GB2344017A - Processing demographic data - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provide a system and method for processing demographic data. The system comprises a telecommunications link for connecting a user 600, each user having a unique identifier. A database unit 300 collates demographic data and a controller 200 identifies a user, transmits data, targeted for the particular user, to the user via the telecommunications link and, in response, dynamically updates the demographic data in the database.

Description

A S stem and Method for Processinaphic Data The present invention relates to a system and method for processing demographic data. In particular, but not exclusively, it relates to a system and method for dynamic demographic data collection over a telecommunication link, for example, a telephone line.

Demographic data, in particular demographic market data, is used in advertising campaigns to assist in selling a product. The data provides valuable information to enable companies to target specific geographical areas, age groups etc. Conventionally such data has been gathered by mailing questionnaires and compiling data received in reply. Incentives are invariably provided to encourage the receiptant to reply. Such a method is time consuming and expensive and is often inaccurate. Another existing method is asking questions asked over the telephone. This requires an operator to ask the questions and note the replies. Again this is time consuming and expensive and relies heavily on the goodwill of the receiptant to give their time to answer the questions.

The present invention seeks to provide a system and a method for processing demographic data so that the data is collected dynamically to allow immediate feedback and which is efficient and effective.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for processing demographic data comprising a telecommunication link for connecting a user, each user having a unique identifier; a database for collating demographic data; and a controller for identifying a user, transmitting data, targeted for the particular user, to the user via the telecommunication link and dynamically updating the demographic data in the database.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for processing demographic data, the method comprising the steps of : connecting a user via a telecommunication link, each user having a unique identifier; identifying the user; targeting data for the identified user; transmitting the targeted data to the user; and, in response, dynamically updating demographic data stored in a database.

The system and method of the present invention therefore provides an efficient way of dynamically collecting demographic data which can be used to assist in the selling of products or services. The data can then be selectively used and allow immediate feedback to assist in campaigns and advertising strategies. The system interfaces with a telecommunication link, for example a telephone line, and grows dynamically giving the latest available demographic data. Therefore, there is no wastage of paper or existing overheads of the present systems.

In the preferred embodiment, the system is constructed into two separate units, one for handling the telecommunications and the second for handling the granting and registering of telephone calls and dynamically compiling the demographic database.

Preferably the system allows for registration so a record can be made of criteria of the user and the user assigned a unique identifier. The registration only needs to be completed when the user logs on for the first time. Subsequently when a user logs on, the user is identified by their unique identifier. This provides security to the system since the user can not use the system without providing a match to their assigned identifier upon log on. Therefore, the user can be restricted to accessing the system for a certain number of times per day. Further, it allows unique information concerning the user to be dynamically updated. Information concerning the log on of the user, for example the number of log on's per day and the time of day of each log on, can be easily monitored and used to update the demographic data within the database.

In a preferred embodiment, data transmitted to the user is matched to the particular criteria of the user which is being recorded during registration. Therefore, the data can be targeted to the particular user to take into account the sex, age and geographical location of the user and any other useful information. Therefore, if the system is used to support an advertising campaign, the data transmitted can be a specific advertisement which is specifically aimed at the criteria of a particular user.

The system allows for the criteria of the target data and that of the user to be easily updated or altered as necessary. Therefore, if the circumstances of the user changes or the, for example advertising campaign changes, then these can be easily implemented by the system and the method of the present invention. Therefore, the target data can be continuously altered to keep up to date with changes in strategies.

Preferably the targeted data is altered in response to predetermined parameters. This allows for the targeted data transmitted to be varied to take into account different external circumstances. Therefore, in the case of an advertising campaign, the advertisement which is transmitted to the user can be different at different times of the year to taken into account special events, for example the World Cup.

In order to maximise usage of the system, the targeted data can be put to the use in the form of a selection so that the user can select any one to be transmitted. Therefore, the system and method is interactive with the user. In the example of a telephonic system, the interactive means may be the touch-tone pad of the telephone or voice recognition.

The target data may be in the form of a question which requires an answer from the user. The answer can be used in addition to the log in information and information concerning the selection of the targeted data to aid and update the demographic data.

Therefore, the system and method according to the present invention provides a unique way of processing demographic data to provide immediate feedback to aid in marketing and advertising campaigns etc. In this way, the advertising campaigns can be easily altered to take into account the demographic data which is dynamically corrected so that advertiser can keep up to date with changes in trends etc. Further, advantages of the system method of the present invention will become apparent from the description below.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the following: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the system according to the present invention ; Figure 2 is a flow diagram of the LOGON subroutine of the method according to the present invention; Figure 3 is the END subroutine of the method according to the present invention; Figure 4 is the ADVERT subroutine of the method according to the present invention; Figure 5 is the GRANTCALL subroutine according to the method of the present invention ; Figure 6 is the DIAL subroutine according to the method of the present invention; Figure 7 is the layout of the database according to the present invention; and Figure 8 shows the contents of the database according to the present invention.

