Integrated tone-based and voice-based telephone user interface

• US 7,120,234 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rennolds, Cynthia L., Quinn, Eric Rhodes
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US09/473,667
• Time in Patent Office: 2,477 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.04, 379/88.01, 379/88.03, 379/88.9, 379/351, 379/77, 704/275, 704/200, 704/251, 704/270, 455/553.1
• US Class Current: 379/88.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2473 Telephone terminals interfacing a personal computer, e.g. using an API (Application Programming Interface) details of API H04M7/0021
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

An integrated telephone user interface (TUI) system permitting switching between Dual Tone Multi-Frequency and voice operating command modes. This system provides the user with access to either command mode and allows the user to toggle among the two command modes while each command mode remains functionally distinct from the other. For example, when receiving a call, the TUI prompts the user to select either the voice-based or the tone-based command mode. After receiving an input from the user that activates one of the command modes, the user may initiate a desired TUI operation while in the active command mode. However, the user can also interrupt the active command mode and switch to another operationally distinct command mode. In response to the interruption, the system translates command modes to allow the user to resume TUI operation in the other command mode.

Claims

1. A telephone user interface (TUI) configured to receive a command signal after a call is connected, the TUI comprising:

voice-based command mode logic for receiving a voice-based command signal from a user in association with an option of a first menu structure of options, said voice-based command mode logic having an active status and an inactive status;

tone-based command mode logic for receiving a tone-based command signal from the user in association with an option of a second menu structure of options, said tone-based command mode logic having an active status and an inactive status, said options of said first menu structure logically associated with said options of said second menu structure;

mode determination logic configured to determine whether a received command signal correlates with the control mode logic that is currently associated with inactive status;

translation logic configured to translate the received command signal into a format associated with the control mode logic that is currently associated with the active status, in response to the determination that the received command signal corresponds to the control mode logic that is currently associated with inactive status;

toggle determination logic configured to, in response to the translation logic translating the control signal, determine whether to toggle the voice-based command mode logic and the tone-based command mode logic between active status and inactive status by providing a user prompt and receiving a user input to the user prompt; and

switching logic configured to, in response to the toggle determination logic determining to toggle the voice-based command mode logic and the tone-based command mode logic between active and inactive status, toggle the voice-based command mode logic and tone-based command mode logic between active status and inactive status,

wherein said active status of the tone-based command logic correlates with the inactive status of the voice-based command logic, and wherein the inactive status of the tone-based command logic correlates with the active status of the voice-based control logic.

2. The TUI of claim 1, wherein the translation logic is configured to translate a first received command signal from a voice-based protocol to a tone-based protocol.

3. The TUI of claim 1, wherein the translation logic is configured to translate a first received command signal from a tone-based protocol to a voice-based protocol.

4. The TUI of claim 1, wherein the TUI is situated at a central office.

5. The TUI of claim 1, wherein the options of the voice-based command mode logic and the tone-based command mode logic are mapped to one another to permit a command mode-to-command mode exchange.

6. The TUI of claim 1, wherein the TUI includes data storage logic configured to store first data related to the voice-based command mode logic, second data related to the tone-based command mode logic, and third data related to the voice-based command mode logic and the tone-based command mode logic, wherein the first data, second data, and third data correspond to a first table, a second table, and a third table, respectively.

7. The TUI of claim 6, wherein, the first table is associated a plurality of voice-based options and a plurality of indices, wherein the second table is associated with a plurality of indices and a plurality of tone-based options, and wherein the third table is associated with the plurality of indices related to the first table and a plurality of indices related to the second table.

8. The TUI of claim 7, wherein each of the first table, second table, and third table include at least two items that correspond with each other.

9. A telephone user interface (TUI) configured to receive a command signal after a call is connected, comprising:

voice-based command mode logic configured to receive a vocalized command signal from a user in association with a voice option of a menu structure of voice options, said voice-based command mode logic having an active status and an inactive status;

tone-based command mode logic configured to receive a tonal command signal from the user in association with a tone option of a menu structure of tone options, said tone-based command mode logic having an active status and an inactive status, said voice options logically associated with said tone options; and

mode determination logic configured to determine whether the received command signal corresponds to the control mode logic that is currently associated with inactive status;

translation logic configured to translate the received first command signal into a format corresponding to the control mode logic that is currently associated with the active status, in response to the determination that the received first command signal corresponds to the control mode logic that is currently associated with inactive status;

toggle determination logic configured to, in response to the translation logic translating the control signal, determine whether to toggle the voice-based command mode logic and the tone-based command mode logic between active status and inactive status by providing a user prompt and receiving a user input to the user prompt; and

switching logic configured to, in response to the toggle determination logic determining to toggle the voice-based command mode logic and the tone-based command mode logic between active status and inactive status, toggle the voice-based command mode logic and tone-based command mode logic between active status and inactive status.

10. The TUI of claim 9, wherein the translation logic is configured to translate the first received command signal from a voice-based protocol to a tone-based protocol.

11. The TUI of claim 9, wherein the translation logic is configured to translate the first received command signal from a tone-based protocol to a voice-based protocol.

12. The TUI of claim 9, wherein the switching logic is configured to remain idle in response to the determination logic determining that the second received command signal correlates to the command mode logic currently associated with active status.

