Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Peripheral adapting
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-16
2003-11-25
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Peripheral adapting
C345S168000, C379S067100, C379S223000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06654828
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to communication systems, and is particularly directed to a signal analysis and manipulation subsystem, that is configured to be interfaced with various signal transport paths of input/output devices of a telephone operator's (personal computer-based) workstation. The inventive subsystem is operative to intercept, analyze and selectively modify signals being distributed among components of the workstation, including those that may prompt an interactive response from the operator, so as to alleviate the workload of the operator, and improve the efficiency and response time of the operator position. Advantageously, the inventive subsystem is operative to automate various functions of the operator position, including initiating the generation of personalized audio messages, without requiring knowledge of the communication protocol of a telecommunication switch to which the operator's workstation is coupled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Since the advent of the personal computer (PC), the users of many industrial and utility systems have sought to reduce the complexity and vendor-dependency of conventional ‘customized’ signal processing schemes, by replacing such schemes with ‘open’ architectures that are capable of being interfaced with a variety of input/output units, signal communication paths, auxiliary function processors (external to a user's workstation) and databases, and thereby provide increased flexibility and performance. Unfortunately, this objective is often thwarted by the equipment vendors who place restrictions on the contents and/or use of their (proprietary) communication protocols. In addition, once they have been configured to accommodate a switch vendor's communication control software, personal computer-based operator positions often have very limited, if any, auxiliary card slot availability.
Moreover, manufacturers of telecommunication switches, such as those installable in the central office of a telephone service provider, have effectively prevented customers from either developing their own or obtaining third party vendor upgrades to add auxiliary functionality, by either refusing to reveal or requiring a license to access or use their proprietary signaling protocols. Often, the financial burden imposed on the licensee is so financially egregious that the customer is either forced to use a (less than desirable) product offered by the licensor (if one is even available), or to simply forego the improvement, which leaves the end user—the telephone subscriber—without the benefit of the add-on or upgrade.
Indeed, the lack of or restricted access to signaling protocols by telecommunication switch manufacturers has effectively frustrated telephone service providers from furnishing a variety of improved customer information services, that could otherwise be provided, by automated access to information (e.g., directory assistance) databases available from third party sources. On the one hand, an automated data base search and retrieval system enables the telephone service provider to reduce access time by either eliminating or decreasing the amount of operator interaction with a calling subscriber. On the other hand, automated access to the data base ostensibly requires the ability to understand and thereby make practical use of the switch communication protocols—something the switch manufacturers are effectively unwilling to share. It may be inferred that this refusal is due to the fact that one or more switch vendors have or are in the process of developing their own databases, and they apparently wish to control and monopolize, to the extent possible, sales and use of such auxiliary resources.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, this communication protocol access problem is effectively solved by means of an auxiliary signal processing interface that is ported to readily accessible signal transport paths of input/output devices of a telephone operator's personal computer-based workstation. This auxiliary signal processing interface is operative to intercept, analyze and selectively modify signals that are transported between input/output components and the data processing unit of the workstation. Because it is coupled to each of the operator's display, keyboard and an auxiliary audio messaging unit, the auxiliary processing interface of the invention has the ability to simulate input/output operations that would normally be manually conducted by the operator. As the operator is not required to, and normally does not, have knowledge of the telecommunication switch's proprietary communication signaling protocol, neither does the auxiliary processing interface. The operation of the interface is instead based upon what the operator would normally see and do.
A typical telephone operator position in which the auxiliary signal processing interface of the present invention may be installed comprises a computer based workstation, having a data processing unit, and one or more input/output devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, hand-held wand, video display device and the like. The data processing unit may include an audio path/device connected to an operator's headset, and a digital communication port connected to a central office telecommunication switch, whose associated communication protocols is not readily available from the switch manufacturer.
The auxiliary signal processing interface has a video port coupled to the display monitor's communication cable, so that video display control signals produced by the data processing unit for generating alpha-numeric text, mnemonics, icons and the like on the operator's video monitor may be read directly by the auxiliary signal processing interface. It also has a keyboard port for selectively buffering, modifying and passing keyboard signals to the data processing unit.
A video and keyboard signal processing interface circuit, to which video and keyboard ports are coupled, processes signals representative of the contents of video information displayed on the operator's workstation video monitor and signals that are representative of the operation keys of the workstation keyboard, and controllably initiates the generation of a synthesized voice message by an auxiliary audio messaging unit.
The auxiliary audio messaging unit, which may be installed either internally or externally of the interface, has an audio port coupled to the operator's headset to an audio port of the data processing unit. The auxiliary audio messaging unit is controllably operative to output to a calling party one or more synthesized voice messages or phrases, that are ‘personalized’ in the voice of the operator serving at the operator position, in accordance with control signals supplied to its control port.
The auxiliary signal processing interface further includes a digital communications port which is coupled via a digital communication path to an ancillary data base such as a telephone subscriber information data base, from which telephone subscriber information, such as directory assistance telephone subscriber information, may be retrieved for delivery to a calling party.
The video and keyboard signal processing interface circuit comprises a video signal processing section and a keyboard signal processing section, each of which is coupled to an operator emulation control processor. The video signal processing section is coupled to the interface circuit's video input port and has a video trigger output port coupled to a video signal input port of the operator emulation control processor. The keyboard signal processing section is coupled to the interface's keyboard port and has a keyboard trigger signal port coupled to a keyboard signal input port of the operator emulation control processor.
A further keystroke transmission control link is coupled between the operator emulation processor and the keyboard signal processing unit and conveys keyboard control signals from the keyboard signal
Adamo Mark M.
Cannon Dale E.
Connor Andrew F.
Corbin Bruce A.
Starr Kerry L.
Allen Dyer Doppelt Milbrath & Gilchrist, P.A.
Gaffin Jeffrey
Golden Voice Technology and Training LLC
Kim Harold
LandOfFree
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