Simultaneous visual and telephonic access to interactive information delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10123186-B2
Application number	US-201414287918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2014
Priority date	Jun 28, 2001
Publication date	Nov 6, 2018
Grant date	Nov 6, 2018

Abstract

A server, method, and system for providing information to an electronic device are provided. An audio-based connection is established with the electronic device. A first identifier of the electronic device is determined in association with the audio-based connection. The electronic device is detected as being able to support a visual-based connection based on the first identifier. A second identifier of the electronic device is determined based on the first identifier. Visual information is provided to the electronic device via the visual-based connection after detecting that the electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection and determining the second identifier. The visual information is provided to the electronic device based on the second identifier.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A server for providing information to electronic devices, the server comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:
establishing an audio-based connection with a first electronic device;
determining a first identifier of the first electronic device in association with the audio-based connection;
detecting whether a second electronic device is able to support a visual-based connection based on the first identifier;
determining a second identifier of the second electronic device based on the first identifier;
providing visual information to the second electronic device via the visual-based connection after detecting that the second electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection and determining the second identifier, the visual information being provided to the second electronic device based on the second identifier; and
providing audible information to the first electronic device via the audio-based connection when the visual-based connection is not established, the audible information being provided to the first electronic device based on the first identifier,

wherein the server stores an interactive voice response menu in a text-only format,
the interactive voice response menu is converted to an audible message via text-to-speech algorithms for providing the audible information to the first electronic device via the audio-based connection,
the interactive voice response menu is formatted to a webpage for providing the visual information to the second electronic device via the visual-based connection,
the visual information and the audible information comprise a same file and include a same content,
audible instructions received from the first electronic device via the audio-based connection are correlated and translated to the text-only format for storage by the server, a look-up table being employed to correlate and translate the audible instructions,
the processor detects that the second electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection by detecting a session identifier in a database, the session identifier including the first identifier and the second identifier,
the session identifier is created and stored in the database when the second electronic device establishes an internet-based connection with a predetermined website,
the session identifier is removed from the database when the internet-based connection is terminated, and
the audio-based connection is continued with the first electronic device when the internet-based connection is terminated, after the session identifier is removed from the database.

2. The server as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the session identifier is created during a log in procedure by the second electronic device with the predetermined website.

3. The server as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the visual information is provided to the second electronic device via the internet-based connection.

4. The server as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the session identifier comprises an internet protocol address, a voice directory number, and an internet directory number.

5. The server as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the processor detects that the second electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection by detecting that the second electronic device has an active Internet connection.

6. The server as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the operations further include:
simultaneously providing the audio information to the first electronic device via the audio-based connection and the visual information to the second electronic device via the visual-based connection after detecting that the second electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection and determining the second identifier.

7. The server as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the operations further include:
prompting, via the audio-based connection, the first electronic device to initiate the visual-based connection after detecting that the second electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection; and
providing the visual information to the second electronic device in response to receiving a request from the first electronic device, via the audio-based connection, for the visual-based connection.

8. The server as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the operations further include:
receiving an audible message from the first electronic device via the audio-based connection;
processing the audible message; and
delivering a content of the audible message to the second electronic device via the visual-based connection.

9. A method for providing information to electronic devices, the method comprising:
establishing an audio-based connection with a first electronic device;
determining, by a processor, a first identifier of the first electronic device in association with the audio-based connection;
detecting, by the processor, whether a second electronic device is able to support a visual-based connection based on the first identifier;
determining, by the processor, a second identifier of the second electronic device based on the first identifier;
providing, via a network interface, visual information to the second electronic device after detecting that the second electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection and determining the second identifier, the visual information being provided to the second electronic device based on the second identifier; and
providing audible information to the first electronic device via the audio-based connection when the visual-based connection is not established, the audible information being provided to the first electronic device based on the first identifier,
wherein the server stores an interactive voice response menu in a text-only format,
the interactive voice response menu is converted to an audible message via text-to-speech algorithms for providing the audible information to the first electronic device via the audio-based connection,
the interactive voice response menu is formatted to a webpage for providing the visual information to the second electronic device via the visual-based connection,
the visual information and the audible information comprise a same file and include a same content,
audible instructions received from the first electronic device via the audio-based connection are correlated and translated to the text-only format for storage by the server, a look-up table being employed to correlate and translate the audible instructions,
the processor detects that the second electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection by detecting a session identifier in a database, the session identifier including the first identifier and the second identifier,
the session identifier is created and stored in the database when the second electronic device establishes an internet-based connection with a predetermined website,
the session identifier is removed from the database when the internet-based connection is terminated, and
the audio-based connection is continued with the first electronic device when the internet-based connection is terminated, after the session identifier is removed from the database.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 , wherein
the processor detects that the second electronic device is able to support the visual-based connection by detecting that the second electronic device has an active Internet connection.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9 , further comprising:
simultaneously providing the audio information to the first electronic device via the audio-based connection

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Koch Robert A
• Caldwell Hamish M

Classifications

• H04L61/605

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04Q3/0045

  involving hybrid, i.e. a mixture of public and private, or multi-vendor systems · CPC title

• H04M2203/252

  where a voice mode is enhanced with visual information · CPC title

• H04Q2213/13377

  Recorded announcement · CPC title

• H04W4/20 Primary

  Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel · CPC title