System and method for funneling user responses in an internet voice portal system to determine a desired item or servicebackground of the invention

Abstract

A method of funneling user responses in a voice portal system to determine a desired item or service includes (a) querying a user for an attribute value associated with a first particular attribute of the desired item or service; and (b) determining if the attribute value given by the user satisfies an end state. If the end state is not satisfied, steps (a) and (b) are performed with a new particular attribute.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 establishing voice communication with a user via a voice portal associated with one or more web services;   selecting one or more voice advertisements to play to the user based at least in part on information known about the user;   recording in a session record that at least a portion of the selected one or more voice advertisements was played;   receiving a user response, wherein when the user response indicates the user desires to stop the voice advertisement, recording in the session record that the voice advertisement was not completed, and when the use response indicates the user desires to hear more about the voice advertisement, recording in the session record that additional information was requested from the user; and   provided the session record to a party associated with the voice advertisement.   
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the one or more voice advertisements are selected based in part on information related to content or an item being explored. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the session record includes at least one bean. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the session record includes at least one bean. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the selected advertisement is added to a modified playlist for output to the user. 
     
     
         7 . An advertisement subsystem comprising:
 at least one processor; and   one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including:
 establishing voice communication with a user via a voice portal associated with one or more web services; 
 selecting one or more voice advertisements to play to the user based at least in part on information known about the user; 
 record in a session record that at least a portion of the selected one or more voice advertisements was played; 
 receiving a user response, the use response indicating the user desires to hear more about the voice advertisement; and 
 recording in the session record that additional information was requested from the user; and 
 provided the session record to a party associated with the voice advertisement. 
   
     
     
         8 . The advertisement subsystem as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving a second user response indicating the user desires to stop the voice advertisement; and   recording in the session record that the voice advertisement was not completed.   
     
     
         9 . The advertisement subsystem as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the one or more voice advertisements are selected based in part on a location of the user. 
     
     
         10 . The advertisement subsystem as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the one or more voice advertisements are selected based in part on information related to the session record. 
     
     
         11 . The advertisement subsystem as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the one or more computer-readable media stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including providing user information to the party associated with the voice advertisement in addition to the session record. 
     
     
         12 . The advertisement subsystem as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the one or more computer-readable media stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including updating advertisement information based on the user. 
     
     
         13 . One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 one or more processors programmed for:   establishing voice communication with a user via a voice portal associated with one or more web services;   selecting a voice advertisements to play to the user based at least in part on information known about the user;   recording in a session record that at least a portion of the selected voice advertisements was played;   receiving a user response, wherein the user response indicates the user desires to stop the voice advertisement;   recording in the session record that the voice advertisement was not completed; and   providing the session record to a party associated with the voice advertisement.   
     
     
         14 . The one or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 13 , having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a second user response that indicates the user desires to hear more about the voice advertisement; and   recording in the session record that additional information was requested from the user.   
     
     
         15 . The one or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more voice advertisements are selected based in part on a location of the user. 
     
     
         16 . The one or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more voice advertisements are selected based in part on information related to the session record. 
     
     
         17 . The one or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more voice advertisements are selected based in part on information related to content or an item being explored. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the one or more voice advertisements are selected based in part on information related to user demographics. 
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 13 , storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including:
 determining if the user has heard the selected voice advertisement; and   selecting a second voice advertisements to play to the user based at least in part on information known about the user;   recording in a session record that at least a portion of the second voice advertisements was played; and   providing the session record to a party associated with the second voice advertisement.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 13 , storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the at least one processor to perform operations including providing user information to the party associated with the voice advertisement in addition to the session record. 
     
     
         21 . The one or more computer-readable media as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the session record includes at least one bean.