System and method for retrieving select web content

• US 6,823,370 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Kohl, Kenneth J., Knight, Stephen, Kredo, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US10/191,081
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204-207, 709/217-219, 709/245-246, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/277, 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.17, 379/90.01, 379/93.14
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

An operator assisted system helps a caller browse the World Wide Web without requiring the caller use a computer. The invention enables a caller on a POTS or cellular/wireless telephone connection to connect with an operator to search and select Web-based content. The invention collects desired search results and passes them to an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system for presentation to the POTS/Cellular caller. The invention facilitates high-quality search request interpretation and highly-efficient Web searches by a trained operator, using a visual PC based browser.

Claims

1. A system for providing a caller with audio translations of selected portions of World Wide Web pages comprising:

a workstation, an interactive voice response module, an audio web server, and a switch;

the workstation in communication with the interactive voice response module, the audio web server, and the World Wide Web, said workstation including means for selecting portions of pages from locations on the World Wide Web and storing said selected portions as files in the audio web server;

the audio web server in communication with the workstation, the interactive voice response module and the World Wide Web for storing files selected by the workstation;

the interactive voice response module in communication with the audio web server and the workstation for generating audio signals corresponding to the files stored on the audio web server;

the switch for connecting a telephone caller to the workstation and for connecting the interactive voice response module to the caller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the switch generates data signals identifying the caller and the workstation stores the selected Web page portions in the 25 audio web server in accordance with the caller identification data signals.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the audio web server comprises a computer with a memory for storing selected portions of Web pages in accordance with caller identification data signals.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the workstation further comprises a software program for selecting portions of Web pages and removing non textual indicia from said selected portions.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the workstation is administered by a live operator.

6. A method for assisting a caller in browsing the World Wide Web comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more Web pages or portions of Web pages;

removing non-textual indicia from the selected pages or portions of pages to form selected files and storing the selected files on an audio server in accordance with identification data corresponding to the caller;

conducting an interactive voice response session with the caller; and

playing one or more of the selected files to the caller in accordance with the results of the interactive voice response session.

7. The method of claim 6 where the one or more Web pages or portions of Web pages are selected by a live operator.

8. A computer workstation with a network connection to the World Wide Web for selecting and translating portions of World Wide Web pages comprising:

means for receiving and transmitting telephone voice signals over a public switched telephone network or a packet switched data network;

means for browsing the World Wide Web and for selecting pages or portions of pages at locations on the World Wide Web, wherein said selected pages or portions of pages include text and non-text indicia;

means for removing non-text indicia from the selected pages or portions of pages to form a selected text file;

means for storing the selected text file; and

means for converting the stored text file to audio signals representative of the selected text and transmitting the audio signals to a telephone caller.

9. The computer workstation of claim 8 further comprising:

means for initiating a voice inquiry to a caller; and

means for generating an output voice signal corresponding to the stored text file.

10. The computer workstation of claim 8 further comprising:

means for receiving a caller identification signal representative of the identity of a caller; and

means for storing the selected Web page portions in accordance with the caller identification signal.

11. The computer workstation of claim 8 wherein the means for removing non-textual indicia from the selected pages or portions of pages comprises a software program for selecting portions of Web pages and removing non-textual indicia from said selected portions.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the means for browsing the World Wide Web and for selecting pages or portions of pages at locations on the World Wide Web are operated by a live operator.