Dynamically processing an index to create an ordered set of questions

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further comprises the steps of: if a database contains information associated with an index category of said plurality of index categories, then defining said index category as an active index category; and defining said set of questions to include a question only if said question corresponds to said active index category.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing said index further comprises providing said index having a plurality of terms, a portion of said plurality of terms being associated with said selected domain.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 further comprising the step, in response to said selecting step, of scaling said plurality of terms to include only said portion of said terms associated with said selected domain.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3 further comprising the step, after said arranging step, of providing a prompt with a question from said set of questions.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5, wherein said question is the first question according to said question set order, and wherein said step of providing said prompt further comprises providing said prompt with said first question.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps, after said prompting step, of: receiving a response to said prompt; selecting one of said portion of said plurality of terms as a selected term based upon said response; and searching a database for information related to said selected term.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 further comprising the step, in response to said searching step, of delivering said information.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7 further comprising, after said searching step, the step of delivering said information if the amount of said information is less than a predetermined threshold.

Claim 11

The method of claim 7 further comprising, after said searching step, the step of providing said prompt with another of said questions if the amount of said information exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10, wherein said another of said questions is the next question according to said question set order, and wherein said step of providing said prompt further comprises providing said prompt with said next question.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting said selected domain further comprises receiving a first signal, said first signal indicating a selection of said selected domain.

Claim 14

The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of transmitting a second signal that provides a prompt, said second signal being derived from a question from said set of questions according to said question set order.

Claim 15

The method of claim 13 further comprising, in response to transmitting said second signal, receiving a third signal, said third signal indicating a desired term.

Claim 16

The method of claim 14, wherein said step of providing said index further comprises providing said index having a plurality of terms, a portion of said plurality of terms being associated with said selected domain; and further comprising the step of selecting one of said portion of said plurality of terms as a selected term based upon said desired term from said third signal.

Claim 17

The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of: searching a database for information associated with said selected term, said database associated with said index; and transmitting a fourth signal to said user, the content of said fourth signal providing said information associated with said selected term.

Claim 20

The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps, after step (d), of: (d1) determining if any of said index categories are inactive, one of said index categories being inactive if said database does not contain any information associated with said one of said index categories; and (d2) deleting from said set of questions those of said questions corresponding to those of said index categories which are determined to be inactive.

Claim 21

The method of claim 17 further comprising the step, in response to step (c), of scaling said plurality of terms to include only said portion of said terms associated with said selected domain.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17 further comprising the step, in response to step (e), of scaling said plurality of terms to include only those of said portion of said plurality of terms associated with one of said plurality of index categories corresponding to said identified question as scaled terms; and wherein step (g) comprises selecting said selected term from said scaled terms.

Claim 23

The method of claim 17, wherein said index is a data structure which maintains a plurality of group headings; and wherein said step of providing said index further comprises providing that each of said plurality of group headings is hierarchically-related to each other so as to create a hierarchy of group headings, and that each of said plurality of group headings corresponds to information in said database.

Claim 24

The method of claim 17, wherein step (b) further comprises receiving a first signal, said first signal indicating a selection of said selected domain.

Claim 25

The method of claim 22, wherein step (f) further comprises transmitting a second signal that provides a prompt, said second signal being derived from said identified question; and wherein step (g) further comprises selecting said selected term based upon a third signal received in response to said prompt.

Claim 26

The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of transmitting a fourth signal to said user after step (i), said fourth signal providing said information stored in said database associated with said selected term.

Claim 27

A computer system for dynamically processing an index to create a set of questions, comprising: a processor; a memory storage device coupled to said processor, said memory storage device maintaining a script file and said index, said index having a selected domain, said selected domain associated with said script file, said selected domain having a plurality of index categories, each of said plurality of index categories being associated with one of a plurality of questions, and each of said plurality of questions stored within said script file; a communications interface coupled to said processor, said communications interface for communicating with a remote device; and said processor being operative: to determine a particular order that is associated with said index categories of said selected domain, and to arrange said plurality of questions into said set of questions for interacting with said remote device, said set of questions having a question set order that corresponds to said particular order.

