KR20010072497A - Interactive system for enabling TV shopping - Google Patents

Abstract

An interactive system is provided that allows customers to shop television from a central provider by remote customers without leaving their remote location. The system includes (a) incoming customer telephony to be routed to special agent workstations of a central provider, and (b) outgoing audio from each of the plurality of agent workstations to be routed to each of the customers receiving the incoming telephony; A distributing means for enabling video signal communication is provided. The system is adapted to interactively communicate with the customers and to enable agents working at the workstations to provide the customers with video (picture) representations of available products for viewing on the customers' televisions. do. By viewing the product representations and talking to the agents, the customers can conduct a transaction with the agents. The system can be implemented at a reasonable cost and is not limited to application to television home shopping; For example, it is useful in many applications involving the management of customer-supplier relationships.

Description

Interactive system for enabling TV shopping}

The idea of home shopping is not new in itself. In mainstream home shopping, customers have long been able to place orders for goods marked for purchase in printed catalogs. Typically, a customer orders a particular product by calling or faxing a catalog agent and then quoting each catalog number from the catalog. While the procedure of ordering a product from an agent by reference to a catalog number is straightforward, it is not suitable for ordering many kinds of goods, for example food products that customers prefer to see and touch directly before making a purchase.

Recently, home shopping on the Internet has attracted attention from large supermarkets. Current pilot configurations are testing the most efficient and cost-effective way of delivering directly to customers who are increasingly expecting technology to make life easier. Tesco is able to handle two variants of electronic shopping: (1) catalogs on CD-ROMs and (2) browser-shoppers to collect shopping lists, pay with cards and deliver them to the home at low cost. I'm testing a website on the Internet. Sainsbury also launched the Orderline service, which is when a shopper visits a store and collects his / her own personal shopping catalog, and takes orders over the Internet, by phone, or by fax. . Summerfield and Iceland are also testing similar home-shopping services at each store. However, internet shopping can have various disadvantages. First, the actual use of the Internet is very small, partly due to the small percentage of households accessing the World Wide Web. Delivery and maintenance costs are high, and the speed of orders can be slowed down if the internet slows down from time to time. Moreover, interested customers must learn to overcome the technical barriers to starting on the Internet, and the likelihood of mistakes occurring early in their use is high.

The present invention aims to solve or substantially reduce at least some of the above mentioned disadvantages.

The present invention relates to an interactive system for use as a television shopping system at home, for example.

1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a system embodying the present invention.

2 is another schematic block diagram of a system embodying the present invention, illustrating in more detail the subsystem elements of the present system.

Figures 3 to 12 select exemplary process diagrams illustrating the various functions of the system according to the invention used.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an interactive system that allows television shopping to be achieved immediately and reliably from a central provider by remote customers in the home.

In a broad sense, the present invention establishes interactive communication between remote customers in a home and a specific agent working at a workstation of a central provider, and the agents and agents without having to leave their respective homes. It belongs to the concept of providing clients with a visual representation of their agents and / or purchaseable products to be displayed on their televisions in order to establish a bargain between customers.

According to the invention (a) an incoming customer telephony to be routed to special agent workstations of a central provider that is a plurality of workstations, and (b) the incoming telephony is received from the plurality of agent workstations to be routed. Means for enabling video and audio communication to be established between the remote customers and the central providers, the distribution means for enabling outgoing audio and video signal communication to each customer; Means for interactively communicating with the customers and enabling agents working at the workstations to provide video representations of available products to be shown on the televisions of the customers; And means for enabling the agents and the customers for conducting a transaction to an interactive system that enables television shopping from a central provider by remote customers.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, said distribution means comprises a control / switching system for enabling said customer communication to be routed to and from said agent workstations of said central provider. For example, the control / switching system can be implemented as one software adapted to run on standard computer hardware.

Advantageously, the interactive system may have graphic generating means such that computer-generated graphics of usable goods can be provided for transmission to customers' televisions for viewing.

Moreover, the interactive system may have mixing means for combining the video signals generated at the central provider with the generated graphic data and means for compressing the combined signals for transmission to the television of the customers.

In an exemplary embodiment, an interface to a broadcast network is provided for transmitting video and audio from a central provider to each remote customer. The broadcast interface may include, for example, an audio feed interface and a video feed interface. Broadcasting can be directly (or local area network) via any form of broadcasting media technology, for example through a terrestrial network (including cable or public switched telephone network), or via satellite to the customer's own dish antenna. Can be done).

