Interactive information transaction processing system on IP telephony platform
First Claim
1. A telephony gateway in which a plurality of asynchronously-configured telephony devices are each disposed to exchange voice information according to asynchronous protocols, the gateway comprising:
- a connecting resource, the connecting resource disposed to couple first selected ones of the asynchronously-connected telephony devices so as to enable voice communication therebetween; and
means, responsive to the connecting resource, for coupling second selected ones of the asynchronously-connected telephony devices to a robotic peripheral so as to enable voice communication therebetween.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method to enable a wide user community to be universally networked in voice communication. Server/IVR 100 receives voice communications from users employing a variety of device types, primarily computers and telephones. These voice communications may be in either asynchronous format, incoming from data grade networks such as the Internet 140, or synchronous format, incoming from standard telephony networks such as SPN 109. Server/IVR 100 functionality seamlessly integrates these voice communications and provides point-to-point, conferenced or broadcast connections of multiple users regardless of user device or asynchronous/synchronous connection format. Server/IVR 100 may also selectively call up automated speech resources (“robots”) to be placed in voice communication with users.
175 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A telephony gateway in which a plurality of asynchronously-configured telephony devices are each disposed to exchange voice information according to asynchronous protocols, the gateway comprising:
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a connecting resource, the connecting resource disposed to couple first selected ones of the asynchronously-connected telephony devices so as to enable voice communication therebetween; and
means, responsive to the connecting resource, for coupling second selected ones of the asynchronously-connected telephony devices to a robotic peripheral so as to enable voice communication therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A telephony gateway in which a plurality of asynchronously-configured telephony devices are each disposed to exchange voice information according to asynchronous protocols, the gateway comprising:
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a connecting resource, the connecting resource including an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit disposed to couple first selected ones of the asynchronously-connected telephony devices so as to enable voice communication therebetween;
means, responsive to the connecting resource, for coupling second selected ones of the asynchronously-connected telephony devices to automated speech resources via the IVR unit so as to enable voice communication therebetween; and
means, responsive to the connecting resource, for enabling synchronously-configured telephony devices to exchange, via the connecting resource, voice information with asynchronously-configured telephony devices and the automated speech resources. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
(A) the Switched Public Network;
(B) a Private Branch Exchange;
(C) an Automated Call Distributor; and
(D) a direct link.
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24. The gateway of claim 20, in which the connecting resource is operable to couple asynchronously-configured telephony devices and the automated speech resources over routed data paths so as to enable voice communication therebetween, the routed data paths including travel on at least one routed network selected from the group consisting of:
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(A) the Internet;
(B) a Wide Area Network other than the Internet; and
(C) a Local Area Network.
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25. A method for enabling an exchange of voice information over asynchronously-configured telephony devices, the steps of the method comprising:
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providing a connecting resource and a robotic voice peripheral;
establishing one or more originating links between the connecting resource and a corresponding number of asynchronously-configured originating telephony devices, each of said originating telephony devices exchanging voice information over the originating links in an asynchronous data transfer protocol;
selectively establishing one or more terminating links between the connecting resource and a corresponding number of asynchronously-configured terminating telephony devices, each of said terminating telephony devices exchanging voice information over the terminating links in an asynchronous data transfer protocol;
selectively coupling ones of the originating links with ones of the terminating links so as to enable voice communications between originating terminating telephony devices thereby coupled; and
selectively coupling ones of the originating links and ones of the terminating links with said robotic voice peripheral. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
(a) the Internet;
(b) a Wide Area Network other than the Internet; and
(c) a Local Area Network.
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30. The method of claim 25, further including the step of using a network to establish at least one of the terminating links, and in which said network is selected from the group consisting of:
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(a) the Internet;
(b) a Wide Area Network other than the Internet; and
(c) a Local Area Network.
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31. The method of claim 25, in which said coupling step enables originating parties to be in multi-party conferences with terminating parties.
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32. The method of claim 25, in which voice information in selected ones of the originating links and the terminating links is included in multimedia signals exchanged in said selected links.
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33. The method of claim 25, in which said asynchronous protocols include TCP/IP.
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34. A method for enabling an exchange of voice information over asynchronously-configured telephony devices, the steps of the method comprising:
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providing a connecting resource, the connecting resource on a common platform with an Interactive Voice Response (“
IVR”
) unit, the IVR unit providing automated speech resources;
establishing one or more originating links between the connecting resource and a corresponding number of asynchronously-configured originating telephony devices, each of said originating telephony devices exchanging voice information over the originating links in an asynchronous data transfer protocol, at least one of said originating links being a TCP/IP link;
disposing the connecting resource to selectively establish one or more terminating links between the connecting resource and a corresponding number of asynchronously-configured terminating telephony devices, each of said terminating telephony devices exchanging voice information over the terminating links in an asynchronous data transfer protocol, at least one of said terminating links being a TCP/IP link;
selectively coupling ones of the originating links with ones of the terminating links so as to enable voice communications between originating terminating telephony devices thereby coupled; and
selectively coupling ones of the originating links and ones of the terminating links with the IVR;
wherein voice information in selected ones of the originating links and the terminating links is included in multimedia signals exchanged in said selected links.
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Specification