Changing characteristics of a voice user interface

• US 7,480,620 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Bennett, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil; Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Han; Qi
• Application Number:
  US11/434,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20060265224A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 704/275, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/273, 704/246
• 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 2015/228 of application context
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

The invention generally relates to a method, apparatus, and system capable of changing a voice user interface possessing both operational characteristics and security characteristics based upon user-specific contextual information. The voice processing system consists of at least the following components: a voice user interface possessing both operational characteristics and security characteristics; a database to store user-specific contextual information; and a computer program to use the user-specific contextual information to dynamically change the operational characteristics of the voice user interface.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining information, comprising:

enabling a user to connect to a voice processing system and provide identification;

authenticating the identification of the user;

determining environmental information of the user;

proactively presenting, to the user, items from a top database table assigned a high enough priority to require urgent attention from the user if any of the items need urgent attention;

passively interacting with the user to provide the user with information requested by the user; and

generating customized grammar by;

retrieving an item of information in the top database table;

determining a type of information for the retrieved item, a priority level assigned to the retrieved item, and a sensitivity level assigned to the retrieved item;

determining whether the sensitivity level requires additional prompts;

retrieving a static grammar file representative of the type of information for the retrieved item; and

if it is determined that grammar customization is required, creating a customized grammar file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein passively interacting with the user comprises using a grammar file to provide the user with information requested by the user, wherein the grammar file comprises a file from the group consisting of:

the static grammar file; and

the customized grammar file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if a sound level of the user'"'"'s voice is above a barge-in threshold level, stopping generation of sound to enable better recognition of the sound that is being received by the system.

4. An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine accessible instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions provide for

enabling a user to connect to a voice processing system and provide identification;

authenticating the identification of the user;

determining environmental information of the user;

proactively presenting, to the user, items from a top database table assigned a high enough priority to require urgent attention from the user if any of the items need urgent attention;

passively interacting with the user to provide the user with information requested by the user; and

generating customized grammar by;

retrieving an item of information in the top database table;

determining a type of information for the retrieved item, a priority level assigned to the retrieved item, and a sensitivity level assigned to the retrieved item;

determining whether the sensitivity level requires additional prompts;

retrieving a static grammar file representative of the type of information for the retrieved item; and

if it is determined that grammar customization is required, creating a customized grammar file.

5. The article of claim 4, wherein passively interacting with the user comprises using a grammar file to provide the user with information requested by the user, wherein the grammar file comprises a file from the group consisting of:

the static grammar file; and

the customized grammar file.

6. The article of claim 4, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, further provide for:

if a sound level of the user'"'"'s voice is above a barge-in threshold level, stopping generation of sound to enable better recognition of the sound that is being received by the system.