Voice responsive telephone assistant having network upgrade capability

• US 7,962,360 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Miner, Richard A., Mechaley, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett; Scott L
• Application Number:
  US11/749,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,490 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10
• US Class Current: 705/7.31
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42127 Systems providing several special services or facilities from groups H04M3/42008 - H04M3/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A mobile telephone system device having an electronic assistant component is disclosed. The device includes a first software module configured to provide a first operating feature to a user of the mobile telephone system and a second software module that includes a first submodule configured to provide a first additional operating feature to the user and a second submodule configured to provide a second additional operating feature to the user of the mobile telephone system. A third module is configured to track the user'"'"'s use of the first operating feature by storing usage data related to the user'"'"'s interaction with the first software module. A fourth module analyzes the stored usage data and determines a usage data pattern. Based on the usage data pattern, a fifth module stores one or more rules which select one of the first submodule and the second submodule based on the usage data pattern and the selected one of the first submodule and the second submodule is offered to the user for installation on the mobile telephone system.

Claims

1. A computer implemented and user interactive method of regulating provision of software components from a set of software components arranged to control operation of a voice responsive telephone assistant, wherein composition of the set is predefined and each software component thereof provides a distinct functionality, the method comprising:

storing, on a computer comprising the voice responsive telephone assistant, a subset of software components from the set of software components, wherein the subset of software components has a first functionality level associated therewith;

controlling the operation of the voice responsive telephone assistant using the stored subset of software components;

collecting usage data describing user interaction with the stored subset of software components;

analyzing, using the computer, said usage data so as to identify a usage data pattern, wherein the usage data pattern is indicative that a user threshold has been exceeded;

identifying a different software component from the predefined set based on said identified usage data pattern and predetermined rules specifying a relationship between usage of one of software components in the stored subset and the identified software component, the identified software component having a second functionality level higher than the first functionality level and providing operating capabilities additional to those provided by the subset of software components;

alerting the user to an availability of said identified software component for activation on the voice responsive telephone assistant, wherein said identified software component is not within the subset of software components; and

provisioning and activating said identified software component onto the voice responsive telephone assistant, responsive to the user'"'"'s interactions with the alert.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting usage data from a plurality of users,

collecting software usage decisions from a plurality of users, and

determining when to alert a user of the availability of said identified software component based upon an analysis of group response data and decisions about to prior alerts relating to the identified software component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein alerting the user to an availability of said identified software component for activation on the voice responsive telephone assistant comprises verbally and interactively making an offer to said user for said identified software component in using said voice responsive telephone assistant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein alerting the user to an availability of said identified software component for activation on the voice responsive telephone assistant comprises displaying a new message identifying the identified software component to a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting comprises collecting interval of use data for said subset of software components.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting comprises compiling statistical data regarding use of said subset of software components.

7. A system for regulating provision of software components from a set of software components arranged to control operation of a voice responsive telephone assistant, wherein composition of the set of software components is predefined and each software component in the set of software components provides a distinct functionality, the system comprising:

a computer system configured to control the operation of the voice responsive telephone assistant by executing a subset of software components from said set of software components, wherein the subset of software components has a first functionality level associated therewith;

a data collection system arranged to collect usage data describing user interaction with the first subset of software components to identify a usage data pattern, wherein the usage data pattern is indicative that a user threshold has been exceeded;

wherein the computer system is further configured to access predetermined rules specifying a relationship between usage of a first software component and selection of a second, different, software component, the second software component having operating capabilities additional to those provided by the first software component, and both said components being within said predefined set of software components;

wherein the system is configured to identify a software component from the set based on said identified usage data pattern and said predetermined rules and is further configured to alert the user to an availability of said identified software component, wherein said identified component has a second functionality level higher than said first functionality level, and wherein said identified component is not within the subset of software components; and

the system further configured to provision and activate said identified software component onto the voice responsive telephone assistant, responsive to the user'"'"'s interactions with the alert.

8. A voice responsive system according to claim 7, wherein the system is arranged to receive usage data relating to interactive communications between a plurality of users and the voice responsive telephone assistant, thereby collecting said usage data.

9. The voice responsive system according to claim 7, wherein the system is a voice responsive system having a mobile telephone network capability.

10. A mobile telephone system device having an electronic assistant component, comprising:

a first software module, the first software module configured to provide a first operating feature to a user of the mobile telephone system, the first operating feature having a first functionality level associated therewith;

a second software module, the second software module comprising a first submodule configured to provide a first additional operating feature to the user and a second submodule to provide a second additional operating feature to the user of the mobile telephone system, the first and second additional operating features having functionality levels higher than the first functionality level;

a third module configured to track the user'"'"'s use of the first operating feature by storing usage data related to the user'"'"'s interaction with the first software module;

a fourth module configured to analyze the stored usage data and to determine a usage data pattern therefrom, wherein the usage data pattern is indicative that a user threshold has been exceeded;

a fifth module configured to store one or more predetermined rules specifying a relationship between usage of the first operating feature and the first and second additional operating features the stored subset and the identified software component, the rules being used to select one of the first submodule and the second submodule based on the usage data pattern;

a sixth module configured to offer the selected one of the first submodule and the second submodule to the user for installation on the mobile telephone system; and

a seventh module configure to provision and activate the selected one of the first submobule and the second submodule onto the voice responsive telephone assistant, responsive to the user'"'"'s interactions with the offer.