Telephone central office based method of and system for processing customer orders
First Claim
1. Telephone central office switch based telecommunications system for forwarding customer requests to vendor sites and processing orders, comprising:
- voice message system (VMS) platform means including a voice response unit (VRU) at a central office of a telephone network, said VMS platform means including first data storage means for storing and for sending, to the telephone of a customer, an audible instruction message followed by audible response messages in response to customer prompts entered by telephone;
a host computer storing product or service inventory information at a corresponding vendor site;
an adjunct computer associated with said VMS platform means for controlling said VRU, said adjunct computer coupled to said telephone network at said central office and in communication with said host computer;
switch means controlled by a central office computer and serving a plurality of lines for creating connections between said VMS platform means and customer telephone lines, a data link interconnecting said adjunct computer and vendor sites; and
means for downloading, from said host computer to said adjunct computer, information on customer identification and vendor inventory, and for uploading, from said adjunct computer to said host computer, information to create and activate an order;
wherein said adjunct computer is further programmed to control said VRU to send to the customer an "inventory depleted" message if remaining inventory is reduced to a predetermined target inventory and the host computer does not make available additional inventory.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone central office switch based system for forwarding customer requests to a vendor site and processing orders comprises, in addition to the standard central office switch, a voice response unit (VRU) controlled by an adjunct computer for sending to the telephone of a customer an audible instruction message followed by audible response messages in reply to customer prompts entered by telephone. The VRU/adjunct includes not only data storage for voice messages but also has a separate data storage capacity for storing a data base of customer identification and vendor inventory information. The adjunct computer is in communication with a host computer at each vendor site. The host downloads inventory and customer identification information to the adjunct, and the adjunct uploads information to create and activate an order at the host. To complete the transaction, the host updates inventory information and downloads back to the adjunct.
273 Citations
40 Claims
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1. Telephone central office switch based telecommunications system for forwarding customer requests to vendor sites and processing orders, comprising:
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voice message system (VMS) platform means including a voice response unit (VRU) at a central office of a telephone network, said VMS platform means including first data storage means for storing and for sending, to the telephone of a customer, an audible instruction message followed by audible response messages in response to customer prompts entered by telephone; a host computer storing product or service inventory information at a corresponding vendor site; an adjunct computer associated with said VMS platform means for controlling said VRU, said adjunct computer coupled to said telephone network at said central office and in communication with said host computer; switch means controlled by a central office computer and serving a plurality of lines for creating connections between said VMS platform means and customer telephone lines, a data link interconnecting said adjunct computer and vendor sites; and means for downloading, from said host computer to said adjunct computer, information on customer identification and vendor inventory, and for uploading, from said adjunct computer to said host computer, information to create and activate an order; wherein said adjunct computer is further programmed to control said VRU to send to the customer an "inventory depleted" message if remaining inventory is reduced to a predetermined target inventory and the host computer does not make available additional inventory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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11. Telephone central office switch based telecommunications system for forwarding customer requests to vendor sites and processing orders, comprising:
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voice message system (VMS) platform means including a voice response unit (VRU) at a central office of a telephone network, said VMS platform means including first data storage means for storing and for sending, to the telephone of a customer, an audible instruction message followed by audible response messages in response to customer telephone-entered prompts; a host computer storing product or service inventory information at a corresponding vendor site; an adjunct computer associated with said VMS platform means for controlling said VRU, said adjunct computer coupled to said telephone network at said central office and in communication with said host computer; switch means controlled by a central office computer and serving a plurality of lines for creating connections between said VMS platform means and customer telephone lines, a data link interconnecting said adjunct computer and vendor sites; and means for downloading, from said host computer to said adjunct computer, information on customer identification and vendor inventory, and for uploading, from said adjunct computer to said host computer, information to create and activate an order; wherein said adjunct computer is further programmed to store a data base of unfilled customer orders as a result of "out of stock" vendor inventory and to send a message to advise the customer on the availability date of an "out of stock" item.
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21. Telephone central office switch based telecommunications system for forwarding customer requests to vendor sites and processing orders, comprising:
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voice message system (VMS) platform means including a voice response unit (VRU) at a central office of a telephone network, said VRU including first data storage means or storing an audible instruction message followed by audible response messages entered via telephone by customers that are responsive to particular customer prompts, and a host computer programmed with product or service inventory information at each vendor site; second data storage means having stored therein customer identification and vendor inventory information downloaded to said host computer; an adjunct computer associated with said VMS platform means for controlling said VRU, said VMS platform being coupled to said telephone network at said central office and in communication with said host computer; switch means serving a plurality of lines and controlled by a central office computer for creating connections between (1) said VMS platform means and (2) customer telephone lines; and means for downloading, from said host computer to said adjunct computer, information on customer identification and vendor inventory, and for uploading, from said adjunct computer to said computer host, information to create and activate an order.
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22. A method of ordering products or services by a calling customer using a telephone network based interactive voice service for forwarding customer requests to vendor sites and processing orders, the network including a host computer at each vendor site storing product or service inventory information, a voice message system (VMS) platform means controlled by an adjunct computer at a central office of said network and in communication with said host computer, switch means controlled by a central office computer and serving a plurality of telephone lines;
- said method comprising the steps of;
downloading information on customer identification and vendor inventory from a host computer at a particular vendor site to said adjunct computer; sending a machine generated audible message requesting telephone keypad entered customer responses with respect to orders for products or services from said adjunct to a customer telephone; receiving and processing said customer responses at said adjunct computer; sending, from said adjunct computer to the customer machine generated audible reply messages in response to said customer responses entered by telephone; uploading, from said adjunct computer to said host computer information to create and activate an order; updating inventory information at said host computer in accordance with said order; downloading updated inventory information from said host to said adjunct computer; maintaining at said adjunct a data base of inventory remaining available to customers; and automatically sending to the host a message requesting an increase in inventory when the inventory remaining is reduced to a predetermined threshold inventory. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
- said method comprising the steps of;
Specification