Techniques for telephony-based voting

• US 7,522,715 B1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kantonides, John, Burg, Fred, Russell, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Stella L
• Application Number:
  US11/060,252
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 379/92.01, 379/92.02, 379/92.03, 379/93.13, 379/90.01, 705/12
• US Class Current: 379/92.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2230/00 Voting or election arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1041 Televoting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target

Abstract

A telephone network voting system receives telephone ballots cast by voters by dialing a telephone number. The telephone number is dialed by voters spread over a large geographic area. The voting calls are routed to points of presence local to or otherwise identified with the caller by using the caller'"'"'s ANI or other originating number identification. The points of presence then accumulate votes and periodically forward tallies to a centralized location over a data network. Instructions may be transmitted from the centralized location to the points of presence.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a ballot from a caller in a network-based voting system, comprising:

receiving from the caller a ballot addressed to a prearranged network identifier, the ballot including a caller identifier;

based on the caller identifier, out of a plurality of network Points of Presence (POPs), routing the ballot to the network POP that is local to the caller; and

periodically receiving tallied ballots at a centralized collection site from the local POP.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the network-based voting system from receiving the caller ballot to the local POP is a telephony-based system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the network identifier is a telephone number.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the caller identifier is a caller telephone number.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the caller telephone number is determined using Automatic Number Identification (ANI).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the network-based voting system from the local POP to the centralized collection site is an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the network identifier and the caller identifier is an IP address.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the network identifier and the caller identifier is a Uniform Resource Locator).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forwarding instructions from the centralized collection site to the network POPs for processing a ballot.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the instructions include data representing a set of candidates.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the prearranged network identifier identifies a candidate for whom the caller is voting.

12. A telephony-based voting system, comprising:

a database containing a mapping of voter telephone numbers to Points of Presence (POPs);

a call router configured to route a telephone ballot containing a voter telephone number to a selected one of a plurality of POPs based on the voter telephone number and the mapping of voter telephone numbers to POPs; and

a centralized collection site configured for periodically receiving telephone ballots from the POPs.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the call router is further configured to route calls directed to a single balloting telephone number.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the call router is further configured to route telephone ballots directed to a plurality of balloting telephone numbers.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the centralized collection site is further configured to transmit instructions to the POPs.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the instructions include voice data.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the voice data includes a courtesy response.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the POPs include interactive voice response systems.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the interactive voice response systems are configured to prompt and receive a ballot for a particular candidate.

20. A network-based voting system, comprising:

a plurality of network Points of Presence (POPs) for receiving ballots from voters;

a database containing a mapping of voter network identifiers to the network POPs;

a router configured to route a received ballot to a selected one of the plurality of network POPs based on an associated voter network identifier and the mapping of voter network identifiers to network POPs; and

a centralized site configured for periodically tallying the ballots from each of the network POPs and for periodically transmitting instructions to the network POPs for processing the ballots.