Abstract:
A facility is provided for interfacing the Internet with a telecommunications network and vice versa so that a user who does not have access to the Internet may, nevertheless, provide a Web page and update the Web page via the telecommunications network and so that a user may access the telecommunications network via the Internet.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This patent application is a divisional of the U.S. Patent Application having a Ser. No. 08/870,253 and filed on Jun. 6, 1997, and which is copending with this application. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention is directed to a system which interfaces a telecommunications device with a World-Wide-Web page and which interfaces a device connected to the World Wide Web with telecommunications facilities.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In recent years, Internet-based services/applications, especially services which provide information via the World Wide Web (hereinafter also the “Web”) as so-called Web pages, have experienced considerable growth. In fact, a large number of companies and individuals now have so-called Web sites that may be accessed via the Web. Moreover, more and more users are obtaining personal computers equipped with the appropriate hardware and software so that they can “browse” the Web to obtain information from various Web sites. The information that is supplied by a Web site may be volatile in some respects—meaning that it may quickly become outdated and, therefore, may need to be updated periodically. Thus, the owner of a Web site/page will access his Web page in a conventional way using a personal computer or the like and update the information that the site downloads to a user that accesses the Web page. For example, if the Web page is a menu associated with a particular restaurant, then the Web-page owner using a personal computer (equipped with the appropriate software and hardware) will access his Web page/site via the Web and interact with software defining the site/page to update the menu.  
           [0004]    Based on the foregoing, it appears that it would be difficult for a person who does not know how to use or does not have access to a personal computer or the like to independently maintain a Web page/site.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is apparent from the foregoing that a user needs a personal computer or similar apparatus equipped with the appropriate hardware (e.g., a modem) and Web browser software (e.g., Netscape Navigator) to access the web. The user would also need other software to maintain a Web site/page. Disadvantageously, then, a person who does not have these things cannot access the Web or maintain a Web site/page. We deal with this problem, in accordance with an aspect of the invention by providing a system platform that interacts with a subscriber&#39;s Web site/page in accordance with instructions received from the subscriber via a conventional telephone line. Accordingly, then, a subscriber of the inventive service only needs to have access to a conventional telephone station set or the like, e.g., facsimile, and place a call to the platform, and interact with the platform in order change/update the information that the subscriber&#39;s Web site/page supplies to a user who accesses the site/page via the Web. Alternatively, a subscriber may access conventional telecommunications services via the Web and a particular Web page/service supported by the inventive system, in accordance with another aspect of the invention. In this sense then, the inventive system platform provides an interface between the World Wide Web (Internet) and the public switched telephone network.  
           [0006]    These and other aspects of the claimed invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system platform in which the principles of the invention may be practiced;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a flow diagram defining an exemplary embodiment of the interaction between the system platform and a caller, in accordance with the principles of the invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3A is a flow diagram further defining an exemplary embodiment of the interaction between the system platform and a caller, in accordance with the principles of the invention;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3B is a flow diagram yet further defining an exemplary embodiment of the interaction between the system platform and a caller, in accordance with the principles of the invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram further still defining an exemplary embodiment of the interaction between the system platform and a caller, in accordance with the principles of the invention; and  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is an illustrative example of the fields included in a broadcast message service form in accordance with the principles of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]    An illustrative embodiment of the invention provides a system platform, FIG. 1, by which a subscriber (hereinafter also “user”) having access to a conventional telephone station set may access Web-based applications without the need for a personal computer (PC) or the like and browser software. As used herein, the term telephone station set is defined as any communications device, with or without an alphanumeric display, such as, by way of a nonlimiting example, a conventional telephone station set, terminal, PC having telecommunications capabilities, an analog cellular telephone, a digital cellular phone with or without Personal Communication Services (PCS), a wireless phone, a wired (corded) phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) (such as the Apple NEWTONS), a pager, an ASCII terminal, a PC without a browser, and the like. The alphanumeric display may be an LED, LCD, CRT, active matrix, or any other display device capable of displaying alphanumeric characters.  
