Claims
- 1. A method of providing audible content associated with a subject comprising:storing one or more voice pages regarding a subject, at least one of the voice pages created through an electronic voice page creation process that comprises the steps of; receiving an electronically transmitted request at a computer system, the request comprising a request for the computer system to create one or more voice pages to be distributed by a voice network access provider system; electronically transmitting from that computer system one or more voice page creation files to be utilized by a user system to prompt the user to input data to be used to generate the one or more voice pages; electronically receiving one or more voice page creation input files generated from the voice page creation files and based on input received by a voice page creation user, the one or more voice page creation input files comprising at least one content input and at least one link to a second voice page on the voice network access provider system; automatically generating a voice page based on the one or more modified voice page creation files and predetermined criteria, the voice page including the content input and the at least one link to a second voice page; associating a voice code to at least one of the voice pages regarding that subject; displaying a voice code in a manner suggesting an association with the subject; enabling a user to access a central system; accepting input of the displayed voice code to the central system; and delivering one or more voice pages associated with the input voice code to the user.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein voice page is delivered in an audio format.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice page is delivered in an electronic format.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice code is input through one or more keys of an interactive communication device.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice code is input by a user generating a verbal description.
- 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the verbal description relates to the voice code.
- 7. The method of claim 5 wherein the verbal description relates to the subject associated with the voice code.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user receives the voice pages through a telephony device.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the user receives the voice pages through a personal digital assistant.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice pages are created and stored by a voice network access provider and at least one other voice code provider.
- 11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:enabling voice code providers to record voice pages directly with a voice network access provider to be stored and provided by that voice network access provider.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice pages are created at one location and transferred to another location for storage and subsequent delivery.
- 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of transferring comprising sending voice pages as a text-based file.
- 14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of transferring comprising sending voice pages as a sound-based file.
- 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice page is stored as an XML-based file.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein a collection of voice pages is stored as a voice book.
- 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice book comprises a main voice page presented when a user inputs the voice code corresponding to the voice book.
- 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the main voice page of a voice book comprises an index to one or more other voice pages within that voice book.
- 19. The method of claim 17 wherein the voice code corresponding to a voice page that is part of a voice book comprises a voice book identification portion and a voice page identification portion and a voice page within a voice book may be accessed by inputting the voice book identification portion corresponding to that voice page.
- 20. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice page delivered includes one or more links to other voice pages.
- 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of:enabling the user to select a voice page included in the delivered voice page; and delivering the selected voice page-to the user.
- 22. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice pages are stored at two or more server locations and wherein the voice code comprises a server identification portion and a voice page identification portion to enable the identification of both the server and voice page requested by the user.
- 23. The method of claim 1 wherein the user inputs a voice code to the central system by dialing a toll free number to call the central system.
- 24. The method of claim 23 wherein the user pays a fee prior to receiving the voice page corresponding to the voice code.
- 25. The method of claim 1 wherein the user inputs a voice code to the central system by dialing a toll based number to call the central system.
- 26. The method of claim 1 wherein the user inputs a voice code to the central system by entering an abbreviated access code.
- 27. The method of claim 26 wherein the abbreviated access code comprises *V.
- 28. The method of claim 1 wherein the user connects to the central system upon connecting to a voice network aware phone system.
- 29. The method of claim 1 wherein the user connects to the central system by specifying an IP address or alias thereof on voice over IP networks.
- 30. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice code is displayed on the subject with which it is associated.
- 31. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice code is displayed on an advertisement for a subject with which it is associated.
- 32. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice code is displayed on information related to the subject.
- 33. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice page delivered contains an option to engage in a transaction based on content in a voice page.
- 34. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice page is delivered to a user in text format.
- 35. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:presenting in the voice page an option to perform a real-time search; enabling the user to request the real-time search; and performing a real-time search and presenting the results to the user.
- 36. The method of claim 35 wherein the search request is requested with speech and processed with natural language recognition.
