Mixed-mode interaction

• US 6,925,307 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2000
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aeritas LLC
• Original Assignee: Gtech Global Services Corporation Limited (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Whatley, Tim, Bomar, Kevin, Grant, Curtis, Mamdani, Malik, Johnson, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US09/692,775
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 455/445, 455/466, 455/186.1, 455/410, 455/411, 455/412.1, 455/414.2, 379/67.1, 379/88.17, 379/88.16, 379/88.14, 370/264, 709/219
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3272 using an audio code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding auctioneering devices in packet switching networks H04L12/1804
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/353 where the information comprises non-audio but is provided over voice channels protocols for multimedia information services per se H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 : wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 : with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 : comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 : Messaging devices, e.g. message centre

Abstract

A user of a wireless device, such as a mobile phone, can make purchases or obtain information via a network, such as the Internet, using both voice and non-verbal methods. Users can submit voice queries and receive non-verbal replies, submit non-verbal queries and receive voice replies, or perform similar operations that marry the voice and data capabilities of modern mobile communication devices. The user may provide notification criteria indicating under what conditions a notification should be sent to the user'"'"'s wireless device. When purchasing opportunities matching the selected notification criteria become available, the user is notified. The user can respond to the notification, and immediately take advantage of the purchasing opportunity if he so desires. Mixed-mode interactions can also be used by sellers to more advantageously control the marketing of distressed, time sensitive, or other merchandise/services.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first spoken input from a wireless communication device in a first communication session, said input including purchase notification criteria indicating at least one condition upon which said wireless communication device is to receive a purchase opportunity notification, said condition being unrelated to price;

determining a location of said wireless communication device using a location services function;

retrieving currently available purchase opportunity information associated with the first spoken input, and selecting match information from said retrieved information, said match information based at least in part on said condition of said purchase notification criteria and said determined location;

delivering in a second communication session, to the wireless communication device, a non-verbal response to the first spoken input, the non-verbal response based on the selected match information; and

receiving second spoken input from said device for accessing a voice wallet, said voice wallet authorizing a purchase transaction upon said second spoken input being authenticated by said voice wallet.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of delivering includes using a Wireless Markup Language to deliver the non-verbal response.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of delivering includes using a Short Messaging Service message to deliver the non-verbal response.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of delivering includes using Simple Mail Transport Protocol to deliver the non-verbal response.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the non-verbal response includes the match information.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the non-verbal response includes a Uniform Resource Locator.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the non-verbal response includes a Handheld Device Markup Language link.

8. The method of claim 1 further including the step of receiving from said wireless communication device, condition information indicative of a first response format to be employed by said delivering step in the event a first condition is met, said condition information further being indicative of a second response format to be employed by said delivering step in the event a second condition is met, said first and second response format being different formats.

9. A system comprising:

means for receiving first spoken input from a wireless communication device in a first communication session, said input including purchase notification criteria indicating at least one condition upon which said wireless communication device is to receive a purchase opportunity notification, said condition being unrelated to price;

mean for determining a location of said wireless communication device using a location services function;

means for retrieving currently available purchase opportunity information associated with the first spoken input, and selecting match information from said retrieved information, said match information based at least in part on said condition of said purchase notification criteria and said determined location;

means for delivering in a second communication session, to the wireless communication device, a non-verbal response to the first spoken input, the non-verbal response based on the selected match information; and

means for receiving second spoken input from said device for accessing a voice wallet, said voice wallet authoring a purchase transaction upon said second spoken input being authenticated by said voice wallet.