Patent ID: 7200210

Claim:
A method of automating business scheduling via the Internet using a natural language voice user interface through which a user directly accesses a scheduling database, to search availability and reserve a time slot based on preferences of said user, said method comprising: (a) through said natural language voice user interface providing by way of a first VoiceXML page, to said user at least one available search range for said user selection thereof; (b) through said natural language voice user interface providing, by way of a second VoiceXML page, to said user a plurality of search options for said user selection thereof, said plurality of search options including search on preferred date, preferred time of day, and earliest available time slots; (c) through said natural language voice user interface, obtaining said user's preferences as required by a selected one of said plurality of search options selected in step (b); (d) searching, by way of a third VoiceXML page, said scheduling database for available time slots by applying said selected one of said plurality of search options within a selected one of said at least one available search range selected in step (a) in order to produce a search result; (e) selecting a plurality of available time slots from said search result, said plurality of available time slots being closest in time to said user's preference, a total number of said plurality of available time slots not exceeding a predetermined value; (f) through said natural language voice user interface providing, by way of a fourth VoiceXML page, to said user said plurality of available time slots for said user selection of a chosen time slot; (g) reserving said chosen time slot in said scheduling database for said user; and (h) repeating steps (a) through (h), if said search result from step (d) contains no available time slot or if no said plurality of available time slots is chosen by said user in step (f), and only if a predetermined number of repetitions of steps (a) through (h) has not been exceeded; whereby said user can reserve said preferred time slot by self service.