Methods and apparatus for context and experience sensitive prompting in voice applications
First Claim
1. A voice recognition system comprising:
- a plurality of modules comprising at least a voice dialing module and a voicemail module for receiving voice inputs from a user and performing services for the user in response to the voice inputs, each of the plurality of modules including multiple functions;
a user information database storing user records including a function usage tally indicating the number of times the user has successfully performed each function; and
a prompt selection module for obtaining module, function and function usage tally information for an active function currently being used by a user, selecting a prompt for presentation to the user, a prompt being a message from the system to the user calling for a user input appropriate to the function being performed, the prompt selection module identifying both an overall experience level of the user with the system and an experience level with the active function, and selecting a prompt appropriate to the user'"'"'s experience level with the active function, selection of prompts tending to favor the presentation of more abbreviated prompts to users with greater experience levels with the active function;
wherein a usage history for the user is organized on a module by module basis and the function usage tally is used as an index for the prompt selection module.
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Abstract
Systems and techniques for improved user prompting. A system according to one aspect of the invention includes a central server hosting various modules providing services to users. The modules suitably employ voice recognition in order to interpret user inputs. Each module has access to user information that includes information indicating the user'"'"'s experience with each function of each module. When a module needs to issue a prompt to the user, it retrieves and examines the user information to determine the user'"'"'s experience with the module and function. Suitably, each module is operative to categorize a user as belonging to an experience category, such as novice, intermediate and expert based on the user'"'"'s level of experience with the function. The module selects a prompt associated with the user'"'"'s level of experience with the function and presents it to the user.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A voice recognition system comprising:
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a plurality of modules comprising at least a voice dialing module and a voicemail module for receiving voice inputs from a user and performing services for the user in response to the voice inputs, each of the plurality of modules including multiple functions; a user information database storing user records including a function usage tally indicating the number of times the user has successfully performed each function; and a prompt selection module for obtaining module, function and function usage tally information for an active function currently being used by a user, selecting a prompt for presentation to the user, a prompt being a message from the system to the user calling for a user input appropriate to the function being performed, the prompt selection module identifying both an overall experience level of the user with the system and an experience level with the active function, and selecting a prompt appropriate to the user'"'"'s experience level with the active function, selection of prompts tending to favor the presentation of more abbreviated prompts to users with greater experience levels with the active function; wherein a usage history for the user is organized on a module by module basis and the function usage tally is used as an index for the prompt selection module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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10. A method of prompt selection in a voice recognition system employing a plurality of modules including at least a voice dialing module and a voice mail module, each of the plurality of modules including multiple functions, comprising the steps of:
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passing information indicating an active function currently being used by a user from a module to a prompt module; storing user records including a function usage tally indicating the number of times a user has successfully performed each of the multiple functions on a function by function basis; utilizing the active function information by the prompt module to retrieve both a user experience level for the system and for the function, said identifying including obtaining function usage tally information for the active function; and selecting a prompt appropriate for the user experience level for the active function, the prompt being a message from the system to the user calling for a user input appropriate to the active function, selecting of a prompt tending to favor the presentation of more abbreviated prompts to users with higher experience levels while favoring the presentation of more elaborate prompts providing greater detail about the nature of input needed for users with lower experience levels with the active function; wherein a usage history for the user is organized on a module by module basis and the function usage tally is used as an index for the prompt selection prompt. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification