Multiple format telephonic interface control system
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. An interface control system for use with, (1) a communication facility including remote terminals for individual callers, wherein said remote terminals may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means for providing data, (2) a multiple port, multiple format processor for interfacing a substantial number of callers in any of a plurality of formats to concurrently process data, and (3) a plurality of live operator stations with prompting capability for a plurality of formats, said interface control system comprising:
- call data means for receiving signal-represented call data from said terminals including DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system;
selection means coupled to said call data means for selecting one of said formats under control of said call data including DNIS to thereby further specify imposed conditions that must exist for a connection of a call either to said multiple port, multiple format processor or one of said live operator stations in accordance with said select one of said formats, at least one of said formats having at least one imposed condition; and
interconnect switch means for providing format data and controlling connections from a calling remote terminal to a port of said multiple port, multiple format processor or one of said live operator stations under control of said selection means.
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Abstract
Call data signals actuated by a telephone terminal are provided from a telephone communication system to indicate call data as the called number, the calling number and the calling equipment. The call data signals address related control functions for selectively interfacing a live operator terminal or a multiple format multiple port data processing system. The interface connection involves providing a specific format as for automated processing or to prompt an operator. Screening tests and format selection are performed to make a determination. Individual telephone terminals and individual data formats are arranged and interfaced under controlled conditions specified by the call data. Time tests, history tests and demographic tests may be executed in addition to basic selection and qualification tests. Control may be executed from active data storage for assembled control words and record words. Record words for individual calls may be stored along with developed data.
122 Citations
67 Claims
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1. An interface control system for use with, (1) a communication facility including remote terminals for individual callers, wherein said remote terminals may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means for providing data, (2) a multiple port, multiple format processor for interfacing a substantial number of callers in any of a plurality of formats to concurrently process data, and (3) a plurality of live operator stations with prompting capability for a plurality of formats, said interface control system comprising:
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call data means for receiving signal-represented call data from said terminals including DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selection means coupled to said call data means for selecting one of said formats under control of said call data including DNIS to thereby further specify imposed conditions that must exist for a connection of a call either to said multiple port, multiple format processor or one of said live operator stations in accordance with said select one of said formats, at least one of said formats having at least one imposed condition; and interconnect switch means for providing format data and controlling connections from a calling remote terminal to a port of said multiple port, multiple format processor or one of said live operator stations under control of said selection means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An interface control system for use with, (1) a communication facility including remote terminals for individual callers, wherein said remote terminals may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means for providing data, (2) a multiple port, multiple format processor for interfacing a substantial number of callers in any of a plurality of formats to concurrently process data, and (3) a plurality of live operator stations with prompting capability for a plurality of formats, said interface control system comprising:
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call data logic for receiving signal-represented call data from said terminals including DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selection logic coupled to said call data logic for selecting one of said formats under control of said call data including DNIS to thereby further specify imposed conditions that must exist for a connection of a call either to said multiple port, multiple format processor or one of said live operator stations in accordance with a select one of said formats at least one of said formats having at least one imposed condition; test logic coupled to said selection logic for testing the imposed conditions to provide approval signals; and interconnect switch means for providing connections from a calling remote terminal to a port of said multiple port, multiple format processor or one of said live operator stations under control of said selection logic and under control of said approval signals from said test logic.
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17. A process for interfacing (1) a telephonic communication system including remote terminals either with (2) a multiple port, multiple format data processing system, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one condition for a calling terminal, or (3) one of a plurality of operator stations with prompting capability for a plurality of formats, and wherein said telephonic communication system provides call data signals, as to indicate called and calling numbers, said process including the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communication system for a calling remote terminal indicative of DNIS and ANI automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting a processing format either for said multiple port, multiple format processing system or one of said plurality of operator stations for the calling remote terminal under control of said data signals as the selected format; testing the selected format in relation to said call data signals; and conditionally interfacing said calling terminal to said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for execution of said selected format or to one of said plurality of operator stations under control of said testing of call data signals.
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18. A process for interfacing (1) a telephonic communication system including remote terminals either with (2) a multiple port, multiple format data processing system, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one condition for a calling terminal, or (3) one of a plurality of operator stations with prompting capability for a plurality of formats, and wherein said telephonic communication system provides call data signals, as to indicate called and calling numbers, said process including the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communication system for a calling remote terminal indicative of DNIS and ANI automatically provided by said telephonic communication system, wherein said plurality of formats consist of at least one pay to dial format and one 800 toll free format; selecting a processing format either for said multiple port, multiple format processing system or one of said plurality of operator stations for said calling remote terminal under control of said call data signals as the selected format; testing the selected format in relation to said call data signals; and conditionally interfacing said selected format to said calling remote terminal under control of said testing of said call data signals.
