# US 7,610,557 B2 · Automatic response interface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,610,557 B2 - Document ID: US7610557B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/706,866 - Filed: 2003-11-12 - Published: 2005-04-14 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2003-11-12 - Assignees: Thunderhead Limited - Inventors: James McLennan; Martin Davey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7610557B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management - G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A graphical user interface, for use in generating a definition of an automated response mechanism to be used in automatically communicating when a response occasion occurs, comprises screens (272, 282, 288, 316, 322) which present, in two side by side columns (286, 284, 290, 292), a list of selectable items and a list of those items which have been selected, items being transferrable from one column to the other. Selected items are implemented in the automated response. Selectable items include the media (284, 286) for the communication, criteria definitions (310, 320, 312) to be fulfilled or not for an item to be used, fixed (302) text and variable data (304) items in selectable idioms and languages for each medium, and for use when different criteria are fulfilled, and place holders for defining the physical locations in the one or more media responses of items used. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A graphical user interface for use in preparation of an automatically generated communication in response to an event requiring generation of a communication, said communication being generated from a response template which contains data definitions and conditional criteria and wherein conditional criterion in the response template automatically activates alternative selections of text and data according to whether the criterion is met and whether the criterion is not met; said graphical user interface comprising: means for presenting an image of a list of at least one selectable operational options; means for accepting selection of an operational option from the list; and means for presenting an image of said at least one operational option selected as a chosen option list, said list of said at least one selectable operational option comprises a list of a plurality of different media by which the automatically generated communication can be transmitted; and wherein said list of chosen options comprises at least one chosen media for transmission of the automatically generated communication; and wherein the text and data content of the automatically generated communication comprises at least one of an instruction to the recipient for handling a response to the communication and an indication of a medium of an associated communication, which at least one instruction and indication is automatically changed depending on the characteristic of the chosen media so that differences in such at least one instruction and indication between communications are identifiable by the recipient of a communication. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A graphical user interface, according to claim 1, further comprising: means for selecting a chosen option from the chosen option list; and means for accepting return of a selected chosen option to the list of selectable operational options. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A graphical user interface, according to claim 1, wherein said means for presenting an image of a list of at least one selectable operational option and said means for presenting an image of said at least one operational option as a chosen option list together comprise a split screen, said split screen having a first portion and a second portion and being operative to display said list of said at least one selectable operational option in said first portion and to display said chosen option list in said second portion thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A graphical user interface, according to claim 3, wherein said split screen has a first side and a second side and said first portion of said split screen is on said first side and wherein said second portion of said split screen is on said second side. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A graphical user interface, according to claim 3, wherein said split screen is one of a plurality of split screens. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A graphical user interface, according to claim 1, wherein said list of said at least one selectable operational option is presented as a tree structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A graphical user interface, according claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface comprises means for accepting selection of said at least one chosen media and means for directing the automatically generated communication for transmission on said at least one chosen media selected. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A graphical user interface, according to claim 1, wherein said list of said at least one selectable operational option comprises at least one of: at least one criteria to be fulfilled to cause generation of the automatically generated communication; at least one text item; at least one criteria to be fulfilled to select a text item; and at least one fixed item to be selected. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A graphical user interface, according to claim 8, comprising conversion means for accepting a criterion definition for each of said at least one criteria and for converting the criterion definition into plain language for display. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A graphical user interface, according to claim 8 wherein said at least one text item comprises items in a plurality of selectable languages. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A graphical user interface, according to claim 10, wherein said at least one text item comprises items for use in at least one selectable idioms. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A graphical user interface, according to claim 11, wherein said at least one text items comprises items for use in at least one selectable media. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A graphical user interface, according to claim 12, wherein said at least one fixed item comprises at least one selectable place holder for use with at least one media. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A graphical user interface, according to claim 13, wherein said at least one fixed item comprises at least one selectable place holder for use in fixing the position of items with at least one media. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A graphical user interface, according to claim 14, wherein said at least one fixed item comprises at least one selectable item for use with at least one media. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A graphical user interface, according to claim 15, comprising means for testing a specified automatically generated communication by presenting different criteria for generation of an automatically generated communication, and means for altering a specification of the automatically generated communication until a user approved automatically generated communications are obtained. ### Claim 17 A method for preparing an automatically generated communication in response to an event requiring generation of a communication, the method comprising the steps of: presenting an image of a list of at least one selectable operational option; selecting at least one operational option from the list; accepting said at least one operational option selected; presenting an image of said at least one operational option selected as a chosen option list; subsequently generating an automatically generated communication which implements said at least one chosen option listed; wherein the step of generating a communication comprises reading a response template which contains data definitions and conditional criteria and wherein conditional criterion in the response template automatically activates alternative selections of text and data according to whether the criterion is met and whether the criterion is not met; said list of said at least one selectable operational option comprises a list of a plurality of different media by which the automatically generated communication can be transmitted; and wherein said list of chosen options comprises at least one chosen media for transmission of the automatically generated communication and wherein the text and data content of the automatically generated communication comprises at least one of an instruction to the recipient for handling a response to the communication and an indication of a medium of an associated communication, which at least one instruction and indication is automatically changed depending on the characteristic of the chosen medium so that differences in such at least one instruction and indication between communications are identifiable by the recipient of a communication. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A method, according to claim 17, comprising the steps of selecting a chosen option from the chosen option list; and accepting return of the chosen option selected to said list of at least one selectable operational option. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method, according to claim 18 comprising the steps of providing a split screen with a first portion and a second portion; presenting, simultaneously, an image of a list of said least one selectable operational option in the first portion thereof and an image of said chosen option list in the second portion thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A method, according to claim 19, comprising the steps of providing said first portion of said split screen on a first side thereof and providing said second portion of said split screen on a second side thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A method, according to claim 20 wherein said split screen is one of a plurality of split screens. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) A method, according to claim 20, comprising the step of presenting said list of at said least one selectable operational option as a tree structure. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) A method, according to claim 20, comprising the steps of: accepting selection of said at least one chosen medium; and subsequently directing the automatically generated communication for transmission on said at least one chosen medium. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) A method, according to claim 20, wherein said list of said at least one selectable operational option comprises at least one of: at least one criterion to be fulfilled to cause the generation of the automatically generated communication; at least one criterion to be fulfilled to select a text item; at least one text item to be selected; and at least one fixed item to be selected. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A method, according to claim 24, comprising the steps of: accepting a criterion definition for each of said at least one criterion and converting the criterion definition into plain language for display. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24, 25) A method, according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein said at least one text item comprises items in a plurality of selectable languages. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24, 25) A method, according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein said at least one text item comprises items for at least one selectable idiom. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24, 25) A method, according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein said at least one text item comprises items for at least one selectable media. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24, 25) A method, according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein said at least one fixed item comprises at least one selectable place holder for at least one media. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24, 25) A method, according to claim 24 or 25, wherein said at least one fixed item comprises at least one selectable place holder for fixing the position of items with at least one media. ### Claim 31 (depends on 24, 25) A method, according to claim 24 or 25, wherein said at least one fixed item comprises at least one selectable item for at least one media. ### Claim 32 (depends on 24, 25) A method, according to claim 24 or 25, comprising the steps of: testing a specified automatically generated communication by presenting different criteria for generation of an automatically generated communication thereto; and altering the specification of the automatically generated communication until a user approved automatically generated communication is obtained. ### Claim 33 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) A graphical user interface, according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising means to implement the chosen options in subsequent generation of the automatically generated communication. ### Claim 34 A graphical user interface for use in preparation of an automatically generated communication in response to an event requiring generation of a communication, said graphical user interface comprising: means for presenting an image of a list of at least one selectable operational option comprising at least one of: at least one criteria to be fulfilled to cause generation of the automatically generated communication; at least one text item comprising items in a plurality of selectable languages, items for use in at least one selectable idiom and items for use in at least one selectable medium; at least one criteria to be fulfilled to select a text item; and at least one fixed item to be selected comprising at least one selectable place holder for use with at least one medium, at least one selectable place holder for fixing the position of items with at least one medium and at least one selectable item for use with at least one medium; conversion means for accepting a criterion definition for each of said at least one criteria and for converting the criterion definition into plain language for display; means for accepting selection of an operational option for use; means for presenting an image of said at least one operational option selected as a chosen option list. means for selecting a chosen option on the chosen option list; and means for accepting return of a selected chosen option to the list of selectable operational options, wherein: said means for presenting an image of a list of at least one selectable operational option and said means for presenting an image of said at least one operational option as a chosen option list together comprise a screen split into a first side and a second side and being operative to display said list of said at least one selectable operational option as a tree structure in said first side and to display said chosen option list in said second side thereof; said list of said at least one selectable operational option comprises a list of a plurality of different media by which the automatically generated communication can be transmitted; said list of chosen options comprises at least one chosen media for transmission of the automatically generated communication; said graphical user interface comprises means for accepting selection of said at least one chosen media and means for directing the automatically generated communication for transmission on said at least one chosen media selected and wherein the text and data content of the automatically generated communication comprises at least one of an instruction to the recipient for handling a response to the communication and an indication of a medium of an associated communication, which at least one instruction and indication is automatically changed depending on the characteristic of the chosen medium so that differences in such at least one instruction and indication between communications are identifiable by the recipient of a communication. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) A graphical user interface, according to claim 34, comprising means for testing a specified automatically generated communication by presenting different criteria for generation of an automatically generated communication, and means for altering a specification of the automatically generated communication until a satisfactory automatically generated communications are obtained. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) A graphical user interface, according to claim 34, wherein said at least one instruction and indication concerns a document associated with the communication.