초록 ▼

A vendor information service is offered utilizing the services of attendants for identifying customer requests and for taking orders, utilizing a voice processing unit for announcing prerecorded information to customers and for recognizing voice commands or keyed requests. Such commands or requests

A vendor information service is offered utilizing the services of attendants for identifying customer requests and for taking orders, utilizing a voice processing unit for announcing prerecorded information to customers and for recognizing voice commands or keyed requests. Such commands or requests may be to announce another message to a customer, to set up a connection to a telephone operator, or to connect the customer directly to a vendor. A customer is initially connected to a telepone operator who ascertains the basic customer request. In response to that request, the operator sets up an announcement for the customer. A voice processing unit then monitors the customer for voice commands or keyed requests in order to play another announcement or to set up a connection from the customer to another telephone operator or a vendor attendant. Advantageously, such an arrangement utilizes operator and vendor attendant time efficiently and permits advertising announcements to be played only to those customers who specifically request them.

대표청구항 ▼

A method of providing information to a telecommunications customer at a customer station in a telecommunications system comprising a switch including a voice processing unit, said voice processing unit also adapted to detect signals keyed on a customer station, comprising the steps of: dialing a dir

A method of providing information to a telecommunications customer at a customer station in a telecommunications system comprising a switch including a voice processing unit, said voice processing unit also adapted to detect signals keyed on a customer station, comprising the steps of: dialing a directory number from a customer station, said directory number used for accessing attendants; setting up a first call connection from said customer station to a first attendant position selected from a first group of attendant positions; responsive to an information request received over said first call connection, selecting one of a plurality of prerecorded messages, at least one of said plurality of messages comprising a prompting message specifying a customer command to be generated at said customer station; transmitting said selected prerecorded message to said customer station; the method CHARACTERIZED IN THAT it includes the additional steps of: after the beginning of the transmitting step detecting a customer command transmitted from said customer station, by said voice processing unit, wherein said customer commands comprise spoken commands and signals keyed on a customer station; in response to detection of a first customer command, setting up a second call connection in said switch between said customer station and a telecommunications terminal serving a vendor, and billing said vendor for said second call connection.