Personal Voice-Based Information Retrieval System

• US 20180007201A1
• Filed: 09/18/2017
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parus Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Kurganov, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 10,320,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/08 Text analysis or generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text, e.g. grapheme to phoneme translation, prosody generation or stress or intonation determination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/02 Feature extraction for speech recognition; Selection of recognition unit
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/06 Creation of reference templates; Training of speech recognition systems, e.g. adaptation to the characteristics of the speaker's voice G10L15/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/24 the user being prompted to utter a password or a predefined phrase
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/54 for retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/405 involving speaker-dependent recognition adaptation to speaker for speech recognition G10L15/07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/40 terminals with audio html browser
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for retrieving information from a network such as the Internet. A user creates a user-defined record in a database that identifies an information source, such as a web site, containing information of interest to the user. This record identifies the location of the information source and also contains a recognition grammar based upon a speech command assigned by the user. Upon receiving the speech command from the user that is described within the recognition grammar, a network interface system accesses the information source and retrieves the information requested by the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving a speech command from a voice-enabled device, over a network, by a speech-recognition engine coupled to a media server by an interactive voice response application including a user-defined search, the speech-recognition engine adapted to convert the speech command into a data message, the media server adapted to identify and access at least one or more websites containing information of interest to a particular user, the speech-recognition engine adapted to select particular speech-recognition grammar describing the speech command received and assigned to fetching content relating to the data message converted from the speech command and assigned to the user-defined search including a web request, along with a uniform resource locator of an identified web site from the one or more websites containing information of interest to the particular user and responsive to the web request;

(b) selecting, by the media server, at least one information-source-retrieval instruction stored for the particular speech-recognition grammar in a database coupled to the media server and adapted to retrieve information from the at least one or more websites;

(c) accessing, by a web-browsing server, a portion of the information source to retrieve information relating to the speech command, by using a processor of the web-browsing server, which processor (i) performs an instruction that requests information from an identified web page, (ii) utilizes a command to execute a content extractor within the web-browsing server to separate a portion of the information that is relevant from other information on the web page using a name of a named object including the information, the information derived from only a portion of the web page containing information pertinent to the speech command, the content extractor adapted to use a content- descriptor file containing a description of the portion of information and the content-descriptor file adapted to indicate a location of the portion of the information within the information source;

(d) selecting by the web-browsing server, the information relating to the speech command from the information source and retrieving only the portion of the information requested by the speech command according to the at least one information-source-retrieval instruction;

(e) converting the information retrieved from the information source into an audio message by a speech-synthesis engine, the speech-synthesis engine coupled to the media server; and

(f) transmitting the audio message by the voice-enabled device to the particular user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the speech command is received by at least one of a landline telephone, a wireless telephone, and an Internet Protocol telephone and the media server is operatively connected to at least one of a local-area network, a wide-area network, and the Internet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the media server functions as a user-interface system adapted to provide access to a voice-browsing system.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

a clipping engine adapted to initially generate the content-descriptor file that indicates the location of the portion of the information within the identified website.

5. A voice-browsing system for retrieving information from an information source that is periodically updated with current information, by speech commands received from a particular user provided via a voice-enabled device after establishing a connection between the voice-enabled device and a media server of the voice-browsing system, said voice-browsing system comprising:

(a) a speech-recognition engine including a processor and coupled to the media server, the media server initiating a voice-response application once the connection between the voice-enabled device and the voice-browsing system is established, the speech-recognition engine adapted to receive a speech command from a particular user via the voice-enabled device, the media server configured to identify and access the information source via a network, the speech-recognition engine adapted to convert the speech command into a data message by selecting speech-recognition grammar established to correspond to the speech command received from the particular user and assigned to perform searches;

(b) the media server further configured to select at least one information-source-retrieval instruction corresponding to the speech-recognition grammar established for the speech command, the at least one information-source-retrieval instruction stored in a database associated with the media server and adapted to retrieve information;

(d) a web-browsing server coupled to the media server and adapted to access at least a portion of the information source to retrieve information indicated by the speech command, by using a processor of the web-browsing server, which processor (i) performs an instruction that requests information from an identified web page, and (ii) utilizes a command to execute a content extractor within the web-browsing server to separate a portion of the information from other information, the information derived from only a portion of a web page containing information relevant to the speech command, wherein the content extractor uses a content-descriptor file containing a description of the portion of information and wherein the content-descriptor file indicates a location of the portion of the information within the information source, and selecting, by the web-browsing server, the information relevant from the information source and retrieving only the portion of the information that is relevant according to the at least one information-source-retrieval instruction; and

(e) a speech-synthesis engine including a processor and coupled to the media server, the speech-synthesis engine adapted to convert the information retrieved from the information source into audio and convey the audio by the voice-enabled device.

6. The voice-browsing system claim 5, further comprising:

an interface to an associated website by the network to locate requested information.

7. The voice-browsing system of claim 5, wherein the voice-enabled device accesses the voice-browsing system by at least one of a landline telephone, a wireless telephone, and an Internet Protocol telephonic connection and wherein the media server operatively connects to the network, by at least one of a local-area network, a wide-area network, and the Internet.

8. The voice-browsing system of claim 5, wherein the media server functions as a user-interface system adapted to provide access to a voice-browsing system.

9. The voice-browsing system of claim 5, further comprising:

a clipping engine adapted to generate the content-descriptor file, by which, an instruction is used by the web-browsing server to request information from the identified website and the information is displayed on the voice-enabled device, wherein the information is only the portion of the web page containing information relevant to the speech command.

