Embedded phonetic support and TTS play button in a contacts database

• US 6,462,616 B1
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Ericsson, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Persson, Mats, Beswick, Antony Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/160,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.03, 379/69, 379/76, 379/201, 379/206, 379/93.24, 379/355.01, 379/355.02, 379/355.04, 704/246, 704/247, 704/250, 704/270, 704/276, 704/278, 704/201.01
• US Class Current: 379/88.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• 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 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424

Abstract

Improved methods and arrangements are provided for use in a computer telephony system that supports dial by name operations. A multiple purpose contacts database is modified through a graphical user interface (GUI) to include corresponding phonetically spelled information and/or other alias information for a contact. Voice recognition capabilities in the computer telephony system, which support the dial by name operations, can be directly invoked through the GUI to playback the phonetically spelled information and/or other alias information.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising:

a processor;

at least one user device configured to provide audible user inputs to the processor and audible outputs from the processor to a user;

a multiple purpose contacts database comprising a first field having at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, a corresponding second field having at least one phonetic spelling of the contact identifier in the first field, an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields, an alias field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields and a data extension field, the data extension field indicative of whether the contact identifier is voice accessible;

a voice recognizer configured at least partially within the processor to directly access the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database to interpret the audible user inputs only if the data extension field indicates that the contact identifier is voice accessible; and

the processor operating to allow a user to manually select the phonetic spelling of the contact identifier.

2. The arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and in response to access at least one of the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database.

3. The arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database.

4. The arrangement as recited in claim 1, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and match the audible user inputs to at least one of the first field, the second field, and the alias field to facilitate the placing of a call to a contact associated with the contact identifier.

5. An apparatus for use in a computer system having a processor, and at least one user device configured to provide audible user inputs to the processor and audible outputs from the processor to a user, the apparatus comprising:

a multiple purpose contacts database having a first field that includes at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, a corresponding second field that includes at least one phonetic spelling of the contact identifier in the first field, an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields, an alias field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields and a data extension field, the data extension field indicative of whether the contact identifier is voice accessible;

a voice recognizer configured at least partially within the processor to directly access the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database to interpret audible user inputs only if the data extension field indicates that the contact identifier is voice accessible; and

the processor operating to allow a user to manually select the phonetic spelling of the contact identifier.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and in response to access at least one of the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and match the audible user inputs to at least one of the first field, the second field, and the alias field to facilitate the placing of a call to a contact associated with the contact identifier.

9. A computer readable medium for use with a computer system having a processor, and at least one user device configured to provide audible user inputs to the processor and audible outputs from the processor to a user, the computer readable medium comprising computer instructions that:

establish a multiple purpose contacts database having a first field that includes at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, a corresponding second field that includes at least one phonetic spelling of the contact identifier in the first field, an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields, an alias field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields and a data extension field, the data extension field indicative of whether the contact identifier is voice accessible;

provide a voice recognizer that directly accesses the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database to interpret audible user inputs only if the data extension field indicates that the contact identifier is voice accessible; and

allow a user to manually select the phonetic spelling of the contact identifier.

10. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and in response to access at least one of the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database.

11. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database.

12. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein the voice recognizer is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and match the audible user inputs to at least one of the first field, the second field, and the alias field to facilitate the placing of a call to a contact associated with the contact identifier.

13. A method for supporting name dialing in a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving user voice inputs;

in response to the user voice inputs, directly accessing a multiple purpose contacts database having a first field that includes at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, a corresponding second field that includes at least one phonetic spelling of the contact identifier in the first field to interpret the user voice inputs, an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields, an alias field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields, and a data extension field, the data extension field indicative of whether the contact identifier is voice accessible, wherein the first and second fields of the multiple purpose contacts database are accessible in response to the user voice inputs only if the data extension field indicates that the contact identifier is voice accessible; and

allowing a user to manually select the phonetic spelling of the contact identifier.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising analyzing the user voice inputs using an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising using a text-to-speech (TTS) engine to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the multiple purpose contacts database.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising analyzing the audible user inputs and matching the audible user inputs to at least one of the first field, the second field, and the alias field to facilitate the placing of a call to a contact associated with the contact identifier.

