Method and apparatus of requesting customized location information at a mobile station

• US 10,192,240 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2018
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Technology Group LLC (West Corporation)
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Jacobs, Pamela J., Mason, Joel G., Groothuis, Andrew Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Application Number:
  US15/980,996
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 4554563, 4554561, 455560, 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and apparatus of processing a call are disclosed. One example method may include receiving a request at a server for dealer information. The request may be initiated by a user via his or her mobile station. The example method may also include determining whether there is user preference information and user location information included in the request. The information may be used to limit the amount of search results to increase relevancy. The method may also include searching a database for at least one dealer based on the user preference information and the user location information, and transferring the at least one dealer information to the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request at a server for merchant information from a user'"'"'s wireless device;

when at least one of user preference information and user location information are not included in the request, prompting the user for the information, the information for the merchant related to the user preference information and the user location information;

after the user has received the merchant information, receiving a request for additional merchant information from the user and providing the user with the additional merchant information comprising at least one location for a merchant proximate to the predefined area; and

transferring the merchant information to the user via a voice call, streaming audio, a text-to-speech application, or any combination thereof;

wherein the request is sent as a voice command and processed as a speech-to-text application;

wherein the merchant information and the additional merchant information is stored in a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when there are no merchants-located within a predefined area of a location identified by the user location information, prompting the user to try another search request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user requests merchant-information by accessing an application via the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user location information comprises a zip code, an area code, a Global Positioning System (GPS) determined user location, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional merchant information comprises different location merchant information.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request for merchant information from a user'"'"'s wireless device;

a processor configured to;

prompt the user for the information when at least one of user preference information and user location information is not included in the request, the merchant information related to the user preference information and the user location information, and

receive a request for additional merchant information from the user and provide the user with the additional merchant information that comprises at least one location for a merchant proximate to the predefined area after the user has received the merchant information; and

a transmitter configured to transfer the merchant information to the user via a voice call, streaming audio, a text-to-speech application, or any combination thereof;

wherein the request is sent as a voice command and processed as a speech-to-text application;

wherein the merchant information and the additional merchant information is stored in a database.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to prompt the user to try another search request when there are no merchants located within a predefined area of a location identified by the user location information.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the user requests merchant-information by accessing an application via the wireless device.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the user location information comprises a zip code, an area code, a Global Positioning System (GPS) determined user location, or any combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the merchant information and the additional merchant information is stored in a database.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the additional merchant-information comprises different location merchant information.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for:

receiving a request at a server for merchant information from a user'"'"'s wireless device;

when at least one of user preference information and user location information is not included in the request, prompting the user for the information, the information for the merchant related to the user preference information and the user location information;

transferring the merchant information to the user via a voice call, streaming audio, a text-to-speech application, or any combination thereof;

wherein the request is sent as a voice command and processed as a speech-to-text application;

wherein the merchant information and the additional merchant information is stored in a database; and

after the user has received the merchant information, receiving a request for additional merchant-information from the user and providing the user with the additional merchant information comprising at least one location for a merchant proximate to the predefined area.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions for, when there are no merchants located within a predefined area of a location associated with the user location information, prompting the user to try another search request.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the user location information comprises a zip code, an area code, a Global Positioning System (GPS) determined user location, or any combination thereof.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the user requests merchant information by accessing an application via the wireless device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the merchant information and the additional merchant information is stored in a database.