Markup language for interactive services and methods thereof

• US 6,493,673 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• 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): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US09/644,638
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 704/260, 704/270, 704/275, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.22, 379/88.01
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/20 hybrid systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a markup language document stored on a computer-readable medium to provide interactive services and methods thereof. The markup language comprises a dialog element and a step element. The dialog element includes markup language elements in which each markup language element is identifiable by one or more markup tags. The step element is contained within the dialog element and defines a state within the dialog element. The step element includes a prompt element, an input element, and a first attribute. The prompt element includes an announcement to be read to the user, and the input element includes an attribute to allow an audible user input to be converted to a text string.

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 and an input element;

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

the input element including an attribute to allow an audible user input to be converted to a text string.

2. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the attribute includes one of a name attribute, a next attribute, a method attribute, and action attribute and a timeout 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 next attribute comprises a next step address.

5. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the method attribute comprises one of a get and post.

6. The markup language document of claim 1 wherein the action attribute comprises a pointer to a script that processes the input on a server.

7. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the timeout attribute comprises a period of time for the user to enter audible input.

8. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the attribute comprises a form input.

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

10. The markup language file of claim 1, wherein the markup language document contains a begin tag and an end tag for the dialog element.

11. 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.

12. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein a bargein attribute interrupts the step element in response to a selected user input.

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

14. The markup language document of claim 13, 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.

15. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the grammar input includes a grammar corresponding to a user input.

16. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the grammar input includes an electronic address to provide an indication of the location of a grammar.

17. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the electronic address includes one of a URL and an address of a second step element.

18. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the grammar input includes a nextmethod attribute having a memory address of a grammar.

19. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the grammar input includes a selected period of time for the user to enter audio input.

20. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the input element further contains a hidden input including a variable to store information.

21. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein each of the date input, the digit input, the money input, the number input, the phone input, and the time input includes a predetermined grammar.

22. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the yorn element defines one of an affirmative response and a negative response.

23. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the optionlist input includes at least one option corresponding to user input.

24. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the form input is used to send information to an information source.

25. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the record input is used to record an audio input from a user for a selected length of time.

26. The markup language document of claim 14, wherein the profile input is used to store user data.

27. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains ad option element including at least one option corresponding to a numerical value.

28. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains an ack element including a user acknowledgment.

29. 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.

30. The markup language document of claim 29, wherein the audio data is contained in a voice over internet protocol.

31. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains a break element to provide a silent period.

32. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains a case element including data to correspond to at least one user input.

33. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains a class element including a plurality of elements to be reused with a dialog element.

34. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains an emp element to allow at least a portion of a word to be emphasized during playback.

35. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains an options element including at least one option for a user to select.

36. The markup language document of claim 35, wherein the options element includes at least one element to be reused in the dialog step.

37. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog further contains an OR element including alternative options corresponding to the phonetic representation of the user input.

38. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains a pros element to define one of a rate of speech, the pitch of speech the range of speech, and the volume of speech to be read to the user.

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

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

41. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the dialog element further contains a value element including a variable to store information to be played back to the user.

42. The markup language document of claim 1, wherein the step element includes a cost attribute used to track content usage for billing purposes.

43. A method of creating a voice application program for providing interactive voice services, the method 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 an audible user input to be converted to a text string.

44. A program stored on a computer-readable medium to provide interactive services comprising:

a prompt element including a voice communication to be read to a user; and

an input element including an attribute to allow an audible user input to be converted to a text string, —

has been inserted wherein the attribute includes one of a name attribute, a next attribute, a method attribute, and action attribute and a timeout attribute.

45. The program of claim 44, wherein the name attribute comprises an identifier.

46. The program claim 44, wherein the next attribute comprises a next step address.

47. The program of claim 44, wherein the method attribute comprises one of a get and post.

48. The program of claim 44, wherein the action attribute comprises a pointer to a script that processes the input on a server.

49. The markup language document of claim 44, wherein the timeout attribute comprises a period of time for the user to enter audible input.

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

a dialog element being identified by at least one markup tag; and

an input element including an attribute to allow an audible user input to be converted to a text string.

51. A method comprising the steps of:

providing an audible output to a user;

receiving an audible input from the user;

converting the audible input to text; and

posting the text to a destination associated with an electronic address.