Client-server system

• US 6,052,367 A
• Filed: 12/20/1996
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Staton, Mervyn Anthony, Cobbett, Michael, Bowater, Ronald John, Porter, Lawrence Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US08/777,723
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/352-356, 370/428, 370/429, 379/93-100, 379/88, 379/89, 379/90, 395/200.3, 395/200.31, 395/200.32, 395/200.33, 709/203, 709/200
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

Using the Internet World Wide Web (WWW) network 320, a WWW Client 310 can communicate with a WWW Server 330 to request the reconfiguration of or to generate software which controls a voice processing application. A voice response system client communicates with a voice response system server to alter the configuration of the voice response system or control the execution of software on said voice response system which enables a voice application program to be generated. The output of the voice response system ordinarily destined for display on a visual display unit of a local terminal is directed to the voice response system server. The voice response system server forwards the data to a voice response system client. The voice response system client generates data in a first format useable by said WWW client terminal from data in a second format received from said voice response system and generates data in said second format useable by said voice response system from data in said first format received from WWW client terminal, that is, the voice response system client dynamically generates HTML data from the data generated by the voice response system for transmission to and subsequent display at the WWW client terminal and visa versa.

Claims

1. A client-server system for interfacing between a WWW client terminal arranged to access said client-server system via the Internet World Wide Web and a voice response system having a voice response system server and a connection to the telephone network for receiving calls therefrom, said client-server system comprising:

generation means for generating data in a first format useable by said WWW client terminal from data in a second format received from said voice response system and for generating data in a format useable by said voice response system from data in a format received from WWW client terminal;

wherein said generation means comprises means, responsive to data originating from said WWW client terminal, to generate data for use by said voice response system in controlling the future operation of said voice response system for processing calls received from the telephone network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data generated for use by said voice response system for controlling the future operation of said voice response system comprises telephony configuration data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data for use by said voice response system for controlling the future operation of said voice response system comprises a new or modified voice response application which is executed to control the processing of calls received from the telephone network.

2. A method of generating a software application capable of controlling a voice response system connected to the telephone network for receiving calls therefrom, said method comprising the steps of

interfacing a client terminal to a server via the Internet World Wide Web, interfacing the server to the voice response system via a generating means, generating data in the generation means in a first format useable by said client terminal from data received from said voice response system, displaying the data in the first format at the client terminal,

generating data useable by said voice response system from data received from the client terminal, and

responsive to predefined commands from the client terminal, generating data to control said voice response system to generate a voice response software application which when executed controls the future operation of said voice response system in processing calls received from the telephone network.