Advantageously, the video representation provided to the remote customers is scrambled and unscrambled by a uniquely addressable decoder device at each customer location for the representation to be shown on the customers' televisions. The decoder device may be a set top box decoder and may be integrally connected to the customer's television, for example.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be further contemplated with additional features to facilitate communication between agents and remote customers. For example, the system of the present invention may be provided with image-capturing means, for example a camera, to provide live representations of agents and / or usable goods at the central provider. The system also includes (1) means for recording a communication conversation between agents and customers; (2) means for providing automated Attendant service to customers when agents are not available to receive customer communications; And (3) Supervising means for providing facilities for overview of the configuration and maintenance of the system in use.

The system of the present invention advantageously provides a simplified and convenient process for television shopping with interactive communication between remote customers and agents at central goods and / or service providers. The system can be implemented at a reasonable cost and can have utilities for various applications that include managing customer-agent relationships (eg, management queries).

The above and further features of the present invention are described in detail in the appended claims and will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic block diagram of an interactive system 1 embodying the present invention. The interactive system, which usually appears in the absentee number 1, includes a remote customer subsystem 2 in which a remote customer is located, a telephone distribution subsystem 3 connected to the remote customer subsystem 2, and customer telephony. A central provider (4) where a particular agent workstation is located for receiving and processing, and a broadcast distribution subsystem (5) for transmitting live and / or processed communications to the remote customer subsystem (2) for viewing on customer television. And a control / switching system 6 connected to the central provider so that customer communication can be controlled and routed from the agent workstation of the central provider 4. The control / switching system 6 is preferably an event-driven system comprising one software running on standard computer hardware.

2 of the accompanying drawings shows in more detail the subsystem elements of the interactive system. In this figure, the remote customer subsystem 2 is a telephone instrument 7, a television set 8 that allows incoming customer telephony to occur with agents 29 at the central provider 4. And a decoder device 9. The television set 8 is adapted to be connected to the broadcast network 28 via a decoder 9. The purpose of the television set 8 is to visually display video representations (eg, live and recorded images) of merchandise available for purchase at an agent and / or central provider 4 at a remote customer location. The decoder 9 has two main functions: (1) The decoder 9 uniquely identifies each remote customer location 2 so that a unique image representation is drawn from a particular agent workstation at the central provider 4. Provide a unique address (i.e., a number) for each telephony received to be received, and (2) the decoder 9 is displayed on the customer's television set 8 in analog or digital format. It is adapted to unscramble the video representation provided to the customer 10 by converting the representation into a suitable viewing format. It is contemplated that the decoder 9 is a set top box decoder, which can be integrally connected to the customer's television set 8.

The remote customer subsystem 2 is connected to the telephone distribution subsystem 3 via a public switched telephone network 12. In a preferred embodiment, the telephone distribution subsystem 3 comprises a voice recording system 13, a telephone tower 14 for allowing voice communication to be carried out by an agent 29, an interactive voice answering system 15 and an incoming call. It is a computer controlled automated call distribution system with a controllable switch system 16 for switching calls to the control / switching system 6, for example a PABX / ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) system. The characteristics of the telephone distribution subsystem 3 described above are described more fully below.

Voice recording system 13 provides the ability to selectively record telephony conversations between agents at remote customers 10 and central provider 4. The voice recorder 13 is preferably connected to the switch system 16 and can be used to check (1) the accuracy of the order of goods / services and (2) the general quality of goods / services offered for purchase.

The interactive voice answering system 15 operates under the control of the control / switching system 6, and the purpose of the interactive voice answering system 15 is to provide a remote customer caller (when all agents 29 are busy). 10) to provide automated execution services. This system 15 provides a means for recording the number of the customer pager via a Calling Line Identifier (CLID) and an option for call back to the customer pager when the agent 29 becomes available. It may have a means for providing. This system 15 also allows (1) to hold promotional voice and video on call waiting; (2) record the goods / services order for later input and confirmation by the agent 29; (3) provide a facility to allow simple waits and provide statistical details (for example, the pager can say "third in the queue and the estimated wait time is 5 minutes"). Can have

The controllable switch system 16 has one or more switches adapted to interface between agents at the central provider 4 via a telephone circuit relay line of the public network service provider 12 and a headset. The switch system 16 may be supplied as a standard product line item from a third party, and typically does not require any change to be used in the system 1 of the present invention.

Advantageously, the switch system 16 may be equipped with various PABX / ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) switches. To this end, the control / switching system 6 can be successfully interfaced to this type of switch, such as providing a general interface to the control / switching system 6 and a specific interface to PABX / ACD switches. It may be necessary to employ a component layer interface wrapper.

It should also be appreciated that the switch system 16, in cooperation with the control / switching system 6, performs the following important functions in the system of the present invention:

(1) The switch system 16 may signal the incoming / outgoing call with its Calling Line Identifier (CLI) if available to the control / switching system 6.

(2) The control / switching system 6 classifies the call as a one-time call reference and instructs the switch system 16 to route the call to a given extension.

(3) The control / switching system 6 may instruct the switch system 16 to answer the call when instructed by the agent 29.

(4) The control / switching system 6 may instruct the switch system 16 to place the call on hold.

(5) The control / switching system 6 may instruct the switch system 16 to recover the call that was previously on hold.

(6) The control / switching system 6 may instruct the switch system 16 to answer the call by routing the call to another given extension.

(7) The control / switching system 6 may instruct the switch system 16 to give another extension a random call.

(8) The switch system 16 may signal the control / switching system 6 such that a call previously placed on call waits for a specified period and must now be re-answered.

(9) The control / switching system 6 may instruct the switch system 16 to cancel the call.

(10) The switch system 16 may provide a system state and any error state in response to the system state request.

(11) the switch system 16 may respond to a call status request with a call status, queue location, and the like; And any error condition.

(12) The switch system 16 may be configured to receive an error status indication from the control / switch system 6.

(13) The control / switching system 6 may request a date time from the switch system 16.

(14) The control / switching system 6 can set a date time for the switch system 16.

It is contemplated that the system 1 of the present invention may provide a power dialing facility to a customer who calls the center and leaves a reply message so that the agent 29 automatically makes a call when the time is up. . In this situation, the switch system 16 performs the following additional functions.

(i) The control / switching system 6 instructs the switch system 16 to dial the given manager number. Switch system 16 may be configured to respond to a call state / progress: “ringing”, “calling”, “answer”.

(ii) At any point during the call phase, the control / switching system 6 may instruct the switch system 16 to connect the call to an extension and answer the call.

(iii) The control / switching system 6 may instruct the switch system 16 to clear the extension from the conference call.

(iv) The switching system 16 may include storage for maintaining the following records: a one-time call reference (call label) for each call, if appropriate; If available, a Calling Line Identifier (CLID) for each call; The state of each call; System status; And response and error status indications, messages and codes from the control / switching system 6.

Referring now to the central provider 4 of the system 1 of the present invention, a computer-driven user interface and workflow sales and retrieval, retrieval and update of information on available products / services and customers are available. A service process is provided. More specifically, as shown in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2, the central provider 4 is configured with an agent interface system 17, a live video system 18, a first video mixing system 19, a recorded video library system. 20, a second image mixing system 21, an image format converter 22, an overlay graphics generating system 23, and a still image library system 24. The above-described characteristics of the central provider 4 are described more fully in the following.

Agent interface system 17 is provided with a plurality of workstations, preferably in the form of a PC, for example. The workstations can receive incoming customer telephony via a control / switching system 6 and can be routed to each customer at a remote customer location where incoming telephony is received, for example via the control / switching system 6. It is also configured to provide outgoing video and audio communications.

The graphical representation of the product provided for purchase may be generated by software means operable under the control of the agent interface system 17 at the central provider 4. It is contemplated that the software is defined in an overlay graphics generation system 23 directly connected to the interface system 17.

Advantageously, the agent 29 has access to a number of live video sources. First, if necessary, a live video system 18 is provided, including, for example, a video camera, so that the remote customer 10 can view a live picture of the agent and / or available goods on the customer television screen 8. do. Second, there is provided a moving picture video library 20 which can be in the form of a general tape or digitally recorded on a video server. Agent 29 also accesses still pictures from video library system 24. The picture is typically stored in digital form.

Moreover, the central provider 4 has means for selecting and mixing live and recorded video to provide a single video output. For example, the first video mixing system 19 combines the live video signal from the live video system 18 with the recorded video signal from the recorded video library system 20 to produce a single video output that includes a video. It is configured to. The second video mixing system 21 differs from the first video mixing system 19 in that it mixes the video signal outputs from the first video mixing system 19 and the video format converter 22 to provide a single synchronized output. Has the function. In this regard, it should be understood that video format converter 22 interprets the analog video signal outputs from overlay graphics generation system 23 and converts them into a format suitable for mixing with video signals.

Advantageously, each of the plurality of agent workstations at the central provider 4 is adapted to provide the following functions in the system 1 of the present invention.

(1) create and / or accept a log on / off request and change the password request; For example, initiating a request to the control / switching system to set up video channels for transmission encoded on the broadcasting network 5.

(2) The control / switching system 6 may indicate to the particular workstation that the incoming call is waiting to be answered, by CLID. Within a given time interval, the particular agent workstation is responsible for responding that agent 29 wants to answer the call. The incoming call may also be a call that the agent 29 has placed on hold for longer than allowed period of time.

(3) Accept the response from the control / switching system 6 indicating when the video is ready for transmission and indicating the assigned television channel number and the associated feed ID to the broadcasting network head end 27. do; It also has the ability to specify the ID of the associated feed cable to the headend or to allow the control / switching system 6 to select the next available feed.

