System and method to facilitate speech enabled user interfaces by prompting with possible transaction phrases
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating an operation of a speech enabled user interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- creating a transaction phrase data structure comprising transaction phrases representing transactions supported by said speech enabled user interface;
correlating a caller utterance with one or more of said transaction phrases in said transaction phrase data structure, thereby generating a correlation result including a plurality of transaction phrases having at least one word in common with said caller utterance; and
calculating an offering directed to a caller based on said correlation result thereby facilitating the operation of said speech enabled user interface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a voice enabled user interface which correlates, at development time or at run time, utterances, by a caller who is interacting with the user interface, with transaction phrases in a transaction phrase data structure, such as through the use of synonyms, descriptions of the transactions, comparing selected words, and phrases having one or a plurality of word in common. The user interface employs the results of the correlation to calculate an offering to the caller which may include a list of transaction phrases, a list of correlation results, a prompt for the caller to speak additional information to the user interface, or a combination of the two. The user interface may assess whether a number of transaction phrases in a determined list is small enough to be suitable for presentation and, if not, enable a correlating step to be repeated to yield a smaller number of transaction phrases in the correlation result. The invention may be employed in a variety of applications including but not limited to banking and other financial applications services.
91 Citations
77 Claims
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1. A method for facilitating an operation of a speech enabled user interface, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a transaction phrase data structure comprising transaction phrases representing transactions supported by said speech enabled user interface;
correlating a caller utterance with one or more of said transaction phrases in said transaction phrase data structure, thereby generating a correlation result including a plurality of transaction phrases having at least one word in common with said caller utterance; and
calculating an offering directed to a caller based on said correlation result thereby facilitating the operation of said speech enabled user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
words which are synonymous with transaction terms.
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7. The method of claim 4, wherein selected ones of said transaction phrases are synonymous with phrases describing selected transactions.
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8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of correlating comprises:
comparing said caller utterance in its entirety with transaction phrases in said data structure.
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9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of correlating comprises:
comparing selected words of said caller utterance with words in said transaction phrases in said data structure.
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10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of correlating comprises:
comparing synonyms of selected words in said caller utterance with words in said transaction phrases in said data structure.
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11. The method of claim 1, wherein said correlation result comprises:
a selection of transaction phrases having a plurality of words in common with said caller utterance.
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12. The method of claim 1, wherein said correlation result comprises:
a selection of said transaction phrases, wherein each phrase in said selection comprises a sequence of words which completely matches an entirety of said caller utterance.
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13. The method of claim 1, wherein said offering comprises:
a list of transaction phrases according to said correlation result.
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14. The method of claim 13, wherein said offering further comprises:
selected segments of speech spoken by said user interface.
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15. The method of claim 1, wherein said offering comprises:
a prompt spoken to said caller by said user interface to elicit an additional caller utterance.
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16. The method of claim 15, wherein said offering further comprises:
a list of transaction phrases according to said correlation result.
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17. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of calculating comprises:
determining whether to include a list of transaction phrases in said offering.
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18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of determining comprises:
assessing whether a number of transaction phrases in said list is small enough to be suitable for presentation to said caller.
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19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of calculating comprises:
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where said number of transaction phrases is too large to be suitable for presentation to said caller, including a prompt spoken to said caller by said user interface to elicit an additional caller utterance and thereby enable said step of correlating to be repeated so as to generate correlation result with a reduced number of transaction phrases.
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20. The method of claim 1, comprising the further step of:
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wherein a correlation result for an initial caller utterance comprises a number of transaction phrases too large to present to said caller, prompting said caller to speak an additional caller utterance to said user interface to enable said step of correlating to be repeated and to yield a smaller number transaction phrases in said correlation result.
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21. The method of claim 20, comprising the further step of:
accumulating words included in said additional caller utterance with words in said initial caller utterance thereby generating an expanded caller utterance vocabulary.
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22. The method of claim 21, comprising the further step of:
repeating said step of correlating employing said expanded caller utterance vocabulary.
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23. The method of claim 21, comprising the further step of:
repeating said step of accumulating and said step of correlating employing said expanded caller utterance vocabulary until a number of transactions in a latest correlation result is small enough to present to said caller.
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24. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
speaking said offering to said caller.
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25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
accumulating terms present in separate successive caller utterances, wherein said correlating a caller utterance includes correlating a plurality of said successive caller utterances.
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26. A system for facilitating an operation of a speech enabled user interface, the system comprising:
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means for creating a transaction phrase data structure comprising transaction phrases representing transactions supported by said speech enabled user interface;
means for comparing a caller utterance with one or more of said transaction phrases in said transaction phrase data structure, thereby generating a comparison result; and
means for calculating an offering directed to a caller based on said comparison result thereby facilitating the operation of said speech enabled user interface, wherein said offering includes at least one transaction phrase compared with said caller utterance in said comparing step. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 76)
words which are synonymous with transaction terms.
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32. The system of claim 29, wherein selected ones of said transaction phrases are synonymous with phrases describing selected transactions.
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33. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for comparing comprises:
means for comparing said caller utterance in its entirety with transaction phrases in said data structure.
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34. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for comparing comprises:
means for comparing selected words of said caller utterance with words in said transaction phrases in said data structure.
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35. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for comparing comprises:
means for comparing synonyms of selected words in said caller utterance with words in said transaction phrases in said data structure.
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36. The system of claim 26, wherein said comparison result comprises:
a selection of transaction phrases having a single word in common with said caller utterance.
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37. The system of claim 26 wherein said comparison result comprises:
a selection of transaction phrases having a plurality of words in common with said caller utterance.
