IP Library Granted Patent US 8,762,153
Granted Patent B2
US 8,762,153 · App. 12/209,776 · Granted Jun 24, 2014

System and method for improving name dialer performance

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,762,153
App. No.
12/209,776
Granted
Jun 24, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer readable-media for improving name dialer performance. The method includes receiving a speech query for a name in a directory of names, retrieving matches to the query, if the matches are uniquely spelled homophones or near-homophones, identifying information that is unique to all retrieved matches, and presenting a spoken disambiguation statement to a user that incorporates the identified unique information. Identifying information can include multiple pieces of unique information if necessary to completely disambiguate the matches. A hierarchy can establish priority of multiple pieces of unique information for use in the spoken disambiguation statement.

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

receiving a speech query for a name in a directory of names;

retrieving matches to the query, the matches comprising a first match and a second match that are one of homophonic and near-homophonic;

identifying first meta-data that is unique to and associated with the first match and second meta-data that is unique to and associated with the second match;

identifying, via an analysis of the first meta-data and the second meta-data, a first meta-data component of the first meta-data and a second meta-data component of the second meta-data, wherein the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component have a highest strength of difference between the first meta-data and the second meta-data; and

presenting a spoken disambiguation statement to a user that incorporates the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying of the first meta-data and the second meta-data comprises identifying multiple pieces of unique information when necessary to completely disambiguate the matches.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a hierarchy establishes priority of multiple pieces of the first meta-data and the second meta-data for use in the spoken disambiguation statement.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a threshold is used to determine near-homophones.

5. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving a confirmation of one of the matches, to yield a confirmed match; and

connecting a caller to the confirmed match.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first meta-data and the second meta-data are customized.

7. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving a request from a user for further disambiguation information; and

presenting the further spoken disambiguation information to the user.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a speech query for a name in a directory of names;

retrieving matches to the query, the matches comprising a first match and a second match that are one of homophonic and near-homophonic;

identifying first meta-data that is unique to and associated with the first match and second meta-data that is unique to and associated with the second match; and

identifying, via an analysis of the first meta-data and the second meta-data, a first meta-data component of the first meta-data and a second meta-data component of the second meta-data, wherein the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component have a highest strength of difference between the first meta-data and the second meta-data; and

presenting a spoken disambiguation statement to a user that incorporates the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein identifying of the first meta-data and the second meta-data comprises identifying multiple pieces of unique information when necessary to completely disambiguate the matches.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein a hierarchy establishes priority of multiple pieces of the unique information for use in the spoken disambiguation statement.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein a threshold is used to determine near-homophones.

12. The system of claim 8 , the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

receiving a confirmation of one of the matches, to yield a confirmed match; and

connecting a caller to the confirmed match.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein information unique to the first meta-data and the second meta-data is customized.

14. The system of claim 8 , the computer-readable storage medium having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

receiving a request from a user for further disambiguation information; and

presenting the further spoken disambiguation information to the user.

15. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a speech query for a name in a directory of names;

retrieving matches to the query, the matches comprising a first match and a second match that are one of homophonic and near-homophonic;

identifying first meta-data that is unique to and associated with the first match and second meta-data that is unique to and associated with the second match; and

identifying, via an analysis of the first meta-data and the second meta-data, a first meta-data component of the first meta-data and a second meta-data component of the second meta-data, wherein the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component have a highest strength of difference between the first meta-data and the second meta-data; and

presenting a spoken disambiguation statement to a user that incorporates the first meta-data component and the second meta-data component.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein identifying of the first meta-data and the second meta-data comprises identifying multiple pieces of the unique information when necessary to completely disambiguate the matches.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein a hierarchy establishes priority of multiple pieces of the unique information for use in the spoken disambiguation statement.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , wherein a threshold is used to determine near-homophones.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , the computer-readable storage device having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

receiving a confirmation of one of the matches, to yield a confirmed match; and

connecting a caller to the confirmed match.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 , the computer-readable storage device having additional instructions stored which result in the operations further comprising:

receiving a request from a user for further disambiguation information; and

presenting the further spoken disambiguation information to the user.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2023
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 065552/0934 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2017
From: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
To: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 041504/0952 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2008
From: LEWIS, STEVEN HART; CZAHOR, MICHAEL T., III; DUDI, RAMKISHORE; PEARSALL, SUSAN HELEN
To: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
Reel/Frame 021525/0210 →