         [0014]    It is seen from FIG. 1 that system platform  500  includes, inter alia, service platform  100 , application software memory  150  and a plurality of service circuits adapted to interface a particular application characterized by a respective software program that is stored with other application/service programs on memory  150  with telephone station  230  or computer  225 . Such service circuits includes a plurality of conventional Text-To-Speech (TTS) processor circuits  140  which translate text into voice signals, a plurality of conventional voice circuits  160  which record, digitize and play back speech and other audio frequency sounds, a plurality of conventional Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) circuits  170  which interpret speech signals received from a caller, and a plurality of conventional ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) circuits  180  which provide an interface between system platform  500  and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PTSN). The service circuits exchange analog information (e.g., an announcement) with each other via assigned channels (time slots) of bus  130  (also identified as the “analog” bus) and communicate with service platform  100  over respective control and data channels of bus  125  (also identified as the “data” bus.). System platform  500  also includes a conventional TCP/IP connectivity processor which provides an interface between service platform  100  and World Wide Web (WWW) server  190  connected to the Internet  200 .  
         [0015]    Assume that a user having access to station  230  operates a particular type of business and maintains a Web page on WWW server  190  that provides information about that business, e.g., a price list of goods sold by the business. Also assume that the business is planning to run a sale at price reductions of 25% on selected items and 10% on all other items sold by business. Further assume that the user at station  230  does not have to a PC to access and update his Web page regarding the planned sale. Irrespective of that limitation, the user may, nevertheless, access his Web page via station set  230 , Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)  300  and system platform  500 . Specifically, in order do so all that the user needs to do is to place station  230  in an off-hook state and, responsive to hearing dial tone returned by PSTN  300 , dial a telephone number associated with the user&#39; system  500  subscription, e.g., a so-called 800 telephone number such as  1 -800-EASYADS. System platform  500  in response to receipt of the call via one of the idle call paths  300 - 1  through  300 -n will then interact with the caller and allow the caller to access his Web page and update the Web page if the caller wishes to do so. That is, each of the circuits  180 - 1  through  180 -n presents a conventional ISDN Basic Rate Interface to PSTN  300 , such that PSTN  300  forwards a calls to platform  500  by selecting an idle one of the paths  300 - 1  through  300 -n and routes the call over that path, e.g., path  300 - 1 . PSTN  300  does so in a conventional manner by sending signaling information relating to the incoming call over an idle signaling channel and forwarding the actual call over one of the two B channels associated with the signaling channel. Such signaling information includes the called number. When the signaling information for the incoming call is received at the idle BRI  180   i,  then that BRI inserts the received information in an appropriate data message and sends the message to service platform  100  via an a bus  125  control/data channel assigned to that BRI, e.g., BRI  180 - 1 .  
         [0016]    A flow diagram defining the interaction between system platform  500  and the caller is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A- 3 B. Service platform  100 , in accordance with block  1001  of the flow chart of FIG. 2 invokes the service application based on the contents of the received DNIS. That is, platform  100  derives the identity of the desired service from the contents of the DNIS and associates a copy of that application with the incoming call (block  1002 ), in which the application is stored in application software memory  150 . A flow chart of the service which allows a subscriber to access and update his Web page via a telecommunications path, i.e., from a telephonic device, is shown in FIGS.  3 A- 3 B. Specifically, when a copy of the application is invoked to serve the incoming call, the application selects an idle T/S processor  140   i,  e.g.,  140 - 1 , and sends that processor the text of a greeting that is to be returned to the calling party (block  2001 ). The application via platform  100  does this by sending such text in a data message to T/S processor  140 - 1  in bus  125  control and data channel assigned to T/S  140 - 1 . In addition, platform  100  also selects a bus  130  idle channel that is to be used to transmit the translated speech to BRI  180 - 1 . Platform  100  sends a “listen” message to BRI  180 - 1  directing that channel to scan the bus  130  channel that will be carrying the translated speech. T/S processor  140 - 1  upon receipt of the message translates the textual portion of the message into speech and outputs the speech to the identified bus  130  channel. BRI  180 - 1 , in turn, reads the speech from that channel and transmits the speech over ISDN path  300 - 1 .  
