SPEECH RECOGNITION INTERFACE FOR VOICE ACTUATION OF LEGACY SYSTEMS

• US 20100023332A1
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morton, Roland T. JR., Mills, Ralph J., Davis, Mitchell E., Smith, Steven G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for a technician to access a systems interface to back-end legacy systems by voice input commands to a speech recognition module. Generally, a user logs a computer into a systems interface which permits access to back-end legacy systems. Preferably, the systems interface includes a first server with middleware for managing the protocol interface. Preferably, the systems interface includes a second server for receiving requests and generating legacy transactions. After the computer is logged-on, a request for voice input is made. A speech recognition module is launched or otherwise activated. The user inputs voice commands that are processed to convert them to commands and text that can be recognized by the client software. The client software formats the requests and forwards them to the systems interface in order to retrieve the requested information.

Claims

1. A systems interface for remote access of legacy systems, the systems interface performing steps comprising:

receiving a multimodal request from a user to perform a transaction, the multimodal request including input to navigate to a search page, retrieve client account information, and navigate among a plurality of data fields, wherein an input device recognizes a speech portion of the multimodal request with a request-specific vocabulary;

identifying at least one legacy system with which performing the transaction requires communication;

establishing a connection with the identified at least one legacy system;

translating the multimodal request to a format compatible with the identified at least one legacy system; and

submitting the translated multimodal request to the at least one legacy system.

2. The systems interface of claim 1, wherein the connection with the identified at least one legacy system is over a wireless communications network.

3. The systems interface of claim 1, wherein the connection with the identified at least one legacy system is over a wireline communications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection with the identified at least one legacy system is over a wireless communications network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection with the identified at least one legacy system is over a wireline communications network.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the connection with the identified at least one legacy system is over a wireless communications network.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the connection with the identified at least one legacy system is over a wireline communications network.

4. A method for remote access of legacy systems, the method causing a computing device to perform steps comprising:

receiving a multimodal request from a user to perform a transaction, the multimodal request including input to navigate to a search page, retrieve client account information, and navigate among a plurality of data fields, wherein an input device recognizes a speech portion of the multimodal request with a request-specific vocabulary;

identifying at least one legacy system with which performing the transaction requires communication;

establishing a connection with the identified at least one legacy system;

translating the multimodal request to a format compatible with the identified at least one legacy system; and

submitting the translated multimodal request to the at least one legacy system.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to interface with remote access of legacy systems, the instructions comprising:

receiving a multimodal request from a user to perform a transaction, the multimodal request including input to navigate to a search page, retrieve client account information, and navigate among a plurality of data fields, wherein an input device recognizes a speech portion of the multimodal request with a request-specific vocabulary;

identifying at least one legacy system with which performing the transaction requires communication;

establishing a connection with the identified at least one legacy system;

translating the multimodal request to a format compatible with the identified at least one legacy system; and

submitting the translated multimodal request to the at least one legacy system.