Communications network interface for user friendly interactive access to online services

A method of accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining one of several services, or obtaining information with a user interface for a communications network, said communications network including a user operable terminal for connecting with and sending and receiving communications at a remote location relative to a provider of the account, transaction, service, or information and a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to and from the user operable terminal and to and from at least one computer associated with the provider of the account, transaction, service, or information, said method comprising:

• providing, on said user operable terminal a touch screen display of virtual buttons that are changeable in accordance with differing modes of operation of the terminal;
• providing an interconnection from the user operable terminal through said gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to the provider of the account, transaction, service, or information;
• providing, via programming in an internal processing unit in the terminal, a multiplicity of preprogrammed choices represented by different displays of virtual buttons with respect to the account, transaction, service, or information, said multiplicity of preprogrammed choices being perceptible to the user on the touch screen;
• maintaining in the processing unit of the user terminal a record of connectivity interconnections associated with predetermined providers of each account, transaction, service, or information displayed;
• registering in the terminal the user's input corresponding to the user's selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices displayed on the touch screen;
• communicating through a connectivity interconnection from the terminal to the service platform the user's selection registered as the user's input from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices and for connecting the user terminal to the provider in response to user selection from the multiplicity of programmed choices;
• and
• enabling communication between the user and the provider upon the user's selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices, by way of a switch initiating an interconnection with and data communication between the service platform and the user terminal, wherein, upon connection of the user to the provider, the display of programmed choices on the user terminal is ended and the user terminal becomes interconnected with the selected provider to access the user selected transaction, service, or information.

A system for at least one of accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining one of several services, or obtaining information over a network, said network including a user operable terminal in a form of a telephone for sending and receiving communications at a remote location relative to a provider of the account, transaction, service, or information to be accessed and a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting said communications to and from the user operable terminal and to and from at least one provider of the account, transaction, service, or information, said system comprising:

• said user operable terminal having a display of user selectable options perceptible to the user that are changeable in accordance with differing modes of operation of the user operable terminal and having an internal processing unit programmed to provide a multiplicity of selectable options with respect to the account, transaction, service, or information, said user operable terminal being capable of registering user input to the user operable terminal corresponding to user selection from the multiplicity of selectable options;
• data transmission apparatus that communicates the user's selection from among the multiplicity of selectable options presented by the user operable terminal to the service platform and for communicating data from the service platform to the user operable terminal;
• data receiving apparatus that enables the user operable terminal to display data concerning the account, transaction, service, or information received from the service platform in response to the user's selection from the multiplicity of selectable options;
• apparatus that maintains in the user operable terminal a record of connectivity interconnections associated with predetermined providers of each account, transaction, service, or information displayed;
• apparatus that connects the user operable terminal through a connectivity interconnection to the provider in response to user selection from the multiplicity of selectable options;
• and
• apparatus that enables the user to communicate with the provider upon the user's selection from the multiplicity of selectable options of an account, transaction, service, or information comprising a switch initiating an interconnection with and data communication between, the user operable terminal and the provider though the service platform wherein, upon connection of the user to the provider, the display of a multiplicity of selectable options on the user operable terminal is ended and the user operable terminal becomes interconnected with the selected provider to access the user selected account, transaction, service, or information.

A method of at least one of accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining one of several services, or obtaining information with a user interface for a communications network, said communications network including a user operable terminal for connecting with and sending and receiving communications at a remote location relative to a provider of the account, transaction, service, or information and a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to and from the user operable terminal and to and from at least one computer associated with the provider of the account, transaction, service, or information, said method comprising:

• providing, on said user operable terminal a touch screen display of virtual buttons that are changeable in accordance with differing modes of operation of the user operable terminal;
• providing an interconnection from the user operable terminal though a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to the provider of the account, transaction, service, or information;
• providing, via programming in an internal processing unit in the user operable terminal, a multiplicity of preprogrammed choices represented by different displays of virtual buttons with respect to the account, transaction, service, or information, said multiplicity of preprogrammed choices being perceptible to the user on the touch screen display;
• maintaining in a processing unit of the user operable terminal a record of connectivity interconnections associated with predetermined providers of each account, transaction, service, or information displayed;
• registering in the user operable terminal the user's input corresponding to the user's selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices displayed on the touch screen display;
• communicating through a connectivity interconnection from the user operable terminal to the service platform a user selection registered as user input from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices and for connecting the user operable terminal to the provider in response to user selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices;
• and
• enabling communication between the user and the provider upon user selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices, comprising a switch initiating an interconnection with and data communication between the service platform and the user operable terminal, wherein, upon connection of the user to the provider, the display of the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices on the user operable terminal is ended and the user operable terminal becomes interconnected with the selected provider to access the user selected account, transaction, service, or information.

A system for accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining one of several services, or obtaining information over a network, said network including a user operable terminal in the form of a telephone for sending and receiving communications at a remote location relative to a provider of the account, transaction, service, or information to be accessed and a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting said communications to and from the user operable terminal and to and from at least one provider of the account, transaction, service, or information, said system comprising:

• said user operable terminal having a display of user selectable options perceptible to the user that is changeable in accordance with differing modes of operation of the terminal and having an internal processing unit programmed to provide a multiplicity of selectable options with respect to the account, transaction, service, or information such that the user are guided though the options by on-screen directions, said terminal being capable of registering the user's input to the terminal corresponding to the user's selection from the multiplicity of choices and prioritizing information the user is most likely to use next;
• data transmission means for communicating the user's selection from among the multiplicity of choices presented by the terminal to the service platform and for communicating data from the service platform to the user terminal;
• data receiving means enabling the user terminal to display data concerning the account, transaction, service, or information received from the service platform in response to the user's selection from the multiplicity of choices;
• means for maintaining in the user terminal a record of connectivity interconnections associated with predetermined providers of each account, transaction, service, or information displayed;
• means for connecting the user terminal through a connectivity interconnection to the provider in response to user selection from the user selectable options;
• and
• means for enabling the user to communicate with the provider upon the user's selection from the user selectable options of an account, transaction, service, or information comprising a switch initiating an interconnection with and data communication between, the user terminal and the provider through the service platform wherein, upon connection of the user to the provider, the display of user selectable options on the user terminal is ended and the user terminal becomes interconnected with the selected provider to access the user selected transaction, service, or information.

