Method and system for multi-modal interaction

• US 7,729,480 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Guesman, Jason, Packingham, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier; Gerald
• Application Number:
  US11/852,928
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 345/748, 379/88.14, 379/202.01, 379/210.01, 379/52, 455/412.1, 455/456, 455/458, 455/466, 725/134, 726/10, 370/352, 709/206
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A method and system manages content delivery to a multi-modal client device. The system may include a session manager logically connected between a server and the client device. The session manager can maintain a record of the state of a user'"'"'s session, and if the user or the client device switches from an initial presentation mode to a second presentation mode, the session manager can use the record to effect a seamless transfer from the initial presentation mode to the subsequent presentation mode. The session manager may also transcode content delivered to the client device so that the content is compatible with the presentation mode selected by the user.

Claims

1. A system for delivering content to a client device while the client device is in a session with a server, the system comprising:

a first presentation system configured to deliver content, formatted for a first presentation mode, to the client device via a wireless access network;

a second presentation system configured to deliver content, formatted for a second presentation mode, to the client device via the wireless access network; and

a session manager configured to, during the session;

transmit content from the server to the first presentation system for presentation to the client device in the first presentation mode;

maintain a state record associated with the client device, the state record defining a current state of the session with the server;

receive a mode-switching signal; and

responsive to the mode-switching signal, transmit content associated with the current state of the session to the second presentation system for presentation to the client device in the second presentation mode;

thereby continuing the session in the current state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the session manager is further configured to:

receive a service request from the client device, the service request identifying the client device and the first presentation mode; and

in response to the service request;

a) retrieve the state record associated with the client device;

b) identify the current state defined by the state record;

c) continue the session in the current state between the client device and the server; and

d) transmit content associated with the current state from the server to the first presentation system for presentation to the client device in the first presentation mode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first presentation system comprises a voice-command platform.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second presentation system comprises a data service node.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the session manager is further configured to query an authentication server in response to a service request from the client device to determine whether the client device is authorized to receive content formatted for at least one of the first and second presentation modes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the state record comprises a navigation point, the navigation point identifying a specific resource available from the server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the state record comprises a cache of content associated with the state, and wherein the session manager is further configured to transmit the cache of content, for receipt by the client device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the session manager is configured to transcode the content into a format compatible with the second presentation system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the session manager is configured to transcode the content into a format compatible with the first presentation system.

10. A session manager for managing multi-modal content delivery, the session manager comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a network interface configured to receive content from a server via a network;

a presentation system interface configured to transmit content to at least a first presentation system and a second presentation system; and

program logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor to, during a session between a client device and the server;

transmit content to the first presentation system for presentation to the client device in a first presentation format;

maintain a record of current session state in the memory; and

in response to receipt of a mode-switching signal, transmit content associated with the current session state to the second presentation system for presentation to the client device in a second presentation format.

11. The session manager of claim 10, wherein the record of current session state comprises a navigation point, the navigation point identifying a specific resource available from the network.

12. The session manager of claim 11, wherein the record further comprises data entered by the user prior to the receipt of the mode-switching signal.

13. The session manager of claim 12, wherein the program logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor to transmit content associated with the current session state to the second presentation system comprises program logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor to transmit the data entered by the user prior to receipt of the mode-switching signal.

14. The session manager of claim 10, wherein the session manager further comprises program logic stored in the memory and executable by the processor to transcode the content received from the server into a format compatible with the first or the second presentation system.