Directory assistance with multi-modal messaging

• US 20040166832A1
• Filed: 01/02/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Portman, Eric A., Burgiss, Michael John
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,006 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/30 Distributed recognition, e.g. in client-server systems, for mobile phones or network applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A information assistance application is disclosed for use in a wireless communication environment. A requestor terminal is operable to generate a request for an information record associated with a subscriber terminal. The request is transmitted from the requestor terminal to an information assistance application server. The information assistance application server processes the request to determine the identity of the person for whom information has been requested and to determine how to contact the subscriber terminal. A message is generated and sent to the subscriber terminal requesting permission to provide the requester terminal with the requested information. If the subscriber terminal replies with an indication that the information may be provided, then the information application server generates a message that includes the information being requested and transmits it to the requestor terminal.

Claims

13. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for providing information assistance to a wireless terminal in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a code segment that allows a requestor to generate a request for an information item associated with a subscriber terminal using the wireless terminal;

a code segment that transmits the request to a information assistance application located on a information assistance server;

a code segment that determines how to contact the subscriber terminal;

a code segment that generates an authorization request to provide the information record of the subscriber terminal to the wireless terminal;

a code segment that transmits the authorization request to the subscriber terminal; and

a code segment that interprets a reply from the subscriber terminal indicating if the information record of the subscriber terminal may be provided to the wireless terminal.

14. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising a codes segment that generates a response for the wireless terminal that includes at least a portion of the information record associated with the subscriber terminal.

15. The computer program of claim 14, further comprising a code segment that transmits the response to the wireless terminal.

16. The computer program of claim 14, where the response comprises a multi-modal message.

17. The computer program of claim 13, where the information assistance application includes a voice recognition module that interprets the request to determine how to identify the subscriber terminal.

18. The computer program of claim 13, where the information assistance application includes a voice recognition module and a natural language processing module that are used to interpret the request.

19. The computer program of claim 13, where the request comprises a text message.

20. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising a voice print module for determining an identity associated with a creator of the request.

21. The computer program of claim 13, where the information assistance application uses a virtual customer database system to determine how to contact the subscriber terminal.

22. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising a code segment that provides a requestor information record associated with the wireless terminal to the subscriber terminal.

23. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising a code segment that allows the subscriber terminal to save the requestor information record in a personal information management application on the subscriber terminal.

24. The computer program of claim 13, further comprising a code segment that allows the wireless terminal to save the information record associated with the subscriber terminal in a personal information management application on the wireless terminal.

25. A system for providing information assistance to a wireless terminal, comprising:

logic that allows a requestor to generate a request for an information item associated with a subscriber terminal using the wireless terminal;

logic that transmits the request to an information assistance application;

logic that determines an identity of a person associated with the subscriber terminal;

logic that determines how to contact the subscriber terminal as a function of a contact preference associated with the subscriber terminal;

logic that generates an authorization request to provide the information item associated with the subscriber terminal to the wireless terminal as a function of the contact preference;

logic that transmits the authorization request to the subscriber terminal; and

logic that allows the subscriber terminal to generate a reply to the authorization request indicating whether or not to provide the information record to the wireless terminal.

1. A method of providing information assistance to a wireless terminal, comprising the steps of:

generating a request for an information record associated with a subscriber terminal using the wireless terminal;

transmitting the request to an information assistance application located on a information assistance server;

determining how to contact the subscriber terminal concerning the request using the information assistance application;

generating an authorization request to provide the information record of the subscriber terminal to the wireless terminal as a function of the determining step;

transmitting the authorization request to the subscriber terminal; and

receiving a reply from the subscriber terminal indicating whether or not to provide the information record to the wireless terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a response for the wireless terminal that includes the information record of the subscriber terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of transmitting the response to the wireless terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, where the response comprises a multi-modal message.

5. The method of claim 1, where the request includes at least one information record item about the subscriber terminal that may be selected from a group of information record items comprising a first name, a last name, an address, an employer, a home phone number, an office number, a subscriber'"'"'s wireless service provider, a previous wireless phone number, or a previous wireless provider.

6. The method of claim 1, where the information assistance application includes a voice recognition module that interprets the request and determines how to identify and contact the subscriber terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, where the information assistance application includes a voice recognition module and a natural language processing module that are used to interpret the request.

8. The method of claim 1, where the request comprises a text message.

9. The method of claim 8, where a natural language processing module is used to interpret the request to determine how to contact the subscriber terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, where the information assistance application queries a virtual customer database system to determine how to contact the subscriber terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, where the virtual customer database system includes a customer proprietary information record that has customer contact data setting forth a contact preference associated with the subscriber terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, where the information assistance application interprets the reply from the subscriber terminal and generates a multi-modal response that is transmitted to the wireless terminal.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising logic that generates a response for the wireless terminal that includes at least the information item.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising logic that transmits the response to the wireless terminal.

28. The system of claim 26, where the response comprises a multi-modal message.

29. The system of claim 26, further comprising logic located on the wireless terminal that allows the wireless terminal to save the information item associated with the subscriber terminal.

30. The system of claim 29, where the information item is saved in a personal information management application located on the wireless terminal.

31. The system of claim 30, where the requestor information item may be stored on the subscriber terminal.

32. The system of claim 31, where the requestor information item may be stored in a personal information management application located on the subscriber terminal.

29-1. The system of claim 25, where the authorization request comprises a multi-modal message.

30-2. The system of claim 25, where the authorization request includes a requestor information item that identifies the requestor to the subscriber terminal.

33. A system for providing information assistance to a wireless terminal, comprising:

means for allowing a requestor to generate a request for a contact information record of a subscriber terminal using the wireless terminal;

means for determining an identity associated with the subscriber terminal;

means for generating a message for the subscriber terminal requesting permission to release the contact information record associated with the subscriber terminal to the requestor;

means for transmitting the message to the subscriber terminal;

means for the subscriber terminal to generate a reply to the message; and

means for interpreting the reply from the subscriber terminal.