Method and apparatus for electronic commerce using a telephone interface

• US 7,376,586 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Scott, Andy, Porter, Brandon William, Walther, Eckart, Koh, Eugene, Giannandrea, John, McCue, Michael S., Davis, Angus Macdonald, Partovi, Hadi, Brathwaite, Roderick Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond; Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US09/466,236
• Time in Patent Office: 3,077 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 705/26.43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0617 Representative agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

A voice portal supporting telephone to web server commerce is described. The voice portal allows users to access web servers using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), optionally including the use of a secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol, to complete commercial transactions. Additionally, embodiments of the invention can employ a one word commerce model that abstracts the particular model used by various electronic commerce vendors'"'"' web sites. The one word commerce model permits a user to identify a product and signal her/his purchase intentions with a single word, phrase, or touch-tone command. The voice portal can then complete the transaction supplying the electronic commerce vendor necessary information about the purchaser, e.g., her/his address, telephone number, electronic mail address, credit card information, etc. As needed, the voice portal can prompt the purchaser for information.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating an electronic commerce transaction between a user and a merchant, the method comprising:

operating a computer system that is unaffiliated with a second set of computer systems utilized by a set of merchants to provide electronic commerce, the computer system being configured to respond to a user'"'"'s audio command representing an audio purchase request received via a telephone interface system of the computer system;

presenting one or more offerings provided by at least one of the set of merchants in audio format via the telephone interface system;

identifying a particular merchant of the at least one of the set of merchants to whom the audio purchase request is relevant in response to receiving the audio purchase request;

automatically establishing an electronic communication link between the computer system and a particular computer system of the second set of computer systems that is affiliated with the particular merchant; and

performing by said computer system acting as an agent for the user, the electronic commerce transaction initiated by the audio purchase request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone interface system receives telephone identifying information, the method further comprising:

accessing a user profile corresponding to the telephone identifying information, the user profile corresponding to Information about a user; and

including, information from the user profile in at least one of a first request or a second request to the particular computer system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile includes at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile includes information obtained from a reverse directory lookup on the telephone identifying information.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing a third audio request over the telephone interface system, the third audio request corresponding to a request for at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date;

an electronic mail address, or a telephone number;

receiving;

an audio information response over the telephone interface system, the audio information response corresponding to at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number; and

including the corresponding at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number in the user profile.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the second set of computer systems includes a web server providing an HTML order form, and wherein the second request comprises HTML form data corresponding to information from the user profile.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the second set of computer systems includes a web server supporting an HTTP protocol, and wherein the second request comprises data corresponding to information from the user profile sent using the HTTP protocol.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein an Internet access system supports access to the second set of computer systems using one or more of a secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), or a secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second request includes at least one of hypertext markup language (HTML) data or extensible markup language (XML) data sent to the second computer system using HTTPS.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second set of computer systems includes a web server providing an HTML order form, and wherein the second request comprises HTML form data corresponding to an order for a product.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising responsive to a first response from the particular computer system, generating a voice receipt, the voice receipt corresponding to information about the electronic commerce transaction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the voice receipt includes at least one of a name of a product, a description of the product, a name of the merchant, a contact information for the merchant, a price paid for the product, an order number, a confirmation number, or a status.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the voice receipt includes a status, the status corresponding to information retrieved from the particular computer system about the electronic commerce transaction.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an audio request, the audio request corresponding to a request to review the voice receipt; and

responsive to the audio request, providing a second audio response over the telephone interface, the second audio response corresponding to information from the voice receipt.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the audio purchase request comprises receiving a verbal request for a product, and performing voice recognition on the verbal request to determine the product.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the audio purchase request comprises receiving a series of one or more touch tone signals and decoding the series of one or more touch tone signals to determine the product.

17. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the audio purchase request comprises receiving a verbal request for a merchant, and performing voice recognition on the verbal request to determine the merchant.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the audio purchase request comprises receiving a series of one or more touch tone signals and decoding the series of one or more touch tone signals to determine the merchant.

