System and method for voice access to internet-based information

• US 6,510,417 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2000
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Quilici, Alexander E., Carriere, Steven Jeromy, Woods, Steven Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US09/532,802
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 704/246, 704/251, 704/260, 704/270, 704/275, 709/203, 709/216, 709/218, 709/219, 709/249, 705/26, 705/27, 705/354, 707/10, 707/5, 379/88.17, 379/88.23, 379/88.04
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

A method of providing voice access to Internet-based information and services includes receiving a signal indicating a communication connection request in which the communication connection request is initiated by a user of a communication apparatus, establishing a communication connection with the communication apparatus of the user, receiving voice information from the user, and communicating voice information responsive to the voice information received from the user. The responsive voice information includes Internet-based information.

Claims

1. A method of providing voice access to Internet-based information and services, the method comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a communication connection request, the communication connection request being initiated by a user of a communication apparatus;

establishing a communication connection with the communication apparatus of the user;

receiving voice information from the user; and

communicating voice information responsive to the voice information received from the user, the responsive voice information including Internet-based information;

gathering information from sources via the Internet; and

merging the same information from different data sources into a canonical data object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating voice information responsive to the voice information received from the user comprises responsively providing the Internet-based information from a variety of different sources associated with the Internet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the Internet-based information comprises information related to movies, weather, traffic, stocks, and sports.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating voice information responsive to the voice information received from the user comprises selectively providing advertisements.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of selectively providing advertisements comprises identifying a set of advertisements with weights corresponding to a profile of the user.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising pricing advertisement costs based on number of times the advertisement is presented.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of selectively providing advertisements comprises providing permission based advertising, the permission based advertising presenting more advertising information after receipt of a request from the user.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of selectively providing advertisements comprises selectively providing speak-through advertisements.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising making a record of selectively provided advertisements.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing transaction information to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising responsively engaging a transaction upon voice confirmation by the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating information by voice to the user comprises selecting information to communicate based on preferences of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of selecting information to communicate comprises passively determining user preferences.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of selecting information to communicate comprises actively requesting preferences from the user.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising making a record of information communicated to the user during the duration of the communication connection.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating information by voice to the user comprises dynamically ordering questions to communicate to the user as to anticipate possible user responses.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of communicating information by voice to the user comprises attribute based funneling of user responses to ascertain a desired item or service.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing associations between non-identical items according to a closeness relationship.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the gathered information into a unique key.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of converting the gathered information into a unique key comprises applying attribute rules to the gathered information.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising fusing vendor supplied information into a unified database.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising organizing gathered information into an existant data structure.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising transforming the gathered information to a searchable and common format.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising converting the gathered information in the searchable and common format to an interface specific format.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of converting the gathered information to an interface specific format comprises applying attribute phrase grammars.

26. A unitary voice portal to the Internet providing access to a wide variety of information and services available over the Internet, the voice portal comprising:

a user interface;

at least one database coupled to the user interface, the user interface coordinates voice communications with a user, the at least one database storing information regarding users and Internet-based information; and

an update engine coupled to the at least one database, the update engine being in communication with the Internet and providing updated Internet-based information; and

a fusion engine coupled to the at least one database, the fusion engine being configured to compare information from at least one data source and selectively create a canonical data object.

27. The voice portal of claim 26, further comprising a customer management subsystem coupled to the user interface, the customer management subsystem being configured to acquire information needed to determine user preferences and facts.

28. The voice portal of claim 26, further comprising an advertising subsystem coupled to the user interface, the advertising subsystem being configured to coordinate the advertisements presented to the user.

29. The voice portal of claim 28, wherein the advertisements presented to the user comprise any one of sponsorship advertisements, targeted advertisements, and permission-based advertisements.

30. A system for providing voice access to Internet-based information and services, the system comprising:

means for receiving a signal indicating a communication connection request;

means for establishing a communication connection with the user;

means for communicating information by voice to the user;

means for receiving voice information from the user; and

means for communicating voice information responsive to the voice information received from the user, the responsive voice information including Internet-based information obtained from sources via the Internet;

means for gathering information from sources via the Internet; and

means for merging the same information from different data sources into a canonical data object.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for communicating voice information responsive to the voice information received from the user comprises means for responsively providing information from a variety of different sources.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for pricing advertisement costs based on number of times the advertisement is presented.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for communicating voice information responsive to the voice information received from the user comprises means for selectively providing advertisements.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for selectively providing advertisements comprises means for identifying a set of advertisements with weights corresponding to a profile of the user.

35. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for providing transaction information to the user.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising means for responsively engaging a transaction upon voice confirmation by user.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for communicating information by voice to the user comprises means for selecting information to communicate based on preferences of the user.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the means for selecting information to communicate comprises means for passively determining user preferences.

39. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for making a record of information communicated to the user during the duration of the communication connection.

40. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for communicating information by voice to the user comprises means for dynamically ordering questions to communicate to the user as to anticipate possible user responses.

41. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for communicating information by voice to the user comprises means for attribute based funneling of user responses to ascertain a desired item or service.

42. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for providing associations between non-identical items according to a closeness relationship.

43. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for fusing vendor supplied information into a unified database.

44. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for organizing gathered information into an existant data structure.

45. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for transforming the gathered information to a searchable and common format.