Redundant database storage of selected record information for an automated interrogation device
First Claim
1. A system for automated handling of call interactions with a plurality of call parties comprising:
- an automated interrogation device responsive to connection of calls involving said call parties to direct a sequence of interrogation messages to each said call party, said interrogation messages being related to a business interaction with said call party and at least some of said interrogation messages being specific to acquiring interaction-related information to be stored, said automated interrogation device being enabled to recognize responses to said interrogation messages by said call party;
local memory having stored subset records relating to said plurality of call parties, each of said subset records being dedicated to a particular said call party, said subset records being locally accessible to said automated interrogation device during said calls in which said automated interrogation device is accessed, said local memory being local to said automated interrogation device and being operationally associated with said automated interrogation device to alter said subset records in response to receiving said interaction-related information to be stored; and
remote memory having stored master records relating to said call parties, each of said master records being dedicated to one of said call parties and having a correspondence to said subset record dedicated to a same said call party, said subset records being subsets of information within said master records, each said subset record being specifically configured to maintain only selected data relating to said call party to which said subset record is dedicated, such that corresponding said subset and master records are distinguishable with respect to capacities of information relevant to said same call party to which said subset and master records are dedicated, said remote memory being remotely located from said automated interrogation device and said local memory, said remote memory being remotely accessible via a communications line for recurringly synchronizing said interaction-related information within said subset records stored at said local memory with information within said master records, said local and remote memories being configured such that, during said synchronizing step, said subset and master records are isolated from said calls involving said call parties.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for automated handling of call interactions includes an automated interrogation device, typically having interactive voice response (IVR) capability, with local memory for storing subset records. Each subset record corresponds to a master record that is remotely stored. The subset record contains sufficient information to allow a calling party to complete an identification process and to at least initiate an intended operation. For example, in a banking environment, the locally stored information may include customer names, account identifications, account balances, dates, and other information that is commonly requested by bank customers. In response to an incoming call, IVR queries are directed to the calling party and the appropriate subset record is accessed. Preferably, the subset record is retrieved to temporary storage, such as random access memory. Thus, there are temporarily three storages of record material specific to the calling party. Information within the subset record is readily accessible without an on-line connection to the remote storage of the corresponding master record. However, data exchanges are frequently implemented in order to match information in the subset records with information in the master records.
33 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for automated handling of call interactions with a plurality of call parties comprising:
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an automated interrogation device responsive to connection of calls involving said call parties to direct a sequence of interrogation messages to each said call party, said interrogation messages being related to a business interaction with said call party and at least some of said interrogation messages being specific to acquiring interaction-related information to be stored, said automated interrogation device being enabled to recognize responses to said interrogation messages by said call party;
local memory having stored subset records relating to said plurality of call parties, each of said subset records being dedicated to a particular said call party, said subset records being locally accessible to said automated interrogation device during said calls in which said automated interrogation device is accessed, said local memory being local to said automated interrogation device and being operationally associated with said automated interrogation device to alter said subset records in response to receiving said interaction-related information to be stored; and
remote memory having stored master records relating to said call parties, each of said master records being dedicated to one of said call parties and having a correspondence to said subset record dedicated to a same said call party, said subset records being subsets of information within said master records, each said subset record being specifically configured to maintain only selected data relating to said call party to which said subset record is dedicated, such that corresponding said subset and master records are distinguishable with respect to capacities of information relevant to said same call party to which said subset and master records are dedicated, said remote memory being remotely located from said automated interrogation device and said local memory, said remote memory being remotely accessible via a communications line for recurringly synchronizing said interaction-related information within said subset records stored at said local memory with information within said master records, said local and remote memories being configured such that, during said synchronizing step, said subset and master records are isolated from said calls involving said call parties. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for manipulating data for a call-handling facility comprising:
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communications means local to said facility for handling incoming and outgoing calls;
an interactive voice response (IVR) means local to said facility and operatively associated with said communication means for generating voice messages during calls and for responding to caller responses to said voice messages;
a local storage device having a plurality of low volume records specific to users of said IVR means, said local storage device being local to said facility and said IVR means, said local storage device being accessible by said IVR means in real time during ongoing calls such that retrieval of said low volume records is enabled, each said low volume record having a database format, each said low volume record being associated with a particular said user for which said voice messages are generated and containing database information commonly accessed in calls involving said particular user and said IVR means;
a remote storage device having a plurality of high volume records specific to said users of said IVR means, said remote storage device being remotely located from said facility, said remote storage device being isolated from said IVR means with respect to accessing said high volume records as direct responses to said ongoing calls, each said high volume record having a database format, each said high volume record being associated with a particular said user and with said low volume record associated with said particular user, said low volume records having subsets of information of said associated high volume records, wherein said local storage device has a lower storage capacity as compared to said remote storage device; and
means for triggering a data exchange between said local and remote storage devices such that data fields that are common to said high and low volume records are synchronized, wherein said triggering means is configured to limit said data exchange to occasions in which there are no ongoing calls. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method of manipulating data for a call-handling facility comprising steps of:
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storing master records at a common site remote from said facility, said master records containing information relating to users of said facility;
storing subset records at said facility for subsequent access as responses to calls between said facility and said users, each said subset record being associated with one of said users and containing a portion of said information contained in said master record associated with said same user, including basing determinations of whether to include said information in said subset records upon pre-identification of which said portion of said information contained in said master records is to be contained in said subset records;
initializing an automated interrogation device that is located at said facility and that is responsive to connection of a call such that messages generated by said automated interrogation device are directed to a call party as one of said users, said messages being related to a business interaction with said call party and to identifying said call party as being a specific one of said users, whereby an association between said call party and a particular subset record is recognized as a direct consequence of said identifying said call party as being said user, said automated interrogation device accessing said particular subset record upon recognizing said association;
selectively updating said information contained in said subset records that are accessed by said automated interrogation device upon recognizing said associations, including using said messages to solicit updating information that is used in said updating; and
on a noncontinuous basis, exchanging record information between said subset and master records by establishing a temporary data link between said remote site and said facility, including synchronizing said updated information between said subset records and said master records, said subset records thereby being accessed during said calls involving said users while said master records are accessed in isolation from and without consequence to said calls. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification