Information exchange system and method

• US 20080249775A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apptera Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Apptera Incorporated
• Inventors: Silvera, M. Marketta, Chiu, Leo
• Application Number:
  US11/712,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20080249775A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/257
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

A method receives a request for information regarding a product or service from a user. The received request is provided to a speech processing system which attempts to generate an automated response to the received request. If the speech processing system generates a response to the received request, that response is provided to the user. However, if the speech processing system does not generate a response to the received request, the user is referred to an advisor to handle the received request.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for information regarding a product or service, wherein the request is received from a user;

providing the received request to a speech processing system, wherein the speech processing system attempts to generate a response to the received request;

if the speech processing system generates a response to the received request, providing the generated response to the user; and

if the speech processing system does not generate a response to the received request, referring the user to an advisor to handle the received request.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the request for information is generated in response to activating a specific button on a web page associated with the product or service.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the advisor has specific knowledge regarding the product or service.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the advisor is a seller of the product or service.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the request for information is received in the natural language of the user.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the speech processing system uses a plurality of ontologies in an attempt to generate a response to the received request.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing a generic advertisement to the user after receiving the request for information.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising providing a targeted advertisement to the user after receiving the request for information, wherein the targeted advertisement is related to the product or service.

9. A method comprising:

displaying a web page accessible by a user;

receiving an indication that the user activated a “

request information”

link contained on the displayed web page;

receiving an audible request for information from the user;

providing the audible request to a speech processing system, wherein the speech processing system attempts to generate a response to the audible request;

providing an advertisement to the user;

if the speech processing system generates a response to the received request, providing the generated response to the user; and

if the speech processing system does not generate a response to the received request, referring the user to an advisor to handle the user'"'"'s request.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the advertisement is a generic advertisement played to all users.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the advertisement is a targeted advertisement related to information contained in the displayed web page.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the speech processing system attempts to generate a response to the audible request by determining a user intent associated with the audible request.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the speech processing system attempts to generate a response to the audible request by:

identifying key words contained in the audible request; and

comparing the identified key words with a plurality of data elements contained in an ontology.

14. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the speech processing system attempts to generate a response to the audible request by:

identifying key words contained in the audible request;

selecting at least one ontology associated with the identified key words; and

comparing the identified key words with a plurality of data elements contained in the at least one ontology.

15. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the speech processing system attempts to generate a response to the audible request by:

identifying key words contained in the audible request;

comparing the identified key words with a first plurality of data elements contained in a first ontology; and

comparing the identified key words with a second plurality of data elements contained in a second ontology.

16. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the audible request is spoken in the user'"'"'s natural language.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a request for information regarding a product or service, wherein the request is received from a user;

providing the received request to a speech processing system, wherein the speech processing system attempts to generate a response to the received request by;

identifying a category associated with the received request using a first ontology;

identifying a second ontology associated with the identified category; and

processing the received request using the second ontology;

if the speech processing system generates a response to the received request, providing the generated response to the user; and

if the speech processing system does not generate a response to the received request, referring the user to an advisor to handle the received request.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising processing the received request using a third ontology.

19. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the request for information is received in the natural language of the user.

20. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising providing an advertisement to the user after receiving the request for information.