Simulation of telephone handset

• US 6,400,807 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Taunton, Philip R L, Hewitt, Dale Robinson
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/247,394
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 379/1.02, 379/10.03, 379/29.02, 379/29.1, 379/67.1, 379/88.08, 379/88.11, 379/88.16, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/90.01
• US Class Current: 379/88.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/24 with provision for checking the normal operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/26 with means for applying test signals or for measuring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals

Abstract

A system for developing and testing a telephony application on a interactive voice system without using associated telephony hardware. The telephony application normally sends and receives hardware signals to and from the system telephony hardware for communication with a telephone. In this invention a telephony emulator intercepts the hardware signals from the voice application and sends back simulated hardware signals to the voice application. A graphical user interface provides the user output in response to the telephony emulator means and accepts and passes on user input to the emulator means.

Claims

1. A system for developing a voice processing telephony application comprising

a telephony emulator adapted to intercept telephony output signals including a voice prompt signal from the application intended for telephony hardware and sending telephony input signals to the application thereby simulating signals from telephony hardware;

and

a user interface adapted to provide user output in response to the emulator and accept and pass on user input to the emulator, said interface comprising display means for displaying a visual representation of the voice prompt signal.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 whereby the emulator comprises means for acquiring text data from a play voice prompt signal for visually displaying by the user interface.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 whereby the text data is a prompt identifer code in the play voice prompt signal.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a database of text associated with each voice prompt and whereby the text data is set to equal the text associated with the voice prompt in the play voice prompt signal.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the emulator comprises an application program interface based on the application program interface used for the telephony hardware.

6. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the emulator does not include a network communication interface.

7. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the emulator does not include a driver interface for telephony hardware.

8. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the emulator comprises an application program interface based on the application program interface used for a telephony line card for connection to telephony lines.

9. A system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the emulator comprises an application program interface based on the application program interface used for a voice card for connection to telephony lines.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises means for providing output in a graphical representation and accepting input from the user from a keyboard or mouse.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user interface further comprises means for selecting a telephony mode and said emulator further comprises means simulating signals to and from a plurality of telephone protocols.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the plurality of telephone protocols included tone, pulse, TDD and ADSI.

13. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the GUI displays a graphical key pad.

14. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the GUI displays a graphical rotary dial.

15. A method of testing a telephone application in a voice processing system comprising:

replacing the telephony hardware interface with an emulator interface adapted to intercept telephony output signals including a voice prompt signal from the application intended for the telephone hardware and sending signals to the application thereby simulating signals from the telephone hardware, and providing a user interface adapted for user output in response to the emulator and for accepting user input and passing such input to the emulator, and visually displaying a representation of a voice prompt.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising acquiring text data associated with a play voice prompt signal for visually displaying as a representation of a voice prompt.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the text data associated with a play voice prompt signal for visually displaying as a representation of a voice prompt.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the text data is acquired from a database comprising a plurality of text strings, each associated with a particular voice prompt.