Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis – Interaction with an external nontelephone network
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2001-07-17
Weaver, Scott L. (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
Interaction with an external nontelephone network
C379S088220
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263051
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a network operations center system and method for processing telephone calls requested by a system for automatic deployment of personalized, dynamic and interactive voice services, including information derived from on-line analytical processing (OLAP) systems and other data repositories. More specifically, the invention relates to a centralized voice service bureau that receives call requests via the Internet (or other network) and processes the request to deliver personalized information in real-time, via natural language voice communication to a voice-enabled terminal device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Decision support systems have been developed to efficiently retrieve selected information from data warehouses. One type of decision support system is known as an on-line analytical processing system. In general, OLAP systems analyze the data from a number of different perspectives and support complex analyses against large input data sets. There are at least three different types of OLAP architectures—ROLAP, MOLAP, and HOLAP. DSS Broadcaster by MicroStrategy enables output of OLAP or other reports to users via various visual display devices, e.g., computers.
Systems do exist that enable distribution of information by voice using a telephone. These systems however, require a company to maintain expensive telephony hardware and software and telephone lines. The up front costs for this equipment can be more expensive than some companies may want to incur.
These and other drawbacks exist with current systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to overcome these and other drawbacks in existing systems.
This invention relates to a network operations center system and method for processing telephone calls requested by a system for automatic deployment of personalized, dynamic and interactive voice services, including information derived from on-line analytical processing (OLAP) systems and other data repositories. More specifically, the invention relates to a centralized voice service bureau that receives call requests (including, inter alia, content and style properties) via the Internet (or other network) and processes the request to deliver personalized information in real-time, via natural language voice communication to a voice-enabled terminal device.
According to one embodiment, the system and method of the present invention may be configured as a voice service bureau. The voice service bureau is a network operations center comprising a web server and a network of routers, servers, databases and other telephony equipment connected to a public telephone network and the Internet (or other network). The voice service bureau receives a request from a voice service system to send one or more voice services to a subscriber, authenticates the request, and sends the voice services to a call server which places the call.
According to one embodiment, the voice service bureau (VSB) accepts call requests from remotely located servers through the Internet or other network via Secured Hypertext Transfer protocol (HTTPS), authenticates the requests, executes the calls and handles user responses, if any. HTTPS provides a secure exchange of data between clients and servers, using asymmetric encryption keys based on secure server certificates. In other embodiments, SSL HTTP or other security techniques may be used. These protocols help ensure that a private, secure and tamper-proof channel of communication is maintained between the voice service system and the web server of the voice service bureau.
The voice service bureau also may include other security measures. According to one embodiment, the voice service bureau authenticates login identification and password before accepting any request for voice services. According to another embodiment, a server certificate is required on the requesting machine in order to access the voice service bureau. Any attempt to access the voice service bureau from a machine that does not have an active certificate installed will be denied. According to another embodiment, the VSB facilitates weeding out usage of illegal numbers and spamming by number checking implemented through a web server.
The voice service bureau allows an entity to access audio broadcasting functionality without being required to purchase or maintain any additional telephone lines, telephony hardware or calling software. To use the VSB, a customer may be required to establish a VSB account and create voice services. No further administrative duties are required by the customer to use the VSB. The VSB provides complete system and network administration services for its proper operation and maintenance.
According to one embodiment, the invention comprises a system and method for creation and automatic deployment of personalized, dynamic and interactive voice services, including information derived from on-line analytical processing (OLAP) systems and other data repositories, including a module for formatting output into a markup language suitable for use with an interactive voice broadcasting system (TML). TML is a unique mark-up language that is based on XML. The present invention provides a TML engine and report formatter that combines a voice service specification with static and dynamic content to generate an active voice pages (AVP). Active voice pages are used to determine the interaction between a user and a voice service system during an interactive voice broadcast. According to one embodiment, the AVP comprises a TML document.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a system and method for creation and automatic deployment of personalized, dynamic and interactive voice services, including information derived from on-line analytical processing (OLAP) systems and other data repositories. The system and method enables the ability to capture user selections to facilitate closed-loop transaction processing and processing of other requests. One aspect of the invention relates to an interactive voice broadcasting system and method that enables analytical reporting and advanced transactional services via the telephone or other voice-enabled terminal device. One advantage of the invention is that a voice service may leverage the power of OLAP or other data repository systems and provide critical information to the user, in a timely fashion, by phone. Another advantage of this method and system is that it provides a user with the opportunity to immediately act upon information received during a interactive voice broadcast.
A voice service is created and can have many users subscribed to the voice service. Each user can specify personal preferences for the content and presentation of the contents for a voice service. The specification of the elements of a voice service may be done using a set of interfaces (such as GUIs) that take the form of a voice service wizard.
A voice service includes one or more Dialog elements. Dialog elements may include one or more of Speech elements, Input elements and Error elements. An Input element may include a Prompt element and/or an Option element. An Input element enables the system to request input from the user, capture the input and direct the call flow based on the user's input. An Option element associates a key (e.g., on a telephone touch pad dial) with a destination Dialog that is executed when that number is pressed by a user during an interactive voice broadcast. A Prompt requests a user to enter numeric or other information. An Input element may enable a user to request, during an interactive voice broadcast, a transaction, a service or other requests. The term transactions, services and requests are to be interpreted broadly.
According to one embodiment, the user's responses to Input elements are stored during an interactive voice broadcast and, during or after the voice broadcast, the stored information is processed by the system or is passed to another system or application for processing. The transaction (or other request) processing can be accomplished e
Eberle Hannes
Mosle Wolf
Patnaik Anurag
Santa Ana Alberto
Saylor Michael J.
Hunton and Williams
Microstrategy, Inc.
Weaver Scott L.
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