Abstract: A machine-implemented method of building a speech application includes generating a graphical user interface to enable a user to create and edit a speech application, and receiving user inputs directed to the graphical user interface, where the user inputs specify a set of dialog flows representing the speech application. The method further includes, based on the user inputs, automatically generating executable code representing the speech application and a functional specification document describing the speech application.

Abstract: A computer-implemented graphical design tool allows a developer to graphically author a dialog flow for use in a voice response system and to graphically create an operational link between a hypermedia page and a speech object. The hypermedia page may be a Web site, and the speech object may define a spoken dialog interaction between a person and a machine. Using a drag-and-drop interface, the developer can graphically define a dialog as a sequence of speech objects. The developer can also create a link between a property of any speech object and any field of a Web page, to voice-enable the Web page, or to enable a speech application to access Web site data.

Abstract: A machine-implemented method of building a speech application includes generating a graphical user interface to enable a user to create and edit a speech application, and receiving user inputs directed to the graphical user interface, where the user inputs specify a set of dialog flows representing the speech application. The method further includes, based on the user inputs, automatically generating executable code representing the speech application and a functional specification document describing the speech application.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating modifiable and combinable Speech Objects for use in an interactive voice response (IVR) environment. Each Speech Object is for acquiring a particular type of information from a speaker during an interaction between the speaker and a speech recognition mechanism. A Speech Object is an instantiation of a user-extensible class that includes properties, such as prompts and grammars, associated with the corresponding type of interaction. A Speech Object further includes logic for controlling the interaction with the user when executed in a processing system. A Speech Object can be subclassed to add additional properties and functionality to create customized Speech Objects, or such properties can be altered at runtime. Multiple Speech Objects, each for acquiring a particular type of information, can be combined to form a compound Speech Object.