Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis – Interacting voice message systems
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-04
2001-07-17
Weaver, Scott L. (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
Interacting voice message systems
C379S088160, C379S088220, C379S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263052
ABSTRACT:
FIELD
This invention relates to electronic communication. More particularly the invention relates to delivery of and response to electronic messages, where the communicating parties may deliver and respond to the messages without the immediate attendance of the other parties.
BACKGROUND
Electronic communication has further enabled people to communicate one with another without the need for both parties to be immediately present. For example, email enables a party to deliver a message, without the need for the other party to actively monitor his email account. A sent message is received electronically, and resides within the computer system until the receiving party is ready to view the message. Similarly, a party may deliver a voice mail message to a telephone answering machine, without the need for the other party to monitor the telephone call. The voice mail message resides on the answering machine until the receiving party is ready to listen to the message.
While communication of this type has allowed people greater freedom in deciding when they will either deliver or respond to a message, such communication is only applicable to communication in a single direction; that is to say, messages which are created by a delivering party are sent to and received by a receiving party. In other words, the communication tends to be unilateral There is no provision for bilateral communication in which the receiving party responds to the message received, and the response is delivered to the original delivering party in an automated fashion.
For example, a first party needs information from a second party, such as a health service provider seeking a verification of benefits from an insurance company. Before the insurance company can verify benefits, it needs certain information from the service provider, such as the name of the patient and the type of service to be rendered. The service provider could leave a voice mail for the insurance company, in which the needed information is given. However, this would require that the insurance company take the time and bear the expense to place a return telephone call to the service provider and leave the verification with either a live party or in a separate voice mail. Unfortunately, many parties, such as insurance companies, prefer to not operate in such a manner.
Typically, an employee of the service provider, such as a nurse, must wait on hold in a telephone queue until the insurance company is ready to answer the telephone call, at which time the service provider can deliver the needed information and receive the desired verification in response. The actual communication may be very brief in comparison to the length of time spent on hold, and the time spent on hold may represent lost productivity and additional expense to the service provider.
What is needed, therefore, is a communication system in which an automated interaction between parties is possible, such that the parties can deliver and respond to messages without independently contacting one another in a unilateral and disassociated manner.
SUMMARY
A source code microfiche appendix having two total slides and
160
total frames is appended hereto. The code listed in the microfiche appendix details actual implementation of some of the methods and apparatuses described herein, and is included herein by reference.
The above and other needs are met by an apparatus for providing communication between a first station and a second station. The first and second stations each have signal output means for transmitting signals and signal input means for receiving signals. The signal output means of each of the first and second stations operate to selectively transmit different types of information within the transmitted signals, including messages and prompt signals. The signal input means of each of the first and second stations operate to selectively receive different types of information within the transmitted and received signals.
First station communication means establish electronic communication between the signal output means of the first station and the first input means. The first input means activate in response to a prompt signal from the signal output means of the first station, and receive signals from the signal output means of the first station across the first station communication means. The signals include a first message containing at least a subset of the different types of information. First logic means activate in response to a prompt signal from the signal output means of the first station across the first station communication means to terminate the communication established between the first station and first input means.
Second station communications establish electronic communication between the second station and a first output means. The electronic communication includes transmission of signals between the signal input means of the second station and the first output means. The first output means activate in response to a prompt signal from the signal output of the second station, and transmit signals to the signal input means of the second station across the second station communication means, independently of communication between the first input means and the signal output means of the first station across the first station communication means.
Second logic means repeatedly communicate selection criteria signals from the first output means to the signal input means of the second station across the second station communication means, to enable the second station to selectively receive at least one of the different types of information from the subset of information in the first message, and provide, via the second station signal output means, response signals containing a second message related to the selected type of information. Third logic means receive a prompt signal from the signal output means of the second station across the second station communication means. In response to the prompt signal, the third logic means transmit the subset of the first message to the signal input means of the second station from the first output means across the second communication means.
Fourth logic means receive a prompt signal from the signal output means of the second station across the second station communication means, and terminate the communication established between the second station and the second input means in response to the third prompt signal. Second output means transmit the second message to the signal input means of the first station across the first station communication means. Memory means record, store, and index the first and second messages.
Therefore, the autointeraction communication system described provides for the unattended relay of messages between two parties, in which the second party can receive and respond to messages from the first party. The first party does not need to waste time waiting for the availability of the second party, and the second party does not need to waste time waiting for the availability of the first party. Further, the communication system handles all of the details of contacting the two parties, so that the parties may be freed from the mechanics of the communication, and focus instead on the messages being sent and received.
In preferred embodiments of the invention a weave file means navigates second station input means menus and first station input means menus. Thus, the communication system is able to contact the proper person within each of the two parties, or provide other information required by the respective telephone menu structures in order to make the appropriate contact. First message playback means selectively present the first message to the first station and second message playback means selectively present the second message to the second station. Further, second station recontact means selectively repeatedly attempt to transmit the first message to the second station until the first message is successfully transmitted, and first station recontact means selectively repeatedly attempt to transmit
Foster Roland G.
Luedeka Neely & Graham P.C.
The White Stone Group, L.L.C.
Weaver Scott L.
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