Automated access by mobile device to automated telephone information services

• US 6,594,484 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Hitchings, Jr., Sinclair H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US09/215,116
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412, 455/413, 455/414, 455/418-420, 455/422, 455/466, 455/556, 455/557, 455/566, 455/564, 379/67.1, 379/88.18, 379/93.07, 379/93.08, 379/93.25, 379/100.14, 379/114.17, 379/201.01, 379/207.11, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A method and system for automated navigation through voice menu information systems for mobile devices are disclosed. Navigation of the voice menu information systems is accomplished using a stored script (i.e., a time ordered log of the input associated with a previous interaction). A user wishing to store such a script, prior to an interaction with a voice menu system, would select this option from a menu displayed on the display screen of the wireless client device. The user is prompted to provide a label for the script. The labeled script is then created and stored by monitoring the input characters and timings thereof. After a new script has been stored, the information used to generate menu displays pertaining to available scripts for the wireless client device is updated to reflect the addition of the new script. Thereafter, for future interactions with the voice menu information system, the user need only select the appropriate script label when displayed by interacting with the wireless client device. Once a script has been launched, the script causes automated dial-in to the voice menu information system and interaction therewith in an automated fashion by way of the script. Following the processing of the script, the user can be on-line with the voice menu information system to receive the response or can have the response sent to a designated voice mailbox for later retrieval.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for facilitating automated access by a wireless two-way communication device to automated telephone information services, said graphical user interface comprising:

a script selection menu presented on a display device of the wireless two-way communication device, said script selection menu includes a plurality of script identifiers, each of the script identifiers pertaining to a script, with each of the scripts including a sequence of previously saved user input interactions associated with accessing a particular service provided by the automated telephone information services;

a selection device that enables selection of one of the script identifiers being presented in said script selection menu; and

a script location selection menu presented on the display device prior to the display of said script selection menu, said script location selection menu includes a remote script indicator and a local script indicator,

wherein said selection device is used to enable selection of one of the remote script indicator and the local script indicator,

wherein the remote script indicator indicates that the scripts to be displayed in said script selection menu are stored remotely with respect to said wireless two-way communication device, and

wherein the local script indicator indicates that the scripts to be displayed in said script selection menu are stored within said wireless two-way communication device.

2. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein said wireless two-way communication device is a cellular telephone.

3. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the script identifiers are labels.

4. A graphical user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein following selection of one of the script identifiers, the associated script is played such that a sequence of previous saved user input interactions are automatically performed without intervening manual user actions.

5. A method for providing a list of scripts that reproduce a time ordered sequence of user input interactions with a voice menu information system on a display screen of a wireless client device that includes an input interface, said method comprising:

storing in a service server device a plurality of scripts received from a user;

wherein said service server device comprises;

a voice menu server for managing a plurality of scripts for a plurality of users;

a storage device for storing said plurality of scripts for said plurality of users;

wherein said plurality of scripts are grouped according to the user account numbers for said plurality of users; and

a memory device for storing code used to generate lists corresponding to said plurality of stored scripts for said plurality of users;

generating a list corresponding to said plurality of scripts received from said user;

forwarding said list corresponding to said plurality of scripts received from said user to said wireless client device utilizing a proxy server device connected to said server device through a landnet operating in a first communications protocol and connected to said wireless client device through an airnet operating in a second communications protocol;

wherein said proxy server device comprises;

an account manager for managing a plurality of user accounts each corresponding to a plurality of wireless client devices;

a server module for converting from said first communications protocol to said second communications protocol; and

a memory for storing said list corresponding to said plurality of scripts received from said user;

wherein said list is forwarded to said wireless client device when a communications session is established between said proxy server device and said wireless client device.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said first communications protocol for said landnet is Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and said second communications protocol for said airnet is a wireless communications protocol.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein said wireless communications protocol is selected from a group consisting of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Handheld Device Transport Protocol (HDTP).

8. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said first communications protocol for said landnet is Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTPS) over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and said second communications protocol for said airnet is a wireless communications protocol.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said wireless communications protocol is selected from a group consisting of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Handheld Device Transport Protocol (HDTP).

10. A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

storing said list corresponding to said plurality of scripts received from said user as a markup language.

12. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said list corresponding to said plurality of scripts received from said user comprises:

a URL for said service server device storing said list corresponding to said plurality of scripts received from said user; and

a label for each script listed in said list corresponding to said plurality of scripts received from said user.

13. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a request from said wireless client device for one of said plurality of scripts listed on said list corresponding to said plurality of scripts received from said user; and

forwarding said requested one of said plurality of scripts to said wireless client device.

11. A method as recited in clam 10, wherein said markup language is selected from a group consisting of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML) and Wireless Markup Language (WML).

14. A method for processing a script on a wireless client device that includes an input interface and a display screen, each script reproducing a time ordered sequence of user input interactions with an automated telephone-based information access system, said method comprising:

displaying a list of script identifiers that correspond to a plurality of scripts for use by the wireless client device;

generating and forwarding a request to a remote server device to obtain at least one of the scripts associated with the script identifiers;

receiving the at least one script at the wireless client device from the remote server device in response to the request;

storing at the wireless client device the at least one script that has been received; and

executing, at the wireless client device, the at least one script that has been received to access the automated telephone-based information access system.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the wireless client device is a mobile telephone having an integrated display screen for displaying the list of scripts.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said executing of the at least one script is performed without requiring any user input interactions beyond initiating said executing.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the remote server device is a proxy server.

18. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said forwarding of the request and said receiving of the at least one script are performed over a wireless data network.

19. A method as recited in claim 18,

wherein the remote server device is a proxy server device, and

wherein said proxy server device is connected to said wireless client device through the wireless data network using a first communications protocol and connected to an information server device through a wired data network using a second communications protocol.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the wired data network comprises the Internet.

21. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said first communications protocol for the wireless data network is a wireless communications protocol and said second communications protocol for the wired data network is Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said wireless communications protocol is selected from a group consisting of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Handheld Device Transport Protocol (HDTP).

23. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein said wireless client device an also access information from the information server device through the wireless data network, said proxy server device, and the wired data network.

24. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said request is in a markup language.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said markup language is selected from a group consisting of Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML) and Wireless Markup Language (WML).

26. A method for providing a list of scripts on a display screen of a wireless client device that includes an input interface, each of the scripts reproducing a time ordered sequence of user input interactions with an automated telephone-based information access system, said method comprising:

displaying a list of script identifiers that correspond to a plurality of scripts on the display screen of the wireless client device;

receiving a selection of one of the script identifiers being displayed on the display screen, the selected script identifier corresponds to a selected one of the scripts; and

forwarding a request to a remote server device to execute the selected one of the scripts to access the automated telephone-based information access system in an automated manner.

27. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the automated telephone-based information access system is provided via a telephone network.

28. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said method further comprises:

obtaining a response from the automated telephone-based information access system following the execution of the script.

29. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said method further comprises:

storing the response in a voice mail storage device associated with the wireless client device.

30. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said method further comprises:

subsequently accessing the voice mail storage device via the wireless client device to retrieve the stored response and forward the stored response to the wireless client device.

31. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein said forwarding of the request to the remote file server is through a wireless data network, and wherein said wireless client device can also access information stored on the remote server device via the wireless data network.

32. A method as recited in claim 26, wherein the request is in a markup language.

33. A method for providing a list of scripts that reproduce a time ordered sequence of user input interactions with a voice menu information system on a display screen of a wireless client device that includes an input interface, said method comprising:

storing in a memory in the wireless client device a plurality of scripts corresponding to previous input interaction with the voice menu information system;

producing a list of scripts corresponding to said plurality of scripts stored in the memory in the wireless client device;

displaying the list of scripts corresponding to said plurality of scripts stored in the memory in the wireless client device;

activating one of said plurality of scripts through a predefined input interaction with said list of scripts being displayed to automatically produce a time ordered sequence of user input interactions without intervening manual user actions;

forwarding a copy of the one of said plurality of stored scripts to a remote server device after where said activating of the one of said plurality of scripts is performed; and

supplying the time ordered sequence of user input interactions without intervening manual user actions to the voice menu information system via the remote server.

34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein said displaying of the list of scripts and said activating of one of the plurality of scripts are performed on the wireless client device.

35. A method as recited in claim 33 wherein the wireless client device couples to the remote server device via a proxy server device, and the proxy server device is coupled to the wireless client device through a wireless data network using a first communications protocol and coupled to the remote server device through a wired data network using a second communications protocol.

36. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein said first communications protocol for the wireless data network is a wireless communications protocol and said second communications protocol for the wired data network is Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP) over Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

37. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein said wireless communications protocol is selected from a group consisting of Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and Handheld Device Transport Protocol (HDTP).

38. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein said method further comprises:

deleting an existing one of the scripts from the memory when a new script is to be stored in the memory; and

updating the list of scripts corresponding to said plurality of scripts stored in the memory in the wireless client device to reflect the addition of the new script and the removal of the existing script.

39. A system for automated access to an automated telephone information system, said system comprises:

a plurality of wireless communication devices, each of said wireless communication devices include

a storage device for storing a plurality of scripts, each of the scripts pertain to a time ordered sequence of user input interactions for the automated telephone information system,

a display screen,

a memory for storing computer program code for a processor, and

a processor coupled to said storage device and said memory, said processor operates to execute the computer program code in said memory to display a script menu having entries associated with the plurality of scripts, and to allow activation of a selected one of the scripts by selection of the associated one of the entries of the script menu; and

a server device that provides storage for the scripts for said wireless communication devices, the scripts being stored such that they are associated with user accounts for users associated with said wireless communication devices.

40. A system as recited in claim 39,

wherein said server device is a proxy server device that couples between a wired data network and a wireless data network, and

wherein the wireless data network is capable of coupling to said wireless communication devices to facilitate communications between said proxy server and said wireless communication devices.

41. A system as recited in claim 40, wherein the wired data network uses a first communications protocol and the wireless data network uses a second communications protocol that differs from the first communication protocol.

42. A system as recited in claim 39, wherein following activation of the selected one of the scripts, the selected one of the scripts is played such that a sequence of previously saved user input interactions are automatically performed without intervening manual user actions.

43. A computer readable medium including program code for processing a script on a wireless client device that includes an input interface and a display screen, each script reproducing a time ordered sequence of user input interactions with an automated telephone-based information access system, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code configured to display a list of script identifiers that correspond to a plurality of scripts for used by the wireless client device;

computer program code configured to generate and forward a request to a remote server device to obtain at least one of the scripts associated with the script identifiers;

computer program code configured to receive the at least one script at the wireless client device from the remote server device in response to the request;

computer program code configured to store at the wireless client device the at least one script that has been received; and

computer program code configured to execute, at the wireless client device, the at least one script that has been received to access the automated telephone-based information access system.

44. A computer readable medium for selection of a script using a display screen of a wireless client device that includes an input interface, each of the scripts reproducing a time ordered sequence of user input interactions with an automated telephone-based information access system, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code configured to display a list of script identifiers on the display device that correspond to a plurality of scripts provided on the wireless client device;

computer program code configured to receive a selection of one of the script identifiers being displayed on the display screen, the selected script identifier corresponds to a selected one of the scripts; and

computer program code configured to forward a request to a remote server device to execute the selected one of the scripts to access the automated telephone-based information access system in an automated manner.