Dynamic grammar for voice-enabled applications

• US 20040006474A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Weng, Jie, Raiyani, Samir, Swan, Richard J., Vogler, Hartmut K., Gong, Li
• Granted Patent: US 7,177,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

A graphical user interface may include a form with a plurality of fields, each field associated with a predetermined category. Each category may have its own, independent, discrete grammar associated therewith, and the independent grammars may be individually activated, simultaneously with their respective categories. In this way, a voice-recognition system that is inputting spoken data for each of the fields may have a restricted grammar to search when attempting to match a particular voice input with an entry for a particular field in the form. Moreover, a global grammar that is active with any one of the independent grammars may be used to move between the fields or perform other high-level functionality not associated with any one of the independent grammars.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating a first grammar from among a plurality of independent grammars, the first grammar being identified with a first input category;

deactivating at least a second grammar from among the plurality of independent grammars;

inputting spoken data related to the first input category; and

matching the spoken data to stored data within the first grammar.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the plurality of independent grammars define a first level of grammar that includes the first grammar and the second grammar, and wherein activating the first grammar comprises activating a second level of grammar that is independent from the plurality of independent grammars.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the plurality of independent grammars define a first level of grammar that includes the first grammar and the second grammar, and wherein deactivating the second grammar comprises deactivating all of the first-level grammars aside from the first grammar.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising synchronizing a first-modality gateway and a second modality gateway, both gateways interfacing between a user and a server system, the synchronizing allowing either of the first-modality gateway or the second-modality gateway, at a given point in time, to interface with specific information in the server system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the specific information is a field identification command for identifying a first field within a form on a graphical user interface, the first field associated with the first input category.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the specific information is the stored data.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein synchronizing the first-modality gateway and the second-modality gateway comprises synchronizing a browser and a voice gateway, wherein the server system includes web pages.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein activating the first grammar is in response to the identifying the first field within the form.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of independent grammars is stored separately.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein activating a first grammar comprises indicating to a user that the first grammar has been activated.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein indicating to the user comprises displaying a visual cue identifying a first field within a graphical user interface, the first field being associated with the first input category.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the visual cue is automatically advanced to a second field upon the matching of the spoken data to the stored data within the first grammar.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the visual cue is advanced to a second field, after the matching of the spoken data to the stored data within the first grammar, by inputting a field advancement voice command, wherein the field advancement voice command is matched against a global grammar that is active at a same time as with the first grammar.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the graphical user interface comprises a web page.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein indicating to the user comprises aurally identifying the first input category to the user.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

deactivating the first grammar;

activating the second grammar, the second grammar being identified with a second input category;

inputting secondary spoken data related to the second input category; and

matching the secondary spoken data to secondary stored data within the second grammar.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a global grammar such that the first grammar and the global grammar are both active for a period of time;

inputting global spoken data that identifies a second input category from among a plurality of input categories;

matching the global spoken data to a portion of the global grammar; and

activating, in response to the matching of the global spoken data, the second grammar, the second grammar being identified with the second input category.

18. An apparatus comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions including:

a first code segment for activating a first grammar associated with a first category;

a second code segment for activating a first data entry mechanism associated with the first category;

a third code segment for receiving first voice data;

a fourth codes segment for selecting a portion of the first grammar corresponding to the first voice data for input into the first data entry mechanism;

a fifth code segment for deactivating the first grammar;

a sixth code segment for activating a second grammar associated with a second category;

a seventh code segment for activating a second data entry mechanism associated with the second category;

an eighth code segment for receiving second voice data; and

a ninth code segment for selecting a portion of the second grammar corresponding to the second voice data for input into the second data entry mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first data entry mechanism comprises a field in a graphical user interface.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the second code segment is additionally for visually indicating the field.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the graphical user interface comprises a web page.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the first data entry mechanism comprises an audio recording.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the sixth code segment is additionally for automatically activating the second grammar in response to the deactivating of the first grammar.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the sixth code segment is additionally for inputting a second-grammar activation signal from a user.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the second-grammar activation signal activates the second data entry mechanism associated with the second category for data entry.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the second-grammar activation signal comprises third voice data.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising a tenth code segment for matching the third voice data against a portion of a third grammar, wherein the third grammar remains active regardless of whether the first grammar or the second grammar are activated.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the second-grammar activation signal comprises a physical input.

29. A system comprising:

a first storage area operable to store a first grammar;

a second storage area operable to store a second grammar, the second grammar being independent from the first grammar;

a grammar activation and deactivation system operable to activate the first grammar and ensure that the second grammar is simultaneously inactive;

a voice-recognition system operable to input spoken data and match the spoken data against a corresponding portion of the first grammar; and

an input indication system operable to indicate the corresponding portion of the first grammar to a user.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising a third storage area operable to store a third grammar, the third grammar being independent from the first grammar and the second grammar and being operable to be activated by the activation and deactivation system so that the third grammar and the first grammar are both active for a period of time.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the input indication system comprises a field within a graphical user interface operable to display the corresponding portion of the first grammar.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the grammar activation and deactivation system is further operable to output a grammar identifier to the user that identifies which of the first grammar and second grammar is currently active.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the grammar identifier comprises a visual cue identifying a first field or a second field within a graphical user interface, the first field and the second field being associated with the first grammar and the second grammar, respectively.