A method of accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining one of several services, or obtaining information with a user interface for a communications network, said communications network including a user operable terminal for connecting with and sending and receiving communications at a remote location relative to a provider of the account, transaction, service, or information and a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to and from the user operable terminal and to and from at least one computer associated with the provider of the account, transaction, service, or information, said method comprising:

• providing, on said user operable terminal a touch screen display of virtual buttons that are changeable in accordance with differing modes of operation of the user operable terminal;
• providing an interconnection from the user operable terminal through a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to the provider of the account, transaction, service, or information;
• providing, via programming in an internal processing unit in the terminal, a multiplicity of preprogrammed choices represented by different displays of virtual buttons with respect to the account, transaction, service, or information, said multiplicity of preprogrammed choices being perceptible to the user on the touch screen display;
• maintaining in the processing unit of the user terminal a record of connectivity interconnections associated with predetermined providers of each account, transaction, service, or information displayed;
• registering in the terminal the user's input corresponding to the user's selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices displayed on the touch screen display;
• communicating through a connectivity interconnection from the user operable terminal to the service platform the user's selection registered as the user's input from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices and for connecting the user terminal to the provider in response to user selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices;
• guiding the user through the options by on-screen directions and prioritizing information the user is most likely to use next;
• and
• enabling communication between the user and the provider upon the user's selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices by way of a switch initiating an interconnection with and data communication between the service platform and the user terminal, wherein, upon connection of the user to the provider, the display of the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices on the user terminal is ended and the user terminal becomes interconnected with the selected provider to access the user selected transaction, service, or information.

A system for at least one of accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining one of several services, or obtaining information over a network, said network including a user operable terminal in a form of a telephone for sending and receiving communications at a remote location relative to a provider of the account, transaction, service, or information to be accessed and a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting said communications to and from the user operable terminal and to and from at least one provider of the account, transaction, service, or information, said system comprising:

• said user operable terminal having a display of user selectable options perceptible to the user that are changeable in accordance with differing modes of operation of the user operable terminal and having an internal processing unit programmed to provide a multiplicity of selectable options with respect to the account, transaction, service, or information such that the user are guided through the options by on-screen directions, said terminal being capable of registering the user's input to the terminal corresponding to the user's selection from the multiplicity of choices and prioritizing information the user is most likely to use next;
• data transmission apparatus that communicates the user's selection from among the multiplicity of selectable options presented by the user operable terminal to the service platform and for communicating data from the service platform to the user operable terminal;
• data receiving apparatus that enables the user operable terminal to display data concerning the account, transaction, service, or information received from the service platform in response to the user's selection from the multiplicity of selectable options;
• apparatus that maintains in the user operable terminal a record of connectivity interconnections associated with predetermined providers of each account, transaction, service, or information displayed;
• apparatus that connects the user operable terminal through a connectivity interconnection to the provider in response to user selection from the user selectable options;
• and
• apparatus that enables the user to communicate with the provider upon the user's selection from the user selectable options of an account, transaction, service, or information comprising a switch initiating an interconnection with and data communication between, the user operable terminal and the provider through the service platform wherein, upon connection of the user to the provider, the display of user selectable options on the user operable terminal is ended and the user operable terminal becomes interconnected with the selected provider to access the user selected account, transaction, service, or information.

A method of at least one of accessing an account, conducting a transaction, obtaining one of several services, or obtaining information with a user interface for a communications network, said communications network including a user operable terminal for connecting with and sending and receiving communications at a remote location relative to a provider of the account, transaction, service, or information and a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to and from the user operable terminal and to and from at least one computer associated with the provider of the account, transaction, service, or information, said method comprising:

• providing, on said user operable terminal a touch screen display of virtual buttons that are changeable in accordance with differing modes of operation of the user operable terminal;
• providing an interconnection from the user operable terminal through a gateway service platform for processing and transmitting communications to the provider of the account, transaction, service, or information;
• providing, via programming in an internal processing unit in the user operable terminal, a multiplicity of preprogrammed choices represented by different displays of virtual buttons with respect to the account, transaction, service, or information, said multiplicity of preprogrammed choices being perceptible to the user on the touch screen display;
• maintaining in a processing unit of the user operable terminal a record of connectivity interconnections associated with predetermined providers of each account, transaction, service, or information displayed;
• registering in the user operable terminal the user's input corresponding to the user's selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices displayed on the touch screen display;
• communicating through a connectivity interconnection from the user operable terminal to the service platform a user selection registered as user input from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices and for connecting the user operable terminal to the provider in response to user selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices;
• guiding the user through the options by on-screen directions and prioritizing information the user is most likely to use next;
• and
• enabling communication between the user and the provider upon user selection from the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices, comprising a switch initiating an interconnection with and data communication between the service platform and the user operable terminal, wherein, upon connection of the user to the provider, display of the multiplicity of preprogrammed choices on the user operable terminal is ended and the user operable terminal becomes interconnected with the selected provider to access the user selected account, transaction, service, or information.