Distributed interactive media system and method

• US 7,698,435 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Paterik, Thomas, Kumar, Virender
• Primary Examiner(s): JEAN GILLES, JUDE
• Application Number:
  US10/414,545
• Time in Patent Office: 2,555 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709218-229, 709/249, 709/250, 370/352, 370/401, 370/229, 704/270, 704/275, 379/88.18, 379/88.1
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

A distributed service node includes a voice browser, media resources, such as automatic speech recognition (ASR) engines and text-to-speech (TTS) engines, and a resource manager. A media gateway converts between a pulse code modulation (PCM) format used in a circuit-switched telephone network and a real-time packet media format used by the distributed service node. A caller places a call to telephone number associated with the media gateway, and a real-time packet media session is established between the media gateway and the distributed service node. The voice browser queries a location server to determine the location of an interactive application associated with the called telephone number and then queries an application server corresponding to the location to obtain the interactive application as a voice extensible markup language (VXML) document. The browser interprets the VXML document and responsively invokes the media resources to provide an interactive media service to the caller.

Claims

1. A distributed interactive media system, said system comprising:

a location server, said location server storing a location of an interactive application;

an application server, said application server storing, at said location, said interactive application in a predetermined format, said interactive application calling for spoken text and speech recognition;

a plurality of media resources, said plurality of media resources including at least one automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine and at least one text-to-speech (TTS) engine;

a resource manager for managing usage of said media resources; and

a browser, said browser obtaining said location from said location server and said interactive application in said predetermined format from said application server, said browser invoking said media resources through said resource manager in accordance with said interactive application, wherein said browser invokes said at least one TTS engine when said interactive application calls for spoken text and invokes said at least one ASR engine when said interactive application calls for speech recognition.

2. The distributed interactive media system of claim 1, further comprising:

a media gateway, communicatively coupled to a circuit-switched network and to said media resources, said media gateway converting between a first media format used by said circuit-switched network and a second media format used by said media resources.

3. The distributed interactive media system of claim 2, wherein said first media format is a pulse code modulation (PCM) format and said second media format is a real-time packet format.

4. The distributed interactive media system of claim 1, further comprising:

a signaling gateway for converting between a first signaling format used by said circuit-switched network and a second signaling format used by said resource manager.

5. The distributed interactive media system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined format is a markup language.

6. The distributed interactive media system of claim 1, wherein said browser is a voice browser and wherein said predetermined format is a voice extensible markup language (VXML).

7. The distributed interactive media system of claim 1, wherein said location server associates said location with at least one call identifier.

8. The distributed interactive media system of claim 7, wherein said at least one call identifier includes a called telephone number.

9. The distributed interactive media system of claim 7, wherein said location server functions as a redirection server by identifying said location in response to requests identifying said at least one call identifier.

10. The distributed interactive media system of claim 9, wherein said browser:

(a) receives said at least one call identifier;

(b) sends a first request to said location server, said first request identifying said at least one call identifier;

(c) receives said location from said location server in response to said first request;

(d) sends a second request to said application server, said second request identifying said location; and

(e) receives said interactive application in said predetermined format in response to said second request.

11. A method of providing an interactive media service, said method comprising:

receiving a called telephone number that identifies a call from a user;

receiving a location from a location server in response to a first request, said first request identifying said called telephone number;

receiving an interactive application from an application server in response to a second request, said second request identifying said location;

establishing a real-time packet media session with at least one media resource; and

controlling said at least one media resource during said real-time packet media session in accordance with said interactive application to provide said interactive media service to said user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a gateway associated with said called telephone number receives said call.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

during said real-time packet media session, said gateway converting between a pulse code modulation (PCM) format and a real-time packet format used by said at least one media resource.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

a browser receiving said called telephone number from said gateway.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein a browser sends said first request to said location server and receives said location from said location server in response to said first request, and wherein said browser sends said second request to said application server and receives said interactive application from said application server in response to said second request.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling said at least one media resource during said real-time packet media session in accordance with said interactive media application comprises a browser interpreting said interactive application and responsively invoking said at least one media resource.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said at least one media resource includes at least one automatic speech recognition (ASR) engine, wherein said ASR engine receives speech during said real-time packet media session and provides said browser with a textual interpretation of said speech.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said at least one media resource includes at least one text-to-speech (TTS) engine, wherein said TTS engine receives text from said browser and transmits speech during said real-time packet media session based on said text.