Data communication network for processing data transactions

Abstract

A data transaction processing system in which transaction data is entered by the user in response to prompts in a template which is tailored to each user application. The template and entered data are accumulated into data transactions which are immediately transmitted upon completion to an external database server for processing and storage. The data transaction is received via standard protocols at a database server which, depending upon the application, stores the entire data transaction, explodes the data transaction to produce ancillary records which are then stored, and/or forwards the data transaction or some or all of the ancillary records to other database servers for updating other databases associated with those database servers. The transaction entry device is integrated with a telephone and is accessed via a touch screen, an optional keyboard, a magnetic card reader, voice entry, a modem, and the like.

1 . A computer server system, comprising:
 a computer server, which receives requests for information from remote users, and responsive to a first request for information, operating to request information from multiple remote database servers that are remote from said computer server and different from said computer server, said computer server obtaining different information from said multiple database servers, and where information for only a first part of a first of said requests for information are obtained from a first remote database server representative of said first part of said information, and where information for only a second part of said first request for information is obtained from a second remote database server that is separate from said first remote database server, and separately addressed from said first remote database server, and where said computer server combines said first and second parts together to provide a response to said first request for information, to provide said information to said user based on a combination of multiple different data streams received from multiple different data servers.   
     
     
         2 . The computer server system as in  claim 1 , wherein said computer server explodes a request for information into multiple different and separate requests for information. 
     
     
         3 . A portable computer system, comprising:
 a computer system, having a screen and having a data input mechanism for entry of data,   said computer system also accepting data input by voice entry, and also producing a voice synthesized output,   said computer system operating responsive to said voice entry to accept descriptive data from a user indicative of a request from a remote database for information, and to send a prompt to the user via said voice synthesized output for more information about said request for information, and receiving additional information from said user, responsive to said prompt, and said computer system combining said additional information with said request as combined information, to send said combined information from both said original request and said additional information about said request to a remote database, and receive response information therefrom, where said response information is enunciated via said synthesized output to the user.   
     
     
         4 . A computer system, comprising:
 a computer system running a data entry routine which receives data from a user indicative of desired information, said computer system operating in response to inputs from the user to provide results that are based on the desired information to the user,   said computer system displaying said desired information to the user, as the user enters the desired information,   said computer system determining, from the information which has been sent by the user, a remote associated database from which to retrieve transaction information, and said computer system sending said information address to said remote associated database, and receiving information back from one of multiple different database servers including receiving from a first database server at a first time and receiving the same information from a second database server at a second time.   
     
     
         5 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computer system, a request for information from a user via an interface;   separating, by the computer system, the request into first and second components;   requesting, by the computer system, information associated with the first component from a first database communicatively coupled to the computer system;   requesting, by the computer system, information associated with the second component from a second database communicatively coupled to the computer system;   receiving, by the computer system, the requested information from the first and second databases; and   providing, by the computer system, the received information to the user via the interface.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first and second databases are located outside the computer system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining, by the computer system, a characteristic of the request; and   selecting, by the computer system, at least one of the first and second databases from a plurality of databases responsively to the determined characteristic.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 combining, by the computer system, the received information into a combined data stream prior to the providing; and   providing, by the computer system, the combined data stream to the user via the interface.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the user interface is a touch screen display device configured to receive the request from the user via the user touching the touch screen display device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the user interface includes a microphone enabled to receive the request from the user when the user transmits an auditory signal. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the user interface includes a speaker enabled to provide the received information to the user via transmission of an auditory signal. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 providing, by the computer system, a menu-driven selection process to the user via the user interface prior to receiving the request, wherein the request is received via the menu-driven selection process.   
     
     
         13 . A computer system comprising:
 a data presentation mechanism configured to present information to a user;   a data entry mechanism configured to accept entry of data from a user, wherein the entered data is indicative of at least one of a request for information or a response to a request for information; and   a processor communicatively to the data presentation mechanism and the data entry mechanism, the processor being configured to receive the request from the data entry mechanism, separate the request into first and second components, request information associated with the first component from a first database communicatively coupled to the computer system, request information associated with the second component from a second database communicatively coupled to the computer system, receive the requested information from the first and second databases, and provide at least one of the received information and the request for information to the data presentation mechanism.   
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the data entry mechanism is at least one of a microphone configured to accept an auditory signal from the user and a touch screen display device configured to enable a user to enter data via touching the touch screen display device. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the data presentation mechanism is a speaker configured to project an auditory signal to the user. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable media storing a set of instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:
 separate a request for information received from a user via an interface into first and second components;   request information associated with the first component from a first database communicatively coupled to the computer system;   request information associated with the second component from a second database communicatively coupled to the computer system;   receive the requested information from the first and second databases; and   provide the received information to the user via the interface.   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computer system, a request for information from a user via an interface;   determining, by the computer system, that additional information is necessary to respond to the request;   requesting, by the computer system, the additional information from the user via the data presentation mechanism;   receiving, by the computer system, the additional information via the data entry mechanism;   transmitting, by the computer system, a combination of the request and the additional information to a remote database;   receiving, by the computer system, a response to the request from the remote database; and   providing, by the computer system, the response to the user via the interface.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 providing, by the computer system, a menu-driven selection process to the user via the user interface prior to receiving the request, wherein the request is received via the menu-driven selection process.   
     
     
         19 . A computer system comprising:
 a data presentation mechanism configured to present information to a user;   a data entry mechanism configured to accept entry of data from a user, wherein the entered data is indicative of at least one of a request for information or a response to a request for information; and   a processor communicatively to the data presentation mechanism and the data entry mechanism, the processor being configured to receive the request, determine that additional information is necessary to respond to the request, request the additional information from the user via the data presentation mechanism, receive the additional information via the data entry mechanism, transmit a combination of the request and the additional information to a remote database, receive a response to the request from the remote database, and provide the response to the data presentation mechanism.   
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the data entry mechanism is at least one of a microphone configured to accept an auditory signal from the user and a touch screen display device configured to enable a user to enter data via touching the touch screen display device. 
     
     
         21 . The computer system of  claim 19 , wherein the data presentation mechanism is a speaker configured to project an auditory signal to the user. 
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory computer readable media storing a set of instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:
 determine that additional information is necessary to respond to a request for information received from a user;   request the additional information from the user;   receive the additional information from the user;   transmit a combination of the request and the additional information to a remote database;   receive a response to the request from the remote database; and   provide the response to the user.   
     
     
         23 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computer system, a request for information from a user via an interface;   determining, by the computer system, a characteristic of the request;   selecting, by the computer system, a database from a plurality of databases responsively to the determined characteristic;   querying, by the computer system, the selected database for information associated with the request;   receiving, by the computer system, the information associated with the request from the selected database; and   providing, by the computer system, the received information to the user.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the database is located outside the computer system. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the user interface is a touch screen display device configured to receive the request from the user via the user touching the touch screen display device. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the user interface includes at least one of a microphone enabled to receive the request from the user when the user transmits an auditory signal and a speaker enabled to provide the received information to the user via transmission of an auditory signal. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 providing, by the computer system, a menu-driven selection process to the user via the user interface prior to receiving the request, wherein the request is received via the menu-driven selection process.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 separating, by the computer system, the request into first and second components;   determining, by the computer system, a characteristic of the first and second components;   selecting, by the computer system, a first database from a plurality of databases responsively to the determined characteristic of the first component;   selecting, by the computer system, a second database from a plurality of databases responsively to the determined characteristic of the second component;   querying, by the computer system, the selected first and second databases for information associated with the first and second components;   receiving, by the computer system, the information associated with the first and second components from the selected first and second databases; and   providing, by the computer system, the received information to the user via the user interface.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 combining, by the computer system, the received information into a combined data stream prior to the providing; and   providing, by the computer system, the combined data stream to the user via the interface.   
     
     
         30 . A computer system comprising:
 a data presentation mechanism configured to present information to a user;   a data entry mechanism configured to accept entry of data from a user, wherein the entered data is indicative of at least one of a request for information or a response to a request for information; and   a processor communicatively to the data presentation mechanism and the data entry mechanism, the processor being configured to receive the request from the data entry mechanism, determine a characteristic of the request, select a database from a plurality of databases responsively to the determined characteristic, query the selected database for information associated with the request, receive the information associated with the request from the selected database, and providing, by the computer system, the received information to the data presentation mechanism.   
     
     
         31 . The computer system of  claim 30 , wherein the data entry mechanism is at least one of a microphone configured to accept an auditory signal from the user and a touch screen display device configured to enable a user to enter data via touching the touch screen display device. 
     
     
         32 . The computer system of  claim 30 , wherein the data presentation mechanism is a speaker configured to project an auditory signal to the user. 
     
     
         33 . A non-transitory computer readable media storing a set of instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:
 determine a characteristic of the request received from a user by the computer system;   select a database from a plurality of databases responsively to the determined characteristic;   query the selected database for information associated with the request;   receive the information associated with the request from the selected database; and   providing, by the computer system, the received information to the data presentation mechanism.