Web-based platform for interactive voice response (IVR)
First Claim
1. An apparatus for implementing an interactive voice response application over a network, the apparatus comprising:
- a speech synthesizer operative to generate speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
a grammar generator operative to process information in the retrieved web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar; and
a speech recognizer having an input coupled to an output of the grammar generator, wherein the speech recognizer is operative to utilize the at least one grammar produced by the grammar generator to recognize speech input;
wherein the at least one grammar produced by the grammar generator is utilized by the speech synthesizer to create phoneme information, such that similar phonemes are used in both the speech recognizer and the speech synthesizer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A platform for implementing interactive voice response (IVR) applications over the Internet or other type of network includes a speech synthesizer, a grammar generator and a speech recognizer. The speech synthesizer generates speech which characterizes the structure and content of a web page retrieved over the network. The speech is delivered to a user via a telephone or other type of audio interface device. The grammar generator utilizes textual information parsed from the retrieved web page to produce a grammar. The grammar is supplied to the speech recognizer and used to interpret voice commands and other speech input generated by the user. The platform may also include a voice processor which determines which of a number of predefined models best characterized a given retrieved page, such that the process of generating an appropriate verbal description of the page is considerably simplified. The speech synthesizer, grammar generator, speech recognizer and other elements of the IVR platform may be operated by a Internet Service Provider (ISP), thereby allowing the general Internet population to create interactive voice response applications without acquiring their own IVR equipment.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus for implementing an interactive voice response application over a network, the apparatus comprising:
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a speech synthesizer operative to generate speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
a grammar generator operative to process information in the retrieved web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar; and
a speech recognizer having an input coupled to an output of the grammar generator, wherein the speech recognizer is operative to utilize the at least one grammar produced by the grammar generator to recognize speech input;
wherein the at least one grammar produced by the grammar generator is utilized by the speech synthesizer to create phoneme information, such that similar phonemes are used in both the speech recognizer and the speech synthesizer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for implementing an interactive voice response application over a network, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
processing information in the web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar;
utilizing the grammar to recognize speech input; and
utilizing the grammar to create phoneme information, such that similar phonemes are used in both the recognizing and generating steps. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A machine-readable medium for storing one or more programs for implementing an interactive voice response application over a network, wherein the one or more programs when executed by a machine carry out the steps of:
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generating speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
processing information in the web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar;
utilizing the grammar to recognize speech input; and
utilizing the grammar to create phoneme information, such that similar phonemes are used in both the recognizing and generating steps.
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23. An interactive voice response system for communicating information between a network and an audio interface device, the system comprising:
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at least one computer for implementing at least a portion of an interactive voice response platform, the platform including;
(i) a speech synthesizer operative to generate speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
(ii) a grammar generator operative to process information in the retrieved web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar; and
(iii) a speech recognizer operative to utilize the at least one grammar produced by the grammar generator to recognize speech input;
wherein the at least one grammar produced by the grammar generator is utilized by the speech synthesizer to create phoneme information, such that similar phonemes are used in both the speech recognizer and the speech synthesizer. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. An apparatus for implementing an interactive voice response application over a network, the apparatus comprising:
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a speech synthesizer operative to generate speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
a grammar generator operative to process information in the retrieved web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar; and
a speech recognizer having an input coupled to an output of the grammar generator, wherein the speech recognizer is operative to utilize the at least one grammar produced by the grammar generator to recognize speech input;
wherein the speech synthesizer operates in a description mode, in which, unless interrupted by user input, the synthesizer provides a complete description of the retrieved web page deliverable to a user via an audio interface device, and an inspection mode, in which the synthesizer provides an abbreviated description of the retrieved web page and then awaits inspection command input from the user.
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27. A method for implementing an interactive voice response application over a network, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
processing information in the web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar; and
utilizing the grammar to recognize speech input;
wherein a speech synthesizer used in the generating step generates one or more phonetic transcriptions, and the phonetic transcriptions are used in the utilizing step to recognize the speech input.
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28. A machine-readable medium for storing one or more programs for implementing an interactive voice response application over a network, wherein the one or more programs when executed by a machine carry out the steps of:
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generating speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
processing information in the web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar; and
utilizing the grammar to recognize speech input;
wherein a speech synthesizer used in the generating step generates one or more phonetic transcriptions, and the phonetic transcriptions are used in the utilizing step to recognize the speech input.
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29. An interactive voice response system for communicating information between a network and an audio interface device, the system comprising:
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at least one computer for implementing at least a portion of an interactive voice response platform, the platform including;
(i) a speech synthesizer operative to generate speech output characterizing at least a portion of a web page retrieved over the network;
(ii) a grammar generator operative to process information in the retrieved web page to produce at least a portion of at least one grammar; and
(iii) a speech recognizer operative to utilize the at least one grammar produced by the grammar generator to recognize speech input;
wherein the speech synthesizer operates in a description mode, in which, unless interrupted by user input, the synthesizer provides a complete description of the retrieved web page deliverable to a user via the audio interface device, and an inspection mode, in which the synthesizer provides an abbreviated description of the retrieved web page and then awaits inspection command input from the user.
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Specification