Speech enabled, automatic telephone dialer using names, including seamless interface with computer-based address book programs

• US 6,563,911 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: iVoice, Inc.
• Inventors: Mahoney, Jerome R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chow, Ming
• Application Number:
  US09/767,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.03, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.04, 704/270, 704/275, 704/246, 704/247, 704/248, 704/249, 704/250
• US Class Current: 379/88.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0015 First party call control architectures

Abstract

The present invention a speech enabled automatic telephone dialer device, system, and method using a spoken name corresponding to name-telephone number data of computer-based address book programs. The invention includes user telephones connected to a PBX-type telephony mechanism, which is connected to a telephony board of a name dialer device. User computer workstations containing loaded address book programs with name-telephone number data are connected to the name dialer device. The name dialer device includes a host computer in a network; a telephony board for controlling the PBX for dialing; memory within the host computer for storing software and name-telephone number data; and, software to access computer-based address book programs, to receive voice inputs from the PBX-type telephony mechanism, to create converted phonemes from names to match voice inputs with specific name-telephone number data from the computer-based address book programs for initiating an automatic dialing.

Claims

1. A speech enabled automatic name dialer dialing device for connection to a plurality of computer workstations having computer-based address book programs, for retrieval of name-telephone number data therefrom and for creation therefrom of a speech enabling phoneme sets for auto dialing by speaking a name, which comprises:

(a.) at least one host computer to perform as a central host server in a network;

(b.) workstation connector means for connection to a plurality of user computer workstations having loaded address book programs, said workstations connector means being connected to said at least one host computer wherein said workstation connector means is selected from LAN connection, WAN connection, internet connection and combinations thereof;

(c.) a telephony board connected to said at least one host computer for controlling a PBX-type telephony mechanism for dialing;

(d.) memory within said host computer for storing software and name-telephone number data;

(e.) software contained within said host computer, having at least the following functional capabilities;

(i.) accessing computer-based address book programs contained within said user computer workstations via said workstation connector means;

(ii.) receiving voice inputs from a PBX-type telephony mechanism, and creating converted phonemes from names of name-telephone number data and matching said phonemes and voice inputs to retrieve specific name-telephone number data from computer-based address book programs for initiating an automatic dialing thereof and,

(iii.) signaling to a PBX-type telephony mechanism to initiate a dialing of a telephone number in response to a voice input/phoneme match.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said workstation connector means is a LAN connection.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said software further includes the following functional capability:

(iv.) to prompt a user to take a predescribed action if a voice inputted name does not match available name-telephone number data.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said software further includes the following functional capability:

(v.) to prompt a user to speak a phone number when a voice inputted name does not match available name-telephone number data; and

,

(vi.) to convert telephone number data corresponding to said voice inputted name into signals for automatic dialing.

5. A speech enabled automatic telephone dialer system, responsive to a user speaking a name corresponding to name-telephone number data of computer-based address book programs, which comprises:

(A.) a plurality of user telephones connected to at least one PBX-type telephony mechanism;

(B.) said at least one PBX-type telephony mechanism connected to said plurality of user telephones and connected to a telephony board of a name dialer device;

(C.) a plurality of user computer workstations connected via workstation connector means to said name dialer device, said plurality of user computer workstations having loaded address book programs with name-telephone number data included therein;

(D.) said name dialer device, including;

(a.) at least one host computer to perform as a central host server in a network;

(b.) said workstation connector means for connection to said plurality of user computer workstation having loaded address book programs, said workstation connector means being connected to said at least one host computer wherein said workstation connector means is selected from LAN connection, WAN connection, internet connection, and combinations thereof;

(c.) a telephony board connected to said at one host computer for controlling said PBX-type telephony mechanism for dialing;

(d.) memory within said host computer for storing said software and name-telephone number data;

(e.) said software contained within said host computer, having at least the following functional capabilities;

(i.) accessing said computer-based address book programs contained within said user computer workstations via said workstation connector means;

(ii.) receiving voice inputs from said PBX-type telephony mechanism, and creating converted phonemes from names of name-telephone number from said address book programs and matching said phonemes and voice inputs to retrieve specific name-telephone number data from said computer-based address book programs for initiating an automatic dialing thereof; and

,

(iii.) signaling to said PBX-type telephony mechanism to initiate a dialing of a telephone number in response to a voice input/phoneme match.

