Abstract: Pausing a VoiceXML dialog of a multimodal application, including generating by the multimodal application a pause event; responsive to the pause event, temporarily pausing the dialogue by the VoiceXML interpreter; generating by the multimodal application a resume event; and responsive to the resume event, resuming the dialog. Embodiments are implemented with the multimodal application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal application is operatively coupled to a VoiceXML interpreter, and the VoiceXML interpreter is interpreting the VoiceXML dialog to be paused.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are described for invoking tapered prompts in a multimodal application implemented with a multimodal browser and a multimodal application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of user interaction with the multimodal application, the modes of user interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes. Embodiments include identifying, by a multimodal browser, a prompt element in a multimodal application; identifying, by the multimodal browser, one or more attributes associated with the prompt element; and playing a speech prompt according to the one or more attributes associated with the prompt element.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for altering behavior of a multimodal application based on location. The multimodal application operates on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of user interaction with the multimodal application, including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes. The voice mode of user interaction with the multimodal application is supported by a voice interpreter.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are described for enabling global grammars for a particular multimodal application according to the present invention by loading a multimodal web page; determining whether the loaded multimodal web page is one of a plurality of multimodal web pages of the particular multimodal application. If the loaded multimodal web page is one of the plurality of multimodal web pages of the particular multimodal application, enabling global grammars typically includes loading any currently unloaded global grammars of the particular multimodal application identified in the multimodal web page and maintaining any previously loaded global grammars. If the loaded multimodal web page is not one of the plurality of multimodal web pages of the particular multimodal application, enabling global grammars typically includes unloading any currently loaded global grammars.

Abstract: Ordering recognition results produced by an automatic speech recognition (‘ASR’) engine for a multimodal application implemented with a grammar of the multimodal application in the ASR engine, with the multimodal application operating in a multimodal browser on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal application operatively coupled to the ASR engine through a VoiceXML interpreter, includes: receiving, in the VoiceXML interpreter from the multimodal application, a voice utterance; determining, by the VoiceXML interpreter using the ASR engine, a plurality of recognition results in dependence upon the voice utterance and the grammar; determining, by the VoiceXML interpreter according to semantic interpretation scripts of the grammar, a weight for each recognition result; and sorting, by the VoiceXML interpreter, the plurality of recognition results in dependence upon the weight for each recognition result.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are described for automatic speech recognition (‘ASR’) that include accepting by the multimodal application speech input and visual input for selecting or deselecting items in a selection list, the speech input enabled by a speech recognition grammar; providing, from the multimodal application to the grammar interpreter, the speech input and the speech recognition grammar; receiving, by the multimodal application from the grammar interpreter, interpretation results including matched words from the grammar that correspond to items in the selection list and a semantic interpretation token that specifies whether to select or deselect items in the selection list; and determining, by the multimodal application in dependence upon the value of the semantic interpretation token, whether to select or deselect items in the selection list that correspond to the matched words.

Abstract: A method for prompting user input for a multimodal interface including the steps of providing a multimodal interface to a user, where the interface includes a visual interface having a plurality of input regions, each having at least one input field; selecting an input region and processing a multi-token speech input provided by the user, where the processed speech input includes at least one value for at least one input field of the selected input region; and storing at least one value in at least one input field.

Abstract: Enabling grammars in web page frames, including receiving, in a multimodal application on a multimodal device, a frameset document, where the frameset document includes markup defining web page frames; obtaining by the multimodal application content documents for display in each of the web page frames, where the content documents include navigable markup elements; generating by the multimodal application, for each navigable markup element in each content document, a segment of markup defining a speech recognition grammar, including inserting in each such grammar markup identifying content to be displayed when words in the grammar are matched and markup identifying a frame where the content is to be displayed; and enabling by the multimodal application all the generated grammars for speech recognition.

Abstract: Dynamically generating a vocal help prompt in a multimodal application that include detecting a help-triggering event for an input element of a VoiceXML dialog, where the detecting is implemented with a multimodal application operating on a multimodal device supporting multiple modes of interaction including a voice mode and one or more non-voice modes, the multimodal application is operatively coupled to a VoiceXML interpreter, and the multimodal application has no static help text. Dynamically generating a vocal help prompt in a multimodal application according to embodiments of the present invention typically also includes retrieving, by the VoiceXML interpreter from a source of help text, help text for an element of a speech recognition grammar, forming by the VoiceXML interpreter the help text into a vocal help prompt, and presenting by the multimodal application the vocal help prompt through a computer user interface to a user.