         [0017]    The application (block  2002 ), in a similar manner, then transmits (via T/S processor  140 - 1  and BRI  180 - 1 ) a prompt to the caller requesting the caller to enter a so-called advertiser ID. The application then directs BRI  180 - 1  to output speech received from the call to a selected channel of bus  130  and directs an idle one of the ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) circuits  170   i,  e.g.,  170 - 1  to perform a conventional ASR function with respect to speech appearing on that channel and supply the result to platform  100 . When the caller verbally enters his advertiser ID (block  2003 ) and it is received by BRI  180 - 1  and outputted to the selected bus  130  channel, ASR  170 - 1  removes the speech from that channel and subjects the speech to a conventional ASR process. ASR  170 - 1  outputs a digital representation of the result to the control/data channel  125  assigned to ASR  170 - 1  upon completing that process. In a similar manner, the application process (block  2004 ) then transmits a prompt requesting that the caller enter his Personal Identification Number (PIN). When the caller responds (block  2005 ) and such response has been processed by ASR  170 - 1 , then the application program (block  2006 ) checks the validity of the caller&#39;s entries. (Note that in the FIGs., SP means system platform.) If the entries are found to be invalid (block  2007 ), then the application program records the calling number (block  2007 - 1 ) and then directs BRI  180 - 1  via the assigned control/data channel to disconnect (block  2007 - 2 ) from the call. (It is noted, that in the alternative, the program could be arranged to loop through blocks  2002  through  2006  a number of times and if the caller&#39;s entries are still not valid, then the program would proceed to disconnect from the call.)  
         [0018]    Assuming that the caller&#39;s entries are found to be valid, then the program (block  2008 ) in a similar manner transmits a prompt requesting that the caller enter his update. Similarly, the program then directs an idle ASR  170   i,  e.g., ASR  170 - 2  to monitor a selected channel and to perform an ASR function on speech signals that are received over that channel. Similarly, the application program directs BRI  180 - 1  to output the caller&#39;s response to the selected channel when it is received. When the caller&#39;s update has been received and converted to text by ASR  170 - 2  and supplied to platform  100  via bus  125 , then the application program (block  2011 ) checks to see if the caller&#39;s subscription indicates verification of the update before it is posted to the caller&#39;s Web page. If so, then the program “plays back” the caller&#39;s update. The program (blocks  2011 - 1  and  2011 - 2 ) does this by selecting an idle T/S processor  140   i,  e.g., processor  1403 , sending the textual update to that processor via the bus  125  control/data channel assigned to that processor with a message to output the translated speech to a selected channel of bus  130 . The program via platform  100  also notifies BRI  140 - 1  to read the speech from the latter channel and output it to ISDN path  300 - 1 . The program also transmits a confirmation request to the caller in the manner discussed above. When the response has been received and processed as described above, the program (block  2011 - 3 ) checks see if the confirmation is affirmative. If not, then the program returns to block  2008 . If so, then the program (block  2012 ), through service platform  100 , sends the text update in a text message also containing a transaction identifier and advertiser ID to conventional TCP/IP processor  120  via path  121 . TCP/IP processor  120  converts the message to a form that conforms with the TCP/IP protocol and sends the result to WWW server  190  via path  122 .  
         [0019]    For clarity and conciseness the actions taken by WWW server  190  in response to receipt of the message is shown as dotted block  2013  in line with the application program. Upon receipt of the message (block  2013 - 1 ) from system platform  500 , WWW server  190  uses the caller&#39;s entered advertiser ID (block  2013 - 2 ) to locate in associated memory (not shown) the caller&#39;s stored Web page. WWW server  190  (block  2013 - 3 ) then updates the web page in a conventional manner and then returns (block  2013 - 4 ) a verification message containing the transaction ID to platform  100  via TCP/IP processor  120 . The application program (block  2014 ) then sends confirmation text to an idle one of the T/S processors  140  with instructions to output the resulting translated speech to a selected channel of bus  130 . The application program also instructs BRI  180 - 1  to read the speech from that channel and transmit the speech to the caller via ISDN path  300 - 1 . The program then exits and, in doing so, instructs BRI  180 - 1  to terminate the call. BRI  180 - 1 , in turn, sends an appropriate message in the D signal channel of path  300 - 1  instructing the PSTN switch connected to path  300 - 1  to terminate the call.  
