Abstract: A voice application creation and deployment system includes a voice application server for creating and serving voice applications to clients over a communication network; at least one voice portal node having access to the communication network, the portal node for facilitating client interaction with the voice applications; and an inference engine executable from the application server. In a preferred embodiment the inference engine is called during one or more predetermined points of an ongoing voice interaction to decide whether an inference of client need can be made based on analysis of existing data related to the interaction during a pre-determined point in an active call flow of the served voice application, and if an inference is warranted, determines which inference dialog will be executed and inserted into the call flow.

Abstract: A system is provided for developing and deploying a voice application using Web-based data as source data over a communications network to one or more recipients. The system has a voice application server capable of accessing a network server and Website hosted therein, a network communications server for routing the voice applications to their intended recipients, and a computer station running voice application software having control access to at least the voice application server, the computer station capable of accessing the network server and Website. An operator of the computer station creates and provides templates for the voice application server to use in data-to-voice rendering.

Abstract: A system for voice-enabled location and execution for playback of media content selections stored on a media content playback device has a voice input circuitry for inputting voice-based commands into the playback device; codec circuitry for converting voice input from analog content to digital content for speech recognition and for converting voice-located media content to analog content for playback; and a media content synchronization device for maintaining at least one grammar list of names representing media content selections in a current state according to what is currently stored and available for playback on the playback device.

Abstract: A method for is provided for creating a voice application comprising steps of (a) gathering voice application requirements; (b) generating a product requirements document; (c) creating a voice user interface from information generated at step (b); (d) implementing the interface created at step (c); (e) creating one or more data interfaces from information generated at step (b); (f) implementing the one or more interfaces; (g) generating one or more templates for system usage reporting; and (h) conducting one or more system usage studies. The method may be enabled by computer system execution of a machine-readable instruction.

Abstract: A security regimen is provided for implementing transaction security between a Web server and data and a voice portal system accessible through a telephony network on the user end and through an XML gateway on the data source end. The regimen includes one of a private connection, a virtual private network, or a secure socket layer, set-up between the Web server and the Voice Portal system through the XML gateway. Transactions carried on between the portal and the server enjoy the same security that is available between nodes on the data network. In one embodiment, the regimen further includes a voice translation system distributed at the outlet of the portal and at the telephone of the end user wherein the voice dialog is translated to an obscure language not that of the users language and then retranslated to the users language at the telephone of the user.

Abstract: An audible utterance is received from a user. A procedure determines a user intent associated with the audible utterance and identifies multiple parameters associated with the user intent. The procedure then determines whether any of the multiple parameters associated with the user intent are missing from the audible utterance. If any parameters are missing, an audible response requesting the missing parameters is generated and communicated to the user. If all parameters associated with the user intent are contained in the audible utterance, a response to the user's request is generated and communicated to the user.

Abstract: A vocabulary management system for constraining speech recognition processing associated with text-to-speech and speech-to-text rendering associated with use of a voice application in progress between a user accessing a data source through a voice portal has a vocabulary management server connected to a voice application server and to a telephony server, and an instance of vocabulary management software running on the management server for enabling vocabulary establishment and management for speech recognition software. The system is characterized in that an administrator accessing the vocabulary management server uses the software to create unique vocabulary sets that are specific to selected portions of vocabulary associated with target data sources the vocabulary sets differing in content according to administrator direction.

Abstract: Notification systems and methods receive a call from a caller and prompt the caller to identify an event. A response is received from the caller which identifies a particular event. The notification systems and methods select an advertisement related to the particular event, the selected advertisement being associated with a second event of the same type as the particular event. The caller is prompted whether a reminder message associated with the second event is desired. A response is received from the caller regarding the reminder message. If the caller desires to receive a reminder message, that reminder message is scheduled.

Abstract: A voice application creation and deployment system includes a voice application server for creating and serving voice applications to clients over a communication network; at least one voice portal node having access to the communication network, the portal node for facilitating client interaction with the voice applications; and an inference engine executable from the application server. In a preferred embodiment the inference engine is called during one or more predetermined points of an ongoing voice interaction to decide whether an inference of client need can be made based on analysis of existing data related to the interaction during a pre-determined point in an active call flow of the served voice application, and if an inference is warranted, determines which inference dialog will be executed and inserted into the call flow.

Abstract: In a voice-extensible markup-language-enabled voice application deployment architecture, an application logic for determining which portions of a voice application for deployment are cached at an application-receiving end system or systems has a processor for processing the voice application according to sequential dialog files of the application, a static content optimizer connected to the processor for identifying files containing static content, and a dynamic content optimizer connected to the processor for identifying files containing dynamic content. The application is characterized in that the optimizers determine which files should be cached at which end-system facilities, tag the files accordingly, and prepare those files for distribution to selected end-system cache facilities for local retrieval during consumer interaction with the deployed application.

Abstract: In a voice-application creation and deployment architecture, a system for preprocessing text strings for VXML view generation and subsequent voice rendering has a text-to-speech preprocessing logic; a software table accessible to the preprocessing logic, the table for serving text dialog options related to one or more text entities; a rules base for serving dialog selection constraints; and a data store for storing the dialog options and text entities. In a preferred embodiment the preprocessing logic accesses the software table during client interaction with a deployed voice application and selects a specific dialog option from more than one dialog options related to a single text entity and inserts the selected option into the VXML page rendering process, the selection made according to the served constraints.

Abstract: A behavioral adaptation engine integrated with a voice application creation and deployment system has at least one data input port for receiving XML-based client interaction data including audio files attached to the data; at least one data port for sending data to and receiving data from external data systems and modules; a logic processing component including an XML reader, voice player, and analyzer for processing received data; and a decision logic component for processing result data against one or more constraints. The engine intercepts client data including dialog from client interaction with a served voice application in real time and processes the received data for behavioral patterns and if attached, voice characteristics of the audio files whereupon the engine according to the results and one or more valid constraints identifies one or a set of possible enterprise responses for return to the client during interaction.

Abstract: An audible utterance is received from a user. A procedure determines a user intent associated with the audible utterance and identifies multiple parameters associated with the user intent. The procedure then determines whether any of the multiple parameters associated with the user intent are missing from the audible utterance. If any parameters are missing, an audible response requesting the missing parameters is generated and communicated to the user. If all parameters associated with the user intent are contained in the audible utterance, a response to the user's request is generated and communicated to the user.

Abstract: A system for configuring and implementing changes to a voice application system has a first software component and host node for configuring one or more changes; a second software component and host node for receiving and implementing the configured change or changes; and a data network connecting the host nodes. In a preferred embodiment, a pre-configured change-order resulting from the first software component and host node is deployed after pre-configuration, deployment and execution thereof requiring only one action.