Method and apparatus for coupling a visual browser to a voice browser

• US 7,080,315 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Reich, David E., Lucas, Bruce D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US09/605,612
• Time in Patent Office: 2,211 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715/500.1, 715/513, 715/500, 715/716, 715/719, 715/727, 715/726, 345/716, 345/719, 345/727, 345/729
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

A method and apparatus for concurrently accessing network-based electronic content in a Voice Browser and a Visual Browser can include the steps of retrieving a network-based document formatted for display in the Visual Browser; identifying in the retrieved document a reference to the Voice Browser, the reference specifying electronic content formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser; and, transmitting the reference to the Voice Browser. The Voice Browser can retrieve the specified electronic content and audibly present the electronic content. Concurrently, the Visual Browser can visually present the network-based document formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser. Likewise, the method of the invention can include the steps of retrieving a network-based document formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser; identifying in the retrieved document a reference to the Visual Browser, the reference specifying electronic content formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser; and, transmitting the reference to the Visual Browser. The Visual Browser can retrieve the specified electronic content and visually present the specified electronic content. Concurrently, the Voice Browser can audibly present the network-based document formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser.

Claims

1. A method for concurrently accessing network-based electronic content in a Voice Browser and a Visual Browser comprising the steps of:

identifying a Visual Browser and a Voice Browser, which are each implemented as functionally independent software components;

retrieving a network-based document formatted for display in the Visual Browser;

identifying in the retrieved document a reference to the Voice Browser, said reference specifying electronic content formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser; and

,

transmitting said reference to the Voice Browser;

the Voice Browser retrieving said specified electronic content and audibly presenting said electronic content in the Voice Browser;

the Visual Browser visually presenting said network-based document concurrently with said audible presentation, wherein the step of concurrently presenting results in a multi-modal presentation of the retrieved network-based document, the multi-modal presentation having a visual modality and an audible modality, functions for the visual modality being provided by the Visual Browser and functions for the audible modality being provided by the Voice Browser.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said network-based document formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser is an HTML formatted document and the Visual Browser is a Web Browser.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said reference is a coordination markup attribute.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electronic content formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser is VoiceXML formatted electronic content.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reference specifies a network-based document containing said electronic content formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser,

whereby the Voice Browser can retrieve said specified network-based document through the computer communications network and audibly present said electronic content contained in said specified network-based document, while the Visual Browser can visually present said network-based document formatted for visual presentation.

6. A method for concurrently accessing network-based electronic content in a Voice Browser and a Visual Browser comprising:

identifying a Visual Browser and a Voice Browser, which are each implemented as functionally independent software components, said Visual browser lacking voice browsing capabilities and said Voice Browser lacking visual browsing capabilities;

retrieving a network-based document formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser;

identifying in the retrieved document a reference to the Visual Browser, said reference specifying electronic content formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser; and

,

transmitting said reference to the Visual Browser;

the Visual Browser retrieving said specified electronic content and visually presenting said electronic content in the Visual Browser;

the Voice Browser audibly presenting said network-based document concurrently with said visual presentation in a coordinated and complementary fashion such that functions of visual browsing provided by the Visual Browser are synchronized with functions of voice browsing provided by the Voice Browser.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said network-based document formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser is a VoiceXML document.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said electronic content formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser is HTML formatted electronic content and the Visual Browser is a Web Browser.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said reference specifies a network-based document containing said electronic content formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser,

whereby the Visual Browser can retrieve said specified network-based document through the computer communications network and visually present said electronic content contained in said network-based document, while the Voice Browser can audibly present said network-based document formatted for audible presentation.

10. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program for concurrently accessing network-based electronic content in a Visual Browser and a Voice Browser, said computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying a Visual Browser and a Voice Browser, which are each implemented as functionally independent software components;

retrieving a network-based document formatted for display in the Visual Browser;

identifying in the retrieved document a reference to the Voice Browser, said reference specifying electronic content formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser; and

,

transmitting said reference to the Voice Browser;

the Voice Browser retrieving said specified electronic content and audibly presenting said electronic content in the Voice Browser;

the Visual Browser visually presenting said network-based document concurrently with said audible presentation, wherein the step of concurrently presenting results in a multi-modal presentation of the retrieved network-based document, the multi-modal presentation having a visual modality and an audible modality, functions for the visual modality being provided by the Visual Browser and functions for the audible modality being provided by the Voice Browser.