         [0020]    As mentioned above, a subscriber may access conventional telecommunications services via the Web (Internet)  200  and a particular Web page/service supported by the inventive system, in accordance with another aspect of the invention. In this sense then, the inventive system platform provides an interface between the digital based World Wide Web (Internet) and the voice based public switched telephone network. One application which illustrates the feature of accessing telecommunication serves via the Web is shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0021]    Specifically, a subscriber that desires to access a particular telecommunications service, e.g., broadcasting a telephone message to a number of different telephone numbers, may do so by “bringing up” on an associated PC, e.g., PC  225 , a so-called Internet browser program. One such program is the well-known Netscape Navigator web browser available from the Netscape Co. Once the program has been invoked and the appropriate input screen is displayed on the display of PC  225 , then the subscriber may enter a so-called a URL identifying Web site  190  and the desired Web page associated with the desired service. PC  225 , in turn, sends via Internet  200  a TCP/IP protocol access message containing the address of the sender to the identified Web site (block  3000 - 1 ). WWW server  190  upon receipt of the message, invokes software defining the Web page identified in the received URL, which software returns (block  3001 - 2 ) a “canned” form to the sender for display thereat. An illustrative example of such of form is shown in FIG. 5. Briefly, the input message comprises a plurality fields  5006  through  5009  identified by respective field labels  5001  through  5004 . Thus, when the form is displayed at PC  225 , the subscriber thereat in a conventional manner enters in field  5006  the telephone numbers of the parties that are to receive the broadcast message that the subscriber enters in field  5005 . In accord with an aspect of the invention, the subscriber may enter a so-called “alias” identifying a predefined list of telephone numbers stored in memory on behalf of the subscriber. For example, if the alias is “department” then the list of stored list of telephone numbers may be the telephone numbers of other people who are associated with “department” in some way. Optionally, the subscriber may enter in (a) field  5007  the subject of the broadcast message, (b) field  5008  the level of priority of the message, and (c) field  5009  attachments to the broadcast message. When the subscriber has completed “filling in” the form and has entered (a) his PIN in field  5011  identified by adjacent label field  5010 , and (b) a reach telephone number in field  5013  identified by adjacent label field  5012 , then the subscriber may “point to” send field  5014  to cause the invoked browser software to send the completed form to Web server  190  in a conventional manner. PC  225 , in turn, forms the entered information into TCP/IP packet(s) containing the aforementioned URL and address of Web server  190  and transmits the packet(s) over Internet  200 . Upon receipt of the packet(s), Web server  190  (block  3001 - 3 ) supplies the packet(s) to processor  120  via path  122 . Processor  120  converts a packet(s) from one that conforms with the TCP/IP protocol to a data message having a format recognized by service platform  100 . Processor  120  then supplies the reformatted message to service platform  100  via  121 .  