17. An editor for use with a multiple purpose contacts database in a computer having at least one input device and at least one output device, the editor comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) arranged to display at least a portion of the multiple purpose contacts database having a first field including a correctly spelled identifier of at least one contact, a corresponding second field including a phonetically spelled identifier associated with the at least one contact, an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields, an alias field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields, and a data extension field indicative of whether the contact identifier is accessible by a voice recognizer, the GUI configured to allow a user to manually edit the phonetically spelled identifier, and further configured to allow a user to manually select the data extension field to indicate whether the contact identifier is accessible by the voice recognizer;

a selector, within the GUI; and

a text-to-speech (TTS) engine responsive to activation of the selector in the GUI that causes at least the phonetically spelled identifier to be output as sound through an output device.

18. The editor as recited in claim 17, wherein the GUI is further configured to support a computer telephony system by providing access to at least a portion of the multiple purpose contacts database.

19. The editor as recited in claim 18, wherein the TTS engine is within the computer telephony system and further configured to support voice recognition within the computer telephony system such that when the selector is activated the TTS engine, in response, is invoked without requiring user voice inputs.

20. The editor as recited in claim 17, wherein the GUI is further configured to display and allow a user to manually edit the extension number field that corresponds to the correctly spelled identifier.

21. The editor as recited in claim 17, wherein the GUI is further configured to display and allow a user to manually edit the alias field that corresponds to the correctly spelled identifier.

22. The editor as recited in claim 17, wherein the GUI is further configured to allow the text-to-speech (TTS) engine to cause at least one of the correctly spelled identifier, the phonetically spelled identifier, and the alias field to be output as sound through the output device.

23. An apparatus for use in a computer system having a processor, and at least one user device configured to provide audible user inputs to the processor and audible outputs from the processor to a user, the apparatus comprising:

a contacts database comprising a first field that includes at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, a corresponding second field that includes at least one phonetic spelling of the contact identifier in the first field, and a data extension field, the data extension field indicative of whether the contact identifier is voice accessible;

a voice recognizer configured at least partially within the processor to directly access the first and second fields in the contacts database to interpret audible user inputs only if the data extension field indicates that the contact identifier is voice accessible; and

the processor operating to allow a user to manually select the phonetic spelling of the contact identifier and manually select the data extension field to indicate whether the contact identifier is accessible by the voice recognizer.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the contacts database further comprises an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the contacts database further comprises an alias field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields.

26. The arrangement as recited in claim 25, wherein the voice recognizer comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and match the audible user inputs to at least one of the first field, the second field, and the alias field to facilitate the placing of a call to a contact associated with the contact identifier.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and in response to access at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

29. A method for supporting name dialing in a communications system, the method comprising:

receiving audible user inputs;

establishing a contacts database comprising a first field that includes at least one substantially correctly spelled contact identifier, a corresponding second field that includes at least one phonetic spelling of the contact identifier in the first field, and a data extension field, the data extension field indicative of whether the contact identifier is voice accessible;

directly accessing, by a voice recognizer, the first and second fields in the contacts database to interpret audible user inputs only if the data extension field indicates that the contact identifier is voice accessible;

allowing a user to manually select the phonetic spelling of the contact identifier and manually select the manually select the data extension field to indicate whether the contact identifier is accessible by the voice recognizer.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the contacts database further comprises an extension number field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the contacts database further comprises an alias field that corresponds to at least one of the first and second fields.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the voice recognizer comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs and match the audible user inputs to at least one of the first field, the second field, and the alias field to facilitate the placing of a call to a contact associated with the contact identifier.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises an automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine that is configured to analyze the audible user inputs, and in response to access at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the voice recognizer further comprises a text-to-speech (TTS) engine that is configured to generate speech outputs suitable for outputting to the user from at least one of the first and second fields in the contacts database.