System and method for responding to telephone calls and written communications
First Claim
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1. A computer implemented method for communicating with contacts, comprising:
- receiving a telephone call from a first contact;
in response to receiving the telephone call, starting a telephone answering subroutine;
receiving a first contact identifier identifying the first contact;
waiting to receive an audio segment;
receiving an audio segment beginning when the first contact starts talking and ending when the first contact stops talking for a predetermined length of time;
while the audio segment is being received, determining if a question is being asked and determining a response to each question asked during the audio segment;
following an end of the audio segment, generating and transmitting a response segment including a response to each question asked in the audio segment;
determining whether the telephone call has ended; and
in response to determining that the telephone call has not ended, returning to receive an audio segment;
in response to determining that the telephone call has ended, ending, the telephone answering subroutine;
monitoring a telephone call between the first contact and a user of the computer implemented method;
while the telephone call is being monitored, determining when the first contact is speaking and when the user is speaking;
in response to determining that the first contact is speaking, developing a plurality of first contact telephone scores indicating a telephone communication style of the first contact;
in response to determining that the user is speaking, developing a plurality of user with first contact telephone scores indicating a telephone communication style for the user in communication with the first contact;
determining that the telephone call being monitored has ended;
determining whether data describing a telephone communication style of the first contact is stored in a first data field of a data record associated with the first contact;
in response to determining that data describing a telephone communication style of the first contact is not Stored in the first data field, staring the plurality of first contact telephone stores in the first data field;
in response to determining that data describing a telephone communication style of the first contact is stored in the first data field, combining the data stored in the first data field with the plurality of first contact telephone scores to form combined user telephone scores and storing the combined user telephone scores in the first data field;
determining whether data describing a telephone communication style of the user in communication with the first contact is stored in a second data field of a data record associated with the first contact;
in response to determining that data describing a telephone communication style of the user in communication with the first contact is not stored in the second data field, storing the plurality of user in communication with the first contact telephone stores in the first data field; and
in response to determining that data describing a telephone communication style of the user in communication with the first contact is stored in the second data field, combining the data stored in the second data field with the plurality of user in communication with the first contact telephone scores to form combined user in communication with the first contact telephone scores and storing the combined user telephone scores in the second data field, wherein the telephone communication style first contact and the telephone communication style of the user in communication with the first contact are emulated in generating the response to each question asked.
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Abstract
A computer implemented method for communicating with contacts preferably responds to both telephone calls and written text documents, with calls being handled as they are received, and with written documents being temporarily stored before responding. Calls and written documents are monitored to determine the communication styles of the contacts and of the user in dealing with the contacts, with these styles then being applied to the responses, which include answers to questions from the contacts. Connections to other components and systems provide answers regarding the location and scheduling of the user, product inventories, etc.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for communicating with contacts, comprising:
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receiving a telephone call from a first contact; in response to receiving the telephone call, starting a telephone answering subroutine; receiving a first contact identifier identifying the first contact; waiting to receive an audio segment; receiving an audio segment beginning when the first contact starts talking and ending when the first contact stops talking for a predetermined length of time; while the audio segment is being received, determining if a question is being asked and determining a response to each question asked during the audio segment; following an end of the audio segment, generating and transmitting a response segment including a response to each question asked in the audio segment; determining whether the telephone call has ended; and in response to determining that the telephone call has not ended, returning to receive an audio segment; in response to determining that the telephone call has ended, ending, the telephone answering subroutine; monitoring a telephone call between the first contact and a user of the computer implemented method; while the telephone call is being monitored, determining when the first contact is speaking and when the user is speaking; in response to determining that the first contact is speaking, developing a plurality of first contact telephone scores indicating a telephone communication style of the first contact; in response to determining that the user is speaking, developing a plurality of user with first contact telephone scores indicating a telephone communication style for the user in communication with the first contact; determining that the telephone call being monitored has ended; determining whether data describing a telephone communication style of the first contact is stored in a first data field of a data record associated with the first contact; in response to determining that data describing a telephone communication style of the first contact is not Stored in the first data field, staring the plurality of first contact telephone stores in the first data field; in response to determining that data describing a telephone communication style of the first contact is stored in the first data field, combining the data stored in the first data field with the plurality of first contact telephone scores to form combined user telephone scores and storing the combined user telephone scores in the first data field; determining whether data describing a telephone communication style of the user in communication with the first contact is stored in a second data field of a data record associated with the first contact; in response to determining that data describing a telephone communication style of the user in communication with the first contact is not stored in the second data field, storing the plurality of user in communication with the first contact telephone stores in the first data field; and in response to determining that data describing a telephone communication style of the user in communication with the first contact is stored in the second data field, combining the data stored in the second data field with the plurality of user in communication with the first contact telephone scores to form combined user in communication with the first contact telephone scores and storing the combined user telephone scores in the second data field, wherein the telephone communication style first contact and the telephone communication style of the user in communication with the first contact are emulated in generating the response to each question asked. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A computer implemented method for communicating with contacts, comprising:
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receiving a telephone call from a first contact; in response to receiving the telephone call, starting a telephone answering subroutine; receiving a first contact identifier identifying the first contact; waiting to receive an audio segment; receiving an audio segment beginning when the first contact starts talking and ending when the first contact stops talking for a predetermined length of time; while the audio segment is being received, determining if a question is being asked and determining a response to each question asked during the audio segment; following an end of the audio segment, generating and transmitting a response segment including a response to each question asked in the audio segment; determining whether the telephone call has ended; and in response to determining that the telephone call has not ended, returning to receive an audio segment; in response to determining that the telephone call has ended, ending the telephone answering subroutine; receiving text data from a written text document transmitted by a second contact; storing the text data in a work-in-process file; determining that the text data is stored in the work-in-process file; in response to determining that the text data is stored in the work-in-process file, starting a text data answering subroutine; while the text data answering subroutine is running, determining whether a question is asked within the written text document and determining that an end of the written text document has been reached; preparing an answer for each question asked within the written text document; and in response to determining that an end of the written text document has been reached, preparing a written text response including answers to all questions in the written text document and transmitting data from the written text response to the second contact. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification