Central System Bridging Telephone Calls for Secure Provider Engagement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for connecting consumers with service providers, such as e-visits in healthcare, face challenges including overconsumption of services, lack of proper reimbursement, and limited availability of providers, which hinders efficient communication and coordination.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that establishes multiple communication channels between consumers and service providers over the Internet by bridging calls between their respective telephone numbers without disclosing them, enabling secure authentication, availability indication, and flexible call duration management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple communication channels (e-mail, web forms, telephone) are established between consumers and service providers, then connectivity and coordination are improved, but service overconsumption and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central system as an intermediary that manages all communication channels between consumers and service providers. This central system coordinates e-mail, web forms, and telephone communications through a unified platform, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining multiple communication modes. The intermediary handles routing, authentication, and coordination centrally rather than requiring separate systems for each communication type.
2Productivity
If telephone numbers are disclosed between consumer and service provider for direct communication, then communication efficiency is improved, but security and privacy are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The central system acts as a communication intermediary that enables telephone communication between consumer and service provider without disclosing their actual telephone numbers to each other. The system routes calls through its infrastructure, allowing efficient voice communication while maintaining privacy security. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by decoupling communication efficiency from number disclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual telephone number copies or proxies that represent the actual participants in communication. These virtual numbers enable direct communication functionality while the real numbers remain protected. The copying mechanism allows efficient communication to proceed using surrogate identifiers rather than exposing sensitive actual telephone numbers.
3Reliability
If authentication mechanisms are implemented before bridging calls, then security is improved, but communication setup time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs authentication actions preliminarily, before the actual communication begins. By completing security verification in advance through the central system, the actual call setup proceeds quickly without repeated authentication delays. The preliminary authentication establishes trust relationships that enable faster subsequent communications.
Data Source
AI summary
In general, in one aspect, a computer-implemented method for establishing multiple communication channels between a service provider and a consumer includes establishing a text based communication between the consumer and the service provider over the Internet. The method also includes receiving, at a central system, a first telephone number provided by the consumer via a first user interface and a second telephone number provided by the service provider via a second user interface. The method also includes calling, from the central system, the first telephone number and the second telephone number and bridging the calls between the central system and the first telephone number and the central system and the second telephone number to establish a communication channel between the service provider and the consumer.