System, apparatus, and methods for creating alternate-mode applications

• US 7,920,681 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pietrocarlo, Gary J., Gomez, Felipe, Sadowski, Wallace J., Agapi, Ciprian, Lewis, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZENATI, AMAL S
• Application Number:
  US10/982,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,342 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.12, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.14, 379/210.01, 709/205
• US Class Current: 379/88.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for creating alternate-mode interactive applications is provided. A system for creating an alternate-mode interactive application includes a selection module for selecting a voice-mode element from a set of voice-mode elements defining a voice-mode interactive application for accomplishing a predetermined user-directed task The system also includes a generation module for generating an alternate-mode element corresponding to the selected voice-mode element, the alternate-mode element having a modality different than the voice-mode element. The system further includes a construction module for constructing an alternate-mode interactive application based upon the generated alternate-mode element.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for automatically creating a non-voice-mode only interactive application from a voice-mode only interactive application, the method comprising:

providing a voice-mode only interactive application having a set of voice-mode elements, the set of voice-mode elements defining the voice-mode only interactive application for accomplishing a predetermined user-directed task;

representing the voice-mode only interactive application as a call flow using a graphical call flow builder, each voice-mode element of the set of voice-mode elements including at least one among a function, statement, prompt, input field, and presentation field that performs a step of the task using a voice-mode output or based upon a voice-mode user supplied input;

automatically generating a non-voice-mode element corresponding to each voice-mode element, and wherein the non-voice-mode element comprises at least one among a function, statement, prompt, input field, and presentation field that performs a corresponding step of the task using a non-voice-mode output or based upon a non-voice-mode user-supplied input; and

constructing a non-voice-mode only interactive application using the graphical call flow builder, wherein the non-voice-mode only interactive application comprises a set of non-voice-mode elements consisting of the generated non-voice-mode element for each voice-mode element, wherein the non-voice-mode only interactive application constructed is capable of accomplishing the same predetermined user-directed task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the constructed non-voice-mode interactive application comprises a multimodal interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-voice-mode element comprises a visual-mode element.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising simulating the non-voice-mode only interactive application constructed using the graphical call flow builder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating comprises transcoding the voice-mode element.

6. A computer-based system for automatically creating a non-voice-mode only interactive application from a voice-mode only interactive application, the system comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor configured to;

represent a voice-mode only interactive application as a call flow using a graphical call flow builder, the voice-mode only interactive application having a set of voice-mode elements, the set of voice-mode elements defining the voice-mode only interactive application for accomplishing a predetermined user-directed task, each voice-mode element of the set of voice-mode elements including at least one among a function, statement, prompt, input field, and presentation field that performs a step of the task using a voice-mode output or based upon a voice-mode user supplied input;

automatically generate a non-voice-mode element corresponding to each voice-mode element, and wherein the non-voice-mode element comprises at least one among a function, statement, prompt, input field, and presentation field that performs a corresponding step of the task using a non-voice-mode output or based upon a non-voice-mode user-supplied input; and

construct a non-voice-mode only interactive application using the graphical call flow builder, wherein the non-voice-mode only interactive application comprises a set of non-voice-mode elements consisting of the generated non-voice-mode element for each voice-mode element, wherein the non-voice-mode only interactive application constructed is capable of accomplishing the same predetermined user-directed task.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the constructed non-voice-mode interactive application comprises a multimodal interface.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the non-voice-mode element comprises a visual-mode element.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the non-voice-mode interactive application constructed is simulated using the graphical call flow builder.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the non-voice-mode element is generated by transcoding the voice-mode element.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a computer for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

providing a voice-mode only interactive application having a set of voice-mode elements, the set of voice-mode elements defining the voice-mode only interactive application for accomplishing a predetermined user-directed task;

representing the voice-mode only interactive application as a call flow using a graphical call flow builder, each voice-mode element of the set of voice-mode elements including at least one among a function, statement, prompt, input field, and presentation field that performs a step of the task using a voice-mode output or based upon a voice-mode user supplied input;

automatically generating a non-voice-mode element corresponding to each voice-mode element, and wherein the non-voice-mode element comprises at least one among a function, statement, prompt, input field, and presentation field that performs a corresponding step of the task using a non-voice-mode output or based upon a non-voice-mode user-supplied input; and

constructing a non-voice-mode only interactive application using the graphical call flow builder, wherein the non-voice-mode only interactive application comprises a set of non-voice-mode elements consisting of the generated non-voice-mode element for each voice-mode element, wherein the non-voice-mode only interactive application constructed is capable of accomplishing the same predetermined user-directed task.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the constructed non-voice-mode interactive application comprises a multimodal interface.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the non-voice-mode element comprises a visual-mode element.