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38. The system of claim 26, wherein said comparison result comprises:
a selection of said transaction phrases, wherein each phrase in said selection comprises a sequence of words which completely matches an entirety of said caller utterance.
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39. The system of claim 26, wherein said offering comprises:
a list of transaction phrases according to said comparison result.
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40. The system of claim 39, wherein said offering further comprises:
selected segments of speech spoken by said user interface.
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41. The system of claim 26, wherein said offering comprises:
a prompt spoken to said caller by said user interface to elicit an additional caller utterance.
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42. The system of claim 41, wherein said offering further comprises:
a list of transaction phrases according to said comparison result.
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43. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for calculating comprises:
means for determining whether to include a list of transaction phrases in said offering.
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44. The system of claim 43, wherein said means for determining comprises:
means for assessing whether a number of transaction phrases in said list is small enough to be suitable for presentation to said caller.
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45. The system of claim 44, wherein said means for calculating comprises:
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where said number of transaction phrases is too large to be suitable for presentation to said caller, means for including a prompt spoken to said caller by said user interface to elicit an additional caller utterance and thereby enable said means for comparing to be repeated so as to generate a comparison result with a reduced number of transaction phrases.
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46. The system of claim 26, further comprising:
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wherein a comparison result for an initial caller utterance comprises a number of transaction phrases too large to present to said caller, means for prompting said caller to speak an additional caller utterance to said user interface to enable said means for comparing to be repeated and to yield a smaller number transaction phrases in said correlation result.
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47. The system of claim 46, further comprising:
means for accumulating words included in said additional caller utterance with words in said initial caller utterance thereby generating an expanded caller utterance vocabulary.
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48. The system of claim 47, further comprising:
means for repeating said means for comparing employing said expanded caller utterance vocabulary.
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49. The system of claim 47, further comprising:
means for repeating said means for accumulating and said means for comparing employing said expanded caller utterance vocabulary until a number of transactions in a latest correlation result is small enough to present to said caller.
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50. The system of claim 26, further comprising:
means for speaking said offering to said caller.
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51. The system of claim 26, further comprising:
means for accumulating terms present in separate successive caller utterances, wherein said comparing means compares a plurality of said successive caller utterances.
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76. The computer program product of claim 49, further comprising:
code for speaking said offering to said caller.
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52. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for facilitating an operation of a speech enabled user interface, the computer program product comprising:
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a computer readable medium; and
computer program logic recorded on said computer readable medium comprising;
code for creating a transaction phrase data structure comprising transaction phrases representing transactions supported by said speech enabled user interface;
code for correlating a caller utterance with one or more of said transaction phrases in said transaction phrase data structure, thereby generating a correlation result; and
code for calculating an offering directed to a caller based on said correlation result thereby facilitating the operation of said speech enabled user interface, wherein said offering includes a plurality of transaction phrases correlated with said caller utterance by said correlating code. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77)
words which are synonymous with transaction terms.
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58. The computer program product of claim 55, wherein selected ones of said transaction phrases are synonymous with phrases describing selected transactions.
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59. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said code for correlating comprises:
code for comparing said caller utterance in its entirety with transaction phrases in said data structure.
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60. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said code for correlating comprises:
code for comparing selected words of said caller utterance with words in said transaction phrases in said data structure.
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61. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said code for correlating comprises:
code for comparing synonyms of selected words in said caller utterance with words in said transaction phrases in said data structure.
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62. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said correlation result comprises:
a selection of transaction phrases having a single word in common with said caller utterance.
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63. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said correlation result comprises:
a selection of transaction phrases having a plurality of words in common with said caller utterance.
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64. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said correlation result comprises:
a selection of said transaction phrases, wherein each phrase in said selection comprises a sequence of words which completely matches an entirety of said caller utterance.
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65. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said offering comprises:
a list of transaction phrases according to said correlation result.
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66. The computer program product of claim 65, wherein said offering further comprises:
selected segments of speech spoken by said user interface.
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67. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said offering comprises:
a prompt spoken to said caller by said user interface to elicit an additional caller utterance.
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68. The computer program product of claim 67, wherein said offering further comprises:
a list of transaction phrases according to said correlation result.
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69. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein said code for calculating comprises code for determining whether to include a list of transaction phrases in said offering.
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70. The computer program product of claim 69, wherein said code for determining comprises:
code for assessing whether a number of transaction phrases in said list is small enough to be suitable for presentation to said caller.
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71. The computer program product of claim 70, wherein said code for calculating comprises:
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where said number of transaction phrases is too large to be suitable for presentation to said caller, code for including a prompt spoken to said caller by said user interface to elicit an additional caller utterance and thereby enable said code for correlating to be repeated so as to generate correlation result with a reduced number of transaction phrases.
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72. The computer program product of claim 52, further comprising:
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wherein a correlation result for an initial caller utterance comprises a number of transaction phrases too large to present to said caller, code for prompting said caller to speak an additional caller utterance to said user interface to enable said code for correlating to be repeated and to yield a smaller number transaction phrases in said correlation result.
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73. The computer program product of claim 72, further comprising:
code for accumulating words included in said additional caller utterance with words in said initial caller utterance thereby generating an expanded caller utterance vocabulary.
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74. The computer program product of claim 73, further comprising:
code for repeating said code for correlating employing said expanded caller utterance vocabulary.
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75. The computer program product of claim 73, further comprising:
code for repeating said code for accumulating and said code for correlating employing said expanded caller utterance vocabulary until a number of transactions in a latest correlation result is small enough to present to said caller.
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77. The computer program product of claim 52, further comprising:
code for accumulating terms present in separate successive caller utterances, wherein said code for correlating a caller utterance includes correlating a plurality of said successive caller utterances.
Specification