(4) Indicates the switch state with the local video switch interface 26 to enable the control / switching system 6 to patch the appropriate video source to the feed cable to the head end 27.

(5) Indicates a transfer call (voice / video / quantum) to another agent 29.

(6) Indicates call waiting status of a call (voice / video / quantum).

(7) Indicates the desire to recover a call (voice / video / quantum) that was previously put on hold.

(8) Indicates closing call (voice / video / quantum / emergency / delay) hope.

(9) within a given time interval, call status; Any error condition; The associated PABX / ACD Manager Number (DN); Respond to the status request, which must provide the agent status (to include financial figures and ordered item numbers).

(10) Accept error status Indication from the control / switching system 6.

(11) Indicates an agent's operational status, for example, whether it is ready to accept a call.

The agent workstation can also be configured to keep a record of various parameters. E.g:

Workstation ID; Agent name; Agent ID; Authorized access level; Agent status (ie, no calls, busy, etc.); If applicable, see one-time call; Caller ID (CLID) of the pager; A timeout period, if applicable; General status (this will include the financial price of the latest ordered product); Status code; Knowledge of the local video switch source 26 and Destination port reference and video feed IDs; Knowledge and interpretation of response and error conditions, messages and codes from the control / switching system 6; And visual.

Referring next to the broadcast distribution subsystem 5 of the system 1 of the present invention, for example, it is possible to centralize to maintain one-to-one communication between a signal source (central provider 4) and a signal receiver (remote customer 10). Means are provided for allowing video and audio communication signals from provider 4 to be switched over the encoded broadcast network for transmission. More specifically, in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings, the broadcast distribution subsystem 5 is a switching interface 26, a headend control system 27 adapted to be connected to the switching interface 26. And a broadcast network 28 for allowing communications routed from the central provider 4 and / or the control / switching system 6 to be sent to the remote customer location 2. Each of the components of the broadcast distribution subsystem 5 described above is described more fully below.

The switching interface 26 supplies automated means for patching the local video source from the agent workstation 4 into the broadcast network video feed 27. The switching interface 26 also provides a facility for remote customers 10 to transfer video calls between agents 29 without changing the video channels on their repetitive set top box decoders 9. It is contemplated that the switching interface 26 is provided by a video matrix switch. The switching interface 26 may perform the following task.

(1) As indicated by the control / switching system 6, the switching interface 26 may connect / short any designated video source to any network video feed.

(2) In user mode, the control / switching system 6 only allows one source to be patched to one destination. In supervisor mode, the control / switching system 6 allows one source to be patched to multiple destinations.

(3) In supervisor mode, the control / switching system 6 may allow reset or short of all connections to occur.

(4) The control / switching system 6 may receive an error status indication from the control / switching system 6.

(5) The control / switching system 6 can directly access the moving picture recording video signal from the video library system 25 considered to be connected. Moreover, the switching interface 26 may retain the following records: video source and destination reference numbers; One time switch reference for switching commands; Connection and component status; And knowledge and interpretation of response and error conditions, messages and codes from the control / switching system 6.

As also shown in FIG. 2, the outputs from the switching interface 26 are multiplexed together and passed to the broadcast network headend control 27 via a wide area network connection. The purpose of the headend control 27 is to demultiplex the received video data and, if necessary, convert its format, depending on the type of headend used. The headend is typically analog, although alternatively may be in the form of a digital interface.

Preferably, the headend control 27 comprises: (1) a headend subscriber management system / control switch installed and used by the broadcast network 28 to activate and deactivate the customer's set top box decoder 9; And (2) an intermediate switching control interfacing component disposed at the same location, for example at the headend.

Advantageously, the headend control 27 can perform various tasks as outlined below:

(1) As indicated by the control / switching system 6, the headend control 27 may connect / short any designated video feed (and thus television channel number) to a given set top box.

(2) In the operational mode, only the headend control 27 can cause one source to be patched to one destination. In supervisor mode, headend control 27 allows one source to be patched to multiple destinations.

(3) The headend control 27 may respond to a general status request that should give a general status message indicating the general status of the component.

(4) The head end control 27 is a connection which should give a connection status message which provides information on which video destination and date-time stamp was patched to the reference number of the message instructing the switching. You can respond to status requests.

(5) Headend control 27 may receive an error status indication from control / switching system 6.

(6) The headend control 27 can accept the supervisor password change request.

(7) The control / switching system 6 may request a time from the switching interface 26.

(8) The control / switching system 6 may set the time for the switching interface 26.

(9) The control / switching system 6 may manage the headend subscriber management system / control switch logon process.

(10) Headend control 27 can monitor running system components and have its own simple logging of files.

Headend control 27 may also maintain a record of the following parameters:

System password; Current video channel and set top box IDs; One time switch reference for switching indication; Connection and component status; Knowledge and interpretation of response and error conditions, messages and codes from the control / switching system 6; And visual.