Claim 28

A computer system for dynamically processing an index to create a set of questions, comprising: a processor; a memory storage device coupled to said processor, said memory storage device maintaining a script file and said index, said index having a selected domain, said selected domain associated with said script file, said selected domain having a plurality of index categories, each of said plurality of index categories being associated with one of a plurality of questions, and each of said plurality of questions stored within said script file; a communications interface coupled to said processor, said communications interface for communicating with a remote device; and said processor being operative: to determine a particular order that is associated with said index categories of said selected domain, and to arrange said plurality of questions into said set of questions for interacting with said remote device, said set of questions having a question set order that corresponds to said particular order.

Claim 29

The computer system of claim 25, wherein an index category from said plurality of index categories is active if a database maintained on said memory storage device contains information associated with said index category; and wherein, said set of questions includes only those of said questions that correspond to those of said plurality of index categories that are active.

Claim 30

The computer system of claim 25, wherein said memory storage device also maintains a plurality of terms, a portion of said plurality of terms being associated with an index category from said plurality of index categories; and wherein said processor is further operative to scale said plurality of terms to include only said portion of said plurality of terms.

Claim 31

The computer system of claim 25, wherein said processor is further operative: to transmit a signal to said remote device, said signal being derived from at least one of said questions in said set of question; and to select one of a plurality of terms associated with said selected domain as a selected term based upon a response signal received from said remote device in response to said signal.

Claim 32

The computer system of claim 28, wherein said processor is further operative: to search a database maintained on said memory storage device for information associated with said selected term; and to transmit said information to said remote device.

Claim 33

A computer system for dynamically processing an index to create a set of questions, comprising: a processor; a memory storage device coupled to said processor, said memory storage device for maintaining: a database, an index associated with said database, said index having a plurality of domains and a plurality of terms, and a plurality of script files, each of said plurality of script files respectively corresponding to each of said plurality of domains; a communications interface coupled to said processor, said communications interface for communicating with a remote device; and said processor being operative to: (a) in response to a first signal received from said remote device via said communications interface, select one of said domains as a selected domain, said selected domain having a plurality of index categories, each of said plurality of index categories being associated with one of a plurality of questions, each of said plurality of questions stored within one of said plurality of script files corresponding to said selected domain, and said selected domain being associated with a portion of said plurality of terms, (b) determine a particular order associated with said plurality of index categories, (c) arrange said plurality of questions into said set of questions with a question set order that corresponds to said particular order, (d) identify the first question in said set of questions according to said question set order as an identified question, (e) prompt said remote device with said identified question, (f) receive a response from said remote device, (g) select one of said plurality of terms as a selected term based upon on said response, (h) search said database on said memory storage device for information associated with said selected term, and (i) if the amount of said information exceeds a predetermined threshold, perform said functions (d)-(h) for the next question according to said question order.

Claim 34

A computer system for dynamically processing an index to create a set of questions, comprising: a processor; a memory storage device coupled to said processor, said memory storage device for maintaining: a database, an index associated with said database, said index having a plurality of domains and a plurality of terms, and a plurality of script files, each of said plurality of script files respectively corresponding to each of said plurality of domains; a communications interface coupled to said processor, said communications interface for communicating with a remote device; and said processor being operative to: (a) in response to a first signal received from said remote device via said communications interface, select one of said domains as a selected domain, said selected domain having a plurality of index categories, each of said plurality of index categories being associated with one of a plurality of questions, each of said plurality of questions stored within one of said plurality of script files corresponding to said selected domain, and said selected domain being associated with a portion of said plurality of terms, (b) determine a particular order associated with said plurality of index categories, (c) arrange said plurality of questions into said set of questions with a question set order that corresponds to said particular order, (d) identify the first question in said set of questions according to said question set order as an identified question, (e) prompt said remote device with said identified question, (f) receive a response from said remote device, (g) select one of said plurality of terms as a selected term based upon on said response, (h) search said database on said memory storage device for information associated with said selected term, and (i) if the amount of said information exceeds a predetermined threshold, perform said functions (d)-(h) for the next question according to said question order.

Claim 35

The computer system of claim 30, wherein said processor is further operative to determine if any of said plurality of index categories are inactive, an index category from said plurality of index categories is inactive if said database does not contain any information associated with said index category; and wherein said processor is further operative to delete from said set of questions those of said plurality of questions corresponding to those of said plurality of index categories which are determined to be inactive.

