Patent ID: 6804333
Filing Date: 2004-10-12
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
In a computer system having one or more memories, one or more central processing units, one or more data network interfaces to one or more datanetworks, and one or more phone interfaces to one or more phone networks, a method for managing communications, via the Internet, between the computer system and websites, the method comprising the steps of: a front end manager, receiving one or more telephone calls from one or more users over one of said one or more phone interfaces; accessing one or more profiles, from a users profile associated with each of the users, the profiles having one or more service identifiers and one or more distributed interactive response agent (IRA) identifiers associated with the respective user, each of the service identifiers being associated with one of the distributed IRAs; presenting a menu of the service identifiers to the user and, in response to the user selecting one of the service identifiers, obtaining an agent address of one of the distributed IRAs that is associated with the service identifier selected by the user from the menu; using the obtained address to establish, via the Internet, a session with the associated distributed IRA; using the associated distributed IRA to establish communications between the one or more users and one of the websites, and to perform a predefined, variable set of functions to facilitate and to mediate interactive communications between one or more users and the one of the websites; and terminating the session and establishing a different session with a different associated distributed IRA while on the same telephone call; wherein the receiving, accessing and presenting steps are performed in the computer system, on a first, front end of the Internet, the one or more of the users is on the front side of the Internet, and the one or more IRAs are located on a second, back end of the Internet; and wherein the step of using the associated distributed IRA includes the step of using said IRA to monitor for an end of session signal from the user; and in response to receiving the end of session signal, said IRA sending an end of session request to the front end manager; and wherein the front end manager, in response to receiving the end of session request from the IRA, terminates the session with the associated distributed IRA.