Method and system for use of navigation history in a voice command platform

• US 7,050,976 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2001
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Packingham, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sked, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US09/963,776
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/270, 704/231, 704/251
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

A method and system for using navigation history in a voice command platform. The voice command platform maintains, for each user, a navigation history record indicating which voice command navigation points the user has accessed during one or more sessions with the platform. The platform may then use the navigation history as a basis to restore a voice command session with the user after a system disconnect and/or to determine that the user should be automatically transitioned to an expert-user mode.

Claims

1. In a voice browser system arranged to execute voice-tag applications and to interface between voice tag applications and users, a method comprising:

maintaining a navigation-history record that indicates a user'"'"'s navigation history through at least one of the voice-tag applications via the voice browser system;

maintaining a use-mode record that indicates whether the user is an expert-user of the at least one voice-tag application;

automatically setting the use-mode record to indicate, per navigation point, whether the user is an expert-user or a standard-user of the at least one voice-tag application, based on the navigation-history record;

automatically setting the use-mode record to indicate that, for all applications, the user is an expert-user in the event that the user is globally designated as an expert user for all applications that the voice command platform executes; and

when executing the at least one voice-tag application, interfacing with the user according to the use-mode record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one voice-tag application defines a standard set of logic including a standard set of voice prompts and the at least one voice-tag application defines an expert set of logic including an expert set of voice prompts, and wherein interfacing with the given user according to the use-mode record comprises:

making a determination that the use-mode record indicates that the user is an expert-user of the at least one voice-tag application; and

responsive to the determination, executing the expert set of logic rather than the standard set of logic.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein voice prompts of the expert set are shorter in duration than voice prompts of the standard set.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the standard set of voice prompts includes a voice prompt for a given menu item, and the expert set of voice prompts includes a tone prompt for the given menu item.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein automatically setting the use-mode record to indicate that the user is an expert-user of the at least one voice-tag application, in response to the navigation-history record, comprises:

determining that the user has accessed the given menu item at least a threshold number of times, and responsively setting the use-mode record to indicate that the user is an expert-user of the at least one voice-tag application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one voice-tag application defines a standard prompt for a given menu item and an expert prompt for the given menu item, and wherein interfacing with the given user according to the use-mode record comprises:

making a determination that the use-mode record indicates that the user is an expert-user of the at least one voice-tag application; and

responsive to the determination, executing the expert prompt rather than the standard prompt.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the expert prompt is shorter in duration than the standard prompt.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the standard prompt is a voice prompt and the expert prompt is a tone prompt.