Method and apparatus for electronic commerce using a telephone interface

US7376586B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Hadi Partovi · Seattle, US
• Roderick Steven Brathwaite · Livermore, US
• Angus Macdonald Davis · Sunnyvale, US
• Michael S. McCue · Los Gatos, US
• Brandon William Porter · Yarrow Point, US
• John Giannandrea · Palo Alto, US
• Eckart Walther · Palo Alto, US
• Eugene Koh · Kirkland, US
• Andy Scott · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 17, 1999
• Grant date: May 20, 2008
• Expiry date: Dec 17, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M2242/22
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A voice portal supporting telephone to web server commerce is described. The voice portal allows users to access web servers using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), optionally including the use of a secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol, to complete commercial transactions. Additionally, embodiments of the invention can employ a one word commerce model that abstracts the particular model used by various electronic commerce vendors' web sites. The one word commerce model permits a user to identify a product and signal her/his purchase intentions with a single word, phrase, or touch-tone command. The voice portal can then complete the transaction supplying the electronic commerce vendor necessary information about the purchaser, e.g., her/his address, telephone number, electronic mail address, credit card information, etc. As needed, the voice portal can prompt the purchaser for information.