Automatic call completion in a directory assistance system

• US 20050265539A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Jaiswal, Peeyush
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/218.10
• 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 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/858 Request users acknowledgement prior to use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8183 Request users acknowledgement prior to use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4935 Connection initiated by DAS system

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for automatic call completion in a directory assistance system in concert with the PSTN. In accordance with the present invention, a method for automatic call completion in a directory assistance system can include receiving and processing a directory assistance request from a calling party over the PSTN. An address for the calling party can be retrieved from the PSTN and an address for a telephone number produced by the directory assistance request can be second retrieved from within the directory assistance system. Prospective telephone charges can be computed based upon the retrieved addresses and the calling party can be prompted with the computed prospective charges. Finally, a call can be automatically completed between the calling party and the telephone number.

Claims

1. A method for providing automatic call completion in a directory assistance system in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the method comprising the steps of:

receiving and processing a directory assistance request from a calling party over the PSTN;

first retrieving an address for said calling party from the PSTN and second retrieving an address for a telephone number produced by said directory assistance request;

computing prospective telephone charges based upon said retrieved addresses;

prompting said calling party with said computed prospective charges; and

,

automatically completing a call between said calling party and said telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing step comprises the step of performing a telephone number lookup for said request in an enterprise system in a directory assistance system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing step comprises the step of performing a reverse telephone number lookup for said request in an enterprise system in a directory assistance system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