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to a telephonic system.

However, it is understood that any form of telecommunication can be used, for example video link.

The system comprises a telephonic unit and a database unit, the telephonic unit handling the telecommunications and the database unit handling the granting and registering of calls and dynamically compiling the demographic database.

The telephonic unit provides the connections to the public telephone system. The unit may provide mass volumes of callers utilising the system concurrently, high bandwidth telephonic circuits known as E1's are plugged into the computer system of the present invention. An El connection carries 30 individual phone lines. To create a full circuit these are split into inbound and outbound lines which is known as"tromboning". A fully loaded circuit would then carry 15 full voice conversations.

Each telephonic unit according to the present invention can be connected with up to 10 E I lines giving a total of 150 concurrent phone connections. If additional caller volume is required then expansion of this system merely involves adding another system and no reconfiguration of the existing system is required. This also provides complete fault tolerance.

Each telephonic unit has the following technical connection specifications.

PSTN (Public Phone System) Compatibility: * Primary Rate ISDN: * T1 : Robbed bit signalling Framing : D4, ESF Coding : AMI, B8ZS ISDN Support: Q. 920, Q. 921, Q. 922, Q. 930, Q. 931 LAN Interface : * Ethernet 10/100 Base-T * Protocols TCP/IP (Internet), IPX, Netbuei # Connects to the Database Unit over ODBC Connectivity Data Protocols: 300 to 33,600 bps full duplex * 56, 000 bps receive/33,600 bps send V. 34bis, V. 34, V. 32bis, V. 32, V. 22bis, V. 22 Facsimile Protocols: # Group 3 up to 9.6kbs V. 29, V. 17, V. 27ter, T. 30 Telephony Support: * DTMF/MF Voice Support: WAV, VOX, GSM Video Support: # MPEG # AVI # H 323 Module: # Keyboard and Monitor Ports Operating Environment: Operating Temperature: 0 to 45 C, internal ambient # Storage temperature:-10 to 70 C Regulatory Compliance: PUL/UL Canada UK Oftel # FCC Certified Class A The database unit holds the customer, advertiser and configuration information. The unit is dynamically accessed by the telephonic unit several times during the process of a telephone call session.

The automatic data capture also takes place in this unit and the information is stored on fixed hard disks within this unit.

The database unit has the following technical specification.

LAN Interface: Ethernet 10/100Base-T # Protocols TCP/IP (Internet), IPX, NetBEUI Database: SQL Relational Database Multiple records for advertisers, customer and configuration Connects to the Telephony Unit over ODBC Connectivity Module: * Keyboard and Monitor Ports Operating Environment: Operating Temperature : 0 to 45 C, internal ambient * Storage temperature :-10 to 70 C An example of the system according to the present invention is shown in Figure 1. It comprises a plurality PC monitors 100, which can be remote and networked to a central computer system 200. The central computer system have storage means 300 for storage of data. The database unit is connected to the telephonic unit via the ethernet 400. The interchange of data is then transferred over the public telephone system to remote customers 600 via the telecommunication control 500.

Advertisers can access the database to retrieve up to date data either via the telephone system, remote terminals, internet or by requesting a report from the staff running the system.

The method of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the routines shown in Figure 2 to 6. In the following description, the following terms will be used.

The term"customer"is defined as users who wish to register or have already registered.

These users are maintained on an internal database. Details stored include name, e-mail address, phone number etc; and The term"advertiser"is used to define those users who specify which customers are to listen to a pre-defined advert of their choosing. The"advertiser"is therefore capable of direct targeting marketing.

With reference to Figure 2, the customer logs on to the system as follows. An incoming call is detected and the call is logged and assigned an identifier. The telephone number from which the customer is calling is read. This is compared with the telephone number stored in the database and if a match is made, then the caller is recognised.

If the customer is recognised, then he is asked to enter a unique PIN number by using the touch-tone pad of his telephone. The PIN number is verified. If the PIN number is not correct, then the customer is asked to re-enter the PIN number until their maximum number of tries have been reached. If the maximum tries have been reached, then the customers are informed that there seems to be a problem with the PIN number and the ENDCONTACT routine is started and the call terminated as shown in Figure 3.

