Electronic communications manager

Details Electronic communications manager Electronic communications manager

1997-06-09

2001-09-18

Chin, Wellington (Department: 2664)

Multiplex communications

Pathfinding or routing

Combined circuit switching and packet switching

C370S466000, C379S088170

Reexamination Certificate

active

06292480

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to user
etwork interface systems, and in particular, to the utilization of an integrated, electronic communications manager referred to as an Advanced Virtual Assistant (“AVA”) for interfacing a user with both telephony and data networks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The remote accessability of people and information is continually increasing. A person now has at his disposal many different communication devices, such as a telephone, cellular telephone, pager, facsimile, and e-mail. Likewise, the availability of general information such as financial data, business information, weather reports, and/or newspapers, as well as personal information such as a one's calendar or schedule, has grown tremendously.
An advantage to the increasing diversity of communication devices is that the person now has the possibility of greater mobility as well as different mediums for receiving information. However, the increased number of communication devices, coupled with the increased availability of information, makes providing a desired portion of information to one of the communication devices more and more difficult. In fact, often a full-time personal assistant is required to successfully connect to the desired information to the communication device. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a personal assistant, nor are most personal assistants available around the clock.
In addition to the increasing diversity of communication devices, there is an increasing diversity of communication paths. Traditionally, for two people to talk on their telephones, they had to use a long distance provider in the public switched telephone network. However, there are now alternative communication paths that have specific benefits that make them desirable alternatives to the long distance provider. For example, two people may talk to each other over the internet. Although the “grade” of service is not as reliable as from the long distance providers, the cost is very low. It is difficult, however, to switch ones telephone from one communication path to another, such that most people simply use the long distance provider, even though at times, the higher grade of service provided is nonessential.
Therefore, what is needed is an electronic communications manager that can provide all the benefits of a personal assistant without the extra cost or working hour limitations.
In addition, what is needed is an electronic communications manager that provides a selectable grade of communication service by providing easy access to multiple communication paths.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In response to such difficulties, a technical advance is achieved by providing an integrated, electronic communications manager, hereinafter referred to as an Advanced Virtual Assistant (“AVA”), that provides an intelligent interface between a user and a data network and/or a telephone network. The user may communicate with the AVA using one or more types of communication devices. The data network, which may include an internet or intranet, one or more databases, and applications such as a universal mailbox, schedules, and/or calendars, is connectible to at least one information provider, such as, for example, an investment/financial data tracking service.
The AVA can receive and interpret voice, such as those received from the user using a telephone, as well as data, such as those received from the user using a computer. Likewise, the AVA can provide voice, such as would be necessary for interacting with the user via a telephone, and can provide data, such as would be necessary for interacting with the user via a pager. Furthermore, the AVA can send internet protocol to and receive internet protocol from an information provider. As a result, the voice spoken by the user and directed to the information provider are translated by the AVA into data for transmission to the information provider. In addition, the information provider can make responsive data available in reply to the user's voice, which data is appropriately translated by the AVA for communication to the user.
In another embodiment, the AVA also enables the user to select whether to connect to a second person via a telephone network or a data network. In this case, both the telephone network and the data network are connectible to the second person. Since the telephone network and the data network provide different “grades” of communication service, the AVA thus enables the user to select between the different grades.
A technical advantage achieved with the invention is that the AVA can provide all the benefits of a personal assistant without the extra cost or working hour limitations.
Another technical advantage achieved with the invention is that a significant reduction in communications cost is achieved through use of a selectable grade of communication service, including voice-over internet.


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