Telephone system adapted to telemarketing

• US 4,788,682 A
• Filed: 09/23/1986
• Issued: 11/29/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northern Telecom Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Vij, Jagdish C., Steierman, Herbert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marcelo, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US06/910,642
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 370/110.1, 370/58, 370/119, 379/92, 379/96, 379/97, 379/213, 379/265, 379/266
• US Class Current: 370/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/625 Arrangements in the private branch exchange

Abstract

In a merchandising business wherein telephone subscribers'"'"' responses are solicited by various commercial advertisements via the television and/or radio media, merchandising agents receive such telephone responses in order to accept requests for goods and services and to expedite deliveries and billings. A telephone system is disclosed wherein a portion of a direct dialled number associated with an advertised product is forwarded to an information server. The information server provides information about the product, such information being displayable at a data display terminal adjacent a merchandising agent'"'"'s position. In the case where a group of merchandising agents is accessed via an automatic call distributing feature in the telephone system, the voice call and the data information appear at a selected merchandising agent'"'"'s position at about the same time, thereby informing the agent as to the particular item of interest and its attributes in association with the voice call.

Claims

1. A method for operating a telephone system in conjunction with an information server for providing a telemarketing function wherein displayable merchandising information is provided in association with a telephone terminal to which an incoming dialled telephone call is t be directed, the method including the steps of:

(a) in a call controller for directing operation of a switching network connected with said telephone terminal;

(i) recognizing a directory number indicated by the incoming dialled telephone call as being within a special number group;

(ii) directing the incoming call to said telephone terminal; and

(iii) transmitting indication of a portion of the indicated directory number to an information server.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said information server is a common or shared information server and comprising the further step of:

(iv) establishing a communication path in the telephone system from the information server for transmission of said displayable marketing information to a data display terminal adjacent said telephone terminal.

3. A telephone method for automatically identifying an item for purchase to a merchandising agent provided with a telephone station set and an information display means, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a plurality of telephone directory numbers to the telephone station set;

in a storage medium, storing a product information in association with each of said telephone directory numbers;

in response to an incoming telephone call to one of said directory numbers, connecting said incoming telephone call to said telephone station set and communicating an indication of said directory number to the information storage medium;

transmitting the information associated with the directory number from the information storage medium to said information display means; and

displaying the associated information whereby the merchandising agent is automatically informed as to the item for purchase in association with the incoming telephone call.

4. A telephone switching system including a switching network being connected with a central office trunk, a PBX trunk, and at least one telephone station set, and comprising:

an information display device physically adjacent the telephone station set and being connected to the switching network for receiving display data therefrom;

an information server connected to the PBX trunk and being responsive to indictions of any of a plurality of predetermined extension directory numbers for providing associated information via the PBX trunk; and

a call controller for connecting direct inward dialled calls identifying one of the plurality of perdetermined extension directory numbers to the telephone station set, for communicating an indication of said directory number to the information server, and for connecting the PBX trunk via the switching network to the information display device.