Interactive 411 Directory Assistance

Abstract

A system for providing interactive directory assistance includes a voice portal, a first set of application servers, and a second set of application servers. The voice portal receives verbal input from a user requesting directory assistance. The first set of application servers provides access to one or more sites. Each of the one or more sites is associated with at least one transaction grammar. The second set of application servers analyzes the verbal input to identify a transaction grammar associated with a site. The second set of application servers determine, from the site, comparison shopping information related to a product or service. The second set of application servers then generates, based on the transaction grammar, a message indicative of a first transaction associated with the product or service in response to the comparison shopping information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to more fully understand the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings are not to be considered limitations in the scope of the invention, the presently described embodiments and the presently understood best mode of the invention are described with additional detail through use of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a transaction-enable information system that may incorporate embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of interactions between application servers of the transaction-enable information system of FIG. 1 in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a voice portal in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an application server for providing comparison shopping transactions in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an application server for providing advertisements in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an application server for providing personal information management in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an application server for providing user profiling in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an application server for providing location-based services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an application server for providing directory assistance services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a simplified flowchart for providing transaction-enabled information in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a simplified flowchart for providing interactive 411 directory assistance in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for providing transaction-enabled directory assistance information in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart for providing transaction-enabled comparison shopping travel information in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for providing transaction-enabled comparison shopping information related to travel itineraries in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart for providing transaction-enabled comparison shopping information related to products and/or services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart for providing transactions related to auction services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart for providing transactions related to order confirmation services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart for providing transactions related to financial services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart for providing transactions related to shipping services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart for providing targeted advertising in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart for providing personal information management services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart for providing calendaring services related to shipping services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart for providing location-based services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart for providing transactions provided by partnership services in one embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a simplified illustration of a computer system that may incorporate an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive directory assistance, the method comprising: providing access to one or more sites, each of the one or more sites associated with at least one transaction grammar;receiving user input;analyzing the user input to identify a first transaction grammar associated;generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a message indicative of an offer to obtain information related to the lowest price of a product or service;generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service from a site associated with the transaction grammar; andgenerating, based on the first transaction grammar, a message indicative of a first transaction associated with the product or service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the user input comprises receiving a verbal utterance from the user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a message indicative of an offer to bid on the product or service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating, based on the first transaction grammar, the task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service comprises generating the task to determine information indicative of availability of the product or service.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising: receiving user input indicating a first location;determining a second location based on the availability of the product or service; andgenerating, based on a second transaction grammar, a message indicating directions from the first location to the second location.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein generating, based on the first transaction grammar, the task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service comprises generating the task to determine at least one price associated with the product or service.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein generating, based on the first transaction grammar, the task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service comprises generating the task to determine a price list comprising at least one price associated with the product or service in the price list identified as the lowest price.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein generating, based on the first transaction grammar, the task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service comprises generating the task to determine information indicative of at least one itinerary associated with a travel destination.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving user input to consummate the first transaction through purchase or reservation of the product or service at the lowest price; andgenerating, based on a second transaction grammar, a message indicating confirmation of the purchase or reservation of the product or service.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising: generating, based on the first transaction grammar, an advertisement indicative of a second transaction.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising: receiving user input indicating to initiate the first transaction; andconveying the advertisement to the user prior to completing the first transaction.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising: generating, based on a second transaction, one or more messages to interact with a personal information manager; andconveying a message indicative of a function associated with a mobile device to enable the function based on interactions with the personal information manager.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the function associated with the mobile device comprises at least one of a calendar function, a contact function, a voicemail function, a memo function, an voicedial function, a display function, an audible alert function, a vibrate function, a power function, a location function, and a synchronization function.

14. The method of claim 1 the message indicative of the first transaction comprises at least one of textual information, audio information, image information, or video information.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the message indicative of the first transaction is output audibly to the user, the method further comprising: generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a message indicative of second transaction associated with the product or service; anddisplaying the message indicative of the second transaction to the user.

16. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for providing interactive directory assistance, the computer program product comprising: code for providing access to one or more sites, each of the one or more site associated with at least one transaction grammar;code for receiving user input;code for analyzing the user input to identify a first transaction grammar associated with a site;code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a message indicative of an offer to obtain information related to the lowest price of a product or service;code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service; andcode for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a message indicative of a first transaction associated with the product or service.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein receiving the user input comprises receiving a verbal utterance from the user.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising: code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a message indicative of an offer to bid on the product or service.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 the code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, the task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service comprises code for generating the task to determine information indicative of availability of the product or service.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising: code for receiving user input indicating a first location;code for determining a second location based on the availability of the product or service; andcode for generating, based on a second transaction grammar, a message indicating directions from the first location to the second location.

21. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, the task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service comprises code for generating the task to determine at least one price associated with the product or service.

22. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, the task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service comprises code for generating the task to determine a price list comprising at least one price associated with the product or service in the price list identified as the lowest price.

23. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, the task to obtain information related to the lowest price of the product or service comprises code for generating the task to determine information indicative of at least one itinerary associated with a travel destination.

24. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising: code for receiving user input to consummate the first transaction through purchase or reservation of the product or service at the lowest price; andcode for generating, based on a second transaction grammar, a message indicating confirmation of the purchase or reservation of the product or service.

25. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising: code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, an advertisement indicative of a second transaction.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising: code for receiving user input indicating to initiate the first transaction; andcode for conveying the advertisement to the user prior to completing the first transaction.

27. The computer program product of claim 16 further comprising: code for generating, based on a second transaction, one or more messages to interact with a personal information manager; andcode for conveying a message indicative of a function associated with a mobile device to enable the function based on interactions with the personal information manager.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the function associated with the mobile device comprises at least one of a calendar function, a contact function, a voicemail function, a memo function, an voicedial function, a display function, an audible alert function, a vibrate function, a power function, a location function, and a synchronization function.

29. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the message indicative of the first transaction comprises at least one of textual information, audio information, image information, or video information.

30. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the message indicative of the first transaction is output audibly to the user, the method further comprising: code for generating, based on the first transaction grammar, a message indicative of second transaction associated with the product or service; andcode for outputting the message indicative of the second transaction on a display device associated with the user.

31. A system for providing interactive directory assistance, the system comprising: a voice portal configured to receive verbal input from a user requesting directory assistance;a first set of applications servers configured to provide access to one or more sites, each of the one or more sites associated with at least one transaction grammar; anda second set of application servers configured to: analyze the verbal input to identify a transaction grammar associated with a site;determine, from the site, comparison shopping information related to a product or service; andgenerate, based on the transaction grammar, a message indicative of a first transaction associated with the product or service in response to the comparison shopping information.