If the PIN number is valid, a check is made as to whether the account has been suspended. If the account has been suspended, then the ENDCONTACT routine is started and the call terminated. If the account has not be suspended, then a check is made as to whether the customer has reached their quota. The quota is a variable parameter which can be set to limit the access of the customer to the system. If the quota has been reached then the customer is informed and asked to try again at a later time, for example the next day and the ENDCONTACT routine is started and the call is terminated as shown in Figure 3. If the quota has not been reached, then the log on is successful and the ADVERT routine, as shown in Figure 4, is started.

If the customer has not been recognised, the customer is asked to enter their account number or asked to set up a new account. If a new account is to be entered then the routine enters the NEWACCOUNT routine (not shown). If a customer enters an account number then the digits are retrieved and if the account number is valid then the customer is asked to enter their PIN number and the routine as described above is followed. If an invalid account number is registered then the customer is given a number of tries and then once the maximum has been reached then the ENDPROBLEM routine, shown in Figure 3, is started and the call is terminated.

The ADVERT routine will now be described with reference to Figure 4. The customer is given a selection of adverts to choose from and upon selection, the advert is played. The customer is played an advert which is defined by the advertiser who has chosen the demographic group of the particular customer. If there are more than two advertiser then they can be served on a first come first serve basis. If the advert has a question, then the question is sent to the customer and if a spoken answer is required, the spoken answer is retrieved and if a spoken answer is not required, then a response is retrieved by, for example touch-tone. At the end of the advert routine, the GRANTCALL routine is started.

A GRANTCALL routine, as shown in Figure 5, gives the customer a free 3-minute telephone call in return for listening the advert. The customer is asked to enter the telephone number he wishes to call and then press star. The entered telephone number is checked to see if it is a valid UK land line telephone number. If it is not valid, then the customer is given the opportunity to enter another telephone number for a maximum number of tries. Once the maximum has been reached, the ENDPROBLEM routine is started and the call terminated.

The system then initiates connection. Firstly it checks for an outbound line. If a line is available, the DIAL routine of Figure 6 is started. The number is dialled and if the number is busy then the customer is informed and the ENDCONTACT routine, as shown in Figure 3, is started and the call terminated. If the line is available, then it is connected to the customer and a timer is started. If the user has not hung-up within 3 minutes then the customer is interrupted and is informed that the next advert is to be played if the customer wishes to have a further 3 minutes of free telephone call. If the user does not hang up, then the ADVERT routine is re-started, otherwise the call is terminated.

The database unit of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8.

When a customer uses the system for the first time he is asked to register. Registration involves entering his details such as name, address, sex, age etc. Most of the details can be entered using the touch-tone pad. The address, has to be entered by voice and is stored on a magnetic media. These details are then collated and stored within the dboContacts table.

The dboUserResponse table has a relationship with the dbolJsers, dboQuestion and dbo Responsetype tables. These will be described in the following paragraphs. The other records are the response that the customer has made to a question and the timestamp.

The dboQuestions table contains the questions that can be asked and the possible answers that the users can select. These are numeric values that can dynamically updated with the telecommunications technology. The dboResponsetype table contains the types of responses the customers can give to a question.

The dboUsers table contains the current information of customers. The key fields in this table are the Idfcurrentcampaign, which matches the user criteria with that of the advertisers so at any point in time the type of campaign the advertiser is aiming at the customer can be established. This can be altered so that campaigns can be easily changed. Another field in this table is the limit the system wants to set on the number of calls per day and length of calls, this allows the dynamic control on the usage of the system. The advertiser can specify this.

The dbo Outgoing calls table is used to the information on the calls made by the customers.

This table is again dynamically updated as the system is utilised. This information will provide the company with demographic information that could be used to store information to the benefits of the company. The termination code is a telecommunications number that is specific to the system; this is used to monitor the usage of system ports, which can be used to diagnose potential problems in the system.

The dboPendingusers table is the table that contains the records of the data that a potential user has entered into the system. This is then ratifie and passed into the dbousers table. The phone number of the potential customer is recorded to make sure the system can call the customer to give them their unique PIN number.

The dboadverts table contains the records that are related to the adverts that are being used by the advertisers. The record adText is the advert that is to be played. The Wavfile is the electronic copy of the adText. The start date and end date allow the system to give full control to the advertisers. The sequence is a number that can be used to plan the advertising campaign by an advertiser. Therefore, the advert which is transmitted can be altered depending on the time of year, for example giving advertisers full flexibility.

The dboincomingCalls table contains all the calls that have come into the telephone system.

This is so a full audit trail is kept of the usage of the system. This is linked to the dbousers table, that data concerning which users have been played which advert can be collated.

The dboIncomingCalls 1 table contains the same data as the dboincoming calls table but is required to identify the customers who have successfully connected to there destination.

The dboadverplaylog, is the table that is used to dynamically record the adverts that have been played, and they are associated with the number of the customer that has used the system. This is used to give coverage information to the advertisers.

The dboSysFTStaff is the table that is used to record the information of the system staff so that they can administer the staff.

The dbosystemsounds table is used to record the information on the computer files that contain the adverts. This allows the system to control the adverts dynamically.

The dbosyslists table records the settings for each component of the hardware of the system.

This is useful for recording purposes and troubleshooting any faults in the system.

The dbosysEvents table records the events of the system, these are used to log all the activity that occurs within the system. This is ideal for troubleshooting.

The dboSysNewUserQuestions is the table that records the questions that will be used in the next phase of questioning, these are the details of the questions that are used to be used by the system Therefore, the routines that the customer follows as shown in Figures 2 to 6, enables a customer to register for a personal PIN number. The PIN number may comprise of 11 digits made up of a unique 4 digit PIN number allocated by the system with the last 7 digits corresponding to the customers home phone number. The customer is then called back to verify the PIN number and is compared to the number which is entered during the initial registration process. At any point of the registration process the customer has the opportunity to cancel the process by pressing the"star"key of their telephone and then there will be an opportunity to return to the start of the registration of process or put the telephone down.

The system is intelligent in that it can be programme to set limits on the number of calls that a customer can make. This limit can be set dynamically depending on the restrictions as specific advertiser wishes to set. There is also error checking to make sure that anyone is not trying to"hack"the system, for example they may try to call to and from unauthorised number, for instance to or from a mobile phone. The advert routine is unique in this area of marketing in that no advertisers available, the system will play a question which is targeted to the customer to augment the customer database. The call is then granted to the user. The GRANTCALL1 routing is then initiated ; again error checking is used to make sure that no hacking takes place. It also gives the opportunity for the customer to re-dial the number if dialled incorrectly. The ADVERT and GRANTCALL routines are driven by API Software written in visual basic. The routines that are used by the customers populate the various tables shown in Figures 7 and 8. This is unique to the system because it is dynamic in nature.

Claims (21)

1. CLAIMS 1. A system for processing demographic data comprising a telecommunication link for connecting a user, each user having a unique identifier; a database for collating demographic data; and a controller for identifying a user, transmitting data, targeted for the particular user, to the user via the telecommunication link and, in response, dynamically updating the demographic data in the database.
2. 2. A system according to Claim 1, wherein the system further comprises registration means for recording criteria of a user and assigning a unique identifier.
3. 3. A system according to Claim 2, wherein the system further comprises targeting means for matching data criteria to the criteria of a user.
4. 4. A system according to Claim 3, wherein the system further comprises means for changing the criteria of the target data.
5. 5. A system according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the system further comprises means for changing the criteria of a user.
6. 6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the targeted data is altered in response to predetermined parameters.
7. 7. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises selection means for providing a selection of targeted data to the user, and interactive means for receiving the users selection so that controller in response to the interactive means transmits the targeted data selected by the user, and means for recording the selection for updating the demographic data.
8. 8. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises question means for sending a user a question related to the targeted data and receiving a reply from the user, the controller dynamically updating the demographic data in response to the reply.
9. 9. A system according to any one of the preceding claims comprises a plurality of telecommunication lines for connecting a plurality user via the telecommunication link.
10. 10. A system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the telecommunication link is a telephony switch.
11. 11. A method for processing demographic data, the method comprising the steps of : connecting a user via a telecommunication link, each user having a unique identifier; identifying the user; transmitting to the user data targeted to the user; and dynamically updating demographic data stored in a database.
12. 12. A method according to Claim 11 wherein the method further comprises registering a new user which includes storing criteria of the user, and assigning a unique identifier to the user.
13. 13. A method according to Claim 12 wherein the method further comprises matching target data criteria to the criteria of a user.
14. 14. A method according to Claim 13 wherein the method further comprises changing the criteria of the target data.
15. 15. A method according to any one of Claims 12 to 14 wherein the method further comprises changing the criteria of the user.
16. 16. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the method further comprises altering the targeted data in response to predetermined parameters.
17. 17. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the method further comprises providing the user a selection of target data; allowing the user to select one of the selection of target data; transmitting the selected target data to the user; recording the selection made; and updating the demographic data accordingly.
18. 18. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein identification of the user comprises comparison with a verification code.
19. 19. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the method further comprises transmitting to the user a question; receiving a reply from the user; and updating the demographic data stored in the database in accordance with the reply.
20. 20. A system for processing demographic data, the system as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.
21. 21. A method for processing demographic data, the method as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.