Automatic routing and information system for telephonic services

• US 20030228009A1
• Filed: 06/03/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NeuStar Information Services, Inc. (Neustar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Targus Information Corporation (Neustar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moore, George G., Shaffer, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,136,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/207.12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/15 Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• 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: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13097 Numbering, addressing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13352 : Self-routing networks, real-time routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13353 : Routing table, map memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 : Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 : Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13378 : Speech recognition, speech analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13405 : Dual frequency signaling, DTMF
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13541 : routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 : subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/665 : Circuit arrangements therefor
• 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 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 : Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 : Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for automatically and seamlessly routing telephone calls across a telephone network. The system includes a telephone network interface box having a computer, a master file and client file stored in the computer. The master file is dynamically linked to the client file at routing time to produce a selected client location telephone number which is transmitted across the telephone network. In one embodiment, the system utilizes Automatic Number Identification to identify the calling party. The master file has a plurality of records having a telephone number and a spatial key and is updated frequently. The client file has a plurality of records having a spatial key and a client telephone number. Another embodiment utilizes a spatial coordinate of an instantaneous location of a caller'"'"'s mobile device as an input to a real-time process which identifies one or more client service locations corresponding to the location of the caller'"'"'s device.

Claims

1. A method of a providing location-based service for service locations that are spatially associated with a party while the party is connected to a communication network, the method comprising:

providing a first database that includes service entity spatial information for a plurality of service locations;

obtaining precise first party spatial information for a party that is connected to a communication network;

indexing the first database with the precise first party spatial information to identify one or more spatially near service locations while the first party is connected to the communication network; and

retrieving information related to at least one spatially near service location based on said indexing for transmission to the communication network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service entity spatial information corresponds to a street address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service entity spatial information corresponds to a coordinate address.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the coordinate address is a latitude and longitude pair.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service entity spatial information corresponds to a ZIP+4 code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the precise first party spatial information corresponds to a telephone number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the precise first party spatial information corresponds to a street address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the precise first party spatial information corresponds to a coordinate address.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the precise first party spatial information corresponds to a ZIP+4 code.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the precise first party spatial information is provided by the network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the precise first party spatial information corresponds to latitude and longitude information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the precise first party spatial information is determined from information provided by the network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the precise first party spatial information is provided by the first party.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining precise first party spatial information comprises standardizing an address.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining precise first party spatial information comprises determining latitude and longitude information based on a street address.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining precise first party spatial information comprises determining latitude and longitude information based on a ZIP+4 code.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the service entity spatial information corresponds to a service area defined by a circle or polygon.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein indexing includes determining if the first party spatial information is within the polygon associated with a service location.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein indexing includes determining if the first party spatial information is within the circle associated with a service location.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein indexing includes determining a nearest service location to the first party.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein indexing further includes determining a list of spatially near service locations other than the nearest service location.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein indexing includes obtaining coordinate information from a second database containing latitude and longitude information associated with street address information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second database comprises latitude and longitude centroids for ZIP+4 codes.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein indexing is based at least in part on information obtained from Topological Integrated Geographical Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) files.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein indexing is based at least in part on information obtained from the U.S. Post Office.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the information obtained from the U.S. Post Office comprises an Address Coding Guide.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein indexing includes identifying a subset of potentially near service locations and then performing calculations to identify spatially near service locations from the subset of potentially near service locations.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information related to at least one service location comprises retrieving telephone number information.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information related to at least one service location comprises retrieving street address information.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information related to at least one service location comprises retrieving information related to a plurality of service locations.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the retrieved information for communication over the communication network.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein providing the retrieved information for communication over the communication network comprises providing information to connect a telephone call.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving account information from the party that is connected to the communication network.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the account information comprises credit card information.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving product order information from the party that is connected to the communication network.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information related to a delivery location from the party that is connected to the communication network.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if the party that is connected to the communication network is communicating using a mobile device.

38. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing operator assistance to the party that is connected to the communication network.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein indexing comprises enabling an exceptions handling message for provision to the party that is connected to the communication network if the precise first party spatial information is not spatially near any of the plurality of possible service locations.

40. A method of providing location-based service for service locations that are spatially associated with a location provided by a first party while the first party is connected to a communication network, the method comprising:

providing a database that includes relatively precise service location spatial information for a plurality of service locations;

obtaining first party spatial information for a party that is connected to a communication network;

selecting a plurality of possible service locations from the database based on both relatively precise service location spatial information and on the first party spatial information while the first party is connected to the communication network; and

retrieving service location information related to at least one of the plurality of possible service locations for transmission to the communication network.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the relatively precise service location spatial information corresponds to a street address.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the relatively precise service location spatial information corresponds to a ZIP+4 code.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the ZIP+4 code is determined by standardizing a street address.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the relatively precise service location spatial information corresponds to latitude and longitude information.

45. A method of a providing location-based service for service locations that are spatially associated with a party while the party is connected to a communication network, the method comprising:

providing a database that includes service entity spatial information for a plurality of service locations;

obtaining relatively precise first party spatial information for a party that is connected to a communication network;

indexing the database with the relatively precise first party spatial information so as to identify one or more spatially near service locations while the first party is connected to the communication network; and

retrieving information related to at least one spatially near service location based on said indexing for transmission to the communication network.