Automated calling system with database updating

• US 5,559,867 A
• Filed: 06/20/1994
• Issued: 09/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cassidian Communications Incorporated (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Sigma Micro Corporation
• Inventors: Arnold, Scott, Arnold, William D., Langsenkamp, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US08/262,923
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/69, 379/85, 379/88, 379/89, 379/266, 379/309, 379/201, 379/92, 379/355, 379/37, 379/40, 379/41, 379/51, 379/265, 379/267
• US Class Current: 379/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• 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 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• 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 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends

Abstract

An automated phone calling system includes a database comprising phone numbers and one or more data fields associated with each phone number. Phone numbers (callees) in the database are selected based on the data fields associated therewith. A recorded voice message is transmitted to callees through a plurality of outgoing phone lines, and callees are prompted to enter one of several TOUCH TONE codes, which is recorded. The database record for the callee is automatically updated based on the TOUCH TONE response code, so that the updated field may be used to select whether to send a future call to the callee.

Claims

1. An automated phone calling system for placing outgoing phone calls comprising:

a database comprising a plurality of phone numbers and one or more data fields associated with each of the plurality of phone numbers;

means for selecting a subset of phone numbers from the plurality of phones numbers of the database based on the selection of at least one of the data fields associated with at least one of the plurality of phone numbers,

means for recording a voice message to be transmitted over at least one outgoing phone line,

means for connection to the at least one outgoing phone line, the connection means operatively connected to the voice recording means,

means for initiating at least one phone call to a callee via a callee phone number over the at least one outgoing phone line with the callee'"'"'s phone number being one of the subset of phone numbers stored in the database as selected by the selecting means,

means for prompting the callee by playing the voice message recorded with the voice recording means, after the outgoing phone call connection has been established, to enter one of a plurality of different dial codes,

means for recording a dial code entered by the callee, and

means for automatically updating at least one of the data fields in the database for the callee'"'"'s phone number based on the recorded dial code, the at least one updated data field used by the selection means for selecting a future subset of phone numbers, the system thereby providing the callee with She ability to control future phone calls initiated by the system to the callee'"'"'s phone number.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality Of phone numbers in the database has a geographic location associated therewith, and wherein at least one of the data fields associated with each of the plurality of phone numbers of the database comprises a representation of the geographic location.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the data field representative geographic location associated with each of the plurality of phone numbers is indicative of the geographic relationship of the geographic location of the phone number to the geographic locations of the other phone numbers in the database, and wherein the selecting means comprises means for selecting based on the data field representative of geographic location associated with at least one of the plurality of phone numbers.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a geographic map including X and Y coordinate location information, wherein each of the data fields representative of the geographic location comprises X and Y coordinates corresponding to coordinates on the map, and wherein the selecting means includes memos for designating one or more X and Y coordinates corresponding to the coordinates of the map.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the data field representative of the geographic location is unique for each phone number in the database located at a unique street address.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for creating a data file comprising the selected subset of phone numbers,

means for recording in said data file data representing the dial code entered by the callee, and

wherein the automatically updating means accesses the data representing the dial code recorded in said data file to thereby update the at least one data field for the callee'"'"'s phone number.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for prompting the callee comprises meters for issuing multiple prompts to the callee and receiving multiple dial code responses during connection to the at least one outgoing phone line in response to the multiple prompts issued.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the database and the means for automatically updating reside on a computer system, the computer system having a bus, and the connection means comprises a plurality of plug-in phone cards connected to the bus of the computer system, each card having means for receiving the at least one outgoing phone line.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the data fields for each of the plurality of phone numbers comprises a preferred calling time period for the phone number to be called, and the system further comprising scheduling means for initiating the at least one phone call to be placed within the preferred calling time period for the phone number.

10. A method for automatically placing outgoing phone calls, comprising steps of:

providing a database having a plurality of phone numbers stored therein;

for each of the plurality of phone numbers in the database,

placing an initial call to the phone number over at least one outgoing phone line,

monitoring the at least one outgoing phone line for an answer by a callee to the initial call,

playing a prerecorded message upon receipt of an answer, said prerecorded message including a prompt for the callee to enter one of a plurality of dial code responses,

recording the dial code response entered by the callee, and

automatically updating information in the database for the phone number based on the dial code response recorded;

selecting, based on the updated information in the database from the automatic updating step, a subset of phone numbers in the database; and

placing a second phone call to each of the phone numbers in the selected subset of phone numbers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the database includes geographic location information for each of the plurality of phone numbers, the geographic location information corresponding to the geographic location of a telephone accessible by calling the phone number, wherein the geographic location information associated with each of the plurality of phone numbers is indicative of the geographic relationship of the geographic location of the telephone accessible by calling phone number to the geographic locations of telephones accessible by calling the other phone numbers in the database, and wherein the step of selecting a subset of phone numbers in the database includes making such selection based on a selected geographic location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographic location information for each phone number comprises coordinates corresponding to coordinates on a map, and wherein the step of selecting a subset of phone numbers based on geographic location information includes the step of entering coordinates corresponding to the map.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the geographic location information is unique for each phone number in the database located at a unique street address.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the database further comprises, for each of the plurality of phone numbers, a data field comprising a preferred calling time period for the phone number to be called, and further comprising, prior to the step of placing an initial call, the step of:

scheduling an initial call to be placed within the preferred calling time period for the phone number.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the database further comprises, for each of the plurality of phone numbers, a data field comprising a preferred calling time period for the phone number to be called, and further comprising, prior to the step of placing a second phone call, the step of:

scheduling each second phone call to be placed within the preferred calling time period for the phone number.

16. In an automated phone calling system comprising a database including a plurality of phone numbers and one or more data fields associated with each of the plurality of phone numbers;

means for selecting a subset of phone numbers from the plurality of phone numbers of the database based on the selection of at least one of the data fields associated with at least one of the plurality of phone numbers;

means for recording a voice message to be transmitted over an outgoing phone line;

means for connection to the at least one outgoing phone line, the connection means operatively connected to the voice recording means;

means for initiating at least one phone call to a callee via a callee phone number over the at least one outgoing phone line with the callee'"'"'s phone number being one of the subset of phone numbers stored in the database as selected by the selecting means;

means for prompting the callee by playing the voice message recorded with the voice recording means after a connection to the at least one outgoing phone line has been established, to enter one of a plurality of different dial codes; and

means for recording a dial code entered by the callee, the improvement comprising;

means for automatically updating at least one of the data fields in the database for the callee'"'"'s phone number based on the recorded dial code, the at least one updated data field used by the selection means for selecting a future subset of phone numbers, the system thereby providing the callee with influencing selection of future calls initiated by the system and to the callee'"'"'s phone number.