Abstract:
A text enhanced voice menu system includes data storage, a voice communication path, a text communication path and switch logic. The data storage stores audio information for producing a voice menu, and stores text information for producing a text version of the voice menu. The voice communication path generates a voice menu from the audio information. The text communication path generates a text menu from the text information. The switch logic selects one of the voice menu and the text menu to be transmitted over a connection line.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention concerns use of telecommunication and pertains particularly to a text-enhanced voice menu system. 
     2. Related Information 
     With the advent of telephone voice menus, many businesses, government agencies and individuals are able to off load redundant tasks onto a voice-automated menu system. 
     Public switched telephone networks can be used to transfer video as well as audio information. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,123 issued on Sep. 12, 1995 to David B. Smith for METHOD TO ENHANCE VOICE COMMUNICATIONS USING ENCODED ONE-WAY VIDEO SIGNALS UNDER BI-DIRECTIONAL USER OR NETWORK CONTROL FOR TRANSMITTING STORED OR REAL-TIME VIDEO OR IMAGE INFORMATION, discloses an arrangement for supplying audio and video signals from separate sources to a video telecommunication station. U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,922 issued on Dec. 10, 1996 to Richard A. Davis, et al., for TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC SWITCHING BETWEEN VOICE AND VISUAL DATA COMMUNICATIONS USING FORMS, discloses a telecommunication system which provides voice and data communications over a conventional telephone line between a server station and a client station using visual forms. U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,672 issued on Jun. 18, 1996 to Gerald M. Wert for TELEPHONE SYSTEM WITH SUBSCRIBER SELECTED AUDIO AND IMAGE ANNOUNCEMENTS, discloses a telephone network system which routes audio and image announcements into a call originating from a local telephone station of a calling party. U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,141 issued on Jun. 4, 1996 to David A Braun et al. for SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DIRECTORY INFORMATION OVER A TELEPHONY NETWORK USING ADSI, discloses a system and method for accessing directory information over a telephony network employing the ADSI protocol and for presenting the directory information at the user&#39;s conventional television monitor. 
     Additionally, in addition to audio and video images, data in various formats can be sent over a telephone network. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,516 issued on May 1, 1990 to Myron C. Butler et al. for TELEPHONE TECHNICIAN&#39;S TERMINALS WITH AUTO-SELECTION OF DIAL PULSE ON DTMF SIGNALLING, discloses a field terminal for use in communicating in diverse modes with a central technician access network. U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,257 issued on Oct. 22, 1991 to George Penalver for VIDEOTEX TERMINAL FOR RECEIVING TELECOPIES, discloses a videotex terminal capable of receiving telecopies. U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,498 issued on Dec. 26, 1995 to Yigal Brandman et al. for DIGITAL LINE CARD HAVING UNIVERSAL PORT FOR UPGRADING ELECTRONIC MESSAGING SYSTEM, discloses a digital line card for use in an electronic messaging system which enables the receipt of voice and text or image data over a single communications port. U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,865 issued on Jan. 30, 1990 to Albert Canuel for TELEPHONE DATA COLLECTION DEVICE, discloses a telephone data terminal and data collection network for communicating data over a telephone system using DTMF tone dialing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,370 issued on Jan. 16, 1996 to Leslie C. Moss et al. for HOME SERVICES DELIVERY SYSTEM WITH INTELLIGENT TERMINAL EMULATOR, discloses communication between a user-friendly terminal, such as a “home terminal” shaped to resemble a conventional telephone, and a number of service provider computers such as financial institutions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,731 issued on Oct. 10, 1995 to Joe H. Witherspoon for EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVICE FOR THE DISABLED, discloses an emergency telecommunication system for the hearing or speech impaired which includes an interface electrically connecting the emergency system to a telephone communication system. 
     Despite the various usages of telephone networks to communicate other forms of data in addition to audio, there has been no text enhanced implementation of a voice-automated menu system for use with an enhanced telephone. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a text enhanced voice menu system is presented. A server for the text enhanced voice menu system includes data storage, a voice communication path, a text communication path and switch logic. The data storage stores audio information for producing a voice menu, and stores text information for producing a text version of the voice menu. The voice communication path generates a voice menu from the audio information. The text communication path generates a text menu from the text information. The switch logic selects one of the voice menu and the text menu to be transmitted over a connection line. 
     The present invention allows for flexibility in handling phone calls by allowing voice menus to be presented alternatively in text menu format. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of an enhanced telephone connected through a telephone network to a text-enhanced voice menu system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of the text-enhanced voice menu system shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of the enhanced telephone shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 shows an enhanced telephone in accordance with an alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5, FIG.  6  and FIG. 7 show sample displays in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a flowchart which illustrates control logic for a switch for the text-enhanced voice menu system shown in FIG. 2 in 
     accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows a simplified diagram of an enhanced telephone  12  connected through a telephone network  11  to a text-enhanced voice menu system server  10 . Telephone network  11  is, for example, public switched telephone network, a private branch exchange (PBX), centrex, internet telephone connection or some other network which facilitates telecommunication. Text-enhanced voice menu system server  10  is connected to telephone network  11  through a connection line  13 . Enhanced telephone  12  is connected to telephone network  11  through a connection line  14 . For example, connection line  13  and connection line  14  are each an analog phone line. Enhanced telephone  12  includes a handset  17 , a display  15 , and a keypad  16 . Display  15 , is for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a minimum of two lines, each line holding 20 to 30 characters per line. Alternatively, display  15  can be implemented using different display technology, which displays the same amount or a different amount of text. 
