Automatic telephone polling system
First Claim
1. In an automatic telephone polling system having numbers of telephone interface units, each connected to a different line and each having a digitally-driven speech synthesis system, means for programming said units including a master unit having the same type speech synthesis system, whereby all telephone interface units can be easily simultaneously and initially programmed with the same messages from the master unit, and whereby all polling from the telephone interface units will have a uniformity dictated by the speech synthesis generated by the master unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An efficient, easily-programmed and annoyance-free polling system includes the utilization of multiple voice synthesizers in multiple identical Telephone Interface Units (TIUs) operating independently under control of their own microprocessor, with the TIUs being connected to a bank of telephone lines. A Master Unit with its own voice synthesizer programs the TIUs for simultaneous polling and receipt of polled information. The voice synthesizer in the Master Unit is used for easy message editing and the elimination of "dead time". A personal or other computer is used for initialization, message set up and editing, telephone number generation, and cross-correlation and printing of polling results, with the TIUs working independently for simultaneously polling over many telephone lines. In one embodiment, programming of each individual TIU is accomplished through a specialized coding system unique to polling operations. In one embodiment branching occurs on a non-response or an erroneous answer for improved polling results. Message editing capability and trimming of the outgoing message is provided through the changing of the starting address and ending address of the message.
154 Citations
13 Claims
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1. In an automatic telephone polling system having numbers of telephone interface units, each connected to a different line and each having a digitally-driven speech synthesis system, means for programming said units including a master unit having the same type speech synthesis system, whereby all telephone interface units can be easily simultaneously and initially programmed with the same messages from the master unit, and whereby all polling from the telephone interface units will have a uniformity dictated by the speech synthesis generated by the master unit.
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2. A system for conducting simultaneous information exchange over a number of telephone lines, including both DTMF and rotary/pulse signals, comprising:
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a number of individually-programmed telephone interface units for transmitting microphone-recorded predetermined voice messages over respective telephone lines and for receiving live information transmitted over the corresponding telephone line from an individual at the other end of a telephone line, each telephone interface unit operating independently once connected to a telephone line; and computer means connected to each telephone interface unit for programming said unit prior to its connection to a telephone line; each said telephone interface unit including means for storing responses received from said individual as ASCII characters, said computer means including means for collecting said responses in each telephone interface unit. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A system for conducting a poll comprising:
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a computer, a computer program for setting up the poll format, for designating a set of telephone numbers, and for storing the results of the poll taken; a number of substantially-identical telephone interface units coupled one each to a different telephone line, and each having its own microcomputer and storage, a voice synthesizer, and means for recognizing types of incoming signals; and a master unit for operably connecting the telephone interface units to said computer during initialization of the telephone interface units, to provide a telephone number to a telephone interface unit, and only to recover information stored in the telephone interface unit whereby each telephone interface unit operates independently of said computer during a polling sequence. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification