System and method for real-time, personalized, dynamic, interactive voice services for property-related information

• US 6,768,788 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microstrategy Incorporated
• Inventors: Orolin, Nicolas J., Langseth, Justin, Saylor, Michael J., Richards, Frederick III, Zirngibl, Michael, Patnaik, Anurag
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US09/455,532
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/85, 379/88.04, 379/88.13, 379/88.17, 379/88.18, 379/88.22, 379/88.23, 379/93.12, 379/114.12, 379/114.13, 379/201.01, 379/265.01, 379/265.09, 379/265.12, 379/266.07
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/105 Financial transactions and auctions, e.g. bidding auctioneering devices in packet switching networks H04L12/1804
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1058 Shopping and product ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1066 Game playing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2016 Call initiation by network rather than by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/355 Interactive dialogue design tools, features or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 : via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 : Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 : Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 : Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 : Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 : comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5158 : in combination with automated outdialling systems devices for signalling identity of wanted subscriber H04M1/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 : Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 : Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 : Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

A system and method for creation and automatic deployment of personalized, dynamic and interactive voice services relating to subscriber property, including information derived from on-line analytical processing (OLAP) systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method that enable personalized delivery of property-related information in real-time, via natural language voice communication with a voice-enabled terminal device.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactive real-time transmissions of property information to a user, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of property voice services that can output property information;

enabling a user to subscribe to a combination of property voice services selected from the plurality of property voice services and establish a single personal profile to be associated with each of the subscribed property voice services;

determining information based on at least one of the subscribed property voice services and the single personal profile;

generating content related to property from the determined information;

initiating a voice-enabled communication with the user that will be governed by an active voice page personalized for the user;

communicating the property-related content to the user during the voice-enabled communication;

enabling the user to provide input during the voice-enabled communication in response to the property-related content; and

processing the user input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining information further comprises determining whether a property opportunity matches the single personal profile.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of enabling the user to provide input in response to information provided about the property opportunity.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the input is associated with the information provided about the property opportunity in a user history.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the voice-enabled communication with the user is attempted on a first terminal device and selectively attempted on a second terminal device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of selectively modifying the at least one of the subscribed property voice services based on the user input.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the service modification comprises subscribing the user to a new voice service and unsubscribing the user from the at least one of the subscribed property voice services.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein a user calendar is used in determining whether a property opportunity is transmitted to the user.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of selectively modifying a user history based on the user input.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the user history comprises a record of property opportunities offered to the user and a record of user input.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of selectively filtering information about property opportunities that have already been offered to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of not transmitting information about a property opportunity if information relating to the property opportunity has already been offered to the user, unless the new information more closely matches the single personal profile.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the system modifies the at least one of the subscribed property voice services based upon input of a plurality of users subscribed to the at least one of the subscribed property voice services.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the property opportunity comprises an opportunity to reserve a property for rent.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the property opportunity comprises an opportunity to purchase a property for sale.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the single personal profile comprises housing preferences specified by the user, the housing preferences comprising at least one of a single family dwelling, a town home, a duplex, a specified number of bedrooms, a specified number of bathrooms, proximity to schools, proximity to a particular address, or total cost of ownership.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of enabling the user to provide input further comprises the step of enabling the user to contact a seller or a seller'"'"'s agent.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of enabling the user to provide input further comprises the step of enabling the user to contact a broker.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of enabling the user to provide input further comprises the step of enabling the user to request that additional information associated with the property-related content be sent to at least one of a fax, computer, or personal digital assistant (PDA).

20. A system for providing interactive real-time transmissions of property information to a user, comprising:

means for providing a plurality of property voice services that can output property information;

means for enabling a user to subscribe to a combination of property voice services selected from the plurality of property voice services and establish a single personal profile to be associated with each of the subscribed property voice services;

means for determining information based on at least one of the subscribed property voice services and the single personal profile;

means for generating content related to property from the determined information;

means for initiating a voice-enabled communication with the user that will be governed by an active voice page personalized for the user;

means for communicating the property-related content to the user during the voice-enabled communication;

means for enabling the user to provide input during the voice-enabled communication in response to the property-related content; and

means for processing the user input.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein a user history for each subscribed user is provided that includes information regarding at least one property opportunity, and wherein the means for determining information further comprise means for determining that the at least one property opportunity identified in the user history has been altered.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the means for initiating a voice-enabled communication further comprises means for initiating a telephone communication.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for enabling the user to provide input further comprises means for enabling the user to request that additional information associated with the property-related content be sent to at least one of a fax, computer, or personal digital assistant (PDA).

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the single personal profile comprises housing preferences specified by the user, the housing preferences comprising at least one of a single family dwelling, a town home, a duplex, a specified number of bedrooms, a specified number of bathrooms, proximity to schools, proximity to a particular address, or total cost of ownership.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for enabling the user to provide input further comprises means for enabling the user to contact a seller or a seller'"'"'s agent.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein means for enabling the user to provide input further comprises means for enabling the user to contact a broker.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for determining information further comprises determining whether a property opportunity matches the single personal profile.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the property opportunity comprises an opportunity to reserve a property for rent.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the property opportunity comprises an opportunity to purchase a property for sale.

30. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for enabling the user to provide input in response to information provided about the property opportunity.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the input is associated with the information provided about the property opportunity in a user history.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the communication with the user is attempted on a first-terminal device and selectively attempted on a second terminal device.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising means for selectively modifying the at least one of the subscribed property voice services based on the user input.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the service modification comprises subscribing the user to a new voice service and unsubscribing the user from the at least one of the subscribed property voice services.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein a user calendar is used in determining whether a property opportunity is transmitted to the user.

36. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for selectively modifying a user history based on the user input.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the user history comprises a record of property opportunities offered to the user and a record of user input.

38. The system of claim 20, wherein the system modifies the at least one of the subscribed property voice services based upon input of a plurality of users subscribed to the at least one of the subscribed property voice services.

39. The system of claim 27, wherein the system selectively filters information about property opportunities that have already been offered to the user.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the system does not transmit information about a property opportunity if information relating to the property opportunity has already been offered to the user, unless the new information more closely matches the user'"'"'s personal profile.