With regard to the interaction between the switching interface 26 and the headend control 27, it should be noted that one arbitrary output from the switching interface 26 may be hard-wired to a particular dedicated television channel ( For example, output # 1 can be fed to channel 36, output # 2 can be fed to channel 39, etc.). By the application of control signals to the headend subscriber management system, which is used to activate / deactivate specific video channels on demand at the customer's set top box decoder 9, one, and only one, customer set top box decoder ( In 9) it becomes possible to activate the television channels.

Broadcast network 28 includes, for example, an interface that may be provided by a land service provider (such as a cable television) or a satellite service provider. The interface preferably comprises an audio feed interface and a video feed interface. Typically, video signals are delivered to the network in ATM format, or in individual channelized feeds compressed to the MPEG2 standard, or in compressed composite video formats. It is contemplated that the audio signal is delivered to the network in ATM format, independent audio channelization format, or mixed audio / synthesis video format. The audio feed can therefore be provided along with the video through the use of independent transmission paths for voice and video in the system 1. This has a clear advantage in that the effect of the transmission delay on the remote customer location 2 is minimized.

In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, it should be finally emphasized from FIG. 2 that the control / switching system 6 performs various main functions in cooperation with other components 3 to 5 when the system 1 of the present invention is in use. ; For example, the control / switching system 6 may find a message indicating that it has an incoming telephone call from remote customers, and route the customer call to an agent working at a particular workstation of the central provider 4. It should be able to handle specific requests, for example, requests to put the calls on hold or deliver them to other agents or supervisors. The control / switching system 6 may also request the broadcast system 5 to set up the video channels and tear them down upon completion of the interactive agent-customer communication session. The control / switching system 6 may also perform a supervisory function to provide general and specific management information for the system in use.

Additional facilities may also be provided by the system 1 of the present invention. For example, the central provider 4 may provide a database adapted for storing and restoring information related to the operation and maintenance of the system 1. Typically, the information to be stored is divided into four groups: (1) parameters ("static data") regarding the configuration and operation of the system, such as, for example, the actions to take during various failure events; Semi-permanent information (“dynamic data”) such as the name of the signed driver, call status, and the like; (3) decision criteria for incoming call distribution (“call routing data”); And (4) an audit record ("audit data") to maintain a history of all calls, pagers and important events. For the sake of completeness, Tables 1 to 4 shown below provide a list of parameters corresponding to the four categories of data described above, all of which can be safely and securely stored in a database facility.

Video Center Static Parameters List of agent workstations, IDs, and TCP / IP addresses 2. List of valid agent names and IDs with agent groups and services provided by the group. List of valid PABX / ACD directory numbers for extensions and trunk lines and the type of event monitoring applied.4. Timeout period used for each message type 5. Action to take when receiving fault indications for component and call status

Video Center Dynamic Parameters General system status 2. System status of individual Video Center components 3. Call state of all calls in progress 4. List of agent names and IDs currently logged on

Video Center Call Routing Parameters A list of CLIs with their associated prioritized agent IDs 2. List of CLIs with healthy service 3. Note that the Call List Routing in CLI, where no agent ID and / or any status is provided for a given normal service, also uses the following dynamic parameters: List of agent names and IDs currently logged on 2. Call state of all calls in progress

Note: The call routing behavior is subject to operational requirements. Call routing behavior varies from routing calls to agents with the longest idle time, based on complex algorithms based on incoming pager ID (CLID), time of day, shopping history, available agent base, and the like.

Audit record Each entry must be fully visually stamped. Call Status: For each change in the call status, there should be a entry showing the call status as follows: "Ring / Pre-Order / Order / Delivery / Summary / Post-Order / etc." Any relevant valid information: "Workstation ID"; "Extension and relay line DNs"; "Agent name and ID"; "Error messages and codes" 3. Change agent status: "agent name and ID"; "Log on / off"; "Shopping / Chat / Ready / U-Ready / etc." 4. Component state change: "Initialize / Ready / Failure / Shutdown / etc"; "Error / Status Messages and Codes" 5. System state change: "Initialize / Ready / Failure / Shutdown / etc"; "Error / Status Messages and Codes" 6. All Video Center Supervisor actions taken from logon to logoff, including transfer to / from agent, call-handling mode

The central provider 4 or the control / switching system 6 may also provide supervisory facilities for overviewing and managing the configuration, maintenance and installation functions of the system 1 of the present invention. The term "supervisor" is generally used herein and it is contemplated that there are various levels of security access provided by a facility having various associated passwords; For example, supervisor facilities may have individual passwords associated with the system's configuration / maintenance / installation functions.