19. A method of facilitating an electronic commerce transaction between a user and a merchant, the method comprising:

operating a computer system that is unaffiliated with a second set of computer systems utilized by a set of merchants to provide electronic commerce, the computer system being configured to respond to a user'"'"'s audio command representing an audio purchase request received via a telephone interface system of the computer system;

presenting one or more offerings provided by at least one of the set of merchants in audio format via the telephone interface system;

converting at the computer system the received audio command to an electronic command in response to receiving the audio purchase request;

identifying a particular merchant of the set of merchants to whom the audio purchase request is relevant;

automatically establishing by the computer system an electronic communication link with a particular computer system of the second set of computer systems that is affiliated with the particular merchant by utilizing the electronic command; and

performing by said computer system acting as an agent for the user, the electronic commerce transaction initiated by the audio purchase request.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing a single command commerce model using the computer system, wherein the computer system includes the telephone interface system coupled in communications with an Internet access system, the telephone interface system being coupled in communications with a telephone;

receiving the audio purchase request over the telephone interface system, the audio purchase request corresponding to a product for sale from the particular merchant, which uses a particular electronic commerce model, wherein the single command commerce model abstracts the particular electronic commerce model used by the particular merchant such that the computer system provides a uniform interface, which is independent of the particular electronic commerce model used by the particular merchant, between the telephone and the particular merchant;

responsive to the audio purchase request, performing the following

sending a first request to the particular computer system over the Internet access system, the first request corresponding to a request for information about the product,

receiving a first response from the particular computer system over the Internet access system, the first response corresponding to an information about the product,

providing an audio response over the telephone interface system, the audio response corresponding to the information,

receiving a confirmatory audio request over the telephone interface system; and

responsive to the confirmatory audio request, performing the following

sending a second request to the particular computer system over the Internet access system, the second request corresponding to a request to purchase the product from the particular merchant;

receiving a second response from the particular computer system over the Internet access system, the second response corresponding to a confirmation of the second request; and

providing a second audio response over the telephone interface system, the second audio response indicating completion of the electronic commerce transaction,

wherein the telephone interface system receives telephone identifying information, the method further comprising;

accessing a user profile corresponding to the telephone identifying information, the user profile corresponding to information about a user; and

including information from the user profile in at least one of the first request or the second request.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the user profile includes at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the user profile includes information obtained from a reverse directory lookup on the telephone identifying information.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

providing a third audio request over the telephone interface system, the third audio request corresponding to a request for at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number;

receiving an audio information response over the telephone interface system, the audio information response corresponding to at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number; and

including the corresponding at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number in the user profile.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the second set of computer systems include a web server providing an HTML order form, and wherein the second request comprises HTML form data corresponding to information from the user profile.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the second set of computer systems include a web server supporting an HTTP protocol, and wherein the second request comprises data corresponding to information from the user profile sent using the HTTP protocol.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the Internet access system supports access to the second set of computer systems using one or more of a secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol, a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), or a secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS).

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the second request includes at least one of hypertext markup language (HTML) data or extensible markup language (XML) data sent to the second computer system using HTTPS.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the second set of computer systems include a web server providing an HTML order form, and wherein the second request comprises HTML form data corresponding to an order for the product.

29. A computer system for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction between a user and a merchant comprising:

a network interface including at least one program to access a second set of computer systems using one or more of a SSL protocol, a HTTP, or a HTTPS, the second set of computer systems being utilized by a set of merchants to provide electronic commerce;

a telephone interface to receive a user'"'"'s audio purchase request and to receive telephone identifying information corresponding to the telephone, wherein the user is presented one or more offerings provided by at least one of the set of merchants in audio format via the telephone interface; and

a computer system to control the network interface and the telephone interface, the computer system being unaffiliated with the second set of computer systems and facilitating an electronic commerce transaction with a particular computer system of the second set of computer systems, automatically establishing an electronic communication link with the particular computer system to initiate an electronic commerce transaction, wherein, the particular computer system is associated with a particular merchant of the set of merchants to be identified from the received audio purchase request, and wherein said computer system acting as an agent for the user, performs the electronic commerce transaction initiated by the audio purchase request.

