A METHOD OF CONTROLLING A MULTI-PURPOSE RE-CONFIGURABLE INFORMATION QUERY COMPUTER SYSTEM

摘要

A method of controlling a multi-purpose re-configurable information query computer system arranged to be responsive to receiving an information request from at least one remote user, to retrieve the required information and to send the same in a response via a selected communications channel to the at least one remote user. The method comprises: interfacing with a plurality of potential communication channels between the system and the at least one remote user; receiving the information request from the at least one remote user for a remote user interaction with the system over at least one of the plurality of communication channels; identifying the at least one remote user from a database of stored information regarding previous remote users; choosing at least one query handling technique for processing the remote user information request based on information associated with the identity of the remote user using a central processing engine, the central processing engine being arranged to accommodate differences in the plurality of different possible communications channels to provide a consistent application of the at least one query handling technique across the different channels; and processing the remote user information request based on the at least one query handling technique chosen.