Systems and methods for engaging an audience in a conversational advertisement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9619812-B2
Application number	US-201213597017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2012
Priority date	Aug 28, 2012
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A system and method are described for engaging an audience in a conversational advertisement. A conversational advertising system converses with an audience using spoken words. The conversational advertising system uses a speech recognition application to convert an audience's spoken input into text and a text-to-speech application to transform text of a response to speech that is to be played to the audience. The conversational adverting system follows an advertisement script to guide the audience in a conversation.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for engaging an audience in a conversational advertisement, wherein the system includes a processor and a memory, the system comprising:
a conversation module implemented by the processor and configured to:
receive an indication to present a conversational advertisement to multiple members of an audience;
identify a conversational advertisement to present to the multiple members of the audience;
convey a first message of the conversational advertisement to the multiple members of the audience,
wherein the first message is conveyed contemporaneously to the multiple members using a single communication session;

process spoken words from audio data representing a verbal response to the first message from a first member of the multiple members of the audience,
wherein the verbal response to the first message is one of multiple individual responses provided by two or more of the multiple members of the audience; and

determine a response to convey to the first member of the audience,
wherein the response to convey to the first member of the audience is determined based at least in part on the spoken words from the audio data representing the verbal response to the first message from the first member of the audience; and

a speech recognition module implemented by the processor and configured to:
receive audio data representing the verbal response of the first member of the audience to the first message of the conversational advertisement; and
identify spoken words from the audio data representing the verbal response to the first message from the first member of the audience.

2. The system of claim 1 :
wherein the conversational advertisement includes an advertisement script, wherein the advertisement script includes multiple possible responses based on different received verbal responses; and
wherein the conversation module is further configured to:
compare (A) the spoken words from the audio data representing the verbal response to the first message to (B) at least a portion of the advertisement script, and
identify, based on the comparison, a script response that is included in the advertisement script as the response to convey to the member of the audience.

3. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the response to convey to the first member of the audience is based on identified information associated with the first member of the audience;
wherein the information associated with the first member of the audience includes gender information determined by analyzing the audio data representing the verbal response to the first message.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conversation module is further configured to identify a conversational advertisement to present to the multiple members of the audience based at least in part on information associated with one or more of the multiple members of the audience.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conversational advertisement includes an advertisement script that includes at least one of:
a non-connected path configured to be used to navigate the advertisement script when the audio data representing the verbal response to the first message from the first member of the audience cannot be received,
a nonsense path configured to be used to navigate the advertisement script when the audio data representing the verbal response to the first message from the first member of the audience is nonsensical,
a default path configured to be used to navigate the advertisement script when, despite being able to receive audio data, no audio data representing the verbal response to the first message from the first member of the audience is received, or
any combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conversation module is further configured to determine an action that is to be taken based at least in part on the spoken words from the audio data representing the verbal response to the first message from the first member of the audience.

7. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the conversational advertisement is presented to the member of the audience through one or more web browsers;
wherein the first message of the conversational advertisement is presented on a first webpage; and
wherein the response to convey to the member of the audience is presented on a second webpage different from the first webpage such that the response to convey to the member of the audience continues the conversational advertisement on the second webpage, picking up from where the member of the audience left off with initial interactions with the conversational advertisement presented on the first webpage.

8. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the response to convey to the first member of the audience is further based on a conversation observed between the multiple members of the audience.

9. A method of engaging an audience in a conversational advertisement, wherein the method is performed by a computing system having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:
identifying, at a server computer, a conversational advertisement to present to an audience via a client device in response to a received indication to present an advertisement,
wherein the conversational advertisement is selected from multiple conversational advertisements and
wherein the identified conversational advertisement provides a verbal interface such that the identified conversational advertisement provides responses, to verbal input provided to the verbal interface, that are based on an identified meaning of the verbal input to the verbal interface;

orchestrating, through a first webpage, at least two initial interactions between the audience and the conversational advertisement, wherein one of the at least two initial interactions comprises:
conveying, at the server computer, a first message of the conversational advertisement to the client device to be presented to the audience; and
receiving, at the server computer, audio data from the client device representing a verbal response by the audience to the first message of the conversational advertisement,
wherein the audio data is received through the member of the audience interacting with the first webpage;

identifying, at the server computer, based on the spoken words from the audio data representing the verbal response of the audience to the first message, a particular point in a conversation with the member of the audience; and
processing, at the server computer, the spoken words from the audio data representing the verbal response of the audience to the first message;
determining, at the server computer, a response to convey to the audience via the client device,
wherein the response to convey to the audience is determined based at least in part on the spoken words from the audio data representing the verbal response by the audience to the first message, and

converting, at the server computer, the response to convey to the audience to response audio data to be played to the audience;
wherein the response to convey to the member of the audience is presented on a second webpage different from the first webpage such that the response to convey to the member of the audience continues the conversational advertisement on the second webpage, picking up from the identified particular point in the conversation with the member of the audience such that the conversation with the member of the audience continues where the member of the audience left off from the at least two initial interactions with the conversational advertisement orchestrated through the first webpage.

10. The method of claim 9 ,
wherein the conversational advertisement includes an advertisement script,
wherein processing, at the server comp

Assignees

• Balasubramanian Sundar
• Mcsherry Michael
• Sheedy Aaron
• Nuance Communications Inc

Inventors

• Balasubramanian Sundar
• Mcsherry Michael
• Sheedy Aaron

Classifications

• G06F16/3329

  Natural language query formulation · CPC title

• G10L2015/223

  Execution procedure of a spoken command · CPC title

• G06Q30/0255 Primary

  based on user history · CPC title

• G06Q30/02 Primary

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• G10L25/51

  for comparison or discrimination · CPC title