Telephone interface call processing system with call selectivity
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A telephone call processing system for receiving calls from a multitude of terminals in different call modes including an "800" call mode and a "900" call mode for processing to an interface format and involving digital signals associated with said terminals as for identification or data, said system comprising:
- first response unit means for receiving calls in said "800"call mode;
qualification means for qualifying said calls in said "800" call mode received by said first response unit to provide qualified calls;
second response unit means for receiving calls in a second call mode;
means for processing calls in an interface format; and
means for coupling said qualified calls and said calls in a second mode to said means for processing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
For use with a public telephone network CO incorporating a vast number of terminals T1-Tn, a system CS limits and controls interface access to implement voice-digital communication for statistical processing. The system CS accommodates calls in different modes, e.g. "800", "900" or area code and incorporates qualifying apparatus to restrict against caller misuse. Alternative calling modes are used to reach an interface facility that also affords some control based on calling terminal identification, e.g. as by ANI equipment.
117 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A telephone call processing system for receiving calls from a multitude of terminals in different call modes including an "800" call mode and a "900" call mode for processing to an interface format and involving digital signals associated with said terminals as for identification or data, said system comprising:
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first response unit means for receiving calls in said "800"call mode; qualification means for qualifying said calls in said "800" call mode received by said first response unit to provide qualified calls; second response unit means for receiving calls in a second call mode; means for processing calls in an interface format; and means for coupling said qualified calls and said calls in a second mode to said means for processing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A telephone call processing system for receiving calls from a multitude of terminals for processing to an interface format and involving digital signals associated with said terminals as for identification or data, said system comprising:
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cue means for prompting question responses from said terminals in the form of digital signals as data; question selection means for selecting individual questions from a plurality of questions for actuating said cue means; call record memory means for storing identified questions cued to said terminals, addressable by said digital signals associated with said terminals for identification; test means for testing individual questions selected by said question selection means against questions from said call record memory means to detect coincidence; and control means coupled to said cue means, said selection means, said memory means and said test means, said control means for sequencing operations to select a question, test the selected question and either actuate said cue means or select another question under control of said test, said control means also including a gate structure for inhibiting the cue means in the event of selecting a question of record in said call record memory means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A telephone interface system for individually interfacing callers at a multitude or remote terminals for voice-digital communication through a telephone communication facility, said system comprising:
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communication means for establishing telephone communication with currently active callers at certain of said terminals through said telephone communication facility; means for providing identification signals to said communication means indicative of said currently active callers, said means for providing identification signals comprising means for providing at least a portion of the digits associated with a remote terminal for identification; memory means for storing caller cues and use indications for said caller cues in relation to said callers as identified by said identification signals; cue means for receiving said caller cues to provide voice signals through said communication means to prompt responses from said currently active of said callers in the form of digital data signals; and means for selecting a current caller cue from said memory means for one of said currently active callers for application to said cue means under control of said identification signals for said one of said currently active callers and said use indications in said memory means for said one of said currently active callers. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A telephone interface system for individually interfacing callers at a multitude of remote terminals for voice-digital communication through a telephone communication facility, said system comprising:
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communication means for establishing telephone communication with currently active callers at certain of said terminals through said telephone communication facility; means for providing identification signals to said communication means indicative of said currently active callers; memory means for storing caller cues and use indications for said caller cues in relation to said callers as identified by said identification signals; cue means for receiving said caller cues to provide voice signals through said communication means to prompt responses from said currently active of said callers in the form of digital data signals; and means for selecting a current caller cue from said memory means for one of said currently active callers for application to said cue means under control of said identification signals for said one of said currently active callers and said use indications in said memory means for said one of said currently active callers, said means for selecting including means for addressing said memory means to provide a possible caller cue with use indications and coincidence means for testing said use indications for said possible caller cue against said identification signals for said one of said currently active callers. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A telephone interface system for individually interfacing callers at a multitude of remote terminals for voice-digital communication through a telephone communication facility, said system comprising:
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communication means for establishing telephone communication with currently active callers at certain of said terminals through said telephone communication facility; means for providing identification signals to said communication means indicative of said currently active callers; memory means for storing caller cues and use indications for said caller cues in relation to said callers as identified by said identification signals; cue means for receiving said caller cues to provide voice signals through said communication means to prompt responses from said currently active of said callers in the form of digital data signals; and means for selecting a current caller cue from said memory means for one of said currently active callers for application to said cue means under control of said identification signals for said one of said currently active callers and said use indications in said memory means for said one of said currently active callers, said means for selecting including means to reject a caller cue indicated to have been used for a currently active caller.
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20. A telephone interface system for individually interfacing callers at a multitude of remote terminals for voice-digital communication through a telephone communication facility, said communication facility providing number identification (ANI) signals indicative of the number for a calling remote terminal, said system comprising:
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preliminary communication means for establishing preliminary telephone communication with callers at said terminals to receive said number identification (ANI) signals; memory means for storing at least one predetermined sequence of select digits representative of only a portion of at least one of the numbers for identifying remote terminals means for testing said predetermined sequence of select digits against a select portion of a number for a calling terminal as represented by said number identification (ANI) signals for a current caller to provide a control signal; and means for accepting calls for interface communication beyond said preliminary telephone communication from said terminals in accordance with said control signal. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A telephone call processing system for receiving calls from a multitude of terminals for processing in a lottery interface format wherein callers are cued by synthesized voice signals supplied to said terminals and respond with digital signals, as by actuating push buttons at said terminals, said system comprising:
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means for selectively receiving calls from said multitude of terminals to establish telephone communication with a select subset of callers, said means for selectively receiving calls comprising means for receiving calls in a plurality of calls modes including an "800" calling mode; means for providing identification signals for said callers of said select subset; means for individually cuing said callers of said select subset to promote digital signals for processing to isolate a sub-subset of said callers; and means for storing identification signals for said callers of said sub-subset.
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Specification