Enhanced directory assistance services in a telecommunications network

• US 20030223565A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Local.com
• Original Assignee: Interchange Corporation (Local Corporation)
• Inventors: Montemer, William A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,596,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00

Abstract

Directory assistance provides telephone number look up services to callers based on the business or caller name as listed in a telephone directory. As such, directory assistance in the prior art provides a value-added service to telephone users and an expense that must be charged back to telephone subscribers or absorbed by telephone carriers. The present invention provides a method and system whereby directory assistance is enhanced to deliver a targeted advertising service to telephone listing owners and advertisers. The enhanced directory assistance (EDA) service of the present invention becomes an additional revenue source for carriers. The present invention also provides a method and system for dynamically ordering these directory listings and tracking subsequent telephone referrals.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a dynamically controlled index for a telephone directory assistance system comprising:

under control a client system, presenting telephone directory information listings, ordering the listings with a plurality indexes, allowing for the listings to be dynamically controlled, allowing for the indexes to be dynamically controlled.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the dynamically controlled index is a keyword associated with the listing content.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the dynamically controlled index is a location code associated with the listing content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the dynamically controlled index is a business category code associated with the listing content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the dynamically controlled index is a referral payment amount negotiated between the listing owner and the listing provider.

6. A method of generating a list of phone numbers substantially in real time in response to a directory assistance request from a telephone customer using a computer network comprising:

maintaining a database including a plurality of directory listings, wherein each listing is associated with a referral phone number, at least one search term and a dynamic, controllable index;

receiving a directory assistance request in the form of a keyword from the customer;

identifying the directory listings having keyword terms generating a match with the request;

ordering the identified directory listings into a phone number result list in accordance with the values of some controllable index for the identified directory listings;

receiving an acceptance request from the customer to retrieve information associated with a directory listing in the result list;

relaying the retrieved information with a directory listing in the result list to the customer;

connecting the customer to the referral phone number from the retrieved information with a directory listing;

and recording a retrieval request event including account identification information corresponding to the listing owner, to permit maintenance of accurate account debit records.