6. The dialer system of claim 5 wherein said workstation connector means is a LAN connection.

7. The dialer system of claim 5 wherein said workstation connector means is an internet connection.

8. The dialer system of claim 5 wherein said software further includes the following functional capability:

(iv.) to prompt a user to take a predescribed action if a voice inputted name does not match available said name-number data.

9. The dialer system of claim 8 wherein said software further includes the following functional capability:

(v.) to prompt a user to speak a phone number when a voice inputted name does not match available said name-telephone number data; and

,

(vi.) to convert telephone number data corresponding to said voice inputted name into signals for automatic dialing.

10. The dialer system of claim 8 wherein said software further includes the following functional capability:

(vii.) to prompt a user to input name-telephone number data to that user'"'"'s workstation computer based address book program; and

,

(viii.) to return to automatic dialing of the user requested name after the user has inputted said name-telephone number data.

11. The dialer system of claim 10 wherein said software provides for user input of previously not matched name-telephone number data by direct manual input to said address book program.

12. The dialer system of claim 10 wherein said software provides for user input of previously not matched name-telephone number data by speech activation/speech recognition.

13. A method of automatically dialing a phone number with a speech enabled system by speaking a name, which comprises:

I.) establishing said system, which includes;

(A.) a plurality of user telephones connected to at least one PBX-type telephony mechanism;

(B.) said at least one PBX-type telephony mechanism connected to said plurality of user telephones and connected to a telephony board of a name dialer device;

(C.) a plurality of user computer workstations connected via workstation connector means to a name dialer device, said plurality of user computer workstations having loaded address book programs with name-telephone number data included therein;

(D.) said name dialer device, including;

(a.) at least one host computer to perform as a central host server in a network;

(b) said workstation connector means for connection to said plurality of user computer workstation having loaded address book programs, said workstation connector means being connected to said at least one host computer;

(c.) a telephony board connected to said at one host computer for controlling said PBX-type telephony mechanism for dialing;

(d.) memory within said host computer for storing software and name-telephone number data;

(e.) software contained within said host computer, having at least the following functional capabilities;

(i.) accessing computer-based address book programs contained within said user computer workstations via said workstation connector means;

(ii.) receiving voice inputs from a PBX-type telephony mechanism, and creating converted phonemes from names of name-telephone number data from said address book programs and matching said phonemes and voice inputs to retrieve specific name-telephone number data from said computer-based address book programs for initiating an automatic dialing thereof; and

,

(iii.) signaling to said PBX-type telephony mechanism to initiate a dialing of a telephone number in response to a voice input/phoneme match;

II.) in response to a user activating a telephone, routing the activation to said PBX-type telephony mechanism, and from said PBX-type telephony mechanism to said name dialer device;

III.) querying a user for name information of an intended call;

IV.) converting a speech inputted name to a phoneme for match to name-telephone number data from said address book programs;

V.) proving a specific match telephone number from said name-telephone number data; and

,

VI.) automatically dialing a call for a user with said proved specific match telephone number.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said software further includes the following functional capability:

(iv.) to prompt a user to take a predescribed action if a voice inputted name does not match available name-telephone number data.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said software further includes the following functional capability:

(v.) to prompt a user to speak a phone number when a voice inputted name does not match available name-telephone number data; and

,

(vi.) to convert telephone number data corresponding to said voice inputted name into signals for automatic dialing.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said software further includes the following functional capability:

(vii.) to prompt a user to input name-telephone number data to that user'"'"'s workstation computer based address book program; and

,

(viii.) to return to automatic dialing of the user requested name after the user has inputted said name-telephone number data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said software provides for user input of previously not matched name-telephone number data by direct manual input to said address book program.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said software provides for user input of previously not matched name-telephone number data by speech activation/speech recognition.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said workstation connector means is selected from LAN connection, WAN connection, internet connection and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said workstation connector means is a LAN connection.