configured to output the inbound voice signal to the speaker, or to output the inbound text signal to the screen, or to convert the inbound voice signal to text and to output the converted text to the screen, or to convert the inbound text signal to a voice signal and to output the converted voice signal to the speaker.

2. A phone as in claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a speech recognition engine that is capable of translating and parsing the inbound voice signal to text, where the text can be displayed on the screen.

3. A phone as in claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a text to speech engine that is capable of converting the inbound text into the voice signal, where the voice signal can be output to the speaker.

4. A phone as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further capable of identifying an inbound caller from the inbound voice signal and based on the identity of the inbound caller, determining whether to output the inbound voice signal to the speaker or to convert the inbound voice signal to text and to output the converted text to the screen.

5. A phone as in claim 4, wherein the controller further includes a chat room engine for creating a private chat room when the inbound text is received or the inbound voice signal is converted to text.

6. A phone as in claim 1, wherein the controller is further capable of identifying an inbound caller from the inbound text signal and based on the identity of the inbound caller, determining whether to output the inbound text signal to the screen or to convert the inbound text signal to a voice signal and to output the converted voice signal to the speaker.

7. A phone comprising:

a transmitter that is capable of transmitting an outbound voice signal or outbound text signal;

a microphone that is capable of receiving speech;

a keypad that is capable of entering text; and

a controller that is further capable of being configured to output the received speech as the outbound voice signal, or to output the entered text as the outbound text signal, or to convert the received speech into the outbound text signal, or to convert the entered text into the outbound voice signal.

8. A phone as in claim 7, wherein the controller comprises a speech recognition engine that is capable of translating and parsing the outbound voice signal to words.

9. A phone as in claim 8, wherein the controller is further capable of recognizing whether each of the words matches one of a plurality of commands or is part of a command sequence, and if there is a match, performing the command.

10. A phone as in claim 7, wherein the controller comprises a text to speech engine that is capable of converting the entered text into the outbound voice signal.

11. A phone as in claim 9, wherein the controller comprises a chat room engine for creating a private chat room for a user of the phone.

12. A phone as in claim 7, wherein the controller is further capable of identifying an outbound caller and based on an identification of the outbound caller, determining whether to output the transmit the outbound voice signal or the outbound text signal.

13. A phone as in claim 7, wherein the controller comprises an interactive voice response engine for interacting with a user of the phone to set or initiate any feature or function of the phone.

14. A phone comprising:

a receiver/transmitter that is capable of receiving an inbound voice signal or an inbound text signal and transmitting an outbound voice signal or an outbound text signal;

a microphone;

a keypad;

a speaker;

a screen; and

a controller that is capable of being configured to output the inbound voice signal to the speaker, or to output the inbound text signal to the screen, or to convert the inbound voice signal to text and to output the converted text to the screen, or to convert the inbound text signal to a voice signal and to output the converted voice signal to the speaker, and being configured to output speech received by the microphone as the outbound voice signal, or to output text entered on the keypad as the outbound text signal, or to convert the speech into the outbound text signal, or to convert the text into the outbound voice signal.

15. The phone as in claim 14, wherein the controller comprises a speech recognition engine for converting the inbound voice signal to text and for converting the speech into the outbound text signal.

16. The phone as in claim 14, wherein the controller comprises a text to voice engine for converting the inbound text signal to a voice signal and for converting the text into the outbound voice signal.

17. A phone as in claim 14, wherein the controller comprises an interactive voice response engine for interacting with a user of the phone to set or initiate any feature or function of the phone.

18. A phone as in claim 14, wherein the controller comprises a chat room engine for creating a private chat room between a user of the phone and at least one other person.