         [0022]    Service platform  100 , responsive to receipt of that message, unloads the contents of form field  5011  to determine the validity of the entered PIN in a conventional manner, i.e., compares the PIN against a list of valid pins. If the pin is not valid, then service platform  100  discards the message. Otherwise, it stores the message in memory  150  in association with the subscriber&#39;s PIN. Service platform  100  then checks the contents of priority field  5008  and sets a message processing priority indicator based on such contents. That is, if the contents of field  5008  indicate low priority, e.g., by a value of one, then service platform  100  broadcasts the message during an “unbusy” hour, e.g., non-business hours. If the such contents indicate high priority, e.g., by a value of five, then service platform  100  will broadcast the message immediately. Assume the latter case for the present illustrative example. In that case, then, Service platform  100  (block  3002 ) selects an idle T/S processor  140   i,  e.g.,  140 - 4 , and sends the contents of the subject field  5007 , attachments field  5009  (if any) and message field  5005  to T/S processor  140 - 4  with instructions to store the converted speech in local memory. Service platform  100  then checks the subscriber&#39;s subscription to determine if subscriber has also subscribed to a verification feature. If not (block  3003 ), then the application program proceeds to block  3004 . Otherwise, the application program (block  3003 - 1 ) selects an idle BRI circuit  180   i,  e.g., BRI circuit  180 - 5 , and sends instructions to that circuit via bus  125  to place a telephone call to the telephone number entered in field  5013  of the received form. (Note, if the subscriber did not enter such telephone number, then, as a default, a call is placed to the subscriber&#39;s telephone number contained in the subscriber&#39;s subscription record.) When the call is answered and is so detected by BRI  180 - 5 , then BRI  180 - 5  notifies service platform  100  of that fact in a conventional manner via bus  125 . At that point, service platform  100  instructs a voice circuit, VC  160 -  1 , to output the converted speech to a selected channel of bus  130 , and instructs BRI circuit  180 - 5  to read the speech from that channel of bus  130  and transmit the speech to the subscriber. When the last of the speech signals have been so transmitted and voice circuit VC  160 - 1  has notified service platform  100  of that fact, then service platform  100 , under control of the application program, instructs that circuit to unload a predefined verification announcement from its local memory and output the message to a selected channel of bus  130 . Similarly, the program instructs BRI circuit  180 - 5  to remove the announcement from bus  130  and transmit it to the subscriber. One such verification message may be, for example, “If the broadcast message is correct press one, otherwise press two”. The program then waits for receipt of the subscriber&#39;s response. If the program receives a value of one from the subscriber via BRI circuit  180 - 5  and bus  125 , or doesn&#39;t receive a response within a prescribed period of time from the playing of the announcement, e.g., 10 seconds, then program proceeds to block  3004 . If, on the hand the program receives a value of two, then the program returns to block  3002  to repeat the text to speech translation. (Note that if the subsequent determination at block  3003 - 2  results in the subscriber entering a two, indicating that the message is again unacceptable to the subscriber, then the program will retransmit form  5000  to the subscriber for re-entry if the subscriber so desires.)  
         [0023]    At block  3004 , the program terminates the call to the subscriber and then instructs BRI circuit  180 - 5  to place a call to the first telephone number contained in field  5006  of the entered form. When BRI circuit  180 - 5  places the call and detects that the call is answered (block  3005 ), it notifies service platform  100  of that fact via bus  125 . The program (block  3006 ) then selects an idle Voice Circuit  160 , e.g., VC  160 - 1 , to output the voice signal to bus  130  and instructs BRI circuit  180 - 5  to read bus  150  and transmit the voice signal to the called station. When the last of such speech has been so transmitted then a trailer to the message playing a closing greeting, e.g., “thank you for listening to this message”, is transmitted to the called station. If the call is not answered, then the program places the called number at the end of the list of telephone numbers contained in field  5006 . The program (block  3007 ) then checks to see if it has sent the message to each of the telephone numbers contained in field  5006 . The program also checks to see if it has attempted to complete a call to all unanswered locations for the prescribed number of times as determined by respective attempt counters associated with such calls. If not, then the program returns to block  3004  to place a call to the next telephone number on the list. If so, then the program (block  3008 ) forms a message containing (a) the subscriber electronic mail address, (b) information indicating that the broadcast has been completed and (c) information identifying the failed telephone numbers (if any). The program then causes service platform  100  to send the message to the subscriber as so-called electronic mail via conventional TCP/IP processor  120  and WWW server  190  (block  3009 ).  
         [0024]    The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous arrangements, which, although not explicitly shown or described herein, nevertheless embody those principles that are within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a user may access a Web page defining a telephone directory, for example, the “Yellow pages” and select names and telephone numbers from the directory, direct system platform  500  place calls to the selected telephone numbers in the manner discussed and read a prescribed announcement to each called party. As another example, system platform  500  may be arranged to accept a response from the called party and then deliver the response and called number to the user via the server  190  and the Internet.