Extendable voice commands

• US 8,019,324 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Voice Signal Technologies Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Reiner, Chris, Furnari, Mark, Cohen, Jordan, Roth, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edouard; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIN, AUNG T
• Application Number:
  US11/158,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: 704/200, 455/414.1, 455/418, 455/556.2, 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• 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

Abstract

A mobile device, such as a cellular telephone includes a voice interface that includes one part that may not be specific to a particular carrier, and a second part that provides an interface to services that are specific to a carrier or to service or information providers that are not necessarily available with all carriers. A voice command interface provides easy access to the carrier services. The set of carrier services is optionally extendible by the carrier.

Claims

1. A method of providing carrier services at a mobile device comprising:

storing data in the mobile device that specifies a user interface for the mobile device, including storing first data received from a carrier providing services to the mobile device that specifies a set of interface states associated with a set of functions related to capabilities of the mobile device, and storing second data received from an information provider that is separate from the carrier that specifies the user interface for accessing respective sets of services from multiple of the interface states, wherein the second data is received by the mobile device independently of the first data and the second data provides access to different sets of services for different carriers;

receiving a request to access one of the sets of services over a common interface that is available in multiple of the interface states;

in response to receiving the request, providing a set of services to be available by voice command based on which interface state the user interface is in when the request is received;

receiving a voice command;

processing the voice command to determine one of the services in the respective sets of services, wherein processing the voice command includes;

(i) identifying one of the set of services associated with the voice command;

(ii) providing an aural cue requesting a verbal description of at least one desired service in the identified set of services;

(iii) receiving a second voice command;

(iv) determining a service in the set of services associated with the second voice command; and

providing the determined service at the mobile device according to the processed voice command;

wherein receiving the voice command includes;

receiving the voice command while a user of the mobile device interacts with a first application supported by a first interface state;

wherein identifying one of the set of services associated with the voice command includes;

(i) identifying a second application supported by a second interface state; and

(ii) transitioning to the second interface state from a status of the first application;

wherein providing the aural cue includes;

providing the aural cue via the second interface state;

wherein receiving the voice command includes;

receiving the voice command during a communication session between the user of the mobile device and a second user of a second user mobile device;

wherein receiving the second voice command includes;

receiving a request to retrieve content;

wherein providing the determined service at the mobile device includes;

sending a message to a voice mailbox associated with the mobile device, the message containing aural information comprising an aural representation of the content requested via the second voice command;

wherein providing the determined service at the mobile device includes;

concurrently providing aural information to the mobile device and the second mobile device during the communication session, the aural information comprising an aural representation of the content requested via the second voice command.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of functions is independent of a carrier providing at least one of the services to the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the request to access one of the sets of services includes accepting a manual input using a specific button associated with the services.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second data includes a script for providing one of the sets of services.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second data includes downloading the second data from a carrier.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein downloading the second data includes downloading the second data over a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second data includes specifications of interactions with remote systems from the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile telephone.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing inputs from a user using the first data, resulting in the user interface being in a first interface state when the request to access the services is received.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising selecting a predetermined interface state after providing one of the sets of services at the mobile device according to the processed voice command.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second data independently of the first data comprises loading the first and second data into the mobile device at different times.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second data independently of the first data comprises loading the first and second data into the mobile device using independent procedures such that changing the second data does not require changing the first data.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the request to access the services is received using a common interface that is available in all of the interface states.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of functions is determined by the carrier.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the services are not available from the carrier.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application comprises a calendar application;

and wherein the second application comprises one of;

an application for displaying financial data and an application for downloading at least one ring tone.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(i) upon determining the user is done interacting with second application;

(ii) transitioning from the second interface state back to the first interface state;

(iii) invoking the first application; and

(iv) returning the first application to the given status.

18. A mobile device comprising:

a data storage that stores data that specifies a user interface for the mobile device, including first data received from a carrier providing services to the mobile devices that specifies a set of interface states associated with a set of functions related to capabilities of the mobile device, and second data received from an information provider that is separate from the carrier that specifies the user interface for accessing respective sets of services from multiple of the interface states, wherein the second data is received by the mobile device independently of the first data and the second data provides access to different sets of services for different carriers;

a voice interface that accesses the data storage and that is configured to

receive a request to access one of the sets of services over a common interface that is available in multiple of the interface states,

in response to receiving the request, providing a set of services to be available by voice command based on which interface state the user interface is in when the request is received,

receive a voice command while a user of the mobile device interacts with a first application supported by a first interface state, the voice command further received during a communication session between the user of the mobile device and a second user of a second mobile device;

process the voice command to determine one of the services in the set of one or more services, wherein the voice interface processes the voice command and is configured to;

(i) identify one of the set of services associated with the voice command by (a) identifying a second application supported by a second interface state; and

(b) transitioning to the second interface state from a status of the first application;

(ii) provide an aural cue requesting a verbal description of at least one desired service in the identified set of services, the aural cue provided via the second interface state;

(iii) receive a second voice command;

(iv) determine a service in the set of services associated with the second voice command, the second voice comprising a request to retrieve content; and

provide the determined service at the mobile device according to the processed voice command, wherein the determined service sends a message to a voice mailbox associated with the mobile device, the message containing aural information comprising a representation of the content requested via the second voice command;

wherein providing the determined service at the mobile device includes;

concurrently providing aural information to the mobile device and the second mobile device during the communication session, the aural information comprising an aural representation of the content requested via the second voice command.

19. The mobile device of claim 18 wherein the mobile device is configured to download the second data from a carrier.