Enhanced analogue of interactive voice response structures and functions for mobile phones and similar handheld communications devices

• US 20070123223A1
• Filed: 11/29/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary Letourneau, Roberto Catalan
• Original Assignee: Gary Letourneau, Roberto Catalan
• Inventors: Letourneau, Gary, Catalan, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/254 where the visual mode comprises menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

An integrated system and method that provides an enhanced analogue of interactive voice response structures and features for mobile phones and similar handheld communications devices, comprised of customized kernel applications, for communicating with central control servers and optional ancillary control servers with pertinent databases, auxiliary coordination applications on network-enabled computers, and an optional website that facilitates the creation of IVR-like structures and functions, via reference codes which are predominantly formatted as telephone numbers, to present a parallel, yet more powerful utilization of this widely-implemented and well-known voice-only construct, applied as an abbreviated Internet URL replacement in the typing-challenged mobile space, giving mobile devices access to VoIP-class features that also off-loads voice-only PABX platforms, without requiring IVR equipment or an infrastructure overhaul, by making full use of wireless and landline multi-protocol (i.e. TCP/IP) gateways, to provide easy and primarily visual access to wealth of organized content, with the ability to manipulate, send and receive specific, context and time sensitive multimedia information in a well-coordinated, controlled and scalable manner.

Claims

I. I. An integrated system that provides an enhanced analogue of interactive voice response system structures and functions for mobile phones and similar handheld communications devices, comprising:

(a) a plurality of customized kernel applications for mobile phones and similar handheld communication devices which will;

(1) uniquely identify, and optionally locate, said mobile phones and similar handheld communications devices, to establish distinct sessions and transactions with one or more predetermined control servers by collecting kernel application identification codes, predetermined feature attributes, and when accessible, unique hardware identification codes, subscriber identification module card information, and global positioning system information from said mobile phones and similar handheld communication devices,

(2) provide a user interface, generally formatted according to said predetermined feature attributes, for saving user preferences such as bookmarks and structure display settings, activating a search facility, summoning a directory, and other related tasks,

(3) enable a user or automated program to enter one or more reference codes that are predominantly comprised of phone numbers, and optional authentication codes which are transmitted to one or more said predetermined control servers over a communications network,

(4) request, receive and display a predetermined set of options analogous to interactive voice response services, context-specific data streams as scrolling ticker tape messages, and urgent notification messages, from said predetermined control servers, generally accessed via said reference codes,

(5) initialize predetermined modular programs, each one identified by a module identification code associated with each option, within said predetermined set of options, as required by said user or automated program,

(6) provide said user or automated program with the facility to send dynamically created or pre-formatted messages, and respond to each said urgent notification messages or said scrolling ticker-tape messages,

(7) access through predetermined communication networks, traditional voice and multimedia services, including applications and information from one or more predetermined external application and content servers, as required by said modular programs, and

(8) optionally store for added efficiency, said predetermined set of options, said modular programs, a selection of said reference codes, said external applications, and pertinent information onto said mobile phones and similar handheld communication devices, should said feature attributes indicate adequate capability,

(b) one or more central control servers which will;

(1) provide access, storage, management and manipulation of a database of user registration information, including user device information comprised of said kernel application identification codes, said predetermined feature attributes, said unique hardware identification codes, said subscriber identification module card information, and said global positioning system information from said mobile phones and similar handheld communication devices, for session identification, verification and transaction tracking,

(2) provide access, storage, management, and manipulation of a database of structure definitions, labels, said reference codes, said module identification codes, and other programs and information that form analogous interactive voice response services,

(3) provide access, storage, management, and manipulation of databases for said reference codes, said modular programs including said module identification codes assigned to each said modular programs, and content,

(4) serve as a default resource and registry for said kernel applications, substantially regarding access to said modular programs, including redirection to said external applications and external content servers,

(5) provide gateway connectivity to the public Internet and to one or more telephone companys'"'"' wireless and landline infrastructure,

(6) interface and coordinate with predetermined communications systems, other control servers and workstations as required by said modular programs and said databases, and

