Method and apparatus for adding and altering content on websites

• US 5,945,989 A
• Filed: 03/25/1997
• Issued: 08/31/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Voicecom Telecommunications LLC (Amvensys Telecom Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Premiere Communications, Inc. (Premiere Global Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Freishtat, Gregg S., Leitess, James K., Cowden, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US08/824,000
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 345/329, 345/331, 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/978, 345/302, 707/501, 707/513, 707/530, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/93.01-93.03, 379/90.01
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1033 Remote administration, e.g. of web servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/978 Audio interaction as part of an operator interface

Abstract

A device for enabling users without programming backgrounds to create and modify web pages combines the telephone with interactive voice-response technology, database software, streaming audio technology and the World Wide Web, which results in a simple and easy to use interface. Without knowledge of HTML, a user can pick up a phone and revise a Web site in seconds with an audio message, graphical images, new text, Web pages or hyperlinks. The touch-tone telephone handset operates as a substitute computer keyboard, allowing the user to publish a Web site from their telephone. Other features include the ability to switch between different Web pages when a particular URL is called, manipulation of existing audio, graphics and text materials on a Web site, HREF control, the ability to change the first page of a site, date stamping of any text, graphic or audio element, and the ability to edit or synchronize Internet, Intranet and IVR content within a single call. The device includes a Computer Telephony/Internet client/server architecture, which allows users to use the TCP/IP open communication protocol to interact with the computer telephony platform. This empowers those without computer telephony hardware to design, implement and sell a wide array of computer telephony and complex Internet related applications for use with the present invention without requiring a direct connection to the computer telephony platform.

Claims

1. An apparatus for modifying an existing graphical user interface on a computer network comprising:

a) an integrated voice response system for receiving a telephone call from a user and interacting with the user via a telephone keypad of the user;

b) a first graphical user interface on said computer network for interfacing with the user to enable the user to define a type of content of the existing graphical user interface with the type having a corresponding link with an identification;

c) an application program on said computer network interacting with the integrated voice response system by accepting commands from the user via the telephone keypad, the commands including the identification for the corresponding link to the type of content the user desires to modify, and the application program modifying the existing graphical user interface according to the commands from the user including modifying the type of content the user desires to modify in the existing graphical user interface by using the corresponding link having the identification as provided by the user via the telephone keypad.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application program further comprises a content manager performing the following steps:

(1) verifying a user login;

(2) after verifying the user login, passing control to a control center;

(3) enabling the user, from the control center, to modify a name and a password for authorized users, where the authorized users are those users authorized to make changes to the existing graphical user interface;

(4) enabling the user from the control center to select a web page modification screen, which offers the user a choice of modifying a web page property or modifying a web page link;

(5) upon the user selecting the choice of modifying the web page link, offering the user a category within the selected web page link to modify; and

(6) upon the user selecting the category within the selected web page link to modify, enabling the user to modify the category within the selected web page link.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said category further comprises either audio, graphics, text or HTML code.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said category includes video.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said content manager requires the user to confirm any deletion before deleting.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said content manager enables the user to return to the control center after selecting a deletion but upon responding no to a deletion confirmation request without performing the deletion.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said integrated voice response system further comprises a computer telephony interface architecture.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said computer telephony interface architecture comprises:

a) a hardware interface to the public switched telephone network receiving events and outputting functions;

b) a server being coupled to the hardware interface, and having a database on which a library of applications is stored, wherein said library includes said application program, said server pairing events with particular applications within the library of applications depending upon the event;

c) peer messaging capability for passing information between applications using IP protocols.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said hardware interface is S100 compliant.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said hardware interface comprises a T1 card.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said server pairs an incoming event with a specific application within the library of applications based on the dialed number information within the event.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first graphical user interface enables the user to modify a name and/or a password for authorized users, where the authorized users are those users authorized to modify the existing graphical user interface.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first graphical user interface enables the user to modify a property of the existing graphical user interface.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the property comprises a name of the existing graphical user interface, an interface identification for the existing graphical user interface, a full path to the existing graphical user interface, or a host name of the existing graphical user interface.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first graphical user interface enables the user to modify a link of the existing graphical user interface.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first graphical user interface enables the user to select the type of content and to modify the corresponding link of the existing graphical user interface.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the identification comprises a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) identification that may be entered by the user via the telephone keypad.

