Virtual customer database

• US 20030065620A1
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Gailey, Michael L., Portman, Eric A., Burgiss, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,472,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention includes a virtual customer database system for delivering personalized services to a consumer operating a communication device. The virtual customer database system includes an administrator and a distributed database. The distributed database may be selectively loaded by the administrator with customer related information extracted from participating businesses. The distributed database includes secure databases associated with each participating business and a public participant database. The administrator may process push and pull service requests by selectively querying the distributed database. Sensitive customer specific information may remain with each corresponding participating business while responses to the requests may include personalized customer specific information provided via a common interface standard.

Claims

1. A method of delivering personalized services to a consumer operating a communication device, the method comprising:

a) receiving a request for one of pull services and push services;

b) identifying a virtual key, the virtual key indicative of a consumer associated with the request;

c) identifying a participating business and an internal customer ID as a function of the virtual key and the intent of the request when the request is for pull services;

d) identifying a communication services provider, a communication channel and a communication device address as a function of the virtual key when the request is for push services;

e) forwarding the request and the internal customer ID to the participating business when the request is for pull services; and

f) forwarding the request over the communication channel to a communication device as a function of a device address when the request is for push services.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein c) and d) comprises verifying an authorization level of the consumer associated with the virtual key.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising g) forwarding a response to the request for pull services from the participating business to a communication device as a function of a communication channel identified with the request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a) comprises initiating a request for push services with at least one of a webserver and an automated request process of the participating business.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a) comprises initiating a request for pull services with a wireless communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein b) comprises identifying the virtual key as a function of a device address included in the request for pull services.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein c) comprises identifying the participating business with a company ID as a function of the intent of the request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication device is a wireless device and the communication services provider is a wireless services provider

9. A method of delivering personalized services to a consumer operating a communication device, the method comprising:

a) extracting customer information from at least one participating business;

b) selectively associating customer specific information with a virtual key, wherein the virtual key identifies a corresponding consumer and is cross referenced to the at least one participating business;

c) receiving a request for at least one of customer information from a consumer operating a communication device, and customer notification to the consumer from the at least one participating business;

d) identifying the virtual key of the consumer as a function of the request;

e) directing the request to the at least one participating business as a function of the virtual key and the intent of the request when the request is for customer specific information; and

f) directing the request to the communication device as a function of the virtual key when the request is for customer notification.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a) comprises identifying customer information corresponding to a list of subscribing consumers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein customer information comprises at least one of a name, an address and an internal customer ID.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein b) comprises associating the virtual key with a company ID in a public customer record.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising loading the public customer record into a consumer/company cross reference database.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein b) comprises associating the virtual key with an internal customer ID in a private customer record.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising loading the private customer record into one of a participating communication provider database and a participating company database.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein e) comprises identifying the intent of the request from one of natural language processing, keywords and menu choices.

17. A method of delivering personalized services to a consumer operating a communication device, the method comprising:

a) requesting customer information with a communication device;

b) querying a participating communications provider database to identify a virtual key associated with the communication device;

c) querying a participating company database as a function of the virtual key and the intent of the request to identify an internal customer ID; and

d) forwarding the request and the internal customer ID to a participating business responsive to the request as a function of the internal customer ID.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein c) comprises processing the request to determine the participating business from the intent of the request.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising e) forwarding a response from the participating business to the communication device.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication device is operable with a participating wireless communication provider and b) comprises accessing the participating communication provider database associated with the participating wireless communication provider.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein c) comprises accessing the participating company database external to a participating wireless communication provider the communication device is operable with.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein d) comprises formatting the request to be compatible with the participating business.

23. A method of delivering personalized services to a consumer operating a communication device, the method comprising:

a) sending a customer notification request, the customer identified in the request with an internal customer ID;

b) querying a participating company database to determine a virtual key associated with the internal customer ID;

c) querying a consumer internal profile database for a communication channel associated with the consumer as a function of the virtual key;

d) querying a participating communication provider database to determine a device address as a function of the virtual key and the communication channel; and

e) forwarding a notification message to the device address.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein b) comprises authorizing the request as a function of an authorization level.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein c) comprises determining the communication channel as a function of a predetermined contact parameter of the consumer associated with the virtual key.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein d) comprises determining a wireless phone number of the consumer.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein e) comprises formatting the notification message as a function of the communication channel.

28. A system for delivering personalized services to a consumer operating a communication device, the system comprising:

an administrator operable to process a plurality of requests that include a pull services request from a communication device and a push services request to notify a consumer based on an internal customer ID;

a first database in communication with the administrator, wherein the first database includes a virtual key associated with the communication device;

a second database in communication with the administrator, wherein the second database includes the virtual key associated with the internal customer ID; and

a third database in communication with the administrator, wherein the third database includes the virtual key associated with a company ID indicative of a participating business.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the administrator, in response to the pull services request, is operable to query the first database for the virtual key associated with the communication device and the second database for an internal customer ID as a function of the virtual key and the intent of the pull services request, wherein the administrator is operable to forward the pull services request and the internal customer ID to a participating company to obtain a response.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the administrator, in response to the push services request, is operable to query the second database for the virtual key associated with the internal customer ID, the third database for a company ID associated with the virtual key, and the first database for a device address of the communication device as a function of the company ID, wherein the administrator is operable to forward a notification message to the communication device with the device address.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the first database is a participating communication provider database of private customer records, wherein the private customer records include information extracted from a participating communication provider and associated with the virtual key.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the second database is a participating company database of private customer records, wherein the private customer records include information extracted from a participating company and associated with the virtual key.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the third database is a public participant database of public customer records, wherein the public customer records include information extracted from a participating communication provider and a participating company and associated with the virtual key.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein the third database includes a consumer-company cross reference database and a consumer internal profile database, wherein the consumer internal profile database includes consumer specific contact information and pre-determined contact information associated with the company ID and the virtual key.

35. The system of claim 28, wherein the administrator includes a load and scrub processing module, a request-handling module, and a transaction monitoring module.