Method and apparatus for voice interactive messaging

• US 7,570,746 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Clement, Jason Lee, Takeda, Kyoko, Booth, Theodore R. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee; MD S
• Application Number:
  US10/916,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20050207543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/201.01, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379 8825- 8827, 379 8801- 8804, 455/412.2, 455/466, 455/575.1, 704/270.1, 704/275, 704/254, 707/3, 600/300
• US Class Current: 379/88.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/64 Hybrid switching systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/65 Recording arrangements for recording a message from the calling party in the exchange H04M3/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53366 Message disposing or creating aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A method comprising receiving a request to compose a message; outputting a first prompt requesting a recipient for the message; receiving a first audible response to the first prompt, the first audible response including a recipient of the message; outputting a second prompt requesting a body for the message; receiving a second audible response to the second prompt, the second audible response including a body of the message; and composing the message. An electronic device for voice messaging comprising an audible guide module for audibly prompting a user for recipient information and for audibly prompting a user for message information; a voice recognition module for interpreting received responses to the audible prompt for the recipient information and the audible prompt for the message information; and a message compiler module for creating a message from the responses to the audible prompt for the recipient information and the audible prompt for the message information.

Claims

1. A method performed by a device comprising:

receiving a request to compose a message;

outputting a first prompt in response to receiving the request to compose the message, the first prompt requesting a recipient for the message;

receiving a first audible response to the first prompt, the first audible response including a recipient of the message;

automatically analyzing a first informational content of the first audible response;

based at least upon the first informational content of the first audible response, determining at least one type of additional message composition information to be inserted into the message and associated with the recipient of the message;

thereafter determining a second prompt that includes the at least one type of additional message composition information;

outputting a second prompt;

receiving a second audible response to the second prompt, the second audible response including a second informational content responsive to the second prompt; and

composing the message to include the first informational content of the first audible response and the second informational content of the second audible response.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

outputting a third prompt requesting a message type for the message; and

receiving a third audible response to the third prompt, the third response including a specific type of message.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising altering the specific type of message based upon the availability of the recipient.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising comparing the received responses to a database.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising comparing the received responses to a sound database.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising attaching an electronic file to the message.

7. An electronic device for voice messaging comprising:

an audible guide module for audibly prompting a user with a first prompt for recipient information and for audibly prompting a user with a second audio prompt for message composition information, the audible guide module determining a type of the message composition information based upon a first audible response to the first prompt, the second audio prompt including or referencing the message composition information;

a voice recognition module for automatically analyzing an informational content of the first audible response to the first audible prompt for the recipient information and a second audible response to the second audible prompt for the message composition information; and

a message compiler module for creating a message from the first audible responses to the first audible prompt for the recipient information and the second audible response to the second audible prompt for the message composition information.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the voice recognition module comprises a speaker dependent module.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the voice recognition module comprises a speaker independent module.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the voice prompting module audibly prompts a user for a message type.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a recipient identification module for determining an intended recipient of a message.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the recipient identification module retrieves the intended recipient of the message from a contact book.

13. An electronic device comprising:

means for receiving a request to compose a message;

means for outputting a first prompt in response to receiving the request to compose the message, the first prompt requesting a recipient for the message;

means for receiving a first audible response to the first prompt, the first audible response including a recipient of the message;

means for automatically analyzing a first informational content of the first audible response;

means for determining at least one type of additional message composition information to be inserted into the message and associated with the recipient of the message;

means for thereafter determining a second prompt that includes or references the at least one type of additional message composition information;

means for outputting the second prompt requesting a body for the message;

means for receiving a second audible response to the second prompt, the second audible response including a second informational content responsive to the second prompt; and

means for composing the message to include the first informational content of the first audible response and the second informational content of the second audible response.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 further comprising:

means for outputting a third prompt requesting a message type for the message; and

means for receiving a third audible response to the third prompt, the third audible response including a type of message.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 further comprising means for altering the type of message based upon the availability of the recipient.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 further comprising means for comparing the received responses to a database.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 further comprising means for comparing the received responses to a sound database.

18. The electronic device of claim 13 further comprising means for attaching an electronic file to the message.

19. An electronic device for voice messaging comprising:

an audible guide module for audibly prompting a user with a first prompt for the audible guide module determining at least one type of message composition information to be inserted into a message to be sent to a recipient based at least upon an analysis of a first audible response to the first prompt from a user, the first audible response including an identity of the recipient, the audible guide module forming, subsequent to receiving the first audible response, a second prompt that includes of references the at least one type of message composition information;

a voice recognition module for automatically analyzing a first information content of the first audible response and a second informational content of a second audible response to the second prompt; and

a message compiler module for creating a message to include the first informational content of the first audible response and the second informational content of the second audible response.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 wherein the second informational content of the second audible response includes a body of the message.