30. The computer system of claim 29, wherein the control subsystem includes at least one program for

providing a single command commerce model,

processing an audio request to purchase a product from the particular merchant, which uses a particular electronic commerce model, wherein the single command commerce model abstracts the particular electronic commerce model used by the particular merchant such that a uniform interface, which is independent of the particular electronic commerce model used by the particular merchant, is provided between the telephone and the particular merchant, and

completing the electronic commerce transaction for the product with the particular merchant over the network interface responsive to an audio confirmation, and

wherein the at least one program in the control subsystem further accesses a user profile corresponding to the telephone identifying information, the user profile corresponding to information about a user and wherein the completing further comprises providing at least a portion of the user profile to the particular merchant over the Internet interface.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein the at least one program in the control subsystem further for generating a voice receipt responsive to the completing, the voice receipt corresponding to information about the electronic commerce transaction.

32. A computer system for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction between a user and a merchant comprising:

means for the computer system to operate independently and separately from a second set of unaffiliated computer systems utilized by a set of merchants to provide electronic commerce;

means for responding to a user'"'"'s audio command representing an audio purchase request;

means for presenting one or more offerings provided by at least one of the set of merchants in audio format via a telephone interface system;

means for identifying a particular merchant of the set of merchants to whom the audio purchase request is relevant;

means for automatically establishing an electronic communication link with a particular computer system of the second set of computer systems; and

means for electronically interacting by the computer system acting as an agent for the user with the particular computer system of the second set of computer systems to perform an electronic commerce transaction initiated by the audio purchase request.

33. The computer system of claim 32, further comprising:

means for receiving telephone identifying information associated with a telephone;

means for providing a single command commerce model;

means for receiving the audio request to initiate the electronic commerce transaction over the telephone;

means for selecting a product from the particular merchant using an audio dialogue, wherein the particular merchant uses a particular electronic commerce model, wherein the single command commerce model abstracts the particular electronic commerce model used by the particular merchant such that a uniform interface, which is independent of the particular electronic commerce model used by the particular merchant, is provided between the telephone and the particular merchant;

means for receiving audio confirmation of the electronic commerce transaction of the product; and

means for completing the electronic commerce transaction over the Internet with the second computer system, and

wherein the means for completing further comprises;

means for accessing a user profile corresponding to the telephone identifying information, the user profile corresponding to information about a user;

means for providing at least a portion of the user profile to the second computer system over the Internet to complete the electronic commerce transaction.

34. The computer system of claim 33, further comprising means for providing a voice receipt of the electronic commerce transaction, the voice receipt corresponding to a record of the electronic commerce transaction.

35. The computer system of claim 33, wherein the means for selecting comprises:

means for comparing prices for the product at a plurality of merchants of the set of merchants;

means for providing a list of a predetermined number of merchants from the plurality of merchants of the set of merchants over the telephone, the predetermined number of merchants offering the product at a lower price than other merchants in the plurality of merchants; and

means for receiving an audio selection of one of the merchants in the list, the selection corresponding to the particular merchant.

36. A method for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction between a user and a merchant comprising:

operating a first computer system that is unaffiliated with a second set of computer systems utilized by a set of merchants to provide electronic commerce to a user, the first computer system being configured to respond to an audio command representing a one or more of an audio purchase inquiry and an audio purchase confirmation received via a telephone interface system of the computer system to purchase the item;

receiving an audio purchase inquiry from the user associated with an electronic commerce transaction;

receiving telephone identifying information via the telephone interface system;

accessing a user profile corresponding to the telephone identifying information, the user profile corresponding to information about the user;

identifying a set of criteria governing the electronic commerce transaction based on a set of audio correspondences with the user, the set of criteria indicates a preference for one or more of a type of offering and a merchant;

presenting one or more offerings of a type that is associated with the preference provided by at least one of the set of merchants to the user in audio format via the telephone interface system;

receiving the audio purchase confirmation from the user for an offering of the one or more offerings, identifying a particular merchant of the set of merchants from whom the offering is provided;

providing a third audio request over the telephone interface system, the third audio request corresponding to a request for at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number;