11. The machine readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said network-based document formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser is an HTML document and the Visual Browser is a Web Browser.

12. The machine readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said reference is a coordination markup attribute.

13. The machine readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said electronic content formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser is VoiceXML formatted electronic content.

14. The machine readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said reference specifies a network-based document containing said electronic content formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser,

whereby the Voice Browser can retrieve said specified network-based document through the computer communications network and audibly present said electronic content contained in said specified network-based document, while the Visual Browser can visually present said network-based document formatted for visual presentation.

15. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program for concurrently accessing network-based electronic content in a Visual Browser and a Voice Browser, said computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

identifying a Visual Browser and a Voice Browser, which are each implemented as functionally independent software components, said Visual browser lacking voice browsing capabilities and said Voice Browser lacking visual browsing capabilities;

retrieving a network-based document formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser;

identifying in the retrieved document a reference to the Visual Browser, said reference specifying electronic content formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser; and

,

transmitting said reference to the Visual Browser;

the Visual Browser retrieving said specified electronic content and visually presenting said electronic content in the Visual Browser;

the Voice Browser audibly presenting said network-based document concurrently with said visual presentation in a coordinated and complementary fashion such that functions of visual browsing provided by the Visual Browser are synchronized with functions of voice browsing provided by the Voice Browser.

16. The machine readable storage according to claim 15, wherein said network-based document formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser is a VoiceXML document.

17. The machine readable storage according to claim 15, wherein said electronic content formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser is HTML formatted electronic content and the Visual Browser is a Web Browser.

18. The machine readable storage according to claim 15, wherein said reference specifies a network-based document containing said electronic content formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser,

whereby the Visual Browser can retrieve said specified network-based document through the computer communications network and visually present said electronic content contained in said specified network-based document, while the Voice Browser can audibly present said network-based document formatted for audible presentation.

19. A method for modifying a network-based document for supporting concurrent access to network-based voice and visual content in a Voice Browser and a Visual Browser, comprising the steps of:

identifying a Visual Browser and a Voice Browser, which are each implemented as functionally independent software components, said Visual browser lacking voice browsing capabilities and said Voice Browser lacking visual browsing capabilities;

incorporating visual content in a network-based document;

formatting said network-based document for visual presentation in the Visual Browser; and

,

inserting at least one markup tag in said network-based document, said markup tag containing a coordination markup attribute specifying a network-based document formatted for audible presentation in the Voice Browser,

whereby the Visual Browser when rendering said network-based document formatted for visual display can identify said coordination markup attribute in said markup tag and can transmit a reference to said specified network-based document to the Voice Browser causing the Voice Browser to retrieve said specified network-based document and audibly present said specified network-based document concurrently with the visual presentation of said network-based document formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser, wherein the audible presentation in the Voice Browser and the Visual presentation in the Visual Browser occur in a coordinated and complementary fashion such that functions of visual browsing provided by the Visual Browser are synchronized with functions of voice browsing provided by the Voice Browser.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said network based document formatted for visual presentation in a Visual Browser is an HTML formatted document and said Visual Browser is a Web Browser.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein said network based document formatted for audible presentation in a Voice Browser is a VoiceXML formatted document and said Voice Browser is a VoiceXML Browser.

22. A method for modifying a network-based document for supporting concurrent access to network-based voice and visual content in a Voice Browser and a Visual Browser, comprising the steps of:

identifying a Visual Browser and a Voice Browser, which are each implemented as fictionally independent software components;

incorporating voice content in a network-based document;

formatting said network-based document for audible presentation in the Voice Browser;

inserting at least one markup tag in said network-based document;

said markup tag containing a coordination markup attribute specifying a network-based document formatted for visual presentation in the Visual Browser, wherein said markup tag is used to synchronize the visual presentation of content from the network-based document within the Visual Browser and the audible presentation of content from the network-based document within the Voice Browser, and wherein said visual presentation and said audible presentation occurs in a concurrent, coordinated, and complementary fashion that results in a multi-modal presentation of content from the network-based document.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said network based document formatted for visual presentation in a Visual Browser is an HTML formatted document and said Visual Browser is a Web Browser.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein said network based document formatted for audible presentation in a Voice Browser is a VoiceXML formatted document and said Voice Browser is a VoiceXML Browser.