Composite voice applications and services using single sign-on across heterogeneous voice servers

Abstract

A framework is provided to offer composite voice applications and services. A composite application and service begins from the user dialing in via phone and ends by the user hanging up the phone. The composite interactive voice services architecture includes a session initiation protocol session service unit is in the loop of session signaling all the time starting from the time the user first dials in, during the user roaming across various voice servers, and until the end of the composite service when user hangs up the phone. This unit accepts a command and login instruction of the next interactive voice service from the previous interactive voice service. The unit has knowledge of DTMF sequences required for the user to login to next interactive voice service. The session service unit automatically accomplishes a roaming process such that composite applications and services can be achieved across various voice servers.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Technical Field [0002] The present invention relates to data processing and, in particular, to interactive voice services. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing composite voice applications and services using single sign-on across heterogeneous voice servers. [0003] 2. Description of Related Art [0004] Interactive voice servers (IVS) are services that can be accessed from all phone devices by a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) Internet (wired or wireless). In general, these servers interact with users only by voice and dual tone multi frequency (DTMF) signals, also known as touchtone signals, or equivalent. This is especially important for mobile users that can access the services by cell phones to perform critical business functions while away from the office, for example. [0005] It is generally required for users to ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The present invention recognizes the disadvantages of the prior art and provides a framework to provide composite voice applications and services. A composite application and service begins from the user dialing in via phone and ends by the user hanging up the phone. During this process, users will be able to access an integrated and much more powerful voice services in a user controllable sequence from multiple interactive voice servers. In this architecture, the control signal to establish session is separated from the voice data path for scalability. The composite interactive voice services architecture includes a session initiation protocol session service unit is in the loop of session signaling all the time starting from the time the user first dials in, during the user roaming across various voice servers, and until the end of the composite service when user hangs up the phone. This unit accepts a command and login instruction of the next interactive voice service from the previous interactive voice service. The unit has knowledge of DTMF sequences required for the user to login to next interactive voice service. The session service unit automatically accomplishes a roaming process such that composite applications and services can be achieved across various voice servers.

Problems solved by technology

Currently, an IVS only provides services accessible from its own server, and cannot provide access to the services provided by another IVS.

This results in an inconvenience for users who wish to access several services, especially when the user accesses these services within a short period of time.

There is added frustration when the services are somewhat related to one another and the user must remember information gained from one service to perform a task with another service.

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