     A button  18  is used to enable and disable the text enhanced voice menu mode of enhanced telephone  12 . 
     Text enhanced voice menu system server  10  provides a voice menu to a caller in a standard fashion. In addition, text enhanced voice menu system server  10  is capable of sending menu information in the form of text instead of (or in addition to) in a voice communication when an enhanced telephone is capable of displaying the menu information in the form of text. 
     FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of the unique features of text-enhanced voice menu system server  10 . An automated menu database  20  includes a voice storage area  22  and a text storage area  21 . Voice communication logic  23  produces voice menus from information stored in voice storage area. Text communication logic  24  produces text menus from information stored in text storage area. Switch logic  25  chooses which information to forward to connection line  13 . 
     FIG. 8 illustrates the control logic for switch  25 . In a step  51 , a telephone call is received. In a step  52 , a query is sent to the calling entity to determine whether the telecommunication device used by the caller supports text enhancement. If, in a step  53 , a text enhanced confirmation is received, in a step  54 , switch  25  allows a text menu to be presented to the caller. If, in step  53 , no text enhanced confirmation is received, in a step  55 , switch  25  provides for a voice menu to be presented to the caller. In a step  56 , text-enhanced voice menu system server  10  receives and acts on the caller selections. This is illustrated by data path  27  shown in FIG.  2 . The selections by the caller can be transferred to text-enhanced voice menu system server  10 , for example, in the form of DTMF tones or voice commands. 
     FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of enhanced telephone  12 . Switch logic  35  receives signals on connection line  14 . If switch  35  recognizes the signals as being audio signals, switch  35  forwards the signals to voice communication path  33 . The audio signals are then produced as sound by a speaker  32  which resides within handset  17  (shown in FIG. 1) or resides elsewhere on enhanced telephone  12 . 
     If switch logic  35  recognizes the signals as being for text, switch  35  forwards the signals to text communication path  34 . The text is then displayed on display  15 . If the number of menu lines is less than or equal to the number of display lines in display  15 , the full menu is displayed. If the number of menu lines is greater than the number of display lines in display  15 , the full menu is partially displayed, and the user of enhanced telephone  12  can scroll up or down to display additional lines of the menu. Enhanced telephone  12  can buffer data to implement the scrolling feature or enhanced telephone  12  can request data line by line from text enhanced voice menu system server  10 . 
     When a button  18  (shown in FIG. 1) has been used to disable the text enhanced voice menu mode of enhanced telephone  12 , switch logic  35  always forwards the signals from connection line  14  to voice communication path  33 . 
     When the text enhanced voice menu mode of enhanced telephone  12  is enabled, in response to reception of a query sent to enhanced telephone  12  to determine whether enhanced telephone  12  supports text enhancement, enhanced telephone  12  returns a text enhanced confirmation. When the text enhanced voice menu mode of enhanced telephone  12  is disabled, in response to reception of a query sent to enhanced telephone  12  to determine whether enhanced telephone  12  supports text enhancement, enhanced telephone  12  does not return a text enhanced confirmation. 
     Selections by a caller are received by enhanced telephone  12 , for example, from keypad pad  16 , in the form of DTMF tones or from a microphone  31 , in the form of voice commands. The selections are forwarded through a data path  37  to connection line  14 . Microphone  31  resides within handset  17  (shown in FIG. 1) or resides elsewhere on enhanced telephone  12 . 
     As illustrated by FIG. 4, enhanced telephone  12  may be replaced by a cellular phone  41  (or other portable phone) which includes a display  42  and a keypad  44 . If the number of menu lines is less than or equal to the number of display lines in display  42 , the full menu is displayed. If the number of menu lines is greater than the number of display lines in display  42 , the full menu is partially displayed, and the user of enhanced telephone  41  can scroll up or down to display additional lines of the menu. 
     A button  43  is used to enable and disable the text enhanced voice menu mode of enhanced telephone  41 . 
     FIG. 5 shows a sample text menu displayed on display  42  of enhanced telephone  41 . A user can select one of six options by depressing the corresponding key on keypad  44  or by speaking the corresponding number into the mouthpiece of enhanced telephone  41 . 
     When the user depresses “1” on keypad  44  the DTMF tone is forwarded to text enhanced voice menu system server  10  (or selects the first option by voice), text enhanced voice menu system server  10  forwards a new menu, as shown in FIG.  6 . After the user enters the appropriate account number and password using keypad  44 , an account balance is displayed on display  42 , as shown by FIG.  7 .