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19. A method for interfacing (1) a telephonic communication system including individual remote calling terminals for individual callers with (2) a multiple port, multiple format data processing system, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one imposed condition for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system, and (3) a plurality of live operator attended terminals, and wherein said telephonic communication system includes the capability of providing call data signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communication system for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system including DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting for said remote terminals, a select processing format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format data processing system under control of said call data signals including DNIS provided by said telephonic communication system; testing said select processing format in relation to said call data signals; conditionally interfacing said select processing format to said remote terminals under control of said testing in relation to said call data signals; and selectively terminating certain select calls from said remote terminals in favor of said operator attended terminals. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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20. A method for interfacing (1) a telephonic communication system including individual remote calling terminals for individual callers with (2) a multiple port, multiple format data processing system, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one specified condition for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system, and (3) a plurality of live operator attended terminals, and wherein said telephonic communication system includes the capability of providing call data signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communications system for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system including DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting for said remote terminals, a select processing format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format data processing system under control of said call data signals including DNIS provided by said telephonic communication system; testing said select processing format in relation to said call data signals; conditionally interfacing said selected processing format to said remote terminals; selectively terminating certain select calls from said remote terminals in favor of said operator attended terminals; and transferring substantially all of said certain select calls from said operator attended terminals back to said multiple port, multiple format data processing system.
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30. A method for interfacing (1) a telephonic communication system including remote terminals for individual callers to make individual calls with (2) a multiple port, multiple format data processing system, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one condition for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system, and (3) a plurality of live operator attended terminals, and wherein said telephonic communication system provides call data signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communications system for said remote terminals indicative of DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting a select processing format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format processing system under control of said call data signals; testing said select processing format in relation to said call data signals to provide approval signals; conditionally interfacing said select processing format to said remote terminals under control of said approval signals and said call data signals; and storing data relating to said individual calls, along with any pay to dial billing data responsive to said call data signals. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for interfacing a telephonic communication system including remote terminals for individual callers to make individual calls with a multiple port, multiple format data processing system and a plurality of live operator attended terminals, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one condition for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system, and wherein said telephonic communication system provides certain call data signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said certain call data signals from said telephonic communications system for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system including DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting for said remote terminals, a specific pay to dial processing format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format processing system under control of said call data signals including DNIS; testing said specific pay to dial processing format in relation to additional call data signals indicative of caller telephone number to provide approval signals; and conditionally interfacing said specific pay to dial processing format to said remote terminals under control of said approval signals. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for interfacing a telephonic communication system including remote terminals with a multiple port, multiple format data processing system, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one imposed condition for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system, and wherein said telephonic communication system automatically provides call data signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communications system for said remote terminals including call data signals indicative of DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting for said remote terminals, a select processing format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format processing system under control of said call data signals; testing the select processing format in relation to said call data signals to limit access by said remote terminals to a one time use; and conditionally interfacing said select processing format to said remote terminals responsive to said testing step. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. A method for interfacing a telephonic communication system including remote terminals with a multiple port, multiple format data processing system, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one imposed condition for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system, and wherein said telephonic communication system provides call data signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communications system for said remote terminals including DNIS and ANI automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting a pay to dial processing format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format processing system under control of said call data signals including DNIS; testing said pay to dial processing format in relation to said call data signals to provide test result signals; conditionally interfacing said pay to dial processing format to said remote terminals responsive to said test result signals; and storing billing provision data for each individual calling terminal based on said call data signals.
