System and method for conducting a search using a wireless mobile device

• US 8,285,273 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Voice Signal Technologies Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Roth, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US12/350,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20090117885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 455/422.1, 455/466, 455/563, 704/235, 705/26.6, 705/26.62, 707/3, 707/5, 379/379
• US Class Current: 455/422.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A method and system are provided by which a wireless mobile device takes a vocally entered query and transmits it in a text message format over a wireless network to a search engine; receives search results based on the query from the search engine over the wireless network; and displays the search results.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining query results on a wireless mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving a spoken query at the wireless mobile device;

converting, at and via the mobile device, the spoken query into a text query;

transmitting the text query by the mobile device using a text messaging protocol over a wireless network addressed to an internet search engine;

receiving from the search engine search results responsive to the text query, the search results being communicated over the wireless network using the messaging protocol; and

the wireless mobile device communicating the search results to a user of the wireless mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the text query is not displayed on the wireless mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a mobile phone network and the wireless mobile device is a mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting the search results on the wireless mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the search results to the user of the wireless mobile device comprises displaying the search results on a display of the wireless mobile device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving advertisements; and

displaying the advertisements with the search results on the display of the wireless mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising formatting the advertisements and the search results on the wireless mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the search results to the user of the wireless mobile device comprises:

synthesizing speech from the received search results on the wireless mobile device to generate a voice speaking the search results.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one advertisement at the wireless mobile device over the wireless network via a messaging protocol;

communicating the search results further comprising

(1) formatting the search results and the at least one advertisement, and

(2) displaying the search results and the at least one advertisement on the wireless mobile device; and

charging a fee for displaying the at least one advertisement.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one advertisement is received from the search engine and the fee is charged to the search engine.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one advertisement is originated from an advertisement provider and the fee is charged to the advertisement provider.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one advertisement is originated from a vendor of goods and services and the fee is charged to the vendor.

9. A method for use on a wireless mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving at the wireless mobile device a spoken command requesting a query;

receiving at the wireless mobile device spoken information for the query;

based on the spoken command and the spoken information, generating text at the wireless mobile device that specifies the requested query;

formatting, in the wireless device, from the generated text, the text for a text messaging protocol to create a message in the text messaging protocol, specifying the query;

addressing the message to an internet search engine; and

transmitting the message from the wireless device, over a wireless network, to the search engine.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to receipt of the spoken command, prompting for the information for the query by visual prompt.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in response to receipt of the spoken command, prompting for the information for the query by audio prompt.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio prompt is pre-recorded and stored on the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio prompt is synthesized on the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the command specifies a particular query from among list of available queries on the wireless mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the list of available queries is based on a prior search history stored on the wireless mobile device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the list of available queries is based on a location of the wireless mobile device.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the list of available queries is pre-stored on the wireless mobile device.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the list of available queries is downloadable from a remote site.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, over the wireless network, search results produced by the search engine in response to the query.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising formatting the search results.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying the search results on the wireless mobile device.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising communicating the search results to a user of the wireless mobile device.

23. A system for providing search results in response to a query, the system comprising:

a wireless mobile device;

a search engine system; and

at least one communication channel that couples the wireless mobile device to the search engine;

wherein the wireless mobile device comprises

a voice input to receive spoken speech,

a speech to text converter in communication with the voice input,

a text to text protocol converter in communication with the speech to text converter,

a wireless transmitter in communication with the text to text protocol converter and the at least one communication channel, and

a wireless receiver in communication with the at least one communication channel;

wherein the search engine system comprises

a search engine receiver in communication with the at least one communication channel,

a search engine in communication with the search engine receiver, and

a search engine transmitter in communication with the search engine and the at least one communication channel;

wherein spoken speech received at the voice input is converted by the wireless mobile device to text that requests a search;

wherein the text that requests a search is transmitted by the wireless transmitter through the at least one communication channel to the search engine system; and

wherein in response to receipt of the text that requests a search, the search engine system transmits results for the search through the at least one communication channel to the wireless mobile device.

24. A wireless mobile device comprising:

a voice input to receive spoken speech;

a speech to text converter in communication with the voice input to convert spoken speech into text that specifies a search command and a search query;

a wireless transmitter to transmit the search query at least partially through a wireless communication medium, using a text messaging protocol, addressed to an internet search engine; and

a receiver in communication with the wireless communication medium to receive search results provided by the search engine, using the text messaging protocol, responsive to the search query.

25. The wireless mobile device of claim 24, further comprising a visual display that is adapted to display the received search results.

26. The wireless mobile device of claim 24, further comprising a speech synthesizer that receives the search results in textual form and generates a voice speaking the search results.