METHOD OF PROVIDING DIRECTIONAL ASSISTANCE TO A TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBER

• US 20020004382A1
• Filed: 04/02/1998
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB), Field Packing Company (Mitsubishi Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Metro One Telecommunications, Inc.
• Inventors: HUEY, CHRISTOPHER A., POWELL, A. PETER, KEPLER, MICHAEL A., COX, PATRICK M., FILLIGER, PAUL W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,580,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/60 Semi-automatic systems, i.e. in which the numerical selection of the outgoing line is under the control of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 : Guidance services

Abstract

A wireless telephone subscriber who wishes directory assistance in the form of directions from one specified location to another is connected to a directory assistance agent. The subscriber identifies a destination location and any requested travel criteria. The directory assistance agent collects the subscriber'"'"'s travel parameters and a routing algorithm on the server draws upon geographic, transportation, and related information stored on the server to generate an appropriate route to the destination location. The selected route may be divided into multiple segments. Directions according to each segment are provided to the subscriber. The subscriber may remain connected to the directory assistance center for all or any portion of the travel, may disconnect and reconnect as necessary, or may receive the entire route of travel in a single communication. Upon reconnection to a directory assistance agent while travelling, the subscriber is recognized as a travelling subscriber based on his MIN, ESN, or unique traveller identification number, and the agent is furnished with the subscriber'"'"'s travel information and current location. The route of travel may be updated or amended as desired or as made necessary due to closed routes of travel, congestion, etc.

Claims

1. A method of providing directional assistance to a telephone user from a directory assistance center, comprising the steps of:

connecting a call from the user to a first directory assistance agent;

identifying an origination for a trip to be taken by the user;

selecting a destination for said trip;

consulting a database of travel information;

generating a route to said destination location;

dividing said route into one or more segments;

storing said route on a server;

establishing a pointer to said route;

providing directions according to a first segment of said route to the user;

reconnecting a call from the user to a second directory assistance agent;

recognizing the user as a recipient of directional assistance;

retrieving a pointer to said stored route; and

providing directions according to a second segment of said route to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said reconnecting step comprises reconnecting in response to detection of a predetermined DTMF tone from the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said reconnecting step comprises the steps of:

reconnecting a call from the user to the directory assistance center; and

routing the call from the user to a second directory assistance agent.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving one or more travel parameters from the user.

5. The method of claim 4 in which said generating step comprises determining a route that satisfies said one or more travel parameters.

6. The method of claim 1 in which said providing steps comprise voicing said directions from a voice server to the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providing directions according to a second segment comprises transmitting said second segment to a receiving device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said directions according to a second segment are transmitted via electronic mail.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said directions according to a second segment are transmitted via facsimile.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said directions according to a second segment are transmitted via voicemail.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein said directions according to a second segment are transmitted to a page-receiving device.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein said directions according to a second segment are transmitted via the internet.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein said directions according to a second segment are transmitted to a palm-top computer.

14. The method of claim 7 wherein said directions according to a second segment are transmitted to a personal data assistant.

15. The method of claim 7 wherein said directions according to a second segment are transmitted via wireless transmission.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

amending said route; and

providing directions according to said amended route to the user.

17. The method of claim 16 in which said amending step comprises the steps of:

identifying a portion of said route to be avoided; and

amending said route to avoid said portion.

18. The method of claim 16 in which said amending step comprises the steps of:

identifying an area to be included in said route; and

amending said route to include said area.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the user employs a mobile telephonic device.

20. A method of providing directional assistance from a directory assistance center to a mobile telephone subscriber to guide the subscriber from a present location to a destination location, comprising the steps of:

eliciting one or more travel criteria from the subscriber;

consulting stored travel information to determine a route from the present location to the destination location;

selecting a route from the present location to the destination location that satisfies said one or more travel criteria;

providing directions to the subscriber according to a first portion of said route;

disconnecting the subscriber from the directory assistance center;

reconnecting the subscriber to the directory assistance center; and

providing directions to the subscriber according to a second portion of said route.

21. The method of claim 20 in which said providing steps comprise voicing said directions from a voice server to the user.

22. The method of claim 20 in which said providing steps comprise transmitting said directions to the user via electronic mail.

23. The method of claim 20 in which said providing steps comprise transmitting said directions to the user via facsimile.

24. The method of claim 20 in which said providing steps comprise transmitting said directions to the user via voicemail.

25. The method of claim 20 in which said providing steps comprise transmitting said directions via paging to an page-receiving device.

26. A method of providing directions to a mobile telephone subscriber to guide the subscriber from a present location to a destination location, said method comprising the steps of:

consulting a database of geographic and travel data;

generating a route from the present location to the destination location; and

transmitting directions corresponding to said route to the subscriber;

wherein the subscriber sequentially accesses said directions as necessary.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of segmenting said route into one or more portions, wherein said transmitting step comprises transmitting directions according to all of said one or more portions to a subscriber receiving device.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of segmenting said route into one or more portions, wherein said transmitting step comprises transmitting directions according to a first portion of said one or more portions to a subscriber receiving device.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of transmitting a second portion of said one or more portions to a subscriber receiving device.