SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AVAILING MULTIPLE INPUT CHANNELS IN A VOICE APPLICATION

• US 20120219135A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumar, Arun, Agarwal, Sheetal K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,104,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/252 where a voice mode is enhanced with visual information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for according multiple input media to a voice-based application. A voice application is accessed and a voice application template which supports a voice input mode is selected. At least one voice application template which supports at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone is also selected, and a capability is accorded to selectively access the voice application via the voice input mode and the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a voice application;

selecting a voice application template which supports a voice input mode;

selecting at least one voice application template which supports at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone; and

according a capability to selectively access the voice application via the voice input mode and the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said accessing comprises accessing a voice application through voice interface over a phone call.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone includes SMS input.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the SMS input includes at least one taken from the group consisting of:

text input and graphical user interface input.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone includes USSD input.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the USSD input includes at least one taken from the group consisting of:

text input and graphical user interface input.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone includes GPRS input.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the GPRS input includes text input.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of according a capability comprises providing a manager for each of the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising providing a manager for the voice input mode.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said step of providing a manager for each of the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone comprises providing a receiver which accepts at least one taken from the group consisting of:

control input and content input.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein said step of providing a manager for each of the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone comprises providing an output manager which provides voice application output.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising accessing the voice application via a synchronization module which accommodates the voice input mode and the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the synchronization module acts to synchronize all inputs and store session state data.

15. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to access a voice application;

computer readable program code configured to select a voice application template which supports a voice input mode;

computer readable program code configured to select at least one voice application template which supports at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone; and

computer readable program code configured to accord a capability to selectively access the voice application via the voice input mode and the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone.

16. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to access a voice application;

computer readable program code configured to select a voice application template which supports a voice input mode;

computer readable program code configured to select at least one voice application template which supports at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone; and

computer readable program code configured to accord a capability to selectively access the voice application via the voice input mode and the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to access a voice application through voice interface over a phone call.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone includes SMS input.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein the SMS input includes at least one taken from the group consisting of:

text input and graphical user interface input.

20. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone includes USSD input.

21. The computer program product according to claim 20, wherein the USSD input includes at least one taken from the group consisting of:

text input and graphical user interface input.

22. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone includes GPRS input.

23. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the GPRS input includes text input.

24. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to provide a manager for each of the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone and for the voice input mode.

25. The computer program product according to claim 16, computer readable program code is further configured access the voice application via a synchronization module which accommodates the voice input mode and the at least one input mode other than voice and telephone touch tone, the synchronization module acting to synchronize all inputs and store session state data.