Automated telephone service interface
First Claim
1. A method of interfacing a telephone user to an automated telephone service, comprising the steps of:
- (1) monitoring for the press of a telephone button used to navigate within said automated service;
(2) determining whether said telephone button has been pressed;
(3) determining whether a command has been entered, if said telephone button has not been pressed;
(4) recording a macro used to navigate within said automated service, if said telephone button has been pressed and a record mode is set to ON, comprising the step of;
saving said telephone button in a record buffer while said record mode is set to ON, said record buffer comprising a button type determined by the duration of said telephone button pressed, wherein said button type includes one of immediate and wait; and
(5) executing said command, if said telephone button has not been pressed and a command prefix has been entered.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for automatically interfacing a telephone user to an automated telephone service. The system allows a user to record interfacing to an automated telephone service and save the recording for later recall. The recording can be saved to personal local storage or to a shared storage area for use by a plurality of users. The system allows a user to invoke the saved recording of interface activity at any time so that the automated telephone service is interfaced to in an automatic manner. The system monitors for the press of telephone buttons (such as DTMF signals). The system determines whether a telephone button has been pressed or a command has been entered. If a telephone button has been pressed and record mode is set to ON, the system records a macro which can subsequently be used to automatically navigate within an automated service. A macro is recorded by saving a button type that is determined by the duration of the telephone button pressed, the button, and the time since press of the previous entry. The two types of buttons that allow interfacing to an automated service are immediate and wait. Commands are entered for governing system operation. Commands include saving a macro to a local library; invoking a macro by button or by voice; browsing a macro library; and deleting a macro. When the desired macro is recorded, the user can save the macro with a desired invocation sequence, thereby allowing invoking the macro by voice or with buttons. The system uses information stored in the macro to coordinate delivering DTMF signals in an appropriate and proper manner to an automated telephone service.
34 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of interfacing a telephone user to an automated telephone service, comprising the steps of:
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(1) monitoring for the press of a telephone button used to navigate within said automated service; (2) determining whether said telephone button has been pressed; (3) determining whether a command has been entered, if said telephone button has not been pressed; (4) recording a macro used to navigate within said automated service, if said telephone button has been pressed and a record mode is set to ON, comprising the step of; saving said telephone button in a record buffer while said record mode is set to ON, said record buffer comprising a button type determined by the duration of said telephone button pressed, wherein said button type includes one of immediate and wait; and (5) executing said command, if said telephone button has not been pressed and a command prefix has been entered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for interfacing a telephone user to an automated telephone service, comprising:
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means for monitoring for the press of a telephone button used to navigate within said automated service; means for determining whether said telephone button has been pressed; means for determining whether a command has been entered, if said telephone button has not been pressed; means for recording a macro used to navigate within said automated service, if said telephone button has been pressed and a record mode is set to ON, comprising; means for saving said telephone button in a record buffer while said record mode is set to ON, said record buffer comprising a button type determined by the duration of said telephone button pressed, wherein said button type includes one of immediate and wait; and means for executing said command, if said telephone button has not been pressed and a command prefix has been entered. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to interface a telephone user to an automated telephone service, said computer program logic comprising:
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means to enable said processor to monitor for the press of a telephone button used to navigate within said automated service; means to enable said processor to determine whether said telephone button has been pressed; means to enable said processor to determine whether a command has been entered, if said telephone button has not been pressed; means to enable said processor to record a macro used to navigate within said automated service, if said telephone button has been pressed and a record mode is set to ON, comprising; means to enable said processor to save said telephone button in a record buffer while said record mode is set to ON, said record buffer comprising a button type determined by the duration of said telephone button pressed, wherein said button type includes one of immediate and wait; means to enable said processor to execute said command, if said telephone button has not been pressed and a command prefix has been entered; and means to enable said processor to transmit a DTMF signal according to said telephone button, if a macro is not being recorded and said commands are not executing. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. An apparatus to interface a telephone user to an automated telephone service, comprising:
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a server, said server containing server code to record, save, invoke, browse, and delete a macro, wherein said macro is used to interface said telephone user to said automated telephone service; at least one telephone, serially connected to said server via a telephone link, for transmitting said macro to said automated telephone service; a local database, connected to said server, containing a local library of macros for allowing said telephone user to save, invoke, browse, and delete said macro; and a shared database, connected to said server, containing a shared library of macros for allowing said telephone user to invoke and browse said macro. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of interfacing a telephone user to an automated telephone service, comprising the steps of:
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(1) monitoring for the press of a telephone button used to navigate within said automated service; (2) determining whether said telephone button has been pressed; (3) determining whether a command has been entered, if said telephone button has not been pressed; (4) recording a user-defined macro used to navigate within said automated service to a shared storage area accessible by a plurality of users, if said telephone button has been pressed and a record mode is set to ON; and (5) executing said command, if said telephone button has not been pressed and a command prefix has been entered.
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Specification