System and method for identifying remote communications formats
First Claim
1. A method for identifying the format of a communication incoming from a remote terminal to a central telecommunications system, said system disposed to exchange information with the remote terminal during the communication, said system further disposed to allocate resources responsive to said format identification, said allocated resources enabling said information to be exchanged in a format intelligible to the remote terminal, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving an incoming communication from said remote terminal;
determining an actual format of said incoming communication, wherein said actual format corresponds in part to a particular type of communications device at said remote terminal;
transmitting outgoing communications to said remote terminal, said outgoing communications comprising generic information stored in a database coupled to said central telecommunications system, said generic information modified for transmission in said actual format.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a telecommunications system 10 in which remote terminals 20A through 20G are exchanging information with Interactive Information Response Unit (IIRU) 30 via communications in diverse formats and/or media, a system and method for identifying said formats and/or media so that responsive to said identification, appropriate resources 33 may be allocated to the communications to enable IIRU 30 and remote terminals 20A through 20G to exchange information intelligibly.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for identifying the format of a communication incoming from a remote terminal to a central telecommunications system, said system disposed to exchange information with the remote terminal during the communication, said system further disposed to allocate resources responsive to said format identification, said allocated resources enabling said information to be exchanged in a format intelligible to the remote terminal, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving an incoming communication from said remote terminal; determining an actual format of said incoming communication, wherein said actual format corresponds in part to a particular type of communications device at said remote terminal; transmitting outgoing communications to said remote terminal, said outgoing communications comprising generic information stored in a database coupled to said central telecommunications system, said generic information modified for transmission in said actual format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A telecommunications system to which one or more remote terminals are coupled via interconnecting links to enable communications therebetween, said communications characterized by a plurality of separate data transmission requirements among said remote terminals and said interconnecting links, the telecommunications system comprising:
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means for determining data transmission requirements for said remote terminals, wherein said data transmission requirements correspond in part to a particular type of communications device at said remote terminals; database means for storing generic information that is to be transmitted by said telecommunications system; means for transmitting said generic information to said remote terminals, wherein said transmitting means modifies said generic information to comply with said data transmission requirements for said remote terminals. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A computer program product having a computer readable medium on which computer readable logic is recorded for allocating centralized resources to communications directed to a telecommunications system by a remote terminal, the resources enabling information to be exchanged with the remote terminal in a format compatible with said communications, the system including a processor and a memory, the computer program product comprising:
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means for prompting said remote terminal to provide an incoming communication in a first communication format, wherein said prompting means plays audible speech to the remote terminal, said speech predetermined to elicit an expected response if the remote terminal is a telephone operated by a human; means for receiving said incoming communication; means for determining an actual communication format of said incoming communication; means for exchanging information with said remote terminal in said actual communication format, wherein said exchanged information comprises generic data stored in a database coupled to said telecommunications system.
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29. A method for identifying the format of a communication incoming from a remote terminal to a central telecommunications system and for allocating resources responsive to said format identification, said allocated resources enabling said information to be exchanged in a format intelligible to the remote terminal, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining whether the remote terminal is a telephone operated by a human user; and if the remote terminal is determined not to be a telephone operated by a human user; (a) polling for modem handshake signals received from the remote terminal; (b) if modem handshake signals are detected, determining whether the source of said modem handshake signals is a fax modem or a data modem or a hearing impaired modem; (c) if modem handshake signals are not detected, determining whether the communication is in digital format; (d) establishing the data transfer speed and the bandwidth capabilities afforded by said communication; and (e) if either (1) the source of said modem handshake signals is determined to be a data modem, or (2) the communication is determined to be in digital format, determining whether the remote terminal will support communications in one or more media, said one or more media selected from the group consisting of; (i) text; (ii) MIDI sound; (iii) WAV sound; (iv) graphics; and (v) video; and allocating a resource capable of communicating with said remote unit in a format intelligible to the remote unit; communicating generic information from a central resource to said remote unit, wherein said generic information is converted to said intelligible format by said allocated resource.
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Specification