METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR VOICED-ENABLING A WEB APPLICATION

• US 20140040745A1
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Reich, David E., Hardy, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for voice-enabling a web application, wherein the web application includes one or more web pages rendered by a web browser on a computer. At least one information source external to the web application is queried to determine whether information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, and in response to determining that the information is available, the information is retrieved from the at least one information source. Voice input for the web application is then enabled based on the retrieved information.

Claims

1. A method of voice-enabling a web application, wherein the web application includes one or more web pages rendered by a web browser, the method comprising:

querying at least one information source external to the web application to determine whether information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, wherein the at least one information source includes voice interaction information for a plurality of web applications;

retrieving from the at least one information source, in response to determining that the information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, the information describing the set of supported voice interactions for the web application; and

enabling voice input for the web application based on the retrieved information specifying the set of one or more supported voice interactions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the web application based, at least in part, on an identifier for a web page of the web application; and

wherein the querying at least one information source external to the web application comprises sending a request to the at least one information source, wherein the request includes information associated with the identified web application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier for the web page comprises a uniform resource locator for the web page.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the information associated with the identified web application comprises a unique identifier for the identified web application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the web browser executes on a computer, wherein the at least one information source comprises a local data source associated with the computer, and wherein querying the at least one information source comprises querying the local data source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the web browser executes on a computer, and wherein retrieving the information describing the set of supported voice interactions comprises:

sending a request for the information to at least one external data source connected to the computer via at least one publicly-accessible network; and

receiving the information from the at least one external data source in response to the request.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing the information in a local data source associated with the computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling voice input for the web application comprises mapping the set of one or more supported voice commands to at least one capability of the web application.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the web browser is loading a web page for the web application; and

wherein the querying the at least one information source is performed in response to determining that the web browser is loading a web page for the web application.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a voice application associated with a speech engine is executing on the computer; and

wherein the querying the at least one information source is performed in response to determining that the voice application associated with the speech engine is executing on the computer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling voice input for the web application comprises:

receiving a voice input;

determining whether the voice input is a voice command; and

instructing, based on the voice input, the web application to invoke at least one capability of the web application corresponding to the voice command.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more supported voice interactions comprises at least one first supported voice interaction that is always active during execution of the web application and at least one second supported voice interaction that is only active in a particular context of the web application, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the web application is in the particular context; and

enabling the at least one second supported voice interaction in response to determining that the web application is in the particular context.

13. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a method of voice-enabling a web application, wherein the web application includes one or more web pages rendered by a web browser, the method comprising:

querying at least one information source external to the web application to determine whether information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, wherein the at least one information source includes voice interaction information for a plurality of web applications;

retrieving from the at least one information source, in response to determining that the information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, the information describing the set of supported voice interactions for the web application; and

enabling voice input for the web application based on the retrieved information specifying the set of one or more supported voice interactions.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying the web application based, at least in part, on an identifier for a web page of the web application; and

wherein the querying at least one information source external to the web application comprises sending a request to the at least one information source, wherein the request includes information associated with the identified web application.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the web browser executes on a computer, and wherein retrieving the information describing the set of supported voice interactions comprises:

sending a request for the information to at least one external data source connected to the computer via at least one publicly-accessible network; and

receiving the information from the at least one external data source in response to the request.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the set of one or more supported voice interactions comprises at least one first supported voice interaction that is always active during execution of the web application and at least one second supported voice interaction that is only active in a particular context of the web application, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the web application is in the particular context; and

enabling the at least one second supported voice interaction in response to determining that the web application is in the particular context.

17. A computer, comprising:

at least one processor programmed to;

query at least one information source external to a web application executing in a browser on the computer to determine whether information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, wherein the at least one information source includes voice interaction information for a plurality of web applications;

retrieve from the at least one information source, in response to determining that the information describing a set of one or more supported voice interactions for the web application is available, the information describing the set of supported voice interactions for the web application; and

enable voice input for the web application based on the retrieved information specifying the set of one or more supported voice interactions.

18. The computer of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

identify the web application based, at least in part, on an identifier for a web page of the web application; and

wherein the querying at least one information source external to the web application comprises sending a request to the at least one information source, wherein the request includes information associated with the identified web application.

19. The computer of claim 17, wherein enabling voice input for the web application comprises mapping the set of one or more supported voice commands to at least one capability of the web application.

20. The computer of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to:

determine that a voice application associated with a speech engine is executing on the computer; and

wherein the querying the at least one information source is performed in response to determining that the voice application associated with the speech engine is executing on the computer.