Voice over IP protocol based speech system

• US 6,654,722 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lucas, Bruce D., Aldous, Anne M., Leontiades, Kyriakos, Celi, Joseph Jr., Reich, David E., Gavagni, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Knepper, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/596,769
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275, 704/276, 370/237, 379/88.02, 379/221.01, 379/219, 709/204
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6472 Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6481 Speech, voice
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0006 where voice calls cross both networks

Abstract

A VoIP-enabled speech server can include a speech application which can be configured to communicate with a VoIP telephony gateway server over a VoIP communications path. The VoIP-enabled speech server can also include a VoIP-compliant call control interface to the VoIP telephony gate server, the VoIP-compliant call control interface establishing the VoIP communications path. In operation, the speech application can receive VoIP-compliant packets from the VoIP telephony gateway server over the VoIP communications path. Subsequently, digitized audio data can be reconstructed from the VoIP-compliant packets, and the digitized audio data can be speech-to-text converted. Additionally, text can be synthesized into digitized audio data and the digitized audio data can be encapsulated in VoIP-compliant packets which can be transmitted over the VoIP communications path to the telephony gateway server.

Claims

1. A Voice over IP (“

VoIP”

) based speech system comprising;

an VoIP telephony gateway server;

at least one speech server, each speech server containing a speech application;

a VoIP-compliant call control interface between said VoIP telephony gateway server and said speech server; and

,

a VoIP communications path between said VoIP telephony gateway server and said speech application in said at least one speech server;

said VoIP telephony gateway server and said speech application establishing said VoIP communications path through said VoIP-compliant call control interface;

said VoIP telephony gateway server receiving audio signals from a telephony interface, digitizing said audio signals into digitized audio data, compressing said digitized audio data into VoIP-compliant packets and transmitting said VoIP-compliant packets to said speech application in said at least one speech server through said VoIP communications path using said VoIP protocol;

said speech application in said at least one speech server receiving said VoIP-compliant packets, reconstructing said digitized audio data from said VoIP-compliant packets, and speech-to-text converting said digitized audio data;

said speech application in said at least one speech server speech synthesizing text into digitized audio data, encapsulating said digitized audio data in VoIP-compliant packets and transmitting said VoIP-compliant packets through said VoIP communications path to said VoIP telephony gateway server;

said VoIP telephony gateway server receiving said VoIP-compliant packets, reconstructing said digitized audio data from said VoIP-compliant packets, and transmitting said digitized audio data through said telephony interface.

2. The VoIP-based speech system of claim 1, wherein said VoIP telephony gateway server comprises:

a telephony interface; and

,

a VoIP Gatekeeper;

said VoIP Gatekeeper receiving a voice call through said telephony interface;

said VoIP Gatekeeper choosing a speech server from among said at least one speech servers;

said VoIP Gatekeeper alerting said VoIP-enabled speech application in said chosen speech server that said voice call has been received.

3. The VoIP-based speech system of claim 1, wherein said at least one speech server comprises:

a speech recognition engine;

a text-to-speech engine;

a call control interface for establishing a voice call connection through said VoIP telephony gateway server; and

,

an audio data path,

said audio data path streaming audio data through said established voice call connection to said speech recognition engine;

said audio data path streaming audio data through said established voice call connection from said text-to-speech engine.

4. The VoIP-based speech system of claim 1, wherein said speech application is a speech browser, said speech browser retrieving Web content responsive to voice commands received through said VoIP communications path, said speech browser speech synthesizing said retrieved Web content into audio data, said speech browser transmitting said audio data through said VoIP communications path to said VoIP telephony gateway server.

5. The VoIP-based speech system of claim 4, wherein said Web content is a VoiceXML document.

6. The VoIP-based speech system of claim 1, wherein said at least one speech server comprises:

a speech recognition engine;

a text-to-speech engine;

a JSAPI speech interface;

a JTAPI telephony interface; and

,

a JMF media interface,

said JTAPI telephony interface establishing a voice call connection for transporting digital audio data between said VoIP telephony gateway server and said speech application;

said JMF media interface establishing a data path for transporting said digital audio data between said speech application and said voice call connection;

said JSAPI speech interface communicating said digitized audio data from said speech application to said speech recognition engine;

said JSAPI speech interface communicating speech synthesized audio data from said text-to-speech engine to said speech application.