18. An apparatus for interfacing with a web site on the Internet comprising:

a) a call processing system for receiving calls from a plurality of users and assigning an application to a particular telephone call based on an incoming telephone number;

b) a web site content manager for interacting with a user to enable the user to define a type of content on the user'"'"'s web site with the type having a corresponding link with an identification; and

c) a web site editor for interacting with the user via a telephone to receive the identification for the corresponding link to the type of content the user desires to modify and to enable the user to edit the type of content the user desires to modify on the user'"'"'s web site via the telephone by using the corresponding link having the identification as provided by the user via the telephone keypad.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the web site content manager performs the following steps:

(1) verifying a user login;

(2) after verifying the user login, passing control to a control center;

(3) enabling the user, from the control center, to modify a name and a password for authorized users, where the authorized users are those users authorized to make changes to the user'"'"'s web site;

(4) enabling the user from the control center to select a web page modification screen, which offers the user a choice of modifying a web page property or modifying a web page link;

(5) upon the user selecting the choice of modifying the web page link, offering the user a category within the selected web page link to modify; and

(6) upon the user selecting the category within the selected web page link to modify, enabling the user to modify the category within the selected web page link.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said category further comprises either audio, graphics, text or HTML code.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said content manager requires the user to confirm any deletion before deleting.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said content manager enables the user to return to the control center after selecting a deletion but upon responding no to a deletion confirmation request without performing the deletion.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said category includes video.

24. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said call processing system further comprises a computer telephony interface architecture.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said computer telephony interface architecture comprises:

a) a hardware interface to the public switched telephone network receiving events and outputting functions;

b) a server being coupled to the hardware interface, and having a database on which a library of applications is stored, wherein said library includes said application program, said server pairing events with particular applications within the library of applications depending upon the event;

c) peer messaging capability for passing information between applications using IP protocols.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said hardware interface is S100 compliant.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said server pairs an incoming event with a specific application within the library of applications based on the dialed number information within the event.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said hardware interface comprises a T1 card.

29. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the web site content manager enables the user to modify a name and/or a password for authorized users, where authorized users are those users authorized to make changes to the user'"'"'s web site.

30. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the web site content manager enables the user to modify a property of the web site where the property may be a name of the web site, an interface identification for the web site, a full path to the web site, or a hostname of the web site.

31. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the web site content manager enables the user to modify a link of the web site.

32. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the web site content manager enables the user to select the type of content and to modify the corresponding link of the web site.

33. An apparatus for creating and modifying a web site on a public computer network, comprising:

a) a content manager having a database storing a plurality of personal identification numbers, a plurality of web pages and a plurality of content, wherein a user can establish a personal identification to an associated content for each web page, the personal identification being used in editing the associated content of a web page;

b) a web publisher that interfaces with the user via a telephone and enables the user to select a particular web page and add or delete content from the particular web page based on commands entered from a telephone keypad of the user, wherein said commands include the personal identification for the associated content for the particular web page and said web publisher modifies the associated content for the particular web page based on said commands from the user; and

c) a computer telephony interface application that matches a telephone call from the user with the web publisher depending upon the telephone number the user dialed.

34. A method for enabling a user to manipulate data underlying a web site using a telephone, comprising:

a) providing a graphical user interface through which the user can create data sets related to elements displayed on the web site;

b) associating a code respectively for each of the elements displayed on the web site;

c) processing a telephone call from an authorized user;

d) pairing a content manager application with a telephone channel on which the telephone call of the authorized user was received;

e) causing the content manager application to interact with the authorized user by providing voice prompts and by processing tones received in reply to the voice prompts as responses from the authorized user so as to accept commands from the user, the commands including the code respectively for the each of the elements displayed on the web site the user desires to modify, and causing the content manager application to modify the elements of the web site according to the commands from the user.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

f) enabling the authorized user to replace an element displayed on the web site by entering an associated code for the element and by selecting a new element by entering a replacement code using a keypad on the telephone.

36. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

f) recording an audio recording from the authorized user received via the telephone; and

g) replacing a link on the web site with a replacement link to the audio recording.

37. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

f) replacing a link on the web site with a replacement link to a new data set based on commands entered by the authorized user using a telephone keypad.

38. A device for updating an existing World Wide Web site, comprising:

a) means for interacting with a user over a telephone to establish that the user is authorized, to determine features of the World Wide Web site the user desires to update by receiving from the user over the telephone a code corresponding respectively to each feature of the World Wide Web site the user desires to update, and to receive commands from the user with respect to updating the each feature; and

b) means for interfacing with the World Wide Web site to update the each feature based on the commands from the user.

39. The device according to claim 38, further comprising:

means for recording an audio signal received from the means for interacting; and

means for replacing a link on the web site with a replacement link to the audio signal.

40. The device according to claim 38, further comprising:

means for enabling the user to associate displayed features and non-displayed features of the World Wide Web site with codes corresponding respectively to the displayed features and the non-displayed features.

41. The device according to claim 40, wherein said displayed features and said non-displayed features include audio, voice, graphic, video, animation, HTML code, or text.