Directory assistance dialog with configuration switches to switch from automated speech recognition to operator-assisted dialog

• US 7,050,560 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bushey, Robert R., Chang, Hisao M., Martin, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US10/927,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20050027535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 379/218.01, 379/218.02, 379/88.05, 379/88.01, 379/201, 704/275, 704/276, 704/270, 704/255, 704/256, 704/257
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

A method of providing a caller with a directory assistance dialog. The dialog is configurable, at any level of the dialog, from an automated speech recognition (ASR) dialog to an operator-assisted (OP) dialog. The dialog is handed off to an operator if any level of the speech recognition dialog fails. Also, a configuration switch may be set to cause the dialog to be handed off to an operator even if a response at some level of the ASR dialog is successfully recognized.

Claims

1. A method of providing a caller with a directory assistance dialog, the dialog being switchable from an automated speech recognition (ASR) path to an operator-assisted (OP) path, comprising:

providing a series of ASR sub-dialogs, the sub-dialogs including at least a sub-dialog operable to perform each of the following tasks;

prompting the caller for a location response and applying ASR to the location response, and prompting the caller for a listing response and applying ASR to the listing response;

after each ASR sub-dialog, branching to the OP path if the ASR for that sub-dialog is not successful; and

providing a particular configuration switch after a particular ASR sub-dialog having a particular prompt that could be set to cause the remaining dialog to branch to the OP path even if the ASR applied to the caller'"'"'s response to the particular prompt is successful, such that after the step of applying the ASR to the caller'"'"'s response to the particular prompt, and before a remaining prompting step, there are both a conditional decision based on the success or failure of the applying step, and an application of the particular configuration switch;

wherein the particular configuration switch is controlled based at least on ASR success rates for previously received caller responses to an ASR prompt following the particular prompt in the series of ASR sub-dialogs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of performing a database search for dialogs in which the responses have been successfully recognized.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the OP path uses store and forward techniques.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the ASR sub-dialogs prompts the caller to respond whether the listing is for a residence.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the ASR sub-dialogs prompts the caller to respond with a goal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed to obtain a residential listing, and further comprising the step of providing a configuration switch that may be set to cause the dialog to branch to an OP path to obtain the residential listing.

7. The method of claim 1, whether the particular configuration switch follows the listing response.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular configuration switch follows the location response.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the ASR sub-dialogs determines whether the caller desires reverse directory assistance, and further comprising the step of providing a configuration switch to determine whether the RDA is performed using ASR or is operator-assisted.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forwarding at least one response to a speech recognition tuning process.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an initial configuration switch that can be switched between a first setting and a second setting, the first setting causing the dialog to branch to the OP path prior to any ASR dialog, and the second setting allowing the dialog to continue to the series of ASR sub-dialogs.

11. A computer-implemented directory assistance system for providing a caller with a directory assistance dialog, the dialog being switchable from an automated speech recognition (ASR) path to an operator-assisted (OP) path, the system comprising:

a series of ASR sub-dialog processes, the sub-dialogs including at least a sub-dialog operable to perform each of the following tasks;

prompting the caller for a location response and applying ASR to the location response, and prompting the caller for a listing response and applying ASR to the listing response;

a conditional decision process after each ASR sub-dialog, operable to branch the dialog to the OP path if the ASR for that sub-dialog is not successful;

after at least one ASR sub-dialog, a particular configuration switch that could be set to cause the remaining dialog to branch to the OP path even if the ASR applied to the caller'"'"'s response to a particular prompt is successful, such that after the step of applying the ASR to the caller'"'"'s response to the particular prompt, and before a remaining prompting step, there are both a conditional decision based on the success or failure of the applying step, and an application of the particular configuration switch;

wherein the particular configuration switch is controlled based at least on ASR success rates for previously received caller responses to an ASR prompt following the particular prompt in the series of ASR sub-dialog processes.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising the step of performing a database search for dialogs in which the responses have been successfully recognized.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the ASR sub-dialogs prompts the caller to respond whether the listing is for a residence.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the system allows the caller to obtain a residential listing, and further comprises a configuration switch that may be set to cause the dialog to branch to an OP path to obtain the residential listing.

15. The system of claim 11, whether the particular configuration switch follows the listing response.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the particular configuration switch follows the location response.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the ASR sub-dialogs determines whether the caller desires reverse directory assistance, the system further comprising a configuration switch to determine whether the RDA is performed using ASR or is operator-assisted.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising a speech recognition tuning process adapted to received one or more responses and tune an ASR process based at least on the received responses.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising an initial configuration switch that can be switched between a first setting and a second setting, the first setting causing the dialog to branch to the OP path prior to any ASR dialog, and the second setting allowing the dialog to continue to the series of ASR sub-dialogs.