Browser-based arrangement for developing voice enabled web applications using extensible markup language documents

• US 6,578,000 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Danner, Ryan Alan, Joshi, Satish, Dodrill, Lewis Dean, Martin, Steven J., Barban, Susan Harrow
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Doris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nolan, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US09/559,637
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275, 345/24, 705/52, 707/513
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A unified web-based voice messaging system provides voice application control between a web browser and an application server via an hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) connection on an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The application server executes the voice-enabled web application by runtime execution of a first set of extensible markup language (XML) documents that define the voice-enabled web application to be executed. The application server generates an HTML form specifying selected application parameters from an XML document executable by the voice application. The HTML form is supplied to a browser, enabling a user of the browser to input or modify application parameters for the corresponding XML document into the form. The application server inserts the received input application parameters into the XML document, and stores the document.

Claims

1. A method in an application server for developing an executable voice application, the method comprising:

generating a hypertext markup language (HTML) document that specifies a form having at least one entry field for specifying an application parameter, and sending the HTML document to a web browser;

receiving the form from the web browser, the received form having an input application parameter in the entry field;

inserting the input application parameter into an extensible markup language (XML) document configured for defining an operation of the executable voice application; and

storing the XML document for execution by the application server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step includes generating an HTML-compliant entry field label for the one entry field based on an XML tag within the XML document, and copying XML tag data representing the application parameter and located within the XML tag into the one entry field.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the inserting step includes replacing the XML tag data with the input application parameter.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising executing the stored XML document for dynamic generation of a second HTML page, having XML tags specifying media content and media control information corresponding to a voice application operation, in response to a prescribed command from the web browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step includes generating a blank HTML-compliant form for generation of a new XML menu document, the blank HTML-compliant form specifying a first set of entry fields configured for storing user selection inputs, and a second set of entry fields configured for storing respective application responses.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating a blank HTML-compliant form further includes adding HTML tags specifying a third set of entry fields configured for storing application response types for the respective application responses.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the inserting step includes inserting the input application parameters from the first, second and third set of entry fields into the new XML menu document, the input application parameters of the first set of entry fields each specifying a user menu input, and the input application parameters of the second set of entry fields each specifying one of a stored XML document and a procedure call.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating a blank HTML-compliant form includes providing a document name entry field, the storing step including naming the new XML menu document based on the input application parameter specified in the document name entry field.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating a blank HTML-compliant form includes providing a document name entry field, the storing step including naming the new XML menu document based on the input application parameter specified in the document name entry field.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating step includes executing in an application runtime environment an XML document that specifies HTML tags to be generated within the HTML document.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating step further includes:

retrieving the XML document from the storage medium; and

generating the form based on the XML document retrieved from the storage medium.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for developing a voice application, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

generating a hypertext markup language (HTML) document that specifies a form having at least one entry field for specifying an application parameter, and sending the HTML document to a web browser;

receiving the form from the web browser, the received form having an input application parameter in the entry field;

inserting the input application parameter into an extensible markup language (XML) document configured for defining an operation of the executable voice application; and

storing the XML document for execution by the application server.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the generating step includes generating an HTML-compliant entry field label for the one entry field based on an XML tag within the XML document, and copying XML tag data representing the application parameter and located within the XML tag into the one entry field.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the inserting step includes replacing the XML tag data with the input application parameter.

15. The medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions for performing the step of executing the stored XML document for dynamic generation of a second HTML page, having XML tags specifying media content and media control information corresponding to a voice application operation, in response to a prescribed command from the web browser.

16. The medium of claim 12, wherein the generating step includes generating a blank HTML-compliant form for generation of a new XML menu document, the blank HTML-compliant form specifying a first set of entry fields configured for storing user selection inputs, and a second set of entry fields configured for storing respective application responses.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the step of generating a blank HTML-compliant form further includes adding HTML tags specifying a third set of entry fields configured for storing application response types for the respective application responses.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the inserting step includes inserting the input application parameters from the first, second and third set of entry fields into the new XML menu document, the input application parameters of the first set of entry fields each specifying a user menu input, and the input application parameters of the second set of entry fields each specifying one of a stored XML document and a procedure call.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the step of generating a blank HTML-compliant form includes providing a document name entry field, the storing step including naming the new XML menu document based on the input application parameter specified in the document name entry field.

20. The medium of claim 16, wherein the step of generating a blank HTML-compliant form includes providing a document name entry field, the storing step including naming the new XML menu document based on the input application parameter specified in the document name entry field.

21. The medium of claim 12, wherein the generating step includes executing in an application runtime environment an XML document that specifies HTML tags to be generated within the HTML document.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein the generating step further includes:

retrieving the XML document from the storage medium; and

generating the form based on the XML document retrieved from the storage medium.