Application server providing personalized voice enabled web application services using extensible markup language documents

• US 6,901,431 B1
• Filed: 05/09/2000
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhary, Anita
• Application Number:
  US09/567,223
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 709/207, 709/200, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 379 8817- 18
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/308 Personal name recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

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, configured for executing a voice application defined by XML documents, selects an XML document for execution of a corresponding voice application operation based on a determined presence of a user-specific XML document that specifies the corresponding voice application operation. The application server, upon receiving a voice application operation request from a browser serving a user, determines whether a personalized, user specific XML document exists for the user and for the corresponding voice application operation. If the application server determines the presence of the personalized XML document for a user-specific execution of the corresponding voice application operation, the application server dynamically generates a personalized HTML page having media content and control tags for personalized execution of the voice application operation; however if the application server determines an absence of the personalized XML document for the user-specific execution of the corresponding voice application operation, the application server dynamically generates a generic HTML page for generic execution of the voice application operation. Hence, a user can personalize any number of voice application operations, enabling a web-based voice application to be completely customized or merely partially customized.

Claims

1. A method in an application server for executing a voice application, the method comprising:

receiving an HTTP request requesting a prescribed voice application operation from an identified user; and

selectively executing one of a generic XML document that specifies the prescribed voice application operation and a user-specific XML document that specifies the prescribed voice application operation personalized for the identified user, based on a determined presence of the user-specific XML document, for generation of an HTML page having media content corresponding to the prescribed voice application operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the presence of the user-specific XML document based on a user identity for the user and the requested prescribed voice application operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step includes accessing an external database, configured for storing data for respective users, for retrieval of the user-specific XML document.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining step further includes:

accessing a first XML document configured for storing user-specific application state and attribute information; and

determining whether the first XML document for the corresponding user specifies the presence of the user-specific XML document for the requested prescribed voice application operation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of accessing an external database includes accessing an IMAP database for retrieval of the user-specific XML document.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of accessing an external database includes accessing an LDAP database for retrieval of the user-specific XML document.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving from the external database an index of the user-specific XML documents in response to an initial HTTP request requesting a login of the corresponding user based on the user identity; and

storing the index into the first XML document.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining the presence of the user-specific XML document includes searching the list in the first XML document for the user-specific XML document.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of accessing an external database includes:

outputting an HTTP get request for the user-specific XML document to a server configured for management of the external database; and

receiving a response to the HTTP get request from the server, the response including one of the user-specific XML document and a denial of the HTTP get request.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising outputting an HTTP put request to the server for storage of a new user-specific XML document for the corresponding user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of outputting an HTTP put request includes posting the HTTP put request to a uniform resource locator specifying a host name of the server, and a directory within the server for the user.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of outputting an HTTP get request includes posting the HTTP get request to a uniform resource locator specifying a host name of the server, and a directory within the server for the user.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing step is performed by an application instance executed by the server, the method further comprising, terminating the application instance based on the HTML page having been output to a browser.

13. A method in web server configured for responding to hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) requests, the method comprising:

receiving an HTTP put request for storage of a user-specific XML document that specifies a prescribed voice application operation for a corresponding user;

storing the user-specific XML document based on a user identity; and

selectively outputting an HTTP response including the user-specific XML document in response to reception of an HTTP get request having a user identifier that matches the user identity and a function identifier that matches the prescribed voice application operation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising outputting a second HTTP response indicating an unavailability of the requested user-specific XML document based on at least one of a determined absence of a match between the user identifier and the user identity, and a determined absence of a match between the function identifier and the prescribed voice application operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the storing step includes storing the user-specific XML document in a database directory according to the user identity.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising searching the database directory for the user-specific XML document based on the function identifier.

48. The method of claim 13, wherein the outputting step is performed by an application instance executed by the server, the method further comprising, terminating the application instance based on the HTTP response having been output to a browser.

17. An application server configured for executing a voice application, the application server including:

a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) interface for receiving an HTTP request specifying execution of a prescribed voice application operation for an identified user; and

an application runtime environment configured for dynamically generating, in response to the HTTP request, a first hypertext markup language (HTML) document having media content for execution of the voice application operation for the identified user based on execution of a selected XML document, the application runtime environment selecting one of a generic XML document that specifies the prescribed voice application operation and a user-specific XML document that specifies the prescribed voice application operation personalized for the identified user, based on a determined presence of the user-specific XML document.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the application runtime environment is configured for determining the presence of the user-specific XML document based on accessing a first XML document configured for storing user-specific application state and attribute information, the application runtime environment searching the first XML document for an indicated presence of the user-specific XML document for the corresponding prescribed voice application operation.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the application runtime environment accesses an external database in response to detecting the indicated presence within the first XML document.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the application runtime environment accesses the external database based on one of IMAP protocol and LDAP protocol.

21. The server of claim 19, wherein the application runtime environment is configured for retrieving from the external database an index of the user-specific XML documents in response to an initial HTTP request requesting a login of the corresponding user based on the user identity, and storing the index into the first XML document.

22. The server of claim 17, wherein the application runtime environment is configured for determining the presence of the user-specific XML document based on outputting an HTTP get request for the user-specific XML document to a server configured for management of the external database, and receiving a response to the HTTP get request from the server having one of the user-specific XML document and a denial of the HTTP get request.

23. The server of claim 22, wherein the application runtime environment is configured for outputting an HTTP put request to the server for storage of a new user-specific XML document for the corresponding user into the database.

49. The server of claim 17, wherein the application runtime environment is configured for dynamically generating the first hypertext markup language (HTML) document by an application instance executed by the server, the application runtime environment being configured to terminate the application instance based on the HTML document having been output to a browser.

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

receiving an HTTP request requesting a prescribed voice application operation from an identified user; and

selectively executing one of a generic XML document that specifies the prescribed voice application operation and a user-specific XML document that specifies the prescribed voice application operation personalized for the identified user, based on a determined presence of the user-specific XML document, for generation of an HTML page having media content corresponding to the prescribed voice application operation.

25. The medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions for performing the step of determining the presence of the user-specific XML document based on a user identity for the user and the requested prescribed voice application operation.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the determining step includes accessing an external database, configured for storing data for respective users, for retrieval of the user-specific XML document.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the determining step further includes:

accessing a first XML document configured for storing user-specific application state and attribute information; and

determining whether the first XML document for the corresponding user specifies the presence of the user-specific XML document for the requested prescribed voice application operation.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the step of accessing an external database includes accessing an IMAP database for retrieval of the user-specific XML document.

29. The medium of claim 27, wherein the step of accessing an external database includes accessing an LDAP database for retrieval of the user-specific XML document.

30. The medium of claim 27, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

retrieving from the external database an index of the user-specific XML documents in response to an initial HTTP request requesting a login of the corresponding user based on the user identity; and

storing the index into the first XML document.

31. The medium of claim 30, wherein the step of determining the presence of the user-specific XML document includes searching the list in the first XML document for the user-specific XML document.

32. The medium of claim 26, wherein the step of accessing an external database includes:

outputting an HTTP get request for the user-specific XML document to a server configured for management of the external database; and

receiving a response to the HTTP get request from the server, the response including one of the user-specific XML document and a denial of the HTTP get request.

33. The medium of claim 32, further comprising instructions for performing the step of outputting an HTTP put request to the server for storage of a new user-specific XML document for the corresponding user.

34. The medium of claim 33, wherein the step of outputting an HTTP put request includes posting the HTTP put request to a uniform resource locator specifying a host name of the server, and a directory within the server for the user.

35. The medium of claim 32, wherein the step of outputting an HTTP get request includes posting the HTTP get request to a uniform resource locator specifying a host name of the server, and a directory within the server for the user.

50. The medium of claim 24, wherein the executing step is performed by an application instance executed by a server, the medium further comprising instructions for terminating the application instance based on the HTML page having been output to a browser.

36. A computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for responding to hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) requests, the sequences of instructions including instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving an HTTP put request for storage of a user-specific XML document that specifies a prescribed voice application operation for a corresponding user;

storing the user-specific XML document based on a user identity; and

selectively outputting an HTTP response including the user-specific XML document in response to reception of an HTTP get request having a user identifier that matches the user identity and a function identifier that matches the prescribed voice application operation.

37. The medium of claim 36, further comprising instructions for performing the step of outputting a second HTTP response indicating an unavailability of the requested user-specific XML document based on at least one of a determined absence of a match between the user identifier and the user identity, and a determined absence of a match between the function identifier and the prescribed voice application operation.

38. The medium of claim 37, wherein the storing step includes storing the user-specific XML document in a database directory according to the user identity.

39. The medium of claim 38, further comprising instructions for performing the step of searching the database directory for the user-specific XML document based on the function identifier.

51. The medium of claim 36, wherein the outputting step is performed by an application instance executed by a server, the method further comprising, terminating the application instance based on the HTTP response having been output to a browser.

40. An application server configured for executing a voice application, the application server including:

a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) interface for receiving an HTTP request specifying execution of a prescribed voice application operation for an identified user; and

means for dynamically generating, in response to the HTTP request, a first hypertext markup language (HTML) document having media content for execution of the voice application operation for the identified user based on execution of a selected XML document, the generating means selecting one of a generic XML document that specifies the prescribed voice application operation and a user-specific XML document that specifies the prescribed voice application operation personalized for the identified user, based on a determined presence of the user-specific XML document.

41. The server of claim 40, wherein the generating means is configured for determining the presence of the user-specific XML document based on accessing a first XML document configured for storing user-specific application state and attribute information, the generating means searching the first XML document for an indicated presence of the user-specific XML document for the corresponding prescribed voice application operation.

42. The server of claim 41, wherein the generating means accesses an external database in response to detecting the indicated presence within the first XML document.

43. The server of claim 42, wherein the generating means accesses the external database based on one of IMAP protocol and LDAP protocol.

44. The server of claim 42, wherein the generating means is configured for retrieving from the external database an index of the user-specific XML documents in response to an initial HTTP request requesting a login of the corresponding user based on the user identity, and storing the index into the first XML document.

45. The server of claim 40, wherein the generating means is configured for determining the presence of the user-specific XML document based on outputting an HTTP get request for the user specific XML document to a server configured for management of the external database, and receiving a response to the HTTP get request from the server having one of the user-specific XML document and a denial of the HTTP get request.

46. The server of claim 45, wherein the generating means is configured for outputting an HTTP put request to the server for storage of a new user-specific XML document for the corresponding user into the database.

52. The server of claim 40, wherein the means for dynamically generating is configured for dynamically generating the first hypertext markup language (HTML) document by an application instance executed by the server, the application runtime environment being configured to terminate the application instance based on the HTML document having been output to a browser.