# US 7,609,669 B2 · Voice directed system and method configured for assured messaging to multiple recipients

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- Number: US 7,609,669 B2
- Document ID: US7609669B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/057,537
- Filed: 2005-02-14
- Published: 2006-08-17
- Granted: 2009-10-27
- Earliest claimed: 2005-02-14
- Assignees: Vocollect, Inc.
- Inventors: Lawrence R. Sweeney; James D. Maloy; Claudine Astorri; Linda Boyle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609669B2

## CPC

- H04L 12/189: {in combination with wireless systems (selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06)}
- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G06Q 10/08741: {by picking of items from inventory for fulfillment}
- H04L 12/1868: {Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments}
- H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A communications system transmits messages via a wireless network to multiple users nearly simultaneously in real-time. Each user has a terminal that receives a message and plays the message for the user. The terminal may also wait for the user to verbally acknowledge the arrival of the message before continuing with its normally executing application. The sender of the message may track, for each intended recipient, the delivery of the message, the accessing of the message by the user, and the acknowledgement by the user that the message was understood.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for sending a message to a set of selected operators performing logistical operations at a warehouse, the method comprising the steps of:
executing a logistical application on at least one wireless terminal that is communicating with a server over a wireless network within the warehouse;
receiving at the at least one wireless terminal a textual message transmitted from the server;
outputting the received textual message as audio output with a speaker that is in communication with the at least one wireless terminal;
receiving a verbal indication from an operator of the wireless terminal that the textual message audio output was at least one of accessed or understood by the operator; and
transmitting an acknowledgement message to the server from the terminal that the verbal indication was received from the operator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
announcing to the operator that the textual message was received from the server; and
delaying outputting of the received textual message as audio input until receiving a verbal instruction from the operator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:
interrupting the logistical application after receiving the verbal instruction; and
resuming the logistical application after receiving the verbal indication.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
performing speech recognition on the verbal indication to determine whether the operator at least one of accessed or understood the audio output.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement message includes a timestamp.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
automatically transmitting an acknowledgement message when the textual message is successfully received at the at least one wireless terminal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the message is associated with one of an event reminder, or an emergency message for the terminal operator.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, at a server, a textual message to be forwarded to the at least one wireless terminal;
transmitting the textual message to the at least one wireless terminal;
transmitting from the at least one wireless terminal, to the server, an acknowledgement message that the textual message was received at the at least one wireless terminal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further wherein the transmitted textual message includes a time window defining a time for the message received at the at least one wireless terminal.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 further comprising maintaining a record at the server regarding the acknowledgement messages that the textual message was received at particular wireless terminals.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 further comprising tracking from the record which terminals received the textual message.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining a record at the server regarding the acknowledgement messages from a particular operator.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 further comprising tracking from the record which operators at least one of accessed or understood the textual message.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the set of selected operators includes one operator.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the set of selected operators includes more than one operator.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
upon receiving the textual message, generating an alarm to alert the operator of its receipt.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 further comprising:
receiving, at the terminal, a verbal command from the operator regarding how to handle the received textual message; and
handling the textual message according to the verbal command.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 further comprising:
wherein the handling of the textual message includes at least one of: playing the message, discarding the message, ignoring the message, delay playing of the message, and re-directing the message.

### Claim 19

A method for delivering a message in a speech-enabled work environment that includes a plurality of users with terminal devices that perform applications using speech, the method comprising the steps of:
executing at least one application, using user speech and speech recognition, through a terminal device that is communicating with a communications network;
receiving the message, at the terminal device of a user, over the communications network;
outputting the message as audio output to the user of the terminal device;
receiving verbal confirmation spoken by the user that the audio output was at least one of accessed or understood; and
transmitting an acknowledgement message from the terminal device over the communications network, the acknowledgement message being reflective of the receipt of the spoken verbal confirmation for indicating that the audio output was at least one of accessed or understood by the user.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the message is delivered to a plurality of different users.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the communications network is a wireless network.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the step of outputting the message further includes the steps of:
indicating that the message has been received;
delaying outputting of the message as audio output until receiving a verbal command; and
receiving the verbal command to play the message.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:
in response to receiving the message, sending an acknowledgement message over the network indicating that the message was successfully received at the terminal device.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:
converting the message from text format to audio output.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:
receiving a verbal instruction from the user to replay the message; and
in response, replaying the message as audio output.

