How to recognize caller's name and address in VXML?

Question

I have recently got a chance to work on Plum Voice VXML. I am writing an IVR for a food ordering company in which it is required to ask name and address from the caller to save in database and to deliver the order later. For voice recognition we have to provide grammar but how can I write a grammar to recognize names as thousands of names exists.

Answer 1

Plum voice has special grammars for names and US addresses, for example here is how to input the name:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<vxml version="2.0">

<property name="sensitivity" value="0.8"/>
<property name="confidencelevel" value="0.2"/>

<form id="name">
<field name="getuserlastname" type="lastname">
  <prompt bargein="false">
    Say your last name and spell it.
  </prompt>
</field>

<field name="getuserfirstname" type="firstname">
  <prompt bargein="false">
    Say your first name and spell it.
  </prompt>
</field>

<block>
  <prompt bargein="false">
    Your first name is <value expr="getuserfirstname"/>
    and your last name is <value expr="getuserlastname"/>.
  </prompt>
</block>

</form>
</vxml>

For more details see http://www.plumvoice.com/docs/dev/developer_reference:grammar

Answer 2

Some VoiceXML IVR (like Voximal) embedded SpeechToText ressources. Those allows you to convert speech to text, and so, allows you to get the user's name. You will probably reach limitations with foreign or exotic names... But, engines like Google Speech API allows you to add extra names to increase the recognition.