Concurrent State Charts for Multi-Participant Voice Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional IVR systems are inefficient in handling multi-participant voice interactions, leading to complex decision points and redundancies, and often provide cumbersome voice instructions with unnecessary delays, especially when accessing information over variable-length message content or non-deterministic networks.
Innovation Solution
A voice interaction system utilizing independent, concurrent state charts to model participant behavior, prioritizing events, and introducing slight delays to optimize audio prompt presentation, while providing voice-guided installation and setup instructions using context-relevant spoken prompts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional IVR systems use call tree structures for multi-participant voice interaction, then the system can handle basic voice commands, but the decision points become overly complex and redundant
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monolithic call tree into multiple independent state charts, each representing a specific participant or interaction type. This segmentation allows each state chart to handle its own logic independently, reducing the overall complexity of decision points while maintaining the ability to model multi-participant interactions.
2Loss of information
If the system provides verbal status information during information retrieval, then users are kept informed, but the interface becomes less pleasant due to unnecessary delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively providing status information only when necessary, rather than continuously announcing every system state. The state charts determine whether to provide verbal feedback based on the specific interaction context, eliminating unnecessary delays while maintaining user awareness of critical system status.
3Speed
If the system immediately presents audio prompts, then the interface responds quickly, but higher-priority prompts may be missed due to concurrent events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by introducing a slight delay before presenting audio prompts. This delay allows the state chart system to evaluate incoming events, determine priority levels, and ensure that higher-priority prompts are not inadvertently overwritten. The preliminary evaluation maintains responsiveness while improving prompt presentation reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A voice interaction system includes one or more independent, concurrent state charts, which are used to model the behavior of each of a plurality of participants. The model simplifies the notation and provide a clear description of the interactions between multiple participants. These state charts capture the flow of voice prompts, the impact of externally initiated events and voice commands, and capture the progress of audio through each prompt. This system enables a method to prioritize conflicting and concurrent events leveraging historical patterns and the progress of in-progress prompts.