초록 ▼

A customer service system interface development tool is disclosed for use by an interface designer in creating an interface for customer interaction. The interface created by the development tool may be incorporated into a customer service system for presenting products or services to a customer for

A customer service system interface development tool is disclosed for use by an interface designer in creating an interface for customer interaction. The interface created by the development tool may be incorporated into a customer service system for presenting products or services to a customer for the customer to make a product or service selection if the customer so desires from the products or services presented as a result of the customer's interaction with the interface. The interface tool includes modules for specifying global parameters relating products or services to be presented to the customer through the interface and developing a profile of the customer service system environment in which the interface is to operate. An additional module aids the interface designer in planning a presentation by associating a set of presentation data with the products or services available for presentation to the customer. Optional modules includes modules for planning products for production at the same location as the customer service system embodying the interface. An example of use of the interface development tool in the greeting card environment is also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed:] [1.] A computer-implemented interface development tool for use by an interface designer in creating an interface for customer interaction, wherein such interface is to be incorporated into a customer service system for presenting products or services to a customer for the custome

[ What is claimed:] [1.] A computer-implemented interface development tool for use by an interface designer in creating an interface for customer interaction, wherein such interface is to be incorporated into a customer service system for presenting products or services to a customer for the customer to make a product or service selection if the customer so desires from the products or services presented as a result of the customer's interaction with the interface, such interface development tool comprising:a global elements maintainer for enabling the interface designer to specify and maintain global elements associated with the products or services to be presented to the customer and for storing the global elements specified and maintained by the global elements maintainer in a global elements storage area;a profile maintainer for developing a profile of the customer service system environment in which the interface is to operate and for storing the profile so developed in a profile storage area, wherein such profile maintainer under the direction of the interface designer interacts with the global elements storage area to select a set of profile elements from the global elements and further wherein the profile includes the set of profile elements so selected;a presentation planner for associating a set of presentation data with the products or services available for presentation to the customer and for storing the set of presentation data in a presentation data storage area, wherein the set of presentation data includes a subset of data that are selected from the global elements; andan interface developer for developing the interface, the interface comprising a set of one or more presentation frames operating in accordance with the profile associated with the customer service system environment within which the interface is designed to operate and in conjunction with one or more controls associated with the set of one or more presentation frames, such that when the interface is implemented on the customer service system, activation of one or more of the controls or a particular presentation frame will result in an event, wherein such event may include the activation of another control or presentation frame or display to the customer of presentation data, and wherein at least one control may dynamically change in response to the profile or in response to interaction with the customer.