Dynamic configuration of unified messaging state changes

• US 8,225,232 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2005
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sundararaman, Sridhar, Howell, David A., Lyon, James M., Manda, Srinivasa Reddy
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/068,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20070055751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,696 Days
• Field of Search: 715/717, 715/727, 715/737, 715/763, 715810-811
• US Class Current: 715/811
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4509 Unified messaging with single point of access to voicemail and other mail or messaging systems unified messaging in packet switching networks H04L51/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems

Abstract

The subject invention relates to systems and methods that enable dynamic programming and execution of an electronic communications dialog. In one aspect, a configurable messaging system is provided. The system includes a configuration file to describe interface options of a computerized dialog session, wherein the configuration file specifies interface activities and state transitions between the interface options within the configuration file. A state controller executes the interface options during communications activities with the dialog session. The configuration file can also describe prompt elements to solicit information from users or applications.

Claims

1. A configurable unified messaging system, comprising:

a processor device; and

at least one memory device, the memory device storing;

a configuration file of the unified messaging system, wherein the configuration file defines multiple dialog command groups, the dialog command groups each identifying operations of a voice interface dialog session, wherein the operations are defined in the dialog command groups by prompt elements, activity elements, and transition elements in an extensible markup language, wherein the configuration file identifies a plurality of options to be presented to a user by the prompt elements during the voice dialog session, wherein each activity element identifies an activity to be performed during the voice dialog session, and wherein each transition element identifies a transition to be performed after one of the activities during the voice dialog session; and

computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor device cause the processor device to generate a state controller and a Text-to-Speech engine upon receipt of one of the incoming telephone calls, the state controller using the dialog command groups of the configuration file to generate the voice interface dialog session with a user, wherein the voice interface dialog session performs operations including;

presenting to the user an audible menu including a plurality of options defined by the configuration file, receiving an input from the user selecting an option from the audible menu, executing an activity with an activity element, the activity element being associated with the option in the configuration file, and performing a transition defined by a transition element identified in the configuration file after the activity, the Text-to-Speech engine converting information from a text form to an audible form, wherein at least one of the activity elements calls the text-to-speech engine to convert text from an electronic message into an audible form through the voice interface dialog session.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration file describes one or more prompt elements to solicit information from the user, wherein a prompt element is a simulated or recorded speech prompt conveyed to the user during the computerized speech dialog session.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a message processing component to execute the configuration file and interact with the state controller.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a component to receive speech or dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) inputs.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration file and the state controller are associated with a unified messaging application.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity element includes at least one of a prompt element to play to the user, a response to expect from the user, or an action to take on receiving a response from the user, wherein a prompt element includes a simulated or recorded speech prompt conveyed to the user during the computerized speech dialog session.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a service that operates at least one of a configuration class and an activity class to operate the dialog session.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a gateway component, a protocol component, a mailbox server, and a directory server to facilitate interactions with users or applications.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a global configuration file that cooperates with the configuration file to enable the dialog session.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one voice object to support the dialog session.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the voice object stores speech data in a digitized audio file.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor device to perform each of the following:

control a menu operation, a record voice mail activity, a read voice mail activity, a read e-mail activity, a read calendar activity, and a read contacts activity.

13. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for implementing the components of claim 1.

14. A method of operating a configurable unified messaging system, comprising:

receiving a telephone call from a telephone network;

reading a configuration file of the unified messaging system from memory with a processing device upon receipt of the telephone call, the configuration file defining multiple dialog command groups, the dialog command groups each identifying operations of a voice interface dialog session, wherein the operations are defined in the dialog command groups by a plurality of elements including prompt elements, activity elements, and transition elements in an extensible markup language, the prompt elements identifying options to be presented during the voice interface dialog session, the activity elements identifying activities to be performed during the voice interface dialog session, and transition elements identify transitions to be performed during the voice interface dialog session after the activities; and

generating voice interface dialog session with a user with a computing device by;

presenting to the user an audible menu including the plurality of options defined by one of the prompt elements identified in the configuration file;

receiving an input from the user selecting one of the options from the audible menu, the one of the options being associated with an electronic message including text information;

executing the activity associated with the input and defined by one of the activity elements identified in the configuration file, wherein the activity retrieves the electronic message from an e-mail mailbox server and utilizes a Text-to-Speech engine to convert the text information from the electronic message to an audible form that is presented to the user through the voice interface dialog session; and

performing a transition defined by a transition element identified in the configuration file after the activity.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising creating a service having a configuration class or an activity class to operate the configuration file.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising programming the configuration file with multiple human spoken language options for the activities, prompts and transitions.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising employing a wireless protocol to operate the interface session.

18. A method of operating a configurable unified messaging system, the method comprising:

receiving with a network communication device of the configurable unified messaging system an incoming call from a user, the incoming call being received through an Internet Protocol network routed to the configurable unified messaging system by a gateway, wherein the configurable unified messaging system is also in data communication with an electronic mail server;

reading a configuration file from memory with the configurable unified messaging system upon receipt of the incoming call, the configuration file defining multiple dialog command groups, the dialog command groups each identifying operations of a voice interface dialog session, wherein the operations are defined in the dialog command groups by a prompt element, an activity element, and a transition element in an extensible markup language, wherein the configuration file includes data conforming to an extensible markup language specification;

determining with the configurable unified messaging system the prompt element identified in the configuration file;

executing with the configurable unified messaging system the prompt element to present an audible menu to the user including a plurality of options;

receiving with the configurable unified messaging system a dual-tone multi-frequency input to select one of the options associated with an electronic message stored in the electronic mail server, the electronic message including text information;

determining with the configurable unified messaging system a first activity element associated with the option in the configuration file;

executing the activity element to perform an activity, the activity converting with a Text-to-Speech engine the text information from the electronic message into an audible form that is presented to the user through the voice interface dialog session;

determining with the configurable unified messaging system a transition element which the configuration file identifies as following the activity; and

executing the transition element after the activity has completed.