Patent ID: 6504914
Filing Date: 2003-01-07
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
A method for controlling a dialog of at least one of voice-operated information, news and connection services incorporating computer-supported telephony, comprising the steps of:checking access authorization in response to a call; after checking access authorization, starting a control program for dialog control, the dialog control program being created, via a graphical editor, as a flow chart; If controlling the dialog via a server-controlled operation using a speaker-independent voice recognition module, the voice recognition module responding to key words; interpreting the dialog of the control program by (1) describing a desired dialog with aid of at least one of an action and a previously described subdialog by at least one of defining sequences of actions, indicating parallel actions within the dialog and defining general event handlings, and (2) interpreting in parallel on a computer system at least one of the described dialog and dialog steps, the interpreting in parallel being repeated as often as useful and being independent of number of telephone lines, the computer system including a control module having an S.100 interface and an S.300 interface; activating a control module via the control program; making simultaneously available in parallel, via the activated control module, computer-supported telephony (CTI) information input modules and CTI information output modules applicable for a particular query routine, the input modules and the output modules being subject to continuous state monitoring; logically linking a recorded announcement to the flow chart via the output modules, the recorded announcement including a query routine and operating information, the recorded announcement being automatically started and outputted; inputting information via at least one of the input modules made simultaneously available in parallel, the inputting occurring at least one of during and after outputting of the operating information via output modules; comparing the inputted information with information contents permitted in the particular query routine; halting and resetting the input modules and the output modules made simultaneously available in parallel if the inputted information compared is acceptable to the control module; if the inputted information is insufficient to output desired information, then: again making simultaneously available in parallel, via the activated control module and the control program, input modules and output modules applicable for the particular query routine, outputting the recorded announcement via the output modules, the recorded announcement taking into account previously inputted information, at least one of actively interrupting the outputting of the recorded announcement by inputting additional information to further determine the desired information and waiting until the after completion of the outputting of the recorded announcement before inputting additional information to further determine desired information, and halting and resetting the input modules and the output modules again made simultaneously available in parallel if the additional inputted information includes information acceptable to the control module; and terminating the dialog if at least one of inputted information is sufficient to output the desired information and an abort command is triggered via the input modules.