Telephonic-interface game control system

• US 5,349,633 A
• Filed: 02/04/1994
• Issued: 09/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: First Data Resources Incorporated (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Resources Incorporated (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Katz, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US08/191,868
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88, 379/67, 379/97, 379/189, 379/196, 379/197, 379/198, 379/199, 379/142, 379/201, 379/246, 379/245, 364/410, 364/411
• US Class Current: 379/88.09
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/086 played via telephone, e.g. using a modem
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/006 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• 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 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13072 Sequence circuits for call signaling, ACD systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1309 Apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 : PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 : Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 : Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13107 : Control equipment for a part of the connection, distributed control, co-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1316 : Service observation, testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13173 : Busy signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13178 : Control signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13256 : Call screening
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1328 : Call transfer, e.g. in PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1332 : Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13349 : Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 : Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13375 : Electronic mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 : Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/002 : Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/54533 : Configuration data, translation, passwords, databases
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/5455 : Multi-processor, parallelism, distributed systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/54591 : Supervision, e.g. fault localisation, traffic measurements, avoiding errors, failure recovery, monitoring, statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/665 : Circuit arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/74 : Identification of subscriber calling from a party-line

Abstract

A control system CS interfaces a multiplicity of individual terminals T1-Tn through a telephone network facility CO to accommodate game formats. At the terminals T1-Tn, callers are prompted by voice-generated instructions to provide digital data that is identified for positive association with a caller and stored, as for processing. Calls are conditionally accepted based on a test of preliminary identification data (ANI or DNIS). Computer generated designations are assigned to callers and stored. Questions for game use are stored in banks, classified by order of difficulty for selection according to various formats. Specific game formats accommodate various time criteria and caller selection of degree of risk. Caller data is stored in cells along with statistical and identification data; also, key contest data is held accessible in a cache memory for reporting. Caller data may be processed individually or in interrelated formats as with reference to random or source data as to establish progressive subsets. A break-off control circuit may terminate the computer interface aborting to a manual terminal for direct communication with an operator. Real-time operation processing is an alternative to subsequently processing stored data.

Claims

1. A process for statistical analysis of data for use with a communication facility including remote terminal apparatus for individual callers, wherein said remote terminal apparatus may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means in the form of an array of alphabetic numeric buttons for providing identification and statistical data, said process including the steps of:

interfacing said communication facility to provide voice signals and receive digital data developed by said terminal apparatus under control of said callers;

generating voice signals and supplying said voice signals to actuate said terminal apparatus, as to provide vocal operating instructions to a caller;

providing sequence signals representative of sequence data including a computer generated number indicative of the sequence of a call with reference to calls from other callers;

initiating files and storing data from qualified callers including,

(1) said sequence data, and

(2) identification data as indicated by identification signals from said terminal apparatus;

providing external data signals distinct from said sequence data; and

comparing said sequence data for an individual caller and analyzing said sequence data for an individual caller with said external data signals in combination to isolate a select subset of said callers.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein said external data signals comprise random value signals.

3. A process according to claim 1 where said sequence data further includes signals representing the time of day.

4. A process according to claim 1 where said sequence data indicate the date and time of a call.

5. A process for statistical analysis of data for use with a communication facility including remote terminal apparatus for individual callers, wherein said remote terminal apparatus may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means in the form of an array of alphabetic numeric buttons for providing identification and statistical data, said process including the steps of:

interfacing said communication facility to provide voice signals and receive digital data developed by said terminal apparatus under control of said callers;

generating voice signals and supplying said voice signals to actuate said terminal apparatus, as to provide vocal operating instructions to a caller;

providing sequence signals representative of sequence data including a computer generated number indicative of the sequence of a call with reference to calls from other callers;

initiating files and storing data from qualified callers including,

(1) said sequence data, and

(2) identification data as indicated by identification signals from said terminal apparatus;

providing external data signals distinct from said sequence data;

comparing said sequence data for an individual caller and analyzing said sequence data for an individual caller with said external data signals in combination to isolate a select subset of said callers; and

providing further caller identification data to provide a plurality of distinct data elements for identifying a caller, wherein at least one of said distinct elements includes said caller'"'"'s telephone number.

6. A process for statistical analysis of data for use with a communication facility including remote terminal apparatus for individual callers, wherein said remote terminal apparatus may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means in the form of an array of alphabetic numeric buttons for providing identification and statistical data, said process including the steps of:

interfacing said communication facility to provide voice signals and receive digital identification data developed by said terminal apparatus under control of said callers;

generating voice signals and supplying said voice signals to actuate said terminal apparatus, as to provide individual vocal operating instructions to a caller;

providing sequence signals representative of sequence data indicating the sequence of a call with reference to calls from other callers;

initiating files and storing data from qualified callers including said sequence data and identification data as indicated by identification signals from said terminal apparatus;

providing external data signals distinct from said sequence data; and

comparing said sequence data for an individual caller and analyzing said sequence data for said individual caller in combination with said external data signals to isolate a select subset of said callers.

7. A process for statistical analysis of data for use with a communication facility including remote terminal apparatus for individual callers, wherein said remote terminal apparatus may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means in the form of an array of alphabetic numeric buttons for providing identification and statistical data, said process including the steps of:

interfacing said communication facility to provide voice signals and receive digital identification of identification data developed by said terminal apparatus under control of said callers;

generating voice signals and supplying said voice signals to actuate said terminal apparatus, as to provide vocal operating instructions to a caller;

providing sequence signals representative of callers sequence data;

initiating files and storing data from qualified callers including,

(1) said sequence data, and

(2) identification data as indicated by identification signals from said terminal apparatus;

providing external data signals distinct from said sequence data; and

comparing said sequence data and analyzing said sequence data with said external data signals in combination to isolate a select subset of said callers.