### Claim 26

A method for delivering a message in a speech-enabled work environment that includes a plurality of users with terminal devices that perform applications using speech, the method comprising the steps of:
executing at least one application, using user speech, through a terminal device that is communicating with a communications network;
receiving the message, at the terminal device of a user, over the communications network;
outputting the message as audio output to the user, by indicating that the message has been received, delaying outputting of the message as audio output until receiving a verbal command and receiving the verbal command to play the message;
interrupting an executing application when the verbal command is received; and
receiving verbal confirmation from the user that the audio output was at least one of accessed or understood;
resuming the executing application when the verbal confirmation is received;
transmitting an acknowledgement message from the terminal device over the communications network, the acknowledgement message indicating that the audio output was at least one of accessed or understood by the user.

### Claim 27

A multi-recipient communications system for facilitating speech-enabled work among a plurality of users comprising:
a server configured to transmit a message to multiple users;
a plurality of terminal devices associated with the users and configured for use with speech recognition applications, each terminal device configured to receive the message;
a wireless network configured to provide bi-directional communication between the server and the plurality of user terminal devices for the user to execute at least one application; and
each of the terminal devices further configured to output the message as audio output to the respective user, receive a respective verbal confirmation spoken by the user that the audio output was at least one of accessed or understood, and transmit, to the server, a respective indication that reflects that the spoken verbal confirmation was received from the user.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The system of claim 27, wherein the server is further configured to:
receive the message as input;
receive an identification of each of the multiple users;
identify a respective terminal device associated with each of the multiple users, and
address a respective copy of the message for delivery to each of the respective terminal devices.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The system of claim 27, wherein each of the terminal devices is further configured to:
convert the message to audio output from text format; and
play the message as audio output.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The system of claim 27, wherein each of the terminal devices is further configured to transmit a respective acknowledgement message indicating that the message was successfully received by the terminal device.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The system of claim 30, wherein the server is further configured to:
determine for each of the terminal devices whether a respective indication of verbal confirmation has been received;
determine for each of the terminal devices whether a respective acknowledgement message has been received; and
display a respective message status for each of the terminal devices indicating whether the message was at least one of received or understood.

### Claim 32

A multi-recipient communications system for facilitating speech-enabled work among a plurality of users comprising:
a server configured to transmit a message to multiple users;
a plurality of terminal devices associated with the users, each terminal device configured to receive the message;
a wireless network configured to provide bi-directional communication between the server and the plurality of user terminal devices for the user to execute at least one application; and
each of the terminal devices further configured to:
output the message as audio output to the respective user;
receive a respective verbal confirmation from the user regarding whether the audio output was at least one of accessed or understood;
perform speech recognition on the verbal confirmation from the user to determine if the verbal confirmation indicates the audio output was at least one of accessed or understood;
re-output the message as audio output to the respective user if the verbal confirmation does not indicate that the message was understood;
transmit, to the server, a respective indication that the verbal confirmation was received from the user.

### Claim 33

A multi-recipient communications system for facilitating speech-enabled work among a plurality of users comprising:
a server configured to transmit a message to multiple users;
a plurality of terminal devices associated with the users, each terminal device configured to receive the message and to transmit a respective acknowledgement message indicating that the message was successfully received by the terminal device;
a wireless network configured to provide bi-directional communication between the server and the plurality of user terminal devices for the user to execute at least one application, including executing a logistical application within a warehouse environment;
each of the terminal devices further configured to output the message as audio output to the respective user, receive a respective verbal confirmation from the user that the audio output was at least one of accessed or understood, and transmit, to the server, a respective indication that the verbal confirmation was received from the user; the terminal devices further configured to interrupt the logistical application after outputting the audio output; and
resume the logistical application after receiving the verbal confirmation.