Markup language for interactive services and methods thereof

• US 6,385,583 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ladd, David, Johnson, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks-Harold, Marsha D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US09/644,430
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88, 379/85, 379/93.01, 379/67, 704/270, 704/275
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

The present invention relates to a markup language to provide interactive services. A markup language document in accordance with the present invention includes a dialog element including a plurality of markup language elements. Each of the plurality of markup language elements is identifiable by at least one markup tag. A step element is contained within the dialog element to define a state within the dialog element. The step element includes a prompt element and an input element. The prompt element includes an announcement to be read to the user. The input element includes at least one input that corresponds to a user input. A method in accordance with the present invention includes the steps of creating a markup language document having a plurality of elements, selecting a prompt element, and defining a voice communication in the prompt element to be read to the user. The method further includes the steps of selecting an input element and defining an input variable to store data inputted by the user.

Claims

1. A markup language document stored on a computer-readable medium to provide interactive services comprising:

a dialog element including a plurality of markup language elements, each of the plurality of markup language elements being identifiable by at least one markup tag;

a step element contained within the dialog element to define a state within the dialog element, the step element including a prompt element, an input element, and a first attribute;

the prompt element including an announcement to be read to the user; and

the first attribute to allow a value to be stored and subsequently used by another application.

2. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the first attribute includes one of a name attribute and a value attribute.

3. The markup language document of claim 2, wherein the name attribute comprises an identifier.

4. The markup language document of claim 2, wherein the value attribute comprises a numerical value.

5. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein announcement comprises one of voice over internet protocol data and textual data.

6. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the step element further contains one of a name attribute, a bargein attribute, a parent attribute, and a cost attribute.

7. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the input element includes an input attribute.

8. The markup language document of claim 7, wherein the input attribute includes one of a date input, a digits input, a grammar input, a hidden input, a money input, a none input, a number input, an optionlist input, a phone input, a profile input, a record input, a time input, and a yorn input.

9. The markup language document of claim 8, wherein the grammar input includes a grammar corresponding to a user input.

10. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains an audio element including audio data to be played to the user.

11. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains a response element including a next step element to execute.

12. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains a response element including a next step element to execute.

13. A method of creating a voice application program comprising the steps of:

creating a markup language document having a plurality of elements;

selecting a prompt element;

defining a voice communication in the prompt element to be read to the user;

selecting an input element; and

selecting an attribute to allow storage of data for subsequent use by another application.