Abstract: A method for providing help to voice-enabled applications, including multimodal applications, can include a step of identifying at least one speech grammar associated with a voice-enabled application. Help fields can be defined within the speech grammar. The help fields can include available speech commands for the voice enabled application. When the speech grammar is activated for use by the voice-enabled application, the available speech commands can be presented to a user of the voice-enabled application. The presented speech commands can be obtained from the help fields.

Abstract: A method of building a mixed-initiative grammar can include identifying a plurality of directed dialog grammars for inclusion in the mixed-initiative grammar and automatically generating the mixed-initiative grammar, in accordance with a selected grammar generation technique, such that the mixed-initiative grammar specifies the plurality of directed dialog grammars.

Abstract: A method of coordinating the presentation of multiple modes of interaction for network-based electronic content can include receiving a markup language document of a first modality and identifying within the markup language document a reference to another markup language document of a second and different modality. The markup language document of the first modality can be modified by removing the reference. The modified markup language document of the first modality can be provided to an associated browser.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system are provided for filling a graphic-based form field in response to a speech utterance. The computer-implemented method includes generating a grammar corresponding to the form field, the grammar being based on a user profile and comprising a semantic interpretation string. The method further includes creating an auto-fill event based upon the at least one grammar and responsive to the speech utterance, the auto-fill event causing the filling of the form field with data corresponding to the user profile. The system includes a grammar-generating module for generating a grammar corresponding to the form field, the grammar being based on a user profile and comprising a semantic interpretation string. The system also includes an event module for creating an auto-fill event based upon the at least one grammar and responsive to the speech utterance, the event causing the filling of the form field with data corresponding to the user profile.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system are provided for filling a graphic-based form field in response to a speech utterance. The computer-implemented method includes generating a grammar corresponding to the form field, the grammar being based on a user profile and comprising a semantic interpretation string. The method further includes creating an auto-fill event based upon the at least one grammar and responsive to the speech utterance, the auto-fill event causing the filling of the form field with data corresponding to the user profile. The system includes a grammar-generating module for generating a grammar corresponding to the form field, the grammar being based on a user profile and comprising a semantic interpretation string. The system also includes an event module for creating an auto-fill event based upon the at least one grammar and responsive to the speech utterance, the event causing the filling of the form field with data corresponding to the user profile.

Abstract: A method (200) of building a grammar with baseforms generated dynamically from user utterances can include the steps of recording (205) a user utterance, generating (210) a baseform using the user utterance, creating or adding to (215) a grammar rule using the baseform, and binding (230) the grammar rule in a grammar document of a voice extensible markup language program. Generating a baseform can optionally include introducing a new element to VoiceXML with attributes that enable generating the baseform from a referenced recording such as the user utterance. In one embodiment, the method can be used to create (235) a phonebook and a grammar to access the phonebook by repeatedly visiting a form containing the grammar rule with attributes that enable generating the baseform from the referenced recording.

Abstract: A method of voice-enabling an application for command and control and content navigation can include the application dynamically generating a markup language fragment specifying a command and control and content navigation grammar for the application, instantiating an interpreter from a voice library, and providing the markup language fragment to the interpreter. The method also can include the interpreter processing a speech input using the command and control and content navigation grammar specified by the markup language fragment and providing an event to the application indicating an instruction representative of the speech input.

Abstract: A method for enhancing voice interactions within a portable multimodal computing device using visual messages. A multimodal interface can be provided that includes an audio interface and a visual interface. A speech input can then be received and a voice recognition task can be performed upon at least a portion of the speech input. At least one message within the multimodal interface can be visually presented, wherein the message is a prompt for the speech input and/or a confirmation of the speech input.

Abstract: A method of coordinating the presentation of multiple modes of interaction for network-based electronic content can include receiving a markup language document of a first modality and identifying within the markup language document a reference to another markup language document of a second and different modality. The markup language document of the first modality can be modified by removing the reference. The modified markup language document of the first modality can be provided to an associated browser.