13. The TUI of claim 9, wherein the TUI is situated at a central office.

14. A method in a telephone user interface (TUI) configured to receive a command signal after a call is connected, the TUI including a tone-based command mode having a menu structure of tone options and a voice-based command mode having a menu structure of voice options, wherein the tone-based command mode has an active status and an inactive status and the voice-based command mode has an active status and an inactive status, said method comprising the steps of:

a. operating the TUI with a command mode that corresponds to active status;

b. receiving a command signal from a user;

c. determining whether the active command mode correlates to the command signal;

d. in response to determining that the received command signal does not correlate with the active command mode, translating the received command signal into a format that corresponds to the active command mode;

e. in response to translating the received command signal, determining whether to toggle the tone-based command mode and the voice-based command mode between active status and inactive status by providing a user prompt and receiving a user input to the user prompt; and

f. in response to determining to toggle the tone-based command mode and the voice-based command mode between active status and inactive status, toggling the tone-based command mode and the voice-based command mode between active status and inactive status.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the active command mode is associated with a default command mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the default mode corresponds to the tone-based command mode.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the default mode corresponds to the voice-based command mode.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the active command mode is selected by a user.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said command signal is a DTMF tonal command.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said command signal is a voice command.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising mapping the options of the first command mode and the second command mode to one another to permit a command mode-to-command mode exchange.

22. A method for controlling a telephone user interface (TUI), the TUI including a plurality of command modes, the method comprising:

a. operating said TUI in a voice-based command mode;

b. receiving a command signal from a user;

c. determining whether the received command signal corresponds to the voice-based command mode;

d. translating the received command signal to a format that corresponds to the voice-based command mode, in response to determining that the received command signal does not correspond with the voice-based command mode;

e. in response to translating the received command signal to a format that corresponds to one of said command modes, determining whether to operate the TUI in a tone-based command mode that corresponds to a format associated with the received command signal by providing a user prompt and receiving a user input to the user prompt; and

f. in response to determining to operate the TUI in the tone-based command mode, operating the TUI in the tone-based command mode that corresponds to a format associated with the received command signal.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising operating the TUI in the tone-based command mode in response to activating said tone-based command mode.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of activating one of said command modes as a default command mode.

25. A method in an integrated computer telephony system providing a telephone user interface (TUI), said TUI having a pair of command modes, the method for toggling between said command modes, comprising the steps of:

a. operating said TUI in a tone-based command mode;

b. receiving a command signal from a user;

c. determining whether the received command signal corresponds to the tone-based command mode;

d. translating the received command signal to a format that corresponds to the tone-based command mode, in response to determining that the received command signal does not correspond with the tone-based command mode;

e. in response to translating the received command signal to a format that corresponds to the tone-based command mode, determining whether to operate the TUI in a voice-based command mode that corresponds to a format associated with the received command signal for a subsequent command signal by providing a user prompt and receiving a user input to the user prompt; and

f. in response to determining to operate the TUI in the voice-based command mode, operating the TUI in the voice-based command mode that corresponds to a format associated with the received command signal for a subsequent command signal.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of receiving a subsequent command signal and activating said tone-based command mode in place of said voice-based command mode.

27. A method in a program module operating within a telecommunications system and having access to a TUI, said TUI having a pair of command modes for controlling said TUI and providing a plurality of options to be implemented through the telecommunications system, the method for controlling said command modes, comprising the steps of:

implementing one of the said command modes to initially control said TUI;

in response to a command signal issued by a user after a call is connected, translating the command signal into a format corresponding to the activated command mode;

in response to translating the command signal into a format corresponding to the activated command mode, determining whether to toggle the command modes by providing a user prompt and receiving a user input to the user prompt, wherein said toggling is initiated by interrupting the operation of one of said command modes while one of said command modes is controlling said TUI, activating the other of said command modes, and resuming control of said TUI while in the other of said command modes for a subsequent command signal; and

in response to determining to toggle said command modes, toggling said command modes, wherein the pair of command modes includes a tone-based command mode and a voice-based command mode.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the tone-based command mode is initially controlling said TUI, said tone-based command mode is interrupted, and the voice-based command mode is activated in place of said tone-based command mode.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said tone-based command mode is interrupted by transmitting voice command signals into said TUI.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said voice-based command mode is interrupted and said tone-based command mode is activated to control said TUI in place of said voice-based command mode.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said voice-based command mode is interrupted by transmitting tonal command signals into said TUI.

32. A computer system for toggling command modes of a telephone user interface (TUI) having a pair of command modes, the pair of command modes including a first command mode and a second command mode, said computer system comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory storage device operative to store a program implementing said TUI; and

an interface device coupled to said processing unit for receiving a call,

said processing unit responsive to instructions in said program and being operative to;

prompt for a command signal after a call is connected;

activate said first command mode associated with said command signal;

control said TUI while in said first command mode;

receive a subsequent command signal from a user, the subsequent command signal corresponding to a second command mode;

translate the subsequent command signal into a format that corresponds to the first command mode;

in response to translating the subsequent command signal into a format that corresponds to the first command mode, determine whether to interrupt said first command mode by providing a user prompt and receiving a user input to the user prompt;

in response to determining to interrupt said first command mode, interrupt said first command mode; and

resume operation of said TUI by utilizing said second command mode for a subsequent command signal,

wherein the pair of command modes includes a tone-based command mode and a voice-based command mode.

33. The computer system of claim 32, wherein said tone-based command mode is interrupted by transmitting voice command signals into said TUI.

34. The computer system of claim 32, wherein said tone-based command mode is interrupted by transmitting voice command signals into said TUI.

35. The computer system of claim 32, wherein said processing unit is further operative to:

interrupt said second command mode in response to receiving said command signal to activate said first command mode in place of said second command mode.

36. The computer system of claim 32, wherein said processing unit is further operative to:

interrupt said first command mode in response to receiving said subsequent command signal to activate said second command mode in place of said first command mode.