On-line training of an automated-dialing directory

• US 5,802,149 A
• Filed: 04/05/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanson, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Application Number:
  US08/628,205
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/213, 379/216, 379/355, 379/356, 455/412, 455/413
• US Class Current: 379/88.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se 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: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/42 Circuit arrangements for indirect selecting controlled by common circuits, e.g. register controller, marker

Abstract

Directory assistance (106) is used to train a voice-dialing system (107) as a part of normal voice-dialing activities, thereby avoiding the need for a separate training session. The voice-dialing system connects a caller to directory assistance when a voice-dialing attempt by the caller does not match any voice tags in the caller'"'"'s voice-dialing directory (130) and the caller signals a desire to use directory assistance. The voice-dialing system monitors the call to directory assistance, and captures and stores the telephone number provided by directory assistance to the caller. After the directory assistance call is completed, the voice-dialing system asks the caller to repeat the voice tag for the telephone number, forms a data representation of the voice tag from multiple received instances of the voice tag, records the data representation of the voice tag along with the captured telephone number in the caller'"'"'s voice-dialing directory, and at the caller'"'"'s option initiates a call to the telephone number. As a result, future calls to this telephone number can be made via voice dialing, and without use of directory assistance.

Claims

1. A method of training an automated-dialing system, comprising the steps of:

connecting the automated-dialing system to a caller;

receiving a tag of a desired call destination provided by the caller, at the automated-dialing system;

searching an automated-dialing directory for the received tag;

in response to not finding the tag in the automated-dialing directory, connecting the caller and the automated-dialing system to a directory assistance;

in response to the directory assistance providing an address of the desired call destination to the caller, automatically without involvement of the caller receiving the address from the directory assistance at the automated-dialing system; and

automatically without involvement of the caller storing the address and storing the tag in the automated-dialing directory.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the automated-dialing system is a voice-dialing system;

the automated-dialing directory is a voice-dialing directory; and

the step of receiving a tag comprises the step of receiving a tag spoken by the caller.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

the automated-dialing system initiating communication to the address for the caller.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of connecting the caller and the automated-dialing system to a directory assistance comprises the steps of

in response to not finding the tag in the automated-dialing directory, giving the caller a choice of being connected to the directory assistance; and

in response to the caller choosing to be connected to the directory assistance, connecting the caller and the automated-dialing system to the directory assistance.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the step of connecting the caller and the automated-dialing system to a directory assistance comprises the steps of

establishing a call from the caller through the automated-dialing system to the directory assistance; and

monitoring the call at the automated-dialing system for the address provided by the directory assistance.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the step of storing comprises the steps of prompting the caller to speak the tag again;

receiving the tag spoken again by the caller, at the voice-dialing system;

forming a data representation of the tag from the received plural ones of the received spoken tags; and

automatically without involvement of the caller storing the address and the data representation of the tag in the voice-dialing directory.

7. An automated-dialing system comprising:

an automated-dialing directory for storing addresses and their associated tags;

means for connecting the automated-dialing system to a caller, for receiving a tag of a desired call destination provided by a connected said caller;

means responsive to receipt of the tag, for searching the automated-dialing directory for the tag;

means responsive to the searching means not finding the tag in the automated-dialing directory, for connecting the caller and the automated-dialing system to a directory assistance;

means responsive to the directory assistance providing an address of the desired call destination to the caller, for automatically without involvement of the caller receiving the address from the directory assistance; and

means for automatically without involvement of the caller causing the address and causing the tag to be stored by the automated-dialing directory.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the automated-dialing system is a voice-dialing system;

the automated-dialing directory is a voice-dialing directory; and

the means for receiving a tag comprise means for receiving a tag spoken by the connected said caller.

9. The automated-dialing system of claim 7 further comprising:

means for initiating a communication to the address for the caller.

10. The automated-dialing system of claim 7 wherein:

the means for connecting the caller and the automated-dialing system to a directory assistance comprises

means responsive to not finding the tag in the automated-dialing directory, for giving the caller a choice of being connected to the directory assistance; and

means responsive to the caller choosing to be connected to the directory assistance, for causing the caller and the automated-dialing system to become connected to the directory assistance.

11. The automated-dialing system of claim 7 wherein:

the means for connecting the caller and the automated-dialing system to a directory assistance comprises

means for causing a call to be established from the caller through the automated-dialing system to the directory assistance; and

the means for receiving the address from the directory assistance comprises

means for monitoring the call for the address provided by the directory assistance.

12. The voice-dialing system of claim 9 wherein:

the means for causing the address and the tag to be stored comprise

means for prompting the caller to speak the tag again;

means responsive to receipt by the tag-receiving means of the tag spoken again by the caller, for forming a data representation of the tag from plural ones of the received spoken tags; and

means for automatically without involvement of the caller causing the address and the data representation of the tag to be stored by the voice-dialing directory.

13. A method of training an automated-dialing system, comprising the steps of:

connecting the automated-dialing system to a caller;

receiving a tag of a desired call destination provided by the caller, at the automated-dialing system;

searching an automated-dialing directory for the received tag;

in response to not finding the tag in the automated-dialing directory, giving the caller a choice of being connected to a directory assistance;

in response to the caller choosing to be connected to the directory assistance, connecting the caller and the automated-dialing system to the directory assistance;

monitoring the call at the automated-dialing system for an address provided by the directory assistance;

in response to the directory assistance providing the address of the desired call destination to the caller, the automated-dialing system automatically capturing the address provided by the directory assistance;

prompting the caller to provide the tag again;

receiving the tag provided again by the caller, at the automated-dialing system;

forming a tag for the address from the received plural ones of the received tags;

automatically without involvement of the caller storing the address and the formed tag in the automated-dialing directory;

giving the caller a choice of being connected to the address; and

in response to the caller choosing to be connected to the address, the automated-dialing system initiating a communication to the address for the caller.

14. An automated-dialing system comprising:

an automated-dialing directory for storing addresses and their associated tags;

means for connecting the automated-dialing system to a caller, for receiving a tag of a desired call destination provided by a connected said caller;

means responsive to receipt of the tag, for searching the automated-dialing directory for the tag;

means responsive to the searching means not finding the tag in the automated-dialing directory, for giving the caller a choice of being connected to a directory assistance;

means responsive to the caller choosing to be connected to the directory assistance, for causing the caller and the automated-dialing system to become connected to the directory assistance;

means for automatically without involvement of the caller receiving an address from the directory assistance, including

means for monitoring the call for an address provided by the directory assistance, and

means responsive to the directory assistance providing the address of the desired call destination to the caller, for capturing the provided address;

means for prompting the caller to provide the tag again;

means responsive to receipt by the tag-receiving means of the tag provided again by the caller, for forming a tag for the address from plural ones of the received tags;

means for automatically without involvement of the caller causing the address and the formed tag to be stored in the automated-dialing directory;

means for giving the caller a choice of being connected to the address; and

means responsive to the caller choosing to be connected to the address, for initiating a communication to the address for the caller.