Remotely enforcing operational protocols

• US 7,406,423 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Opsasnick; Michael N
• Application Number:
  US11/939,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20080065392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/275, 701/209
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications

Abstract

Remote enforcement of operational protocols is provided. In a remote environment, such as that found with a police environment, voice recognition technology is used to determine the situation and invoke actions according to an appropriate protocol. Actions may be set to be mandatory or discretionary. A secure log is maintained of the actions undertaken. Actions include automatically retrieving data from a remote database, automatically communicating with another unit or headquarters, and automating devices used in the remote environment. Voice recognition technology also extracts data from the user'"'"'s speech and builds variables used as parameters in performing the actions. Data is returned to the user in either audible or textual form and either played to the user on a speaker or displayed on a display device.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors;

a input mechanism for receiving input actions from a user; and

an automation tool for controlling a plurality of operational subsystems, the automation tool including;

means for receiving a user protocol statement, wherein the user protocol statement is vocal;

means for analyzing the user protocol statement;

means for identifying a particular operational situation based upon the analyzed user protocol statement, the particular operational situation encountered in a particular operational environment and requiring one or more actions to be taken in response to the particular operational situation;

means for retrieving a protocol corresponding to the identified operational situation, the protocol including both system actions and user input actions, wherein at least one of the system actions and user input actions are optional and wherein at least one of the system actions and user input actions are mandatory;

means for automatically performing a first system action as specified in the protocol;

means for determining that a second system action is optional;

means for checking for an action override input from the user in response to determining that the second system action is optional, wherein the action override input corresponds to the second system action;

means for overriding the second system action in response to both receiving the action override input corresponding to the second system action and determining that the second system action is optional; and

means for storing the system actions and user input actions to provide a record of the operational situation.

2. The information handling system as described in claim 1 further comprising:

means for identifying one or more action parameters based upon the analyzed user protocol statement; and

means for including at least one of the action parameters as a parameter of at least one of the system actions.

3. The information handling system as described in claim 1 further comprising:

means for receiving a license plate identifier as part of the user protocol statement, wherein the license plate identifier includes one or more phonetic alphabet signals;

means for matching the phonetic signal to a letter; and

means for inserting the matched letter in the license plate identifier.

4. The information handling system as described in claim 1 wherein performing the first system action further comprises:

means for sending a request signal through a communications network to an information provider;

means for receiving a reply from the information provider; and

means for communicating data included in the reply to a user.

5. A computer program product stored on a computer storage media, the computer storage media storing instructions for execution by a computer, which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to implement a method for control of a plurality of operational subsystems, said method comprising:

receiving a user protocol statement, wherein the user protocol statement is vocal;

analyzing the user protocol statement;

identifying a particular operational situation based upon the analyzed user protocol statement, the particular operational situation encountered in a particular operational environment and requiring one or more actions to be taken in response to the particular operational situation;

retrieving a protocol corresponding to the identified operational situation, the protocol including both system actions and user input actions, wherein at least one of the system actions and user input actions are optional and wherein at least one of the system actions and user input actions are mandatory;

automatically performing a first system action as specified in the protocol;

determining that a second system action is optional;

in response to determining that the second system action is optional, checking for an action override input from the user, wherein the action override input corresponds to the second system action;

overriding the second system action in response to both receiving the action override input corresponding to the second system action and determining that the second system action is optional; and

storing the system actions and user input actions to provide a record of the operational situation.

6. The computer program product as described in claim 5 wherein at least one of the system actions is selected from the group consisting of a device automation, an automated communication, and an automated data retrieval.

7. The computer program product as described in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying one or more action parameters based upon the analyzed user protocol statement; and

including at least one of the action parameters as a parameter of at least one of the system actions.

8. The computer program product as described in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a license plate identifier as part of the user protocol statement, wherein the license plate identifier includes one or more phonetic alphabet signals;

matching the phonetic signal to a letter; and

inserting the matched letter in the license plate identifier.

9. The computer program product as described in claim 5 wherein performing the first system action further comprises:

sending a request signal through a communications network to an information provider;

receiving a reply from the information provider; and

communicating data included in the reply to a user.