System and method for voice user interface navigation
View Patent ↗A Voice User Interface (VUI) or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system utilizes three levels of navigation (e.g. Main Menu, Services, and Helper Commands) in presenting information units arranged in sets. The units are “spoken” by a system in a group to a human user and the group of information at each level is preceded by a tone that is unique to the level. When navigating the levels, the tones of the levels are in a musical progression, e.g. the three-note blues progression I, IV, V, for preceding the groups of information, respectively. The musical progression returns to the tonic of the musical key when the navigation returns to the level one of the first group of information.
1. A method for interfacing with a human user, comprising:
assigning a tonality to respective ones of groups of information, wherein each of the assigned tonalities is unique for distinguishing the groups of information;
generating a voice transmission based on one of the groups, the voice transmission having the tonality assigned to the one group;
sending to the human user, via an interface, the voice transmission for aural perception by the human user; and
receiving and recognizing user voice commands over a voice user interface (VUI) for navigation of the groups of the information.
2. A method of claim 1 , further comprising: providing a tonality fundamental pitch that is unique for each of the groups.
3. A method of claim 1 , further comprising:
preceding successive groups of the information respectively by a tone unique to each group, with the tones of the groups being a musical progression of tones of a musical key; and
starting the musical progression with the tonic tone of the musical key.
4. A method of claim 1 , wherein the tonality is further supplemented with a unique timbre.
5. A method of claim 1 , wherein the tonality is perceived by the human user as having an identifiable musical pitch.
6. An information system for interfacing with a human user comprising:
storage having information retrievable in groups, each group corresponding to one of words and syllables; and
means for sending each of the groups of the information as a voice transmission preceded by a unique tone of a musical key to the human user for aural perception by the human user, wherein the musical key distinguishes each group from others of the groups.
7. A system of claim 6 , further comprising:
means for responding to and recognizing user commands for navigation of the groups of the information; and
said means for responding to and recognizing together with said means for sending from, a two way user interface.
8. A system of claim 7 , further comprising:
means for providing the tones of successive groups as a musical progression in the musical key from the tonic tone of the musical key.
9. A system of claim 6 , wherein the unique tone is further supplemented with a unique timbre.
10. A system of claim 6 , wherein the tonality is perceived by the human user as having an identifiable musical pitch.
11. An information system for interfacing with a human user, comprising:
storage having information retrievable in groups, each group comprising sets of information units that correspond to one of words and syllables;
an interface for voice transmitting each group preceded by a unique tone to the human user for aural perception by the human user, wherein the tones are in a single musical key, the tones distinguishing each group from the other groups; and
whereby the unique tones provide a human user navigation aid to identify the group to which the units belongs.
12. The information system of claim 11 , further comprising:
an input to receive user commands; and
an analyzer and command recognizer connected to receive user commands input and issue corresponding system commands.
13. A method of communicating information to a human user, comprising:
assigning a plurality of tones respectively to a plurality of sets of information, wherein ascending frequency of the tones correspond to a first direction of a hierarchy of the sets and descending frequency of the tones correspond to a second direction of the hierarchy;
generating an audio signal having one of the tones corresponding to one of the sets of information; and
transmitting the audio signal via an interface to the human user.
14. A method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving a user tone command for navigation of the sets of the information.
15. A method of claim 13 , further comprising: receiving a user voice command for navigation of the sets of the information.
16. A method of claim 13 , wherein the tones are supplemented with unique timbres.
17. A method of claim 13 , wherein the tones are perceived by the human user as having an identifiable musical pitch.
18. An information system, comprising:
a memory configured to store information retrievable in sets, each set being associated with a unique tone; and
means for sending, to a human, each of the sets of the information as a voice transmission preceded by the unique tone, wherein the tones ascend in pitch in one direction of a hierarchy of the sets and descend in pitch in the other direction of the hierarchy.
19. A system of claim 18 , wherein the tones follow a I, IV, V musical progression in a musical key.
20. A system of claim 18 , further comprising:
means for receiving a user tone command for navigation of the sets of the information.
21. A system of claim 18 , further comprising:
means for receiving a user voice command for navigation of the sets of the information.
22. A system of claim 18 , wherein the tones are supplemented with unique timbres.
23. A system of claim 18 , wherein the tones are perceived by the human user as having an identifiable musical pitch.
24. A method for interfacing with a human user, comprising:
assigning a tonality to respective ones of groups of information, wherein each of the assigned tonalities is unique for distinguishing the groups of information;
generating a voice transmission based on one of the groups, wherein the voice transmission having the tonality assigned to the one group;
sending to the human user, via an interface, the voice transmission for aural perception by the human user; and
receiving and recognizing user tone commands over an interactive voice recognition (IVR) for navigation of the groups of the information.