Visual Display of Audible Voice Menu Options

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users interacting with automated voice systems face inefficiencies due to the need to listen to audibly presented options, which can be time-consuming and error-prone, especially when options are not pre-stored in a centralized database.

Innovation Solution

A system that visually displays options presented by automated voice systems using a centralized audible menu database, populated through crowdsourced information, allowing users to interact more efficiently and accurately by transcribing audibly presented options and storing them for future reference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users interact with automated voice systems by listening to audibly presented options, then the system maintains simplicity in presentation, but user interaction becomes time-consuming and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser interaction accuracyVSAvoidinteraction time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a visual copy of the audible menu options by transcribing spoken words into text and displaying them on the screen. This allows users to see the same information that is being heard, enabling faster and more accurate interaction without changing the core voice system functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a visual dimension to the audio-only interaction model. By displaying transcribed text on the screen alongside or instead of audio playback, users can process information through both auditory and visual channels simultaneously, reducing interaction time and errors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If a centralized audible menu database is used to store pre-transcribed options, then user interaction efficiency improves, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser interaction efficiencyVSAvoidsystem infrastructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs menu transcription in advance and stores it in a centralized database. When users interact with the system, they receive pre-transcribed text rather than requiring real-time transcription, significantly improving interaction efficiency while distributing the processing load.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically transcribes and stores menu options from audio recordings without requiring manual intervention. The centralized database self-populates as users interact with various voice systems, reducing the need for manual database maintenance while building the infrastructure over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If real-time transcription of audible options is performed during user interaction, then visual display accuracy improves, but interaction time increases due to processing delay

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoption transcription accuracyVSAvoidtranscription processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transcribes menu options in advance during system setup or idle periods, storing the transcribed text for immediate retrieval during user interactions. This eliminates real-time transcription delays while maintaining high accuracy through careful pre-processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts its transcription approach based on availability of pre-transcribed data. When menu options are already in the database, it retrieves them instantly; when new options are encountered, it performs transcription and adds them to the database for future use, optimizing the balance between accuracy and speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3295457B1Automatic visual display of audibly presented options to increase user efficiency and interaction performance
Publication Date: 2020.06.03 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3295457B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3295457B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3295457B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Users' interaction performance with an automated voice system is improved, as is users' efficiency, by visually displaying options audibly presented by the automated voice system, thereby enabling users to interact with the system more quickly and accurately. Options can be obtained from a centralized audible menu database with the communicational identifier utilized to establish a communication connection with the automated voice system. The database is populated from crowdsourced information, provided when users establish communicational connections with portions of automated voice systems whose options have not yet been stored in the database, and then transcribe the options that are audibly presented by the automated voice system. Transcription of audibly presented options likewise serves as a double check to verify options already displayed. User interaction generates a subsequent communicational connection, with a different communicational identifier, to a different portion of the automated voice system, re-triggering the mechanisms.