System and method for funneling user responses in an internet voice portal system to determine a desired item or service
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method of operating an interactive user operated Internet voice portal having established multiple predetermined vertical domains of interest and a hierarchy of attributes within each vertical domain of interest from top to bottom, the method comprising operations of:
- responsive to a user placing a telephone call to the voice portal, a processor identifying the user and obtaining user selection of a vertical domain of interest;
a processor performing funneling operations comprising;
(a) building a vocabulary set containing top-level attribute values appropriate to the selected vertical domain of interest;
(b) querying the user to choose a top-level attribute value, applying speech recognition to user responses where recognized answers are limited to contents of the vocabulary set;
(c) until a bottom level attribute value is chosen, repeatedly performing operations comprising;
(1) building an updated vocabulary set containing attribute values appropriate to the latest chosen attribute value, and (2) querying the user to choose a next-lower-level attribute value and applying speech recognition to user responses where recognized answers are limited to contents of the updated vocabulary set;
responsive to a bottom level attribute being chosen, a processor conducting an Internet search of HTML non-voice sources for prescribed types of information pertaining to the chosen bottom-level attribute value and, unassisted by voice extensions and enhancements to said HTML, audibly providing resultant information to the user via the telephone call.
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Abstract
A method of funneling user responses in a voice portal system to determine a desired item or service includes (a) establishing an attribute value associated with a particular attribute of a desired item or service and (b) determining if the attribute value satisfies an end state. If the end state is not satisfied, steps (a) and (b) are performed with a new particular attribute.
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3 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of operating an interactive user operated Internet voice portal having established multiple predetermined vertical domains of interest and a hierarchy of attributes within each vertical domain of interest from top to bottom, the method comprising operations of:
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responsive to a user placing a telephone call to the voice portal, a processor identifying the user and obtaining user selection of a vertical domain of interest; a processor performing funneling operations comprising; (a) building a vocabulary set containing top-level attribute values appropriate to the selected vertical domain of interest; (b) querying the user to choose a top-level attribute value, applying speech recognition to user responses where recognized answers are limited to contents of the vocabulary set; (c) until a bottom level attribute value is chosen, repeatedly performing operations comprising;
(1) building an updated vocabulary set containing attribute values appropriate to the latest chosen attribute value, and (2) querying the user to choose a next-lower-level attribute value and applying speech recognition to user responses where recognized answers are limited to contents of the updated vocabulary set;responsive to a bottom level attribute being chosen, a processor conducting an Internet search of HTML non-voice sources for prescribed types of information pertaining to the chosen bottom-level attribute value and, unassisted by voice extensions and enhancements to said HTML, audibly providing resultant information to the user via the telephone call. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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Specification