Developing voice response applications from pre-recorded voice and stored text-to-speech prompts

• US 6,345,250 B1
• Filed: 02/19/1999
• Issued: 02/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Korzuch, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Storm, Donald L.
• Application Number:
  US09/253,179
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 704/266, 704/260, 704/258, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.16
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements

Abstract

An interactive voice response application on a computer telephony system includes a method of playing voice prompts from a mixed set of pre-recorded voice prompts and voice prompts synthesised from a text-to-speech process. The method comprises: reserving memory for a synthesised prompt and a pre-recorded prompt associated with a particular prompt identifier; on a play prompt request selecting the pre-recorded prompt if available and outputting through a voice output; otherwise selecting the synthesised prompt and playing the selected voice prompt through the voice output. If neither pre-recorded or synthesised data are available then text associated with the voice prompt is output through a text-to-speech output.

Claims

1. In an interactive voice response (IVR) development system having a recorded voice generator and a text-to-speech synthesiser, a method of processing a prompt identifier in an IVR application, said IVR application comprising at least one prompt identifier and a prompt database, each prompt identifier having a data structure within the prompt database for storing:

associated voice prompt data;

associated synthesised prompt data; and

associated text prompt data for text-to-speech processing, the method comprising steps;

searching the prompt database for data associated with the prompt identifier;

sending the voice prompt data to the recorded voice generator if voice prompt data is available;

sending the synthesised prompt data to the recorded voice generator if voice prompt data is not available and if the synthesised prompt data is available;

sending text prompt data to the text-to-speech synthesiser if the text prompt data is available and if both voice prompt data and synthesised prompt data are not available.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

sending the prompt identifier to the text-to-speech synthesiser if no prompt data is located in the prompt database.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 further comprising:

when the text-to-speech synthesiser is selected and new synthesised prompt data created, storing the new synthesised prompt data in the prompt database.

4. An interactive voice response (IVR) development system for processing a prompt identifier in an IVR application comprising at least one prompt identifier and a prompt database, each prompt identifier having a structure in the prompt database for storing:

associated voice prompt data;

associated synthesised prompt data; and

associated text prompt data for text-to-speech processing, the system comprising;

a recorded voice generator;

a text-to-speech synthesiser;

means for searching the prompt database for data associated with the prompt identifier;

means for sending the voice prompt data to the recorded voice generator if voice prompt data is available;

means for sending the synthesised prompt data to the recorded voice generator if voice prompt data is not available and if synthesised prompt data is available;

means for sending text prompt data to the text-to-speech synthesiser if text prompt data is available and if both voice prompt data and synthesised prompt data are not available.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 further comprising:

means for sending the prompt identifier to the text-to-speech synthesiser if none of the voice prompt data, synthesised prompt data or text prompt data is available in the prompt database.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or 5 further comprising:

means for storing new synthesised prompt data in the prompt database and associating said new synthesised prompt data with the prompt identifier for future use, when text-to-speech synthesiser is selected and new synthesised prompt data created.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program product for processing a prompt identifier when run in an interactive voice response (IVR) development system said computer program product comprising:

a recorded voice generator, a text-to-speech synthesiser; and

IVR application comprising at least one prompt identifier and a prompt database, each prompt identifier having a structure in the prompt database for storing;

associated voice prompt data;

associated synthesised prompt data; and

associated text prompt data for text-to-speech processing, the stored program executing the steps of;

searching in the prompt database for pre-recorded voice prompt voice data associated the at least one prompt identifier;

sending the voice prompt data to the recorded voice generator if voice prompt data is available;

sending the synthesised prompt data to the recorded voice generator if voice prompt data is not available and if the synthesised prompt data is available;

sending text prompt data to the text-to-speech synthesiser if the text prompt data is available and if both voice prompt data and synthesised prompt data are not available.

8. A computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 7 further comprising executing the step of:

sending the prompt identifier to the text-to-speech synthesiser if no prompt data is located in the prompt database.

9. A computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, further comprising executing the step of:

when text-to-speech output is selected and new synthesised voice data is created, storing the new synthesised voice data in the prompt database and associating the new synthesised voice data with the prompt identifier.