7. A Voice over IP (“

VoIP”

) enabled speech server comprising;

a speech application, said speech application configured to communicate with a VoIP telephony gateway server over a VoIP communications path; and

,

a VoIP-compliant call control interface to said VoIP telephony gateway server, said VoIP-compliant call control interface establishing said VoIP communications path;

said speech application receiving VoIP-compliant packets from said VoIP telephony gateway server over said VoIP communications path, reconstructing digitized audio data from said VoIP-compliant packets, and speech-to-text converting said digitized audio data.

8. The VoIP-enabled speech server of claim 7, said speech application synthesizing text into digitized audio data, encapsulating said digitized audio data in VoIP-compliant packets and transmitting said VoIP-compliant packets over said VoIP communications path to said telephony gateway server.

9. The VoIP-enabled speech server of claim 7, further comprising:

a speech recognition engine;

a text-to-speech engine; and

,

an audio data path,

said audio data path streaming audio data through said established voice call connection to said speech recognition engine;

said audio data path streaming audio data through said established voice call connection from said text-to-speech engine.

10. The VoIP-enabled speech server of claim 7, wherein said speech application is a speech browser, said speech browser retrieving Web content responsive to voice commands received through said VoIP communications path, said speech browser speech synthesizing said retrieved Web content into audio data, said speech browser transmitting said audio data through said VoIP communications path to said VoIP telephony gateway server.

11. The VoIP-enabled speech server of claim 10, wherein said Web content is a VoiceXML document.

12. The VoIP-enabled speech server of claim 7, wherein said VoIP-compliant call control interface is a JTAPI telephony interface for establishing a voice call connection for transporting digital audio data between said VoIP telephony gateway server and said speech application.

13. The VoIP-enabled speech server of claim 12, further comprising:

a speech recognition engine;

a text-to-speech engine;

a JSAPI speech interface; and

,

a JMF media interface,

said JMF media interface establishing a data path for transporting said digital audio data between said speech application and said voice call connection;

said JSAPI speech interface communicating said digitized audio data from said speech application to said speech recognition engine;

said JSAPI speech interface communicating speech synthesized audio data from said text-to-speech engine to said speech application.

14. A method for coupling a speech application to a Voice over IP (“

VoIP”

) telephony gateway server in a VoIP network comprising the steps of;

establishing a VoIP communications path with the VoIP telephony gateway server and configuring the speech application to communicate with the VoIP telephony gateway server over the established VoIP communications path;

receiving VoIP-compliant packets from the VoIP telephony gateway server over said established VoIP communications path;

reconstructing digitized audio data from said VoIP-compliant packets; and

,

speech-to-text converting said digitized audio data.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

synthesizing text into digitized audio data;

encapsulating said digitized audio data in VoIP-compliant packets; and

,

transmitting said VoIP-compliant packets over said VoIP communications path to the VoIP telephony gateway server.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving Web content responsive to speech recognized voice commands received through said VoIP communications path;

synthesizing said retrieved Web content into audio data; and

,

transmitting said audio data through said VoIP communications path to the VoIP telephony gateway server.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said Web content is a VoiceXML document.

18. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program for coupling a speech application to a Voice over IP (“

VoIP”

) telephony gateway server in a VoIP network, said computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of;

establishing a VoIP communications path with the VoIP telephony gateway server and configuring the speech application to communicate with the VoIP telephony gateway server over the established VoIP communications path;

receiving VoIP-compliant packets from the VoIP telephony gateway server over said established VoIP communications path;

reconstructing digitized audio data from said VoIP-compliant packets; and

, speech-to-text converting said digitized audio data.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18, for further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

synthesizing text into digitized audio data;

encapsulating said digitized audio data in VoIP-compliant packets; and

,

transmitting said VoIP-compliant packets over said VoIP communications path to the VoIP telephony gateway server.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 18, for further causing the machine to perform the steps of:

retrieving Web content responsive to speech recognized voice commands received through said VoIP communications path;

synthesizing said retrieved Web content into audio data; and

,

transmitting said audio data through said VoIP communications path to the VoIP telephony gateway server.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 20, wherein said Web content is a VoiceXML document.