英語翻譯
In an embodiment of this invention,to avoid having slightly-delayed responses being routed to the wrong contact-number,the billboard provider uses different response numbers 120 a,120 b for immediately time-adjacent messages.For example,if the duration that the billboard displays each message is fifteen minutes,and a viewer notices the message 130 a during the fifteenth minute of its display and commences a response,the response may not be completed and/or received by the billboard-provider until after message 130 b is being displayed.If the same response-number is displayed on the billboard for both messages 130 a and 130 b,when this late-response to message 130 a is received while message 130 b is being displayed,the billboard provider will likely send the message to the contact-number associated with message 130 b,rather than the contact-number associated with message 130 a,particularly if it is received well after a viewer could have responded to the message 130 b.If the billboard-provider alternates the use of two response-numbers in the above example,the response-number 120 b will be different from the response-number 120 a,and there will be a fifteen minute “buffer period”.available,during which any late-responses received at the response-number 120 a could be routed to the contact-number associated with the message 130 a.In a preferred embodiment,this buffer period is further segregated into a first period for receiving late-responses at the response-number 120 a,and a second period for refusing acceptance of further messages at the response-number 120 a,thereby providing a “clear period” between receiving responses to message 130 a and enabling receiving responses to message 130 c,using the same response-number at 120 a,120 c.During this clear period,subsequent calls may be refused,resulting in a busy-signal to the sender,or,a recorded message could be provided,advising the responder that the contact-number is no longer valid.If the billboard-provider uses additional alternative response-numbers,the duration of the buffer period and/or clear period can be correspondingly increased.Optionally,to allow for a longer response period,the responder may be provided the option of identifying which of N previously displayed messages at this contact-number the response is to be directed.Each displayed message may have an identifying index number,or the system could read-back some or all of the displayed message to the responder for selection,using an SMS-to Speech converter.These and other techniques for managing the association of each response to the proper message will be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of this disclosure.