(7) provide a call and message routing facility and database for sending, receiving and forwarding calls, text, voice, graphical or multimedia messages and notifications to predetermined communications systems, voice and messaging servers, and other network-enabled devices, generally based on said reference codes, predetermined user registration parameters and a predetermined set of specific kernel identification codes,

(c) one or more optional ancillary control servers which will;

(1) provide a predetermined set of kernel identification codes access, storage, management and manipulation of a local database of user registration information, including local user device information comprised of said kernel application identification codes, said predetermined feature attributes, etc. for local session identification, verification and transaction tracking,

(2) provide said predetermined set of kernel identification codes access, storage, management and manipulation of a local database of structure definitions, labels, said reference codes, said module identification codes, and other programs and information that form local analogous interactive voice response services, each record of which is registered with said central control servers,

(3) provide said predetermined set of kernel identification codes access, storage, management, and manipulation of databases for local reference codes, local modular programs, and local content, all of which must be registered with said central control servers,

(4) serve as a primary resource and registry for a predetermined set of kernel identification codes, substantially regarding access to said local modular programs, including redirection to said external applications and external content servers,

(5) provide local gateway connectivity to the public Internet and to various telephone companys'"'"' wireless and landline infrastructure,

(6) interface and coordinate with predetermined communications systems and workstations as required by said local modular programs and said databases, and

(7) provide said predetermined set of kernel identification codes with a local call and message routing facility and database for sending, receiving and forwarding calls, text, voice, graphical or multimedia messages and notifications to predetermined communications systems, voice and messaging servers, and other network-enabled devices, generally based on said local reference codes and said user registration parameters,

II. II. A method for providing an enhanced analogue of interactive voice response system structures and functions on mobile phones and similar handheld communications devices, comprising:

(a) a plurality of customized kernel applications for mobile phones and similar handheld communication devices which will;

(1) identifying uniquely, and optionally locating, said mobile phones and similar handheld communications devices, to establish distinct sessions and transactions with one or more predetermined control servers by collecting kernel application identification codes, predetermined feature attributes, and when accessible, unique hardware identification codes, subscriber identification module card information, and global positioning system information from said mobile phones and similar handheld communication devices,

(2) providing a user interface, generally formatted according to said predetermined feature attributes, for saving user preferences such as bookmarks and structure display settings, activating a search facility, summoning a directory, and other related tasks,

(3) enabling a user or automated program to enter one or more reference codes that are predominantly comprised of phone numbers, and optional authentication codes which are transmitted to one or more said predetermined control servers over a communications network,

(4) requesting, receiving and displaying a predetermined set of options analogous to interactive voice response services, context-specific data streams as scrolling ticker tape messages, and urgent notification messages, from said predetermined control servers, generally accessed via said reference codes,

(5) initializing predetermined modular programs, each one identified by a module identification code associated with each option, within said predetermined set of options, as required by said user or automated program,

(6) providing said user or automated program with the facility to send dynamically created or pre-formatted messages, and respond to each said urgent notification messages or said scrolling ticker-tape messages,

(7) accessing through predetermined communication networks, traditional voice and multimedia services, including applications and information from one or more predetermined external application and content servers, as required by said modular programs, and

(8) storing as an option for added efficiency, said predetermined set of options, said modular programs, a selection of said reference codes, said external applications, and pertinent information onto said mobile phones and similar handheld communication devices, should said feature attributes indicate adequate capability,

(b) one or more central control servers which will;

(1) providing access, storage, management and manipulation of a database of user registration information, including user device information comprised of said kernel application identification codes, said predetermined feature attributes, said unique hardware identification codes, said subscriber identification module card information, and said global positioning system information from said mobile phones and similar handheld communication devices, for session identification, verification and transaction tracking,

(2) providing access, storage, management, and manipulation of a database of structure definitions, labels, said reference codes, said module identification codes, and other programs and information that form analogous interactive voice response services,

(3) providing access, storage, management, and manipulation of databases for said reference codes, said modular programs including said module identification codes assigned to each said modular programs, and content,

(4) serving as a default resource and registry for said kernel applications, substantially regarding access to said modular programs, including redirection to said external applications and external content servers,