- 37. The method of claim 35 wherein the search engine was artificial intelligence (AI) software.
- 38. The method of claim 1 wherein the voice pages are stored in text format and further comprising the step of creating on-the-fly audio content from the text format voice page upon selection of a voice code corresponding to that voice page.
- 39. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of enabling a user to personalize the format of and the content of the voice content.
- 40. A system for providing audible content associated with a subject comprising:storage means for storing one or more voice pages regarding a subject, at least one of the voice pages created through an electronic voice page creation process that comprises the steps of; receiving an electronically transmitted request at a computer system, the request comprising a request for the computer system to create one or more voice pages to be distributed by a voice network access provider system; electronically transmitting from that computer system one or more voice page creation files to be utilized by a user system to prompt the user to input data to be used to generate the one or more voice pages; electronically receiving one or more voice page creation input files generated from the voice page creation files and based on input received by a voice page creation user, the one or more voice page creation input files comprising at least one content input and at least one link to a second voice page on the voice network access provider system; automatically generating a voice page based on the one or more modified voice page creation files and predetermined criteria, the voice page including the content input and the at least one link to a second voice page; association means for associating a voice code to at least one of the voice pages regarding that subject, at least one of the voice codes being displayed in a manner suggesting an association with the subject; a central system for enabling users to input the displayed voice code; and delivery means for delivering one or more voice pages associated with the voice code input by the user.
- 41. The system of claim 40 wherein the storage means comprises a file server.
- 42. The system of claim 40 wherein the storage means comprises a web server.
- 43. The system of claim 40 wherein the storage means comprises an FTP server.
- 44. The system of claim 40 wherein the storage means comprises a local database.
- 45. The system of claim 40 further comprising display means for displaying a voice code with the subject.
- 46. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice page is delivered in an audio format.
- 47. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice page is delivered in an electronic format.
- 48. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice code is input through one or more keys of an interactive communication device.
- 49. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice code is input by a user generating a verbal description.
- 50. The system of claim 40 wherein the verbal description relates to the voice code.
- 51. The system of claim 40 wherein the verbal description relates to the subject associated with the voice code.
- 52. The system of claim 40 wherein the user receives the voice code output through a telephony device.
- 53. The system of claim 40 wherein the user receives the voice code output through a personal digital assistant.
- 54. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice pages are created and stored by a voice network access provider and at least one other voice code provider.
- 55. The system of claim 40 further comprising:means for recording voice pages and storing those pages with the means for storing.
- 56. The system of claim 55 wherein the means for recording provides a web-based interface for content creation and modification.
- 57. The system of claim 40 wherein the means for recording voice pages transfers the recorded voice page over a network to the means for storing.
- 58. The system of claim 57 wherein the voice page is transferred as a text-based filed.
- 59. The system of claim 57 wherein the voice page is transferred as an XML-based language file.
- 60. The system of claim 57 wherein the voice page references content stored in external files.
- 61. The system of claim 60 wherein the external file is an audio file.
- 62. The system of claim 60 wherein the external file is in any valid voice page format.
- 63. The system of claim 57 wherein the voice page is stored as an XML-based language file.
- 64. The system of claim 63 further comprising an XML parsing and browsing module that provides an audio user interface to the XML-based voice content.
- 65. The system of claim 40 wherein a collection of voice pages is stored as a voice book.
- 66. The system of claim 65 wherein the voice book comprises a main voice page presented when a user inputs the voice code corresponding to the voice book.
- 67. The system of claim 65 wherein the main voice page of a voice book comprises an index to one or more other voice pages.
- 68. The system of claim 65 wherein the voice code corresponding to a voice page that is part of a voice book comprises a voice book identification portion and a voice page identification portion and a voice page within a voice book may be accessed by inputting the voice code corresponding to that voice page.
- 69. The system of claim 65 wherein the voice page delivered includes one or more links to other voice pages.
- 70. The system of claim 69 further comprising the steps of:enabling the user to select a voice page included in the delivered voice page; and delivering the selected voice page to the user.
