System and method for programming portable devices from a remote computer system

A method of exchanging information with a plurality of mobile users, comprising:

• exchanging messages between a server and a plurality of mobile client units, using wireless RF transmissions, each mobile client unit being used by a respective one of the mobile users;
• at each mobile client unit:
• receiving from the server a respective first voice page, and interpreting the respective first voice page by;
• speaking via a speaker voice prompts specified by the respective first voice page, receiving and converting voice responses from the user of the mobile client unit into text responses, and performing an action based on at least one of the text responses;
• wherein
• the action performed is selected from the set consisting of requesting a new voice page from the server and continuing to interpret the respective first voice page;
• the server executes a manufacturing management application that generates manufacturing application data in response to a request from any one of the mobile client units, and executes an interface module that converts the manufacturing application data into the new voice page;
• and
• executing the manufacturing application generates one or more voice pages that cause the one mobile client unit to perform the steps of:
• playing an audio prompt telling a user to go to a specified location;
• waiting for the user to speak a check string corresponding to the specified location, thereby confirming the user is at the specified location;
• playing an audio prompt instructing the user to perform a task;
• waiting for the user to confirm the task is completed;
• and
• repeating the telling, first waiting, playing and second waiting steps.

A method of exchanging information with a plurality of mobile users, comprising:

• exchanging messages between a server and a plurality of mobile client units, using wireless RF transmissions, each mobile client unit being used by a respective one of the mobile users;
• at each mobile client unit:
• receiving from the server a respective first voice page, and interpreting the respective first voice page by:
• speaking via a speaker voice prompts specified by the respective first voice page, receiving and converting voice responses from the user of the mobile client unit into text responses, and performing an action based on at least one of the text responses;
• wherein
• the action performed is selected from the set consisting of requesting a new voice page from the server and continuing to interpret the respective first voice page;
• the server executes an application that generates data in response to a request from any one of the mobile client units, and executes an interface module that converts the data into the new voice page;
• and
• executing the application generates one or more voice pages that cause the one mobile client unit to perform the steps of:
• playing an audio prompt instructing the user to perform a task;
• waiting for the user to confirm the task is completed;
• and
• repeating the playing and waiting steps.

An interactive voice response system, comprising:

• a server having an RF transceiver;
• and
• a plurality of mobile client units having RF transceivers for exchanging messages with the server, each mobile client unit including a microphone, a speaker, a processor, and a voice browser;
• the voice browser for interpreting a first voice page received from the server, speaking via the speaker voice prompts specified by the first voice page, converting voice responses from a user into a text response and performing an action based on the text response;
• wherein
• the action performed is selected from the set consisting of requesting a new voice page from the server and continuing to interpret the first voice page;
• the server is configured to execute a warehouse management application that generates application data in response to a request from any one of the mobile client units, and to execute an interface module that converts the application data into the new voice page;
• and
• the warehouse management application includes instructions for generating one or more voice pages that cause a mobile client unit of the plurality of mobile client units to perform the steps of:
• playing an audio prompt telling the user to go to a specified location;
• waiting for the user to speak a check string corresponding to the specified location, thereby confirming the user is at the specified location;
• playing an audio prompt instructing the user to perform a task;
• wait for the user to confirm the task is completed;
• and
• repeating the telling, first waiting, playing and second waiting steps.

An interactive voice response system, comprising:

• a server having an RF transceiver;
• and
• a plurality of mobile client units having RF transceivers for exchanging messages with the server, each mobile client unit including a microphone, a speaker, a processor, and a voice browser;
• the voice browser for interpreting a first voice page received from the server, speaking via the speaker voice prompts specified by the first voice page, converting voice responses from a user into a text response and performing an action based on the text response;
• wherein
• the action performed is selected from the set consisting of requesting a new voice page from the server and continuing to interpret the first voice page;
• the server is configured to execute a manufacturing management application that generates manufacturing application data in response to a request from any one of the mobile client units, and to execute an interface module that converts the manufacturing application data into the new voice page;
• and
• the manufacturing application includes instructions for generating one or more voice pages that cause a mobile client unit of the plurality of mobile client units to perform the steps of:
• playing an audio prompt telling the user to go to a specified location;
• waiting for the user to speak a check string corresponding to the specified location, thereby confirming the user is at the specified location;
• playing an audio prompt instructing the user to perform a task;
• wait for the user to confirm the task is completed;
• and
• repeating the telling, first waiting, playing and second waiting steps.

An interactive voice response system, comprising:

• a server having an RF transceiver:
• and
• a plurality of mobile client units having RF transceivers for exchanging messages with the server, each mobile client unit including a microphone, a speaker, a processor, and a voice browser;
• the voice browser for interpreting a first voice page received from the server, speaking via the speaker voice prompts specified by the first voice page, converting voice responses from a user into a text response and performing an action based on the text response;
• wherein
• the action performed is selected from the set consisting of requesting a new voice page from the server and continuing to interpret the first voice page;
• the server is configured to execute an application that generates data in response to a request from any one of the mobile client units, and to execute an interface module that converts the data into the new voice page;
• and
• the application includes instructions for generating one or more voice pages that cause a mobile client unit of the plurality of mobile client units to perform the steps of:
• playing an audio prompt instructing a user of the mobile client unit to perform a task;
• wait for the user to confirm the task is completed;
• and
• repeating the playing and waiting steps.