(5) providing gateway connectivity to the public Internet and to one or more telephone companys'"'"' wireless and landline infrastructure,

(6) interfacing and coordinating with predetermined communications systems, other control servers and workstations as required by said modular programs and said databases, and

(7) providing a call and message routing facility and database for sending, receiving and forwarding calls, text, voice, graphical or multimedia messages and notifications to predetermined communications systems, voice and messaging servers, and other network-enabled devices, generally based on said reference codes, predetermined user registration parameters and a predetermined set of specific kernel identification codes,

(c) one or more optional ancillary control servers which will;

(1) providing a predetermined set of kernel identification codes access, storage, management and manipulation of a local database of user registration information, including local user device information comprised of said kernel application identification codes, said predetermined feature attributes, etc. for local session identification, verification and transaction tracking,

(2) providing said predetermined set of kernel identification codes access, storage, management and manipulation of a local database of structure definitions, labels, said reference codes, said module identification codes, and other programs and information that form local analogous interactive voice response services, each record of which is registered with said central control servers,

(3) providing said predetermined set of kernel identification codes access, storage, management, and manipulation of databases for local reference codes, local modular programs, and local content, all of which must be registered with said central control servers,

(4) serving as a primary resource and registry for a predetermined set of kernel identification codes, substantially regarding access to said local modular programs, including redirection to said external applications and external content servers,

(5) providing local gateway connectivity to the public Internet and to various telephone companys'"'"' wireless and landline infrastructure,

(6) interfacing and coordinating with predetermined communications systems and workstations as required by said local modular programs and said databases, and

(7) providing said predetermined set of kernel identification codes with a local call and message routing facility and database for sending, receiving and forwarding calls, text, voice, graphical or multimedia messages and notifications to predetermined communications systems, voice and messaging servers, and other network-enabled devices, generally based on said local reference codes and said user registration parameters,

III. III. An integrated system for organizing a multitude of emergency calls and similar time-sensitive messages to assist in the coordination of responses by a plurality of participating entities, comprising:

(a) the integrated system of claim 1, further including a plurality of auxiliary coordination applications on network-enabled computers assigned to authorized people and organizations which will;

(1) interface with said central control servers and said ancillary control servers,

(2) provide access, storage, management, and manipulation of a database of manually-selected recognized authorities derived as a subset group from said user registration information database for prioritization of call or message delivery and receipt, based on context generally derived from a specific reference code,

(3) provide access, storage, management, and manipulation of a database of dynamically-created recognized authorities derived as a subset group from predetermined information from said user registration information database and archived calls and messages, for prioritization of the delivery and receipt of active calls or messages, based on context generally derived from a specific reference code,

(4) create target groups by classifying registered people and organizations generally based on predetermined aspects of said user registration information, and said kernel identification codes,

(5) aggregate, group and sort active calls and messages, generally based on particular reference codes, prioritization assigned to said manually-selected or dynamically-created recognized authorities and said target groups,

(6) optionally reclassify and reassign predetermined calls and messages to other locally-created reference codes registered with said central control server, for creating said context-specific data streams, and said urgent notification messages,

(7) send or forward calls and message to one or more said central control servers or said ancillary control servers for delivery to said predetermined kernel identification codes based on said target groups, and

(8) record, close and archive inactive calls, messages, sessions and transactions.

IV. IV. A business method to allow individuals, groups and organizations who may not have an interactive voice response (IVR) equipment to create, personalize and access an enhanced analogue of said interactive voice response system structures and functions on mobile phones and similar handheld communications devices, comprising:

(a) the method of claim 2, further including a commercial interactive website, which will;

(1) providing a web-based interface into said central control server for selecting and downloading said custom kernel applications to said mobile phones and similar handheld communications devices via user-supplied contact numbers,

(2) providing said web-based interface into said central control server for registering new users and collecting required user details, identifying user preferences and areas of interest or concern, for automated receipt of context-based calls and messages, said urgent notifications and said context-based data-streams, and

(3) providing said web-based interface into said central control server for facilitating the creation and management of an interactive table of said structure definitions, said labels, said reference codes, said module identification codes, and other programs and information that form analogous interactive voice response (IVR) services, based on responses from registered users.