Automated calling system with database updating

• US 6,567,504 B1
• Filed: 10/23/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cassidian Communications Incorporated (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Sigma Communications, Inc. (Mystar Engineering Corporation)
• Inventors: Langsenkamp, Al, Kercheval, Kent E.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/425,865
• Time in Patent Office: 1,305 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/69, 379/76, 379/77, 379/85, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/88.24, 379/201.01, 379/265.01, 379/266.07, 379/266.1, 379/37, 379/40, 379/41, 379/51, 379/90.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.18, 379/355.06
• US Class Current: 379/69
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting broadcasting in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/46 Arrangements for calling a number of substations in a predetermined sequence until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• 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 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26

Abstract

An automated calling system includes a database comprising phone numbers and one or more data fields associated with each phone number. Phone numbers (callees) in the database are selected based on the data fields associated therewith. A recorded voice message is transmitted to callees through a plurality of outgoing phone lines, and callees are prompted to enter one of several vocal or TOUCH TONE responses, which is recorded. The database record for the callee is automatically updated based on the vocal or TOUCH TONE response, so that the updated field may be used to select whether to send a future call to the callee.

Claims

1. An automated phone calling system for placing outgoing phone calls, comprising:

a first database comprising a plurality of phone numbers and one or more data fields associated with each of the plurality of phone numbers;

means for selecting a subset of phone numbers from the plurality of phone numbers of the first database based on the selection of at least one zip code stored in a zip code data fields, wherein the at least one zip code is associated with at least one of the plurality of phone numbers;

means for recording a voice message to be transmitted over at least one outgoing phone line;

means for connecting to at least one outgoing phone line, the connection means operatively connected to the voice recording means;

means for initiating at least one phone call to a callee via a callee phone number over the at least one outgoing phone line with the callee'"'"'s phone number being one of the subset of phone numbers stored in the first database as selected by the selecting means;

means for prompting the callee by playing the voice message recorded with the voice recording means, after the outgoing phone call connection has been established, to enter a new zip code;

means for recording the new zip code entered by a callee; and

means for automatically updating the zip code data field associated with the callee'"'"'s phone number based on the entered new zip code, the updated zip code data field used by the selecting means for selecting a future subset of phone numbers.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second database comprising at least one acceptable zip code.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a means for comparing the zip code entered by the callee with the at least one acceptable zip code of the second database to determine if the zip code entered by the callee is an acceptable zip code.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for creating a data file comprising the selected subset of phone numbers;

means for recording in said data file data representing the zip code entered by the callee, and

wherein the automatically updating means accesses the data representing the zip code recorded in said data file to thereby update the at least one data field for the callee'"'"'s phone number.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the database and the means for automatically updating reside on a computer system, the computer system having a bus, and the connection means comprises a plurality of plug-in phone cards connected to the bus of the computer system, each card having means for receiving the at least one outgoing phone line.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving inclining phone calls, the receiving means operatively connected to the voice recording means, the means for recording, and the means for automatically updating, such that a caller placing an incoming call to the system may control further phone calls initiated by the system to the caller'"'"'s phone number.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a geographic map including X and Y coordinate information, wherein each of the zip codes in the zip code data field are associated with X and Y coordinates corresponding to coordinates on the geographic map.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the X and Y coordinates associated with each of the zip codes in the zip code data field are updated each time the zip code data field is updated.

9. An automated phone calling system for placing outgoing phone calls, comprising:

a. a first database comprising a plurality of phone numbers and one or more data fields associated with each of the plurality of phone numbers;

b. means for creating a call list of phone numbers having a specified telephone area code and exchange number;

c. means for recording a voice message to be transmitted over at least one outgoing phone lines;

d. means for connecting to at least one outgoing phone line, the connection means operatively connected to the voice recording means;

e. means for initiating at least one phone call to a callee via a callee phone number over the at least one outgoing phone line with the callee'"'"'s phone number being one of the phone numbers on the call list;

f. means for prompting the callee by playing the voice message recorded with the voice recording means, after the outgoing phone call connection has been established, to enter a zip code;

g. means for recording the zip code entered by the callee; and

h. means for automatically updating the first database to include the callee'"'"'s phone number and the callee'"'"'s recorded zip code in one of the data fields associated with the callee'"'"'s phone number.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the means for creating a call list of phone numbers is operable to exclude telephone from the call list which are already stored in the first database.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising a means for selecting a subset of phone numbers from the plurality of phone numbers in the first database based on the selection of at least one of the data fields associated with at least one of the plurality of phone numbers.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a second database comprising at least one acceptable zip code.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a means for comparing the zip code entered by the callee with the at least one acceptable zip code of the second database to determine if the zip code entered by the callee is an acceptable zip code.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the first database and means for automatically updating reside on a computer system, the computer system having a bus, and the connection means comprises a plurality of plug-in phone cards connected to the bus of the computer system, each card having means for receiving the at least one outgoing phone line.

15. The system of claim 9 further comprising means for receiving incoming phone calls, the receiving means operatively connected to the voice recording means, the means for recording, and the means for automatically updating, such that a caller placing an incoming call to the system may control further phone calls initiated by the system to the caller'"'"'s phone number.

16. A method for automatically placing outgoing phone calls, comprising the steps of:

a. creating a call list of a plurality of phone numbers with the same telephone area code and exchange numbers;

b. for each of the plurality of phone numbers in the call list, placing an initial call to the phone numbers over at least one outgoing phone line;

c. monitoring the at least one outgoing phone line for an answer by a callee to the initial call;

d. playing a first prerecorded message upon receipt of an answer, the first prerecorded message including a prompt for the callee to enter a zip code response;

e. recording the zip code response entered by a callee; and

f. automatically updating information in a first database to include the callee'"'"'s phone number and zip code response.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, prior to the step of playing a first prerecorded message, the step of determining whether the answer by the callee to the initial call was answered.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of determining whether the call was answered by an individual or an automated machine if the call was answered.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the system further comprises a second database comprising a plurality of acceptable zip codes, the method further comprising, prior to automatically updating information in the first database, the step of:

determining if the zip code entered by the callee is one of the acceptable zip codes in the second database.

20. The system of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

converting the entered zipcode to longitude/latitude information, and wherein the automatically updating step comprises storing the converted longitude/latitude information.