Method for automatically obtaining and presenting data from multiple data sources

• US 5,675,637 A
• Filed: 05/16/1995
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aspect Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Inventions, Inc.
• Inventors: Szlam, Aleksander, Owen, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wolinsky, Scott
• Application Number:
  US08/441,830
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/202, 379/265, 379/266, 379/122, 379/96, 379/136, 379/213, 379/218, 379/214, 379/247, 379/309, 379/112, 379/34, 379/35, 379/113, 379/84, 379/88, 379/97, 379/219 , 379/220, 379/142, 379/67, 375/279, 375/127, 375/112, 375/196, 375/94, 375/96, 375/212, 395/200.03, 395/200.09, 395/600, 370/60, 370/62
• US Class Current: 379/142.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing

Abstract

A method for automatically obtaining, consolidating and displaying the information from a plurality of information sources. An agent workstation receives the initial information item and then sends this information item to the sources specified, receives additional information items from these sources, and displays or presents the information items received. If the initial information item is not adequate to obtain all of the information items desired then the information items received from one source are also used to obtain other information items from other sources so that all of the desired information items are obtained.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining and presenting information from a plurality of information sources, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first information item;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a second information item and to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said second information item from said first information source;

receiving said third information item from said second information source; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said first, second and third information items.

2. A method for obtaining and presenting information from a plurality of information sources, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first information item and a second information item;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a third information item;

automatically sending said second information item to a second information source as a request for a fourth information item;

receiving said third information item from said first information source;

receiving said fourth information item from said second information source; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, third and fourth information items.

3. A method for obtaining and presenting information from a plurality of information sources, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first information item;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a second information item;

receiving said second information item from said first information source;

automatically sending said second information item to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said third information item from said second information source;

sending said third information item to a third information source as a request for a fourth information item;

receiving said fourth information item from said third information source; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, third and fourth information items.

4. A method for updating information in a plurality of information sources, comprising the steps of:

receiving an information item in an information field;

automatically examining attributes of said information field to determine associated information sources; and

automatically sending said information item to said associated information sources.

5. A method for updating information in a plurality of information sources, comprising the steps of:

receiving an information item in an information field;

automatically examining attributes of said information field to determine associated information sources;

automatically examining said attributes of said information field to determine addresses for communicating with said information sources; and

automatically sending said information item to said associated information sources at said addresses.

6. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an outbound call, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first information item for said outbound call;

automatically placing said outbound call based upon said first information item;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a second information item and to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said second information item from said first information source;

receiving said third information item from said second information source;

monitoring for said outbound call to be answered;

if said outbound call has been answered then;

connecting said outbound call to an agent; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said first, second and third information items to said agent.

7. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an outbound call, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first information item for said outbound call;

automatically placing said outbound call based upon said first information item;

monitoring for said outbound call to be answered; and

if said outbound call has been answered then;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a second information item and to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said second information item from said first information source;

receiving said third information item from said second information source;

connecting said outbound call to an agent; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said first, second and third information items to said agent.

8. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an inbound call, comprising the steps of:

receiving automatic number identification (ANI) information for said inbound call;

automatically sending said ANI information to a first information source as a request for a first information item and to a second information source as a request for a second information item;

receiving said first information item from said first information source;

receiving said second information item from said second information source;

connecting said inbound call to an agent; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said ANI information, said first information item, and said second information item to said agent.

9. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an inbound call, comprising the steps of:

connecting said inbound call to an agent;

receiving automatic number identification (ANI) information for said inbound call;

automatically sending said ANI information to a first information source as a request for a first information item and to a second information source as a request for a second information item;

receiving said first information item from said first information source;

receiving said second information item from said second information source; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said ANI information, said first information item, and said second information item to said agent.

10. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an outbound call, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first information item for said outbound call;

automatically placing said outbound call;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a first information item;

receiving said second information item from said first information source;

automatically sending said second information item to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said third information item from said second information source;

sending said third information item to a third information source as a request for a fourth information item;

receiving said fourth information item from said third information source; and

monitoring for said outbound call to be answered;

if said outbound call has been answered then;

connecting said outbound call to an agent; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, third and fourth information items to said agent.

11. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an outbound call, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first information item for said outbound call;

automatically placing said outbound call;

monitoring for said outbound call to be answered; and

if said outbound call has been answered then;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a second information item;

receiving said second information item from said first information source;

automatically sending said second information item to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said third information item from said second information source;

sending said third information item to a third information source as a request for a fourth information item;

receiving said fourth information item from said third information source;

connecting said outbound call to an agent; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, third and fourth information items to said agent.

12. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an inbound call, comprising the steps of:

receiving automatic number identification (ANT) information for said inbound call;

automatically sending said ANI information to a first information source as a request for a first information item and to a second information source as a request for a second information item;

receiving said first information item from said first information source;

receiving said second information item from said second information source;

automatically connecting said inbound call to an agent; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said ANI information, said first information item, and said second information item to said agent.

13. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an inbound call, comprising the steps of:

receiving automatic number identification (ANI) information for said inbound call;

automatically sending said ANI information to a first information source as a request for a first information item;

receiving said first information item from said first information source;

automatically sending said first information item to a second information source as a request for a second information item;

receiving said second information item from said second information source;

automatically sending said second information item to a third information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said third information item from said third information source;

automatically connecting said inbound call to an agent; and

automatically and simultaneously displaying at least two predetermined ones of said ANI information, said first information item, said second information item and said third information item to said agent.

14. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an outbound call, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first information item for said outbound call;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a second information item;

receiving said second information item from said first information source;

automatically sending said second information item to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said third information item from said second information source;

sending said third information item to a third information source as a request for a fourth information item;

receiving said fourth information item from said third information source;

automatically storing at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, third and fourth information items in a database;

automatically placing said outbound call;

monitoring for said outbound call to be answered;

if said outbound call has been answered then;

connecting said outbound call to an agent; and

automatically recalling said predetermined ones of said information items and displaying, simultaneously, said predetermined ones of said information items to said agent.

15. A method for obtaining and presenting information items from a plurality of information sources for an outbound call, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a first information item for said outbound call;

automatically sending said first information item to a first information source as a request for a second information item and to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said second information item from said first information source;

receiving said third information item from said second information source;

automatically storing at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, third and fourth information items in a database;

automatically placing said outbound call;

monitoring for said outbound call to be answered; and

if said outbound call has been answered then;

connecting said outbound call to an agent; and

automatically recalling said predetermined ones of said information items and displaying, simultaneously, said predetermined ones of said information items to said agent.

16. A method for generating a database, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a calling list from a first information source;

extracting a first information item from said calling list;

automatically sending said first information item to a second information source as a request for a second information item and to a third information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said second information item from said second information source;

receiving said third information item from said third information source; and

automatically storing at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, and third information items in said database.

17. A method for generating a database, comprising the steps of:

obtaining a calling list from a first information source;

extracting a first information item from said calling list;

automatically sending said first information item to a second information source as a request for a second information item;

receiving said second information item from said second information source;

automatically sending said second information item to a third information source as a request for a third information item;

receiving said third information item from said third information source; and

automatically storing at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, and third information items in said database.

18. A method for generating a database from a reference list, said reference list comprising a plurality of entries, each entry comprising a first information item and a second information item, said method comprising the steps of:

obtaining said reference list from a first information source;

selecting an entry from said reference list;

extracting a first information item and a second information item for said entry from said reference list;

automatically sending said first information item to a second information source as a request for a third information item;

automatically sending said second information item to a third information source as a request for a fourth information item;

receiving said third information item from said second information source;

receiving said fourth information item from said third information source;

automatically storing at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, third and fourth information items in said database;

repeating said steps of selecting, extracting, sending, receiving, and storing for each of said entries.

19. The method of claim 18 and further comprising the steps of:

automatically sending said third information item to a fourth information source as a request for a fifth information item;

receiving said fifth information item from said fourth information source; and

wherein said step of automatically storing comprises storing at least two predetermined ones of said first, second, third, fourth and fifth information items.