Speech Recognition Grammar Tuning for Wireless Ordering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Online commerce lacks an intuitive and user-friendly interface for consumers to discover and purchase products, as users face difficulties navigating diverse merchant interfaces and product listings, leading to a cumbersome search process.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing speech recognition to identify product categories and vendors, allowing users to place orders through a natural interface, with features like category-specific grammars, ancillary item offerings, and automated payment processing, enhancing the shopping experience by mimicking in-person browsing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional online search interfaces are used, then users can access a wide variety of merchants and products, but the search and ordering process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to merchants and productsVSAvoidsearch and ordering process time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual navigation and form filling with speech recognition technology. Users speak natural language commands to search for products and place orders, eliminating the need to manually browse search results, navigate merchant interfaces, and fill out order forms. This substitution of mechanical interaction with voice-based recognition directly reduces search and ordering time while maintaining access to diverse merchants and products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically processes speech commands to perform search, vendor selection, and order placement without requiring users to manually navigate through multiple interface steps. The speech recognition system interprets user intent and automatically executes the ordering process, including selecting vendors and completing transactions, thereby reducing the time users spend on the ordering process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple merchant interfaces and product listings are provided, then users have more options, but the interface complexity increases making navigation difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct optionsVSAvoidinterface complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex graphical interface navigation with natural language speech recognition. Instead of requiring users to navigate through search engines, browse product listings, and interact with multiple merchant interfaces, users simply speak their product requests. The speech recognition system interprets these commands and automatically handles the complex task of searching across multiple merchants and selecting appropriate vendors, thereby maintaining product variety while eliminating interface complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The speech recognition system acts as an intermediary between the user and the complex multi-merchant environment. It translates simple spoken commands into complex search and ordering operations across multiple vendors, shielding users from the underlying complexity of navigating diverse merchant interfaces and product catalogs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If traditional online shopping interfaces are used, then secure transactions can be processed, but the user experience lacks the natural and engaging aspects of in-person shopping

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction securityVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional click-and-type interaction with voice-based speech recognition, creating a more natural and engaging user experience similar to in-person shopping conversations. Users can speak naturally to search for products, select vendors, and place orders, making the interaction feel more conversational and less mechanical. This maintains secure transaction processing while significantly improving ease of operation and user engagement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS10839447B2System and method for wireless ordering using speech recognition

Publication Date: 2020.11.17 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Disclosed herein are systems, computer-implemented methods, and tangible computer-readable media for placing an order for a user. The method includes receiving a search from a user, identifying a product category based on the search, presenting to the user a general ordering screen based on the identified product category, selecting and activating a speech recognition grammar tuned for the identified product category, recognizing a first received user utterance with the activated tuned grammar to identify a vendor who offers items in the identified product category, recognizing a second received user utterance with the activated tuned grammar to identify a specific item from the identified vendor, and placing an order for the specific item with the identified vendor for the user. In one aspect, the method further offers to sell the user additional items ancillary to the specific item.