System for speech-enabled web applications

• US 7,283,621 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Quinton, Mary Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwah; Olisa
• Application Number:
  US10/882,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.04, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.17, 379/88.23, 704/270, 704/275, 709/200, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 370/352, 370/395
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements

Abstract

Systems, methods, and structures are discussed that enhance media processing. One aspect of the present invention includes a data structure to enhance media processing. The data structure includes a terminal data structure to instantiate terminal objects and a speech recognition terminal data structure that extends the terminal data structure. Another aspect of the present invention includes a data structure to enhance media processing. This data structure includes a terminal data structure to instantiate terminal objects and a speech generation terminal data structure that extends the terminal data structure. These data structures may be used to implement an internet protocol interactive voice response system, an internet protocol unified message system, and speech-enabled Web applications.

Claims

1. A system to enhance speech-enabled Web applications, comprising:

a Web page that includes voice tags;

a voice browser;

a terminal object to interpret the voice tags; and

a telephony API used by the voice browser to form a connection with a client and process the voice tags by selecting the terminal object from among a group of registered terminal objects adhering to a uniform interface and providing the voice tags to the selected terminal object, the selected terminal object for interpreting the voice tags, wherein various programmers can provide registerable telephony services using terminal objects that rely on the telephony API, wherein the telephony API is provided by a TAPI application component, the TAPI application component for registering pluggable terminal objects with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media type, and a method of signaling events and for providing a list of registered terminal objects including the registered media type.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a Web server that stores the Web page.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a client that couples to the voice browser through a telephone call.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the terminal object of the voice browser renders the Web page into speech for the client that couples to the voice browser through the telephone call.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the terminal object of the voice browser allows the client to navigate through a Web site based on the speech commands of the client.

6. A method for web-based navigation using voice commands, comprising:

invoking a telephony API to listen for incoming calls, wherein the telephony API is provided by a TAPI application component, the TAPI application component for registering pluggable terminal objects with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media type, and a method of signaling events and for providing a list of registered terminal objects including the registered media type;

receiving a call from a client;

receiving a voice command from the client requesting navigation to a web page hosted by a web server;

invoking the telephony API to instantiate a terminal object suitable for interpreting the voice command and converting the voice command to a web-based navigation command; and

sending the web-based navigation command to the web server hosting the web

wherein the telephony API provides functions to form a connection with a client and process voice commands by selecting a terminal object from among a group of registered terminal objects adhering to a uniform interface, the selected terminal object for interpreting the voice commands, wherein various programmers can provide registerable telephony services using terminal objects that rely on the telephony API.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the web page includes voice tags for directing the terminal object.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising rendering the web page to the client as speech using a terminal object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a single terminal object is used to interpret voice commands and render the web page as speech.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the telephony API is part of an operating system.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the terminal object suitable for interpreting the voice command understands multiple grammars.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the terminal object suitable for interpreting the voice command provides access to multiple speech recognition engines.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the voice command includes a touch tone.

14. The method of claim 6, including providing a menu of choices to the client.

15. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for describing a web page to a client accessing the web page by phone, by a method comprising:

receiving a web page from a web server;

invoking a telephony API to instantiate a terminal object suitable for interpreting the web page and rendering the web page into speech, wherein the telephony API is provided by a TAPI application component, the TAPI application component for registering pluggable terminal objects with a terminal manager by providing a terminal class name, a media type, and a method of signaling events and for providing a list of registered terminal objects including the registered media type; and

sending the speech to the client connected through the telephony API,

wherein the telephony API provides functions to form a connection with the client and render web pages into speech by selecting a terminal object from among a group of registered terminal objects adhering to a uniform interface, the selected terminal object for rendering web pages into speech, wherein various programmers can provide registerable telephony services using terminal objects that rely on the telephony API.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the terminal object suitable for interpreting the web page understands voice tags embedded within the web page.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the terminal object suitable for interpreting the web page provides access to multiple speech recognition engines.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the client connected through the telephony API is connected using a PSTN.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the client connected through the telephony API is connected using a computer network.