Autointeraction communication system

• US 6,263,052 B1
• Filed: 03/04/1998
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Whitestone Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The White Stone Group, LLC (National Electronic Attachment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cruze, Guille B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weaver, Scott L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Roland G.
• Application Number:
  US09/034,788
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 379/37, 379/38, 379/67.1, 379/69, 379/76, 379/88.01, 379/88.04, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.25, 379/88.28, 379/201, 379/209
• US Class Current: 379/88.18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2027 Live party detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5238 with waiting time or load prediction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

A communication system for providing communication between a first party and second party. A first party message input receives first party messages from the first party, and a first party message output delivers the first party messages to the second party in an unattended manner. A second party message input receives second party messages from the second party in response to the first party messages, and a second party message output delivers the second party messages to the first party in an unattended manner. A pass-through message channel receives and delivers in an attended manner pass-through messages between the second party and the first party. A memory records, stores, and indexes the first party messages, the second party messages, and the pass-through messages.

Claims

1. A communication system for providing voice message communication via a telephone system between a first party health care provider and a second party health care authorizer, comprising:

a first party message input for receiving first party voice messages, including a health care authorization request, from the first party across the telephone system,

first party message playback for selectively presenting to the first party the first party voice messages across the telephone system,

a message input structure for selectively parsing the first party voice messages received by the first party message input into different, associated memory locations,

a message output structure for selectively providing the first party voice messages in the different, associated memory locations to a first party message output,

the first party message output for delivery to the second party in an unattended manner the first party voice messages across the telephone system,

a second party redialer for selectively causing the first party message output to repeatedly attempt to deliver the first party voice messages across the telephone system to the second party until the first party voice messages are successfully delivered across the telephone system,

a second party weave file for navigating telephone menu structures associated with the second party,

a second party message input for receiving across the telephone system second party voice messages, including a health care authorization code, from the second party in response to the first party voice messages,

a second party message playback for selectively presenting to the second party the second party voice message across the telephone system,

a second party message output for delivering to the first party in an unattended manner the second party voice message across the telephone system,

a first party redialer for selectively causing the second party message output to repeatedly attempt to deliver the second party voice messages across the telephone system to the first party until the second party voice message are successfully delivered,

a first party weave file for navigating telephone menu structures associated with the first party,

a pass-through message channel for receiving across the telephone system and delivering across the telephone system in an attended manner pass-through voice messages between the second party and the first party,

a memory for recording, storing, and indexing the first party voice messages, the second party voice messages, and the pass-through voice messages, and

a first party voice message detector for determining when the second party voice messages and the pass-through voice message from the second party are received across the telephone system by the first party.

2. A method of communicating voice message information associated with a patient via a telephone system between a first party health care provider and a second party health care authorizer, comprising the steps of:

a. receiving a first party voice message from the first party, the first party message having;

information associated with the first party, including;

a call-back telephone number, and

a first party identification,

information associated with the second party, including;

a delivery telephone number, and

a weave file designation,

information associated with a patient, including;

a social security number,

a name,

demographic information, and

clinical information,

b. storing the first party message received from the first party in a memory location associated with the social security number associated with the patient,

c. contacting the second party by negotiating a telephone system menu associated with the second party with a wave file associated with the second party,

d. presenting the first party voice message to the second party,

e. receiving input from the second party,

f. selectively presenting the call-back telephone number associated with the first party to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

g. selectively presenting the first party identification to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

h. selectively presenting the social security number associated with the patient to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

i. selectively presenting the name associated with the patient to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

j. selectively presenting the demographic information associated with the patient to the second party in response to the input received from the second party, and

k. selectively presenting the clinical information associated with the patient to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

l. selectively receiving from the second party a second party voice message in response to the input received from the second party,

m. contacting the first party by negotiating a telephone system menu associated with the first party with a weave file associated with the first party,

n. receiving input from the first party, and

o. selectively presenting the second party voice message to the first party in response to the input received from the first party.

3. A storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps to enable a first party to request a health care authorization from a second party and for the second party to provide the health care authorization to the first party, the method steps comprising:

receiving a first telephone call from the first party,

receiving a first party voice message from the first party, the first party voice message having;

information associated with the first party, including;

a call-back telephone number, and

a first party identification,

information associated with the second party, including;

a delivery telephone number, and

a first weave file designation,

information associated with a patient, including;

a social security number,

a name,

demographic information, and

clinical information,

storing the first party voice message received from the first party in a memory location associated with the social security number associated with the patient,

placing a second telephone call to the second party at the delivery telephone number,

negotiating a telephone system menu associated with the second party with the first weave file designated and associated with the second party,

waiting until the second party answers the second telephone call,

providing to the second party a menu of options for delivering the first party voice message,

receiving input from the second party in response to the menu of options,

selectively presenting the call-back telephone number associated with the first party to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

selectively presenting the first party identification to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

selectively presenting the social security number associated with the patient to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

selectively presenting the name associated with the patient to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

selectively presenting the demographic information associated with the patient to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

selectively presenting the clinical information associated with the patient to the second party in response to the input received from the second party,

selectively placing a third telephone call from the second party to the first party in response to input received from the second party, when the second party desires to speak directly with the first party,

selectively receiving from the second party a second party voice message in response to input received from the second party, the voice message including the health care authorization,

placing a fourth telephone call to the first party at the call-back telephone number,

negotiating a telephone system menu associated with the first party using a second weave file,

waiting until the first party answers the fourth telephone call,

providing to the first party a menu of options for delivering the second party voice message,

receiving input from the first party in response to the menu of options, and selectively presenting the second party voice message, including the health care authorization, to the first party in response to the input received from the first party.