Claim 36

The computer system of claim 30, wherein said processor is further operative to scale said plurality of terms to include only said portion of said plurality of terms associated with said selected domain.

Claim 37

The computer system of claim 30, wherein said processor is further operative to scale said plurality of terms to include only those terms of said portion of said plurality of terms which are associated with an index category corresponding to said identified question; and wherein said processor is further operative to select said selected term from said scaled terms.

Claim 38

The computer system of claim 30, wherein said index is a data structure stored on said memory storage device which maintains a plurality of group headings, each of said plurality of group headings being hierarchically-related to each other so as to create a hierarchy of group headings, and that said each of said plurality of group headings corresponds to information in said database.

Claim 39

The computer system of claim 30, wherein said processor is further operative to transmit a second signal to said remote device, said second signal being derived from said identified question; and wherein said processor is further operative to select said selected term based upon a third signal received from said remote device.

Claim 40

The computer system of claim 35, wherein said processor is further operative to transmit a fourth signal to said remote device, said fourth signal providing said information stored in said database associated with said selected term.

Claim 41

A distributed computer system for dynamically processing an index to create a set of questions, comprising: a backend computer; a backend memory storage device coupled to said backend computer, said backend memory storage device maintaining: a database, a script file maintaining a plurality of questions, an index associated with said database, said index having a selected domain, said selected domain corresponding to said script file, said selected domain having a plurality of index categories, and each of said plurality of index categories being associated with one of said plurality of questions; a frontend computer, said frontend computer having a memory and being in communication with said backend computer via a network, and said frontend computer providing a service communication interface for communicating with a remote device; said backend computer being operative to provide said frontend computer with access to said database, said index, and said script file; and said frontend computer being operative to: copy said database, said index, and said script file from said backend memory storage device into said memory of said each of said frontend computers as a copied database, a copied index, and a copied script file, respectively, determine a particular order associated with said plurality of index categories of said selected domain, and arrange said questions into said set of questions for interacting with said remote device via said service communication interface, said set of questions having a question set order that corresponds to said particular order.

Claim 42

A distributed computer system for dynamically processing an index to create a set of questions, comprising: a backend computer; a backend memory storage device coupled to said backend computer, said backend memory storage device maintaining: a database, a script file maintaining a plurality of questions, an index associated with said database, said index having a selected domain, said selected domain corresponding to said script file, said selected domain having a plurality of index categories, and each of said plurality of index categories being associated with one of said plurality of questions; a frontend computer, said frontend computer having a memory and being in communication with said backend computer via a network, and said frontend computer providing a service communication interface for communicating with a remote device; said backend computer being operative to provide said frontend computer with access to said database, said index, and said script file; and said frontend computer being operative to: copy said database, said index, and said script file from said backend memory storage device into said memory of said each of said frontend computers as a copied database, a copied index, and a copied script file, respectively, determine a particular order associated with said plurality of index categories of said selected domain, and arrange said questions into said set of questions for interacting with said remote device via said service communication interface, said set of questions having a question set order that corresponds to said particular order.

Claim 43

The distributed computer system of claim 37, wherein said set of questions includes only those of said questions in said copied script file that correspond to those of said index categories that are active, an index category from said plurality of index categories is active if said copied database contains information associated with said index category.

Claim 44

The distributed computer system of claim 37, wherein said copied index in said memory of said frontend computer further includes a plurality of terms, a portion of said plurality of terms being associated with at least one of said plurality of index categories; and wherein said frontend computer is further operative to scale said plurality of term to include only said portion of said plurality of terms associated with said selected domain.

Claim 45

The distributed computer system of claim 37, wherein said frontend computer is further operative to transmit a signal derived from at least one of said plurality of questions, said signal transmitted to said remote device via said service communication interface, thereby interacting with said remote device.

Claim 46

The distributed computer system of claim 40, wherein said frontend computer is further operative: based upon the content of a response signal received from said remote device in response to the transmission of said signal, to select a term as a selected term, said selected term being associated with said selected domain; and to search said copied database for information associated with said selected term.

Claim 47

The computer system of claim 41, wherein said frontend computer is further operative to provide said information to aid remote device.

Claim 48

The distributed computer system of claim 37, wherein said backend computer is operative to update said database, said index, and said script file on said backend memory storage device.