10. A method of selectively retrieving information in response to spoken commands received by a voice-browsing system, the method comprising:

(a) identifying, as one of a plurality of speech commands of a speech-recognition lexicon, audio data indicative of words spoken into a microphone of an electronic-communication device of a user;

(b) using the identified speech command to access a corresponding descriptor file from a plurality of descriptor files stored in a database associated with the voice-browsing system, and using the corresponding descriptor file to identify (i) a web-accessible information source, and (ii) request information;

(c) using the request information to fetch, from the information source identified by an accessed descriptor file, response data including a named object including content;

(d) using the named object to extract the content from the response data;

(e) generating audio response data containing indicia of a message for the user, which message is responsive to the identified speech command, and which message is based on the extracted content; and

(f) directing a command to play the audio response data using the electronic-communication device of the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content is located in the response data using the named object regardless of the location of the named object within the response data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the fetching occurs on a web browsing server, and wherein the web browsing server receives the identified speech command from a different server.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using Internet Protocol to communicate with the electronic-communication device of the user.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using a telecommunication network to communicate with the electronic-communication device of the user.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic-communication device of the user is a voice-enabled wireless unit that is not a telephone.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the corresponding descriptor file identifies the web accessible information source and information used to generate proper requests to the information source with a specific URL format including search parameters.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein part using the request information to fetch comprises fetching the response data from a database stored on a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN).

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

using the named object to determine the beginning and end of the content within the response data.

19. An apparatus with a capability of selectively retrieving information in response to spoken commands, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a transceiver coupled to a network and capable of sending to and receiving information via the network from an electronic-communication device of a user, which device has a microphone;

(b) a database containing a plurality of descriptor files, each of the descriptor files identifying (i) a web-accessible information source, and (ii) request information;

(c) a speech-recognition engine, coupled to the transceiver and having access to the database, programmed to automatically identify, as one of a plurality of speech commands of a speech-recognition lexicon, audio data indicative of words spoken into the microphone of the electronic-communication device of a user;

(d) a media server, coupled to the speech-recognition engine and having access to the database, programmed to access a descriptor file from the plurality of descriptor files in the database based on the identified speech command;

(e) a web browsing server, coupled to the media server and programmed;

(i) to retrieve, from the information source identified by the accessed descriptor file, responsive data specified by the request information identified by the accessed descriptor file, wherein the response data includes a named object including content; and

(ii) to use the name of the named object to extract the content from the response data; and

(f) a synthesizer coupled to the web browsing server and programmed to generate audio response data containing indicia of a message for the user, which message is responsive to the identified speech command, and which message is based on the extracted content;

(g) the apparatus is programmed to direct a command to play an audio response data using the electronic-communication device of the user.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the web browsing server is further programmed to use the accessed descriptor file to format a request for a content fetcher.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the content fetcher is executed in response to a command included in the accessed descriptor file that is executed on the web browsing server.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the speech-recognition engine is within the media server.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the web browsing server is further programmed to use the named object to determine the beginning and end of the content within the responsive data.

24. A method of executing improved functionality of a voice-responsive system to allow selective retrieval of different kinds of information in response to commands spoken via an electronic communication device of a user in communication with the voice-responsive system, the method comprising:

(a) storing, in a storage device accessible by the voice-responsive system, a speech recognition grammar that is associated with an executable function; and

(b) storing, in the storage device, for the executable function, an executable function definition configured to be executed by a web browsing server of the voice-responsive system upon recognizing that a command, spoken by a user of an electronic-communication device, corresponds to the speech recognition grammar;

(c) wherein the executable function definition identifies;

(i) information used to generate requests to an information source that includes a URL to identify the information source and to extract content from a named object within response data obtainable from the information source accessible by the URL; and

(ii) information used to format an audible message from extracted content, so that a command to synthesize an audio response message will generate a coherent sentence that responds to the command spoken by a user, wherein the audio response message is adapted to be played on a speaker of the electronic-communication device of the user.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

storing, in the storage device, a pronounceable name associated with an improved executable functionality.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

using a web page to input the speech recognition grammar associated with the executable function into the storage device of the voice-responsive system.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

using a web page to input the executable function into the storage device of the voice-responsive system.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

using a web page to input the information used to format a responsive message into the storage device of the voice-responsive system.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the executable function includes instructions specifying information to be retrieved when a request is made.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the executable function definition contains instructions for generating the URL in a form that depends on a word of the first speech recognition grammar.

31. An apparatus having a capability of selectively retrieving information in response to spoken commands, comprising:

(a) a microphone; and

(b) a speaker coupled to the microphone; and

(c) wherein the electronic-communication device is in communication with a remote computer system via a network to initiate user-defined searches; and

(d) wherein the remote computer system comprises;

(i) a speech-recognition engine, coupled to a transceiver and having access to a database, programmed to identify, as one of a plurality of speech commands of a speech-recognition lexicon, audio data indicative of words spoken into the microphone of the electronic-communication device of a user;

(ii) a media server, coupled to the speech-recognition engine and having access to a database containing a plurality of descriptor files, programmed to use the identified speech command to access the corresponding descriptor file from the plurality of descriptor files, wherein the corresponding descriptor file is used to identify (i) a web-accessible information source, and (ii) request information;

(iii) a web browsing server programmed;

(A) to use the request information to fetch, from the information source identified by the accessed descriptor file, response data including a named object including particular content; and

(B) to use a name associated with the named object to extract the content from the response data;

(iv) a speech-synthesizer coupled to the web browsing server and programmed to generate audio response data containing indicia of a message for the user, which message is responsive to the identified speech command, and which message is based on the extracted content; and

(v) wherein the remote computer system is programmed to direct a command to play the audio response data on the speaker.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the network is the Internet.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the network is a telecommunication network.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the electronic-communication device is a voice-enabled wireless unit that is not a telephone.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the web browsing server is further programmed to use the named object to determine the beginning and end of the content within the responsive data.