Network based knowledgeable assistant

• US 6,804,332 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2000
• Issued: 10/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wildfire Communications, Inc. (Orange S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Wildfire Communications, Inc. (Orange S.A.)
• Inventors: Miner, Richard A., Lovell, Anthony M., Arnold, Kenneth C. R. C., Shienbrood, Eric R., Hinckley, Kee, Gabryelski, Keith, Warner, William J., dʼArbeloff, Nicholas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEAVER, SCOTT LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US09/542,963
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.13, 379/88.14, 379/88.22, 379/100.12, 379/100.13, 379/243, 379/908, 709/223, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 710/15, 710/16, 710/20
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• 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 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/428 Arrangements for placing incoming calls on hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/432 Arrangements for calling a subscriber at a specific time, e.g. morning call service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5108 Secretarial services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of processing communications through a multimedia interface that includes a plurality of interface devices and a plurality of input/output devices. Each of the plurality of interface device is capable of connecting to a different communications network, and each of the plurality of input/output devices is capable of processing different media types.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of processing communications through a multimedia interface that includes a plurality of interface devices and a plurality of input/output devices, each of said plurality of interface device being enabled to connect to a different one of a plurality of different communications networks, each of said plurality of input/output devices enabled to process a different one of a plurality of media types, said method comprising:

establishing a channel representing a physical connection to any selected one of the plurality of communications networks through said interface devices;

attaching an appropriate subset of a plurality of ports to the channel, wherein each port of said plurality of ports represents a different one of said plurality of input/output devices and wherein the appropriate subset of said plurality of ports includes ports which correspond to input/output devices that are enabled to connect to the selected communications network;

executing an operation that generates an item of information that is to be communicated through the multimedia interface to at least one of said plurality of communications networks;

retrieving from a memory a multi-media reference to said item of information, said multi-media reference to said item of information containing a plurality of references to said item of information, each of which refers to said item of information in a different one of a plurality of formats, each of said plurality of formats being for a different media type;

passing said multi-media reference to the ports attached to said channel;

in response to receiving said multi-media reference at the attached ports, retrieving the item of information from memory in a particular one of the formats identified in the multi-media reference, wherein the step of retrieving is performed by one of the attached ports that is enabled to process the format of the retrieved item of information; and

passing the retrieved item of information to an input/output device for delivery over the connected communications network, the input/output device to which the retrieved item is passed for delivery being the input/output device that is associated with the attached port that retrieved the item of information from memory.