System and method for administering pluggable user interactive system applications

• US 9,471,293 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership A Nevada Limited Partnership Composed of As Its SOLE Partner Intervoice GP Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Carter, Joseph, Allan, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wheaton, Bradford
• Application Number:
  US12/837,771
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: 717/174
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons

Abstract

Systems and methods are described that allow for multiple pluggable user interactive system (UIS) applications to be added or removed from a UIS system while maintaining controlled access by users to each currently available application. Users can access the system using multimedia connections, such as voice, text, video, web, etc., and users have access to certain subsets of the available applications depending on their identity. In addition, users can define their own preferences, which places restrictions on which applications they can access from which media. In operation, the system provides the access restrictions and navigation for the applications outside of the application structure.

Claims

1. A user interactive system (UIS) for controlling user access and navigation for a plurality of pluggable applications;

said system comprising;

a) a means for controlling interactive setup functions using a central core of UIS applications;

b) a means for registering a plurality of individually designed UIS applications, said applications not necessarily provided by a common entity, said registering arranged to allow each of said applications to provide, to said UIS system, only those capabilities that said each application adds to said UIS system;

c) a means for assigning each of the plurality of individually designed registered UIS applications to a call type;

d) a means for assigning each of the plurality of individually designed registered UIS applications to a class of service;

e) a means for maintaining for each user in a common data file information specific to said user;

f) a means for allowing a user to select ones of said individually designed registered applications in accordance with permissions granted said user;

g) a means for establishing communications connections in support of said selected applications using said interactive functions from said control core of UIS applications in accordance with commands from user selected individually designed applications;

h) wherein at least one of said interactive functions is the provision of interactive responses with said user in accordance with a common theme for such interactions across a plurality of individually designed applications; and

j) wherein the additional individually designed UIS applications are registered and can be assigned to a class of service after the user selects one of said individually designed registered application in accordance with permissions granted said user.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for allowing said user to establish preferences for call setup scripts.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the COS defines for said user the totality of available applications that said user can access, and further defines for said user one or more applications from the available applications that said user cannot access.

3. A system for controlling a user interactive system (UIS) that serves a plurality of users, the system comprising:

a) a memory storing program instruction, the instruction when executed perform the method comprising;

b) controlling interactive setup functions using a central core of UIS applications;

c) registering a plurality of individually designed UIS applications, said applications not necessarily provided by a common entity, said registering arranged to allow each of said applications to provide, to said UIS system, only those capabilities that said each application adds to said UIS system;

d) assigning each of the plurality of individually designed registered UIS applications to a call type;

e) assigning each of the plurality of individually designed registered UIS applications to a class of service;

f) maintaining for each user in a common data file information specific to said user;

g) allowing a user to select ones of said individually designed registered applications in accordance with permissions granted said user;

h) establishing communications connections in support of said selected applications using said interactive functions from said control core of UIS applications in accordance with commands from user selected individually designed applications;

i) wherein at least one of said interactive functions is the provision of interactive responses with said user in accordance with a common theme for such interactions across a plurality of individually designed applications; and

j) wherein the additional individually designed UIS applications are registered and can be assigned to a class of service after the user selects one of said individually designed registered application in accordance with permissions granted said user.

4. A method for controlling a user interactive system (UIS) serving a plurality of users, said method comprising:

d) controlling interactive setup functions using a central core of UIS applications;

e) registering a plurality of individually designed UIS applications, said applications not necessarily provided by a common entity, said registering arranged to allow each of said applications to provide, to said UIS system, only those capabilities that said each application adds to said UIS system;

c) assigning each of the plurality of individually designed registered UIS applications to a call type;

d) assigning each of the plurality of individually designed registered UIS applications to a class of service;

e) maintaining for each user in a common data file information specific to said user;

f) allowing a user to select ones of said individually designed registered applications in accordance with permissions granted said user;

g) establishing communications connections in support of said selected applications using said interactive functions from said control core of UIS applications in accordance with commands from user selected individually designed applications;

h) wherein at least one of said interactive functions is the provision of interactive responses with said user in accordance with a common theme for such interactions across a plurality of individually designed applications; and

i) wherein the additional individually designed UIS applications are registered and can be assigned to a class of service after the user selects one of said individually designed registered application in accordance with permissions granted said user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of said interactive functions is the use by any of said individually designed applications of information maintained for said user.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said communication connections may be selected from portions of applications from different individually designed applications.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of said interactive responses is via a web-based interaction directed to a web link by a selected one of said individually designed applications.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

billing for use of said applications by at least one of said central core of applications without regard to which application is selected by a user.