Interactive response system for giving a user access to information

• US 8,379,805 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Coppens, Toon, Van Wonterghem, Geert Arthur Edith, Hemmeryckx-Deleersnijder, Bart Karel, Van Doorselaer, Bart Alfons Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US11/613,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.12, 37926501-2661, 379/88.13
• US Class Current: 379/88.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Interactive response systems (1) of call centers for giving users access to information comprise means (11, 31) for receiving activation signals via audio or video or audio/video calls from the users and means (12, 32) for transmitting menu signals to the users and means (13, 21, 33) for receiving selection signals from the users are provided with means (22, 34) for transmitting video signals to the users for providing video to the user. This video may have entertaining, explaining, supporting and/or commercial functions and makes the interactive response systems more-sided and user friendly. The users either use two different devices (4, 5) or use one device (6) for exchanging audio and for receiving video. The interactive response systems (1) further comprise means (14, 35) for receiving link signals that provide direct or indirect links from the interactive response systems (1) to the devices (5) or to video or audio/video calls with the devices (6). The devices (4-6) comprise means (43, 52, 65) for transmitting selection signals to the interactive response systems (1) for making selections within menus.

Claims

1. Interactive response system (1) for giving a user access to information by interacting with a user'"'"'s first device (4) at a user location, the first device having means (41) for transmitting an activation signal to the interactive response system (1) and means for transmitting a link signal to the interactive response system (1) and by interacting with a user'"'"'s second device, different than the first device, at the user location the second device including means for receiving a video signal, the interactive response system comprising:

means (11, 31) for receiving an activation signal via a call from a user for in response to a reception of the activation signal activating the interactive response system (1);

means (12, 32) for in response to an activation of the interactive response system (1) transmitting a menu signal to the user for providing a menu to the user;

means (13, 21, 33) for receiving a selection signal from the user for in response to a reception of the selection signal making a selection in the menu;

means (22, 34) for transmitting a video signal to the second device for providing video to the user, wherein the video signal forms part of a further call different from the call; and

means for receiving a link signal from a user'"'"'s first device for providing a direct link from the interactive response system (1) to a user'"'"'s second device.

2. Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 1, wherein the call comprises an audio call or a video call or an audio/video call and the further call comprises a video call or an audio/video call.

3. Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a first device (4) at a user location including means (41) for transmitting the activation signal to the interactive response system (1); and

a second device (5) at the user location comprises means (51) for receiving the video signal, which first and second devices (4, 5) are different devices.

4. Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 3, characterized in that the first device (4) comprises means (42) for transmitting a link signal to the interactive response system (1) and the interactive response system (1) comprises means (14, 35) for receiving the link signal for providing a direct link from the interactive response system (1) to the second device.

5. Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 3, characterized in that at least one of the first and second devices (4, 5) comprises means (43, 52) for transmitting the selection signal to the interactive response system (1).

6. Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 1, characterized in that a device (6) at a user location comprises means (61) for transmitting the activation signal to the interactive response system (1) and comprises means (64) for receiving the video signal.

7. Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the device (6) comprises means (63) for transmitting a link signal to the interactive response system (1) and the interactive response system (1) comprises means (35) for receiving the link signal for providing a direct link from the interactive response system (1) to the device (6).

8. Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 6, characterized in that the device (6) comprises means (65) for transmitting the selection signal to the interactive response system (1).

9. The Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 1, wherein the direct link is an Internet Protocol address.

10. The Interactive response system (1) as defined in claim 1, wherein the direct link is a Uniform Resource Locator.

11. A method for giving a user access to information via an interactive response system comprising:

receiving an activation signal via a call from the user for activating the interactive response system;

transmitting a menu signal to the user for providing a menu to the user, the transmitting being in response to activation of the interactive response system;

receiving a selection signal from the user for making a selection in the menu;

transmitting a video signal to a second device of the user for providing video to the user, wherein the video signal forms part of a further call different from the call; and

receiving a link signal from a first device of the user for providing a direct link from the interactive response system to the second device of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the direct link is an Internet Protocol address.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the direct link is a Uniform Resource Locator.

14. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium for performing

a first method step of receiving an activation signal via a call from the user for activating an interactive response system;

a second method step of transmitting a menu signal to a user for providing a menu to the user, the transmitting being in response to activation of the interactive response system;

third method step of receiving a selection signal from the user for making a selection in the menu;

a fourth method step of transmitting a video signal to a user'"'"'s second device for providing video to the user, wherein the video signal forms part of a further call different from the call; and

receiving a link signal from a first device of the user for providing a direct link from the interactive response system to a second device of the user.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the direct link is an Internet Protocol address.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the direct link is a Uniform Resource Locator.

17. An interactive response system for giving a user access to information by interacting with a first device of a user at a user location and by interacting with a second device of the user, different than the first device of the user, the interactive response system comprising:

a call processor;

a call interface coupled to the call processor and configured for receiving an activation signal via a call from a user for activating the interactive response system, the call interface configured for transmitting a menu signal to the user for providing a menu to the user, the call interface configured for receiving a selection signal from the user for making a selection in the menu, and the call interface configured for receiving a link signal from a first device of a user for providing a direct link from the interactive response system to a second device of a user, and the call interface configured for transmitting a video signal to the second device for providing video to the user, wherein the video signal forms part of a further call different from the call.

18. The interactive response system of claim 17, wherein the call comprises an audio call or a video call or an audio/video call and the further call comprises a video call or an audio/video call.

19. The interactive response system of claim 17, further comprising:

a first device at a user location including a call interface transmitting the activation signal to the interactive response system; and

a second device at the user location having a call interface receiving the video signal, wherein the first device and the second device are different devices.

20. The interactive response system of claim 17, wherein the first device includes a call interface for transmitting a link signal to the interactive response system and the interactive response system includes a call interface receiving the link signal for providing a direct link from the interactive response system to the second device.

21. The interactive response system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first device and the second device includes a call interface for transmitting the selection signal to the interactive response system.

22. The interactive response system of claim 17, wherein a device at a user location includes a call interface configured for transmitting the activation signal to the interactive response system, and the call interface is configured for receiving the video signal, and wherein the device includes a call interface configured for transmitting a link signal to the interactive response system and the interactive response system includes a call interface configured for receiving the link signal for providing a direct link from the interactive response system to the device.