Supervisor facility hardware is considered to be for agent workstations (including PABX / ACD headsets) so that the supervisor can not only hear calls, but also act as a supplementary agent if necessary. The reverse is also true; With the correct software installed, the supervisor can log in to any agent workstation as needed. The supervisor can switch between the two modes by simply clicking on the appropriate button or clicking within a given window.

From the workstation, the supervisor can overview and manage system components. The screen provided gives a warning of the error status as well as the current statistics as follows: Ongoing calls and their various steps: "Shopping / Chat / Ready / Not-Ready"; Waiting for calls when appropriate; And "total price taken" per item or order.

Supervisor facilities may connect directly to access data within the databases disclosed above. Supervisor workstation listens for calls; Act like an agent to remove the call's backlog; You can request the status of each call (see the dynamic parameters described earlier) to make short decisions such as: Supervisor workstations also have a staffing level; Watch list; Agent group; Reports can be generated from video center audit trails (see above) to make long-term decisions, for example.

A summary of each function provided by the supervisor facility is given below.

(1) Get / Set time for any system component

(2) Directly request the status of any individual system component or all system components. Although it is available from dynamic data stored in a database that is directly accessed by the supervisor, providing a direct connection is considered important for recoverability.

(3) Adjust the switch setting of the switching interface 26 for maintenance purposes or for agent supervision for "listen in" the video channel on the appropriate monitor.

(4) Adjust the switch setting of the headend control (27).

(5) Remotely configure and operate voice recorder (13).

(6) Remotely form and operate interactive voice response system (13).

(7) Request / Cancel Eavesdropping on a Specific Agent 29.

(8) Notifying Supervisors of System Security Violations.

In addition to the general knowledge of the system 1, the supervisor facilities may need to maintain a record, in particular, of the components of the system and the various status and error message possibilities.

System component reference; Knowledge and interpretation of response and error conditions; Messages and codes from the system; And visual.

The system 1 of the present invention may advantageously provide shop operating statistics and broadcast network infrastructure statistics that are being used. The following table (ie, Table 5) shows a typical list of statistics for a particular cable node range generated by the statistics model of system 1.

Cable Substructure Statistics value value value value Cable range Range A Multi-range Multi-range Multi-range Passed furniture 220000 450000 450000 750000 % Shoppers 5% 5% 8% 8% Number of 500 household nodes 440 900 900 1500 Maximum active number of channel per node 0.18 0.18 0.28 0.29 Required channel allocation per node 2 2 3 3

Sample store statistics Value 1 year Value 2 years Value 3 years Value 4 years Home store that stores customer base 11000 22500 36000 60000 Weekly customer numbers 9607 19650 31440 52400 Maximum number of operators 80 159 253 439 Average number of operators 25 47 71 118 Maximum number of calls in frequency division 347 711 1137 1976 Class of service 2% 2% 2% 2%

The model may comprise, for example, (1) the maximum number of concurrent users of the system; (2) the average number of concurrent users of the system during the operating time of the store; (3) the number of TV broadcasts set (and cleared down) during the operating time of the store; (4) the probability that a particular channel or agent is not available when the customer (buyer) calls the store; (5) the maximum number of active channels per node to provide information on the number of buyers using the service simultaneously in each geographic node region; And (6) provide statistical information about the required channel allocation per node to ensure that the channel is available in the geographic node region when the buyer wants to make a purchase.

In the operation of the system 1 of the present invention described above, with regard to TV shopping at home, it is understood that achieving a successful shopping transaction between a customer and an agent (product / service provider) typically includes the following steps: Could be. That is, (1) the customer calls a telephone number associated with the system 1 from a remote customer location (eg his / her home); (2) The telephone call is routed to an available agent using equipment based on Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) (3) The agent is the customer pager (using valid codes, etc.). Identify and instruct the pager to select a particular TV channel number on the customer TV set; (4) The customer is provided with a picture called "home shop" (including the embedded live picture of the agent) on the TV screen-which typically allows the agent location at the central provider to equip the camera, and the video Mix the signal with the graphics generated by the computer, compress the image (typically) to the MPEG2 standard and transfer the signal across the broadcast network (e.g. CATV network) to the head (with appropriate customer identification information) By providing at the end; (5) The customer visually inspects the available products on the TV screen and shops by speaking directly to the agent via telephone if appropriate; (6) The customer hangs up the phone once the shopping transaction is completed. This last action on the part of the customer frees up a particular video channel for future use.

3A and 3B of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrate the sequence of setting up and stopping TV channels in the system 1 of the present invention in use. As shown in FIG. 3A, the control / switching system 6 first communicates with the headend control 27 by making a logon request (eg, in response to a request by an agent). If the headend control 27 recognizes the logon sequence as the request is allowed, the control / switching system 6 will continue to request the headend 27 to set up a particular TV channel for use. Can be. The headend 27 is configured to report the changed state back to the control / switching system 6. In FIG. 3B, the process sequence of FIG. 3A is shown in reverse order to show how an existing TV channel session is suspended.