receiving an audio information response over the telephone interface system, the audio information response corresponding to at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number;

storing the corresponding at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, or a telephone number in the user profile;

automatically establishing an electronic communication link with the particular computer system of the second set of computer systems that is affiliated with the particular merchant;

communicating with the particular computer system to complete the electronic commerce transaction initiated by the audio purchase inquiry;

wherein the communicating with the particular computer system comprises providing information from the user profile to the particular computer system; and

generating a voice receipt, the voice receipt corresponding to information about the electronic commerce transaction, wherein the voice receipt includes at least one of a name of a product, a description of the product, a name of the particular merchant, a contact information for the particular merchant, a price paid for the product, an order number, a confirmation number, or a status.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

providing a single command commerce model using the first computer system coupled to the telephone by a telephone interface and supporting access to an Internet;

receiving a signal from the second computer system over the Internet, the second computer system operated by the Particular merchant selling the item and using a particular electronic commerce model, wherein the single command commerce model abstracts the particular electronic commerce model used by the particular merchant such that the first computer system provides a uniform interface, which is independent of the particular electronic commerce model used by the particular merchant, between the telephone and the particular merchant, the signal corresponding to a request to place a telephone call to a user at a telephone number to complete the purchase of the item;

calling the user over the telephone at the telephone number using the telephone interface using the first computer system;

conducting an audio dialogue over the telephone interface with the user using the first computer system to obtain at least one of a name, an address, a credit card number, a credit card expiration date, an electronic mail address, a telephone number, a confirmation of the purchase, or a password; and

completing the purchase of the item by sending a message to the second computer over the Internet, the message including at least a portion of personal identifying information obtained in the audio dialogue, and

wherein the conducting the audio dialogue comprises;

identifying a user profile associated with the telephone number;

making an audio request, the audio request corresponding to a request for a password from the user;

receiving an audio response, the audio response corresponding to a password from the user; and

wherein the completing occurs responsive to verification of the password provided by the user against the password in the user profile.

38. A method of completing a user'"'"'s purchase over a telephone from a list including a plurality of items, the method comprising:

operating a first computer system that is unaffiliated with a second set of computer systems utilized by a set of merchants to provide electronic commerce, the first computer system being configured to respond to the user'"'"'s audio command representing a request to purchase from the list, and the telephone being coupled to the first computer system by a telephone interface;

using the first computer system to present each of the plurality of items in the list over the telephone interface;

identifying a particular merchant of the set of merchants to whom the audio command is relevant in response to the audio command, and causing the computer system to automatically establish an electronic communication link with a particular computer system of the second set of computer systems that is affiliated with the particular merchant; and

communicating by the computer system acting as an agent for the user with the particular computer system to perform an electronic commerce transaction to complete the purchase from the list.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein a pause of a predetermined amount of time is inserted between the presentation of each item in the list.

40. A method for facilitating an electronic commerce transaction between a user and a merchant using information transmitted over a telephone interface coupled to a computer, the method comprising:

operating the computer that is unaffiliated with a second set of computer systems utilized by a set of merchants to provide electronic commerce, the computer being configured to respond to the user'"'"'s audio command;

presenting by the computer one or more offerings provided by at least one of the set of merchants in audio format via the telephone interface;

identifying a particular merchant of the at least one of the set of merchants to whom the audio command is relevant in response to receiving the audio command over the telephone interface, and causing the computer to automatically establish an electronic communication link with and communicate with a particular computer system of the second set of computer systems that is affiliated with the particular merchant;

performing by said computer acting as an agent for the user, the electronic commerce transaction initiated by the audio command; and

wherein transmitting information over the telephone interface comprises;

sending audio data from the computer to an audio interface for presenting the audio data to a human, the audio data pertaining to an electronic commerce transaction between the computer and the particular computer system;

receiving data on the computer, the data corresponding to a speech recognition result for the audio data by said human; and

responsive to receiving the data, updating a data storage device coupled to the computer by storing the speech recognition result in said data storage device.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the speech recognition result indicates that the human could not process the audio data, the method further comprising repeating the method until the speech recognition result no longer indicates that the human could not process the audio data.