Automated telephone attendant
First Claim
1. A telephony system, comprising:
- a service node configured to communicate with a user device and provide a user associated with the user device with an automated voice interface to the telephony system upon the user'"'"'s initiating access to the telephony system via the user device,wherein the automated voice interface is configured to permit the user to verbally specify a desired objective corresponding to any one of a plurality of predefined objectives, the predefined objectives including directory assisted call placement and at least one form of information retrieval,and wherein, upon receiving the desired objective from the user, the service node acts to implement the desired objective, wherein when the user specifies a desired objective relating to information retrieval, the service node is configured to;
request, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of an information item,retrieve the verbally specified information item from an information source, andvoice the information item to the user via the user device,and wherein when the user specifies the desired objective relating to information retrieval by retrieval of Internet search results, the service node is configured to request, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of a preferred Internet search engine.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephony system (100) includes a user device (110, 130) configured to enable a user of the telephony system (100) to place and receive telephone calls, and a service node (180, 185) configured to communicate with the user device (110, 130) and to thereby provide the user with an automated voice interface to the telephony system (100) upon the user'"'"'s initiating access to the telephony system (100) via the user device (110, 130). The automated voice interface permits the user to verbally specify a desired objective corresponding to any one of a number of predefined objectives, the predefined objectives including directory assisted call placement and at least one form of information retrieval. Upon receiving the desired objective from the user, the service node (180, 185) acts to implement the desired objective.
20 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A telephony system, comprising:
-
a service node configured to communicate with a user device and provide a user associated with the user device with an automated voice interface to the telephony system upon the user'"'"'s initiating access to the telephony system via the user device, wherein the automated voice interface is configured to permit the user to verbally specify a desired objective corresponding to any one of a plurality of predefined objectives, the predefined objectives including directory assisted call placement and at least one form of information retrieval, and wherein, upon receiving the desired objective from the user, the service node acts to implement the desired objective, wherein when the user specifies a desired objective relating to information retrieval, the service node is configured to; request, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of an information item, retrieve the verbally specified information item from an information source, and voice the information item to the user via the user device, and wherein when the user specifies the desired objective relating to information retrieval by retrieval of Internet search results, the service node is configured to request, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of a preferred Internet search engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A service node for use in a telephony system including a switch, the switch providing system access for a user device, the service node comprising:
-
logic configured to communicate, via the switch, with the user device and to provide a user of the telephony system with an automated voice interface upon the user'"'"'s initiating access to the telephony system via the user device, wherein the automated voice interface is configured to permit the user to verbally specify a desired objective corresponding to any one of a plurality of predefined objectives, the predefined objectives including call placement and at least one form of information retrieval, and wherein, upon receiving the desired objective from the user, the service node acts to implement the desired objective, wherein when the user specifies a desired objective relating to information retrieval, the service node is configured to; request, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of an information item, retrieve the verbally specified information item from an information source, and voice the information item to the user via the user device, and wherein when the user specifies the desired objective relating to information retrieval by retrieval of Internet search results, the service node is configured to request, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of a preferred Internet search engine. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A method of providing a user of a telephony system with an automated voice interface, comprising:
-
voicing a request to the user, upon the user'"'"'s initiating access to the telephony system, that the user identify an intended objective; awaiting the user'"'"'s response to the voiced request; selecting, based upon the user'"'"'s response, one of a plurality of predefined objectives, the predefined objectives including directory assisted call placement and at least one form of information retrieval; and acting to implement the selected objective, wherein, when the selected objective is a form of information retrieval, the acting to implement the objective comprises; requesting, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of an information item, retrieving the verbally specified information item from an information source, and voicing the retrieved information item to the user; and wherein when the selected objective relates to information retrieval by retrieval of Internet search results, the acting to implement the objective comprises requesting, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of a preferred Internet search engine. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
-
-
35. A telephony system, comprising:
-
means for detecting a user'"'"'s initiating access to the telephony system; means for soliciting, upon the user'"'"'s initiating access to the system, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of one of a plurality of predefined objectives, the predefined objectives including directory assisted call placement and at least one form of information retrieval; and means for implementing the verbally specified objective, wherein when the user specifies a desired objective relating to information retrieval, the implementing includes; requesting, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of an information item, retrieving the verbally specified information item from an information source, and voicing the retrieved information item to the user; and wherein when the user specifies the desired objective relating to information retrieval by retrieval of Internet search results, the implementing includes requesting, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of a preferred Internet search engine.
-
-
36. A computer-readable medium including a plurality of instructions that, when executed by a service node in a telephony system, cause the service node to function as an automated telephone attendant, the computer-readable medium comprising:
-
instructions for voicing a request to a telephone user that the user state an intended objective; instructions for selecting, based upon the user'"'"'s stated objective, one of a plurality of predefined objectives, the predefined objectives including directory assisted call placement and at least one form of information retrieval; and instructions for acting to implement the selected objective, wherein when the selected objective relates to information retrieval, the acting to implement includes, requesting, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of an information item, retrieving the verbally specified information item from an information source, and voicing the retrieved information item to the user; and wherein when the user specifies the desired objective relating to information retrieval by retrieval of Internet search results, the acting to implement includes requesting, by voiced instruction, the user'"'"'s verbal specification of a preferred Internet search engine.
-
Specification