The agent 29 can easily access the system 1 of the present invention by entering a special logon sequence with an associated password into the system 1, and Fig. 4 shows a corresponding process diagram for achieving this. As shown in FIG. 4, the agent 29 at the central provider 4 makes a logon request and enters a password into the control / switching system 6, which is configured to provide them with data facilities ( These entries can be verified by examining the sequences stored in 30). If the logon sequence matches a particular sequence in the database 30, the control / switching system 6 may respond positively to the agent 29 in a manner that allows the logon request, and The agent is enabled by the system 1 to receive customer calls. Preferably, the agent 29 may change his / her own password provided that the database 30 confirms the identity of the agent in the manner described above. As shown, if the agent 29 fails to enter a valid logon sequence within a prescribed time, the control / switching system 6 also prevents the agent 29 from entering the system. A timer can be equipped for this purpose.

5 of the accompanying drawings is a simple process diagram showing how an audio call connection is established between the remote pager 10 and one of the agents 29 at the central provider 4. As shown in the figure, the remote pager 10 initially dials the telephone number of the system. The resulting telephone call is received by the switching system 16 (eg PABX / ACD switch) which typically routes the call to the control / switching system 6. The control / switching system 6 may (a) route the call to the database facility 30 for call leveling / validation purposes and (b) receive an incoming customer telephony of the central provider 4. Alert one of the agents 29. Thus, one of the agents 29, if available, is enabled to answer the customer call and identify the customer pager 10 if unknown. do.

6 of the accompanying drawings shows a process diagram similar to that of FIG. 5 wherein the control / switching system 6 is adapted to redirect the customer call from one agent (agent 1) to another agent (agent 2). The difference is that the first agent (agent 1) should not be able to respond to the customer call (eg due to an error condition). FIG. 6 uses the same reference numbers as used to refer to the same / similar parts in the description of FIG. 5.

7 of the accompanying drawings is a process diagram showing how a video path for a particular television channel using a Calling Line Identifier (hereinafter referred to as CLI) is established in the system 1 of the present invention. In order to avoid repetition, it should only be noted that a request is effectively made to the control / switching system 6 to establish a video path for the TV channel and communicate with the headend control 27 to request the channel. A response is then scheduled on the TV channel that was assigned for that particular session. Moreover, as shown in the figure, the control / switching system 6 uses the telephone pager of the pager to route (typically) video to each customer box by cooperating with the database 30 to the customer pager. Since the set top box identifier matches the identifier of (10), the agent 29 is enabled to inform the customer of the channel through which the television picture will be available. The figure again uses the same reference numerals as used to refer to the same / similar parts in the description of the previous figures.

8 of the accompanying drawings shows in another process diagram how a video path for a TV channel is set up in the system 1 of the present invention, but without the use of a Calling Line Identifier (CLID). As shown in the figure, the process sequence begins with the agent side 29 requesting the system to establish a video path. In response to the request, the control / switching system 6, in the manner discussed previously, allows the headend control 27 to allow video (eg, live video) to be routed to the customer box. And the control / switching system 6 to communicate with the switching interface 26 (eg, a local video switch) and the database 30. 8 again uses the same reference numbers as used to refer to the same / similar parts in the description of the previous figures.

As previously discussed, the system 1 of the present invention may provide a "supervisor" facility for monitoring agents 29 working at special agent workstations at the central provider 4. 9 of the accompanying drawings shows an example process diagram for achieving this. As shown in FIG. 9, the process sequence is initiated by the "supervisor" 31, for example a special agent 29 at one of the agent workstations, requesting monitoring from the system. . Thus, in response to the request, the control / switching system 6 communicates with the database 30 (to verify the identity of the “supervisor”) and sends control signals to the switching interface 26. And to the switching system 16 respectively. If the request made is validated, the "supervisor" is enabled to perform its monitoring function.

As previously discussed, the system 1 of the present invention can be used, for example, from agents for (a) holding incoming customer calls or (b) forwarding incoming customer calls to other agents or supervisors. The request can be processed, and FIGS. 10A and 10B of the accompanying drawings show example process diagrams for achieving these functions.

In FIG. 10A, in response to the control / switching system 6 routing the held video and audio signals to the database facility 30 and the switch system 16, respectively, the agent 29 causes the system to react. Make a "call hold" request to. The remote customer pager 10 is typically asked to “Please hold” and after that, once the prescribed time has elapsed, the control / switching system 6 will second the customer call from the first agent (agent 1). Reroute (ie, forward) to the available agent (agent 2). The first agent is disconnected from the headend feed of the system and the second agent is enabled to establish video and audio communication with the pager 10. As shown, the system may provide the pager 10 with an apology for holding him / her over a prescribed time.