- 71. The system of claim 40 wherein the means for storing are accessed by a server system, the system comprising two or more server systems and wherein the voice code comprises a server identification portion and a voice page identification portion to enable the identification of the server where the voice page is located and the voice page requested by the user.
- 72. The system of claim 40 wherein the user inputs a voice code to the central system by dialing a toll free number to call the central system.
- 73. The system of claim 72 wherein the user pays a fee prior to receiving the voice page corresponding to the voice code.
- 74. The system of claim 40 wherein the user inputs a voice code to the central system by dialing a toll based number to call the central system.
- 75. The system of claim 40 wherein the user inputs a voice code to the central system by entering an abbreviated access code.
- 76. The system of claim 40 wherein the abbreviated access code comprises *V.
- 77. The system of claim 40 wherein the user connects to the central system upon connecting on a voice network aware phone system.
- 78. The system of claim 40 wherein the user connects to the central system by specifying an IP address or alias thereof on voice over IP networks.
- 79. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice code is displayed on the subject with which it is associated.
- 80. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice code is displayed on an advertisement for a subject with which it is associated.
- 81. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice code is displayed on information related to the subject.
- 82. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice page delivered contains an option to engage in a transaction based on content in a voice page.
- 83. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice page is delivered to a user in text format.
- 84. The system of claim 40 further comprising the steps of:presenting in the voice page an option to perform a real-time search; enabling the user to request the real-time search; and performing a real-time search and presenting the results to the user.
- 85. The system of claim 84 wherein the search request is requested with speech and processed with natural language recognition.
- 86. The system of claim 84 wherein the search engine was artificial intelligence (AI) software.
- 87. The system of claim 40 wherein the voice pages are stored in text format and further comprising the step of creating on-the-fly audio content from the text format voice page upon selection of a voice code corresponding to that voice page.
- 88. The system of claim 40 further comprising the step of enabling a user to personalize the format and content.
- 89. A system for delivering voice pages of content associated with a subject selected by a user by entering a voice code through a telephone device, the system comprising:a display that contains one or more voice codes, each voice code indicating a subject about which content may be received by entering that voice code to a central telephone system; a voice page storage system that stores one or more voice page, each voice page containing content regarding a subject of interest, at least one of the voice pages created through an electronic voice page creation process that comprises the steps of; receiving an electronically transmitted request at a computer system, the request comprising a request for the computer system to create one or more voice pages to be distributed by a voice network access provider system; electronically transmitting from that computer system one or more voice page creation files to be utilized by a user system to prompt the user to input data to be used to generate the one or more voice pages; electronically receiving one or more voice page creation input files generated from the voice page creation files and based on input received by a voice page creation user, the one or more voice page creation input files comprising at least one content input and at least one link to a second voice page on the voice network access provider system; automatically generating a voice page based on the one or more modified voice page creation files and predetermined criteria, the voice page including the content input and the at least one link to a second voice page; a voice code storage system that stores voice codes, each voice code corresponding to at least one voice page; a central telephone system that enables a user to call using a central telephone number and enter a voice code corresponding to a subject that the user desires to receive content; and delivery means for delivering voice content from one or more voice pages associated with the voice code input by the user and presenting the user with one or more options that may be selected to execute an additional action relating to the subject.
- 90. The system of claim 89 wherein the additional action comprises addition voice pages.
- 91. The system of claim 89 wherein the additional action comprises a transaction.
- 92. The system of claim 91 wherein the transaction comprises a purchase relating to the subject.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/150,354 and 60/150,602 filed on Aug. 24, 1999 and Aug. 26, 1999, respectively both having the title “Voice Network Access Provider System and Method.”
US Referenced Citations (30)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Wireless Week, Brad Smith, “Need An Answer? Just Ask,” Jun. 25, 2000, p. 38. |
Lisa Ammerman, Voice Portals Promise a Hands-Free Internet Future, Feb. 2001. |
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/150602 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
|
60/150354 |
Aug 1999 |
US |