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49. An interface control system for use with, (1) a communication facility including remote terminals for individual callers, wherein said remote terminals may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means for providing data, and (2) a multiple port, multiple format processor for concurrently processing data from a substantial number of callers in any of a plurality of formats, and (3) a plurality of live operator attended terminals with prompting capability for a plurality of formats, said interface control system comprising:
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call data means for receiving signal-represented call data from said remote terminals including DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selection means coupled to said call data means for selecting one format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format processor, said selection means being controlled by said signal-represented call data including DNIS to specify imposed conditions that must exist for a connection to said multiple port, multiple format processor, at least one of said formats having at least one imposed condition; test means coupled to said selection means for testing said specified imposed conditions for said remote terminals to provide approval signals; interconnect switch means coupled to said test means for providing connections from said multiple port, multiple format processor to said remote terminals under control of said approval signals; and switch means coupled to said interconnect switch for switching to one of said live operator attended terminals based on call data representative of a remote terminal device. - View Dependent Claims (50)
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51. An interface control system for use with, (1) a telephonic communication facility including remote terminals for individual callers, wherein said remote terminals may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means for providing data, and (2) a multiple port, multiple format processor for concurrently processing data from a substantial number of callers in any of a plurality of formats, said interface control system comprising:
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call data means for receiving signal-represented call data from said remote terminals indicative of DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication facility; selection means coupled to said call data means for selecting one pay to dial format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format processor, said selection means being controlled by said signal-represented call data to specify imposed conditions that must exist for a connection to said multiple port, multiple format processor, at least one of said formats having at least one imposed condition; test means coupled to said selection means for testing said imposed conditions to provide approval signals; interconnect switch means coupled to said test means for providing connections from said multiple port, multiple format processor to said remote terminals under control of said approval signals; and record means for storing data representative of calls from said individual callers and pay to dial individual caller billing data, under the control of said signal-represented call data. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
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54. An interface control system for use with, (1) a telephonic communication facility including remote terminals for individual callers, wherein said remote terminals may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and digital input means for providing data, and (2) a multiple port, multiple format processor for concurrently processing data from a substantial number of callers in any of a plurality of formats, said telephonic communication facility automatically provides call data signals, as to indicate called numbers to select a particular format from said plurality of formats, and (3) a plurality of live operator attended terminals with prompting capability for a plurality of formats, said interface control system comprising:
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interface means for providing an introductory automated voice message relating to a specific format from said plurality of formats; means for forwarding coupled to said interface means for forwarding a call from any one of said remote terminals to one of said plurality of live operator attended terminals; means for processing coupled to said forwarding means for processing caller information data entered by an operator at said live operator attended terminal; means for storing coupled to said processing means for storing certain select data from said caller information data entered by said operator; and means for reconnecting said call to said interface means to receive certain processed data via an automated voice message. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A method for interfacing a telephonic communication system including individual remote calling terminals for individual callers to make individual calls with a multiple port, multiple format data processing system and a plurality of live operator attended terminals, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one condition for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system, and wherein said telephonic communication system automatically provides call data signals, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communications system for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system indicative of DNIS automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting for said remote calling terminals, a select processing format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format processing system under control of said call data signals, said plurality of formats including pay to dial processing formats; testing use history conditions for said remote calling terminals when said select processing format is a pay to dial processing format to provide approval signals; and conditionally interfacing said pay to dial processing format to said remote terminals under control of said approval signals. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64)
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65. An interface control system for use with, (1) a communication facility including remote terminals for individual callers to make calls, wherein said remote terminals may comprise a conventional telephone instrument including voice communication means and some of said remote terminals may further comprise digital input means for providing data, and (2) a multiple port, multiple format processor for concurrently processing data from a substantial number of callers in any of a plurality of formats, said communication facility automatically provides call data signals with respect to pay to dial formats, as to indicate called data (DNIS) including equipment data, to select a particular format from said plurality of formats, and (3) a plurality of live operator attended terminals with prompting capability, for a plurality of formats, said interface control system comprising:
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interface means for providing automated voice messages relating to a specific format to certain of said individual callers, wherein said certain of said individual callers digitally enter data through said digital input means; means for directly forwarding a call coupled to said interface means for forwarding a call from any one of said remote terminals to one of said plurality of live operator attended terminals under control of said call data signals when said remote terminals do not have capability to digitally provide data; means for processing coupled to said live operator attended terminals for processing caller information data entered by an operator at said live operator attended terminal; and means for storing coupled to said interface means and said processing means for storing certain select data from said caller information data entered by said operator and data entered digitally by said individual callers. - View Dependent Claims (66)
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67. A method for interfacing a telephonic communication system including remote terminals with a multiple port, multiple format data processing system, said multiple port, multiple format data processing system for concurrently processing data from said remote terminals according to a plurality of formats, at least one of said formats having at least one condition for said remote terminals calling to interface said data processing system, and wherein said telephonic communication system provides call data signals indicating called (e.g. DNIS) and calling (e.g. ANI) numbers, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving said call data signals from said telephonic communications system for said remote terminals indicative of DNIS and ANI automatically provided by said telephonic communication system; selecting a pay to dial processing format from said plurality of formats of said multiple port, multiple format processing system under control of certain of said call data signals; testing said pay to dial processing format in relation to said call data signals to provide test result signals; conditionally interfacing said pay to dial processing format to said remote terminals responsive to said test result signals; and storing billing provision data for each individual calling terminal based on said call data signals.
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Specification