It should be noted that FIGS. 10A and 10B again use the same reference numbers as used to refer to the same / similar parts in the description of the previous figures.

11 of the accompanying drawings is an example process diagram showing the closure of video and audio paths in the system 1 of the present invention after a shopping transaction is completed. As shown, the process sequence begins when the customer pager 10 hangs up. The action causes the agent subsystem 4 to send a “go up” control signal to the control / switching system 6, in response to which the control / switching system 6 is present in all existing video. And route the control signals to the other shown system components 16, 26, 27, 30 to ensure that the audio paths are closed so that all TV channels are free for future use.

12A and 12B of the accompanying drawings are example process diagrams illustrating how various system components communicate with each other when (a) TV session network error recovery and (b) TV session network error failures exist.

In FIG. 12A, the control / switching system 6 communicates with the headend control 27, the database facility 30 and the agent subsystem 4 and is typically associated with a broadcast network node failure. Set to detect error conditions. The system shown furthermore is envisioned to have recovery means for correcting the detected error condition to allow the agent 29 to transmit a successful (error-free) video image on a particular TV channel across the network. .

In FIG. 12B, the control / switching system 6 communicates with the headend control 27, the database facility 30, the switch system 16 and the agent subsystem 4, and FIG. As shown in 12a, certain TV channel error conditions or the like are determined. If an error is detected and the system is unable to fix the detected error condition, an error notification is typically passed to the agent 29 and also pictures of the network traversing the network from the agent 29 to the pager 10. An apology for the detected error in the transmission is made (if appropriate, with a request to the pager 10 to call the agent again later).

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments, the embodiments are illustrative only and modifications and changes that will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the appended claims and their equivalents. It should be well understood that it can be done. For example, the system of the present invention used is not exclusively limited to TV shopping at home. The system used may more generally include management of a customer-provider relationship (such as lookup processing) using, for example, a combination of conventional telephoning combined with video media on a broadcast service. Moreover, the activity of the activation means by the remote customer causes a signal to be transmitted from the remote customer location to the central provider of the system so that a call can then be sent back from the central provider to each customer at the designated telephone number. On-screen means with activation means (eg buttons) can be provided to the remote customer subsystem. In this way, audio communication can be successfully established between the remote customers and the central provider of the system implementing the present invention.

Claims (19)

(a) incoming customer telephony to be routed to special agent workstations of a central provider that is a plurality of workstations, and (b) from each of the plurality of agent workstations to be routed to each of the customers to whom the incoming telephony is received. Means for enabling video and audio communication to be established between the remote customers and the central providers, the distribution means for enabling outgoing audio and video signal communication; Means for interactively communicating with the customers and enabling agents working at the workstations to provide video representations of available products to be shown on the televisions of the customers; And Means for enabling the agents and the customers to conduct a transaction. The system of claim 1, wherein the distribution means comprises a control / switching system for enabling the customer communication to be routed to and from the agent workstations of the central provider. Interactive system. 3. Interactive system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for providing video representations of the available products comprises graphic generating means. 4. A means according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for providing video representations of the available products comprises: mixing means for combining the generated video data with the video signals generated at the central provider and to the customers. Means for compressing the combined signals for transmission. 5. The interactive system of any of claims 1-4, wherein the means for enabling agents for interactively communicating with the customers comprises a broadcast interface. 6. The interactive system of claim 5 wherein the broadcast interface comprises a video feed interface. 7. The interactive system of claim 5 or 6, wherein the broadcast interface comprises an audio feed interface. 8. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the video representations provided to the customers are scrambled and descrambled by a decoder at each customer's place to allow the representations to be viewed on the customers' televisions. Interactive system, characterized in that. The video representation of claim 8, wherein the video representations are arranged to be shown on a preselected channel of the customer's television immediately after communication of the respective channel number by the one of the agents to the customer. Interactive system. 10. The interactive system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the decoder and the customer's television are integrally connected. 11. The interactive system of any of claims 1 to 10, further comprising means for recording a conversation of an interactive communication between the agents and the customers. 12. The interactive system of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an automated performance service for the customers when the agents are busy. 13. The interactive system of claim 12 wherein said means is an interactive voice response system. 14. An interactive system as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising image capture means for providing live representations of the agents and / or the available products at the central provider. 15. The interactive system according to claim 14, wherein said image capturing means comprises a camera. 16. The interactive system according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising means for storing data in analog and / or digital form. 17. The interactive system of claim 16 wherein said data storage means comprises a video library system. 18. The interactive system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising supervision means for providing facilities for supervising the configuration and maintenance of the system in use. Interactive system as described substantially herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.