Telecom Web Browsers, and Methods for Defining a Telecom Web Browser

• US 20090238348A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chakraborty, Dipanjan, Kumar, Arun, Nanavati, Amit Anil, Rajput, Nitendra, Agarwal, Sheetal K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.10
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

A method of defining a voice browser for browsing a plurality of voice sites, at least some of the voice sites having different telephone numbers, the voice sites being configured to be accessed by telephone, is provided including storing information relating to voice sites visited by a voice user; and providing forward and back functions, comprising transferring a user from one voice site to another, in response to commands by the user. Computer program code and systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A system that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received electrical signals back into sound, the system comprising a browser configured to access and browse a plurality of voice sites, at least some of the voice sites having different telephone numbers.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the system includes at least one of a telephone, mobile phone, personal digital assistant or a touchtone phone.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further comprises:

circuitry configured to store information relating to voice sites visited by a voice user.

4. The system in accordance with claim 3, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the circuitry is further configured to provide navigation functionality on the browser by transferring a user from a first one of the voice sites to another one of the voice sites, in response to commands by the user.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein the navigation functionality includes at least one of a forward, back or refresh function.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further configured to recognize and respond to voice commands from a user and wherein, using the browser, the user is able to browse multiple voice sites.

7. The system in accordance with claim 6, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein a interactive voice response (IVR) engine coupled to the browser is configured to recognize and respond the voice commands from the user.

8. The system in accordance with claim 6, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further configured to couple a user'"'"'s system that converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received electrical signals back into sound to a voice site using a three party conference call.

9. A browser configured for browsing a plurality of voice sites, at least one of the voice sites having different telephone numbers, the voice site being configured to be accessed by a device capable of converting sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received electrical signals back into sound, the browser configured to store information relating to voice sites visited by a user and provided a forward and back function for transferring a user from a first one of the voice sites to a second one of the voice sites in response to a user command comprising one of the forward or back function.

10. The browser in accordance with claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further configured to recognize and respond to voice command from a user.

11. The browser in accordance to claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further configured to allow the user to browse multiple voice sites.

12. The browser in accordance to claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, further configured to couple the device to a voice site suing a third party conference call.

13. The browser in accordance with claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, coupled to a device configured to converts sound into electrical signals that can be transmitted over distances and then converts received electrical signals back into sound.

14. The browser in accordance with claim 13, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, comprising computer code stored on the device as an application.

15. The browser in accordance with claim 13, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, comprising computer code embedded into a hardware element of the device.

16. The browser in accordance with claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, configured to provide navigation across voice sites that have different phone numbers.

17. The browser in accordance with claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, configured to disambiguate voice commands intended for the browser as opposed to voice commands intended for a voice site.

18. The browser in accordance with claim 9, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, configured to transfer a user from the first voice site to the other voice site by storing call and context information from the first voice site in the browser and using the browser to initiate a call to the other voice site.

19. The browser in accordance with claim 12, all the limitations of which are incorporated herein by reference, configured to browse more than one voice site simultaneously, wherein the browser is configured to selectively put a voice site on hold and to switch across active voice site connections.

20. A computer readable medium bearing computer program code which, when loaded in an apparatus having an ability to make telephone calls and having a speech recognition device, causes the apparatus to:

store information relating to voice sites visited by a voice user; and

provide forward and back functions, comprising transferring a user from a first one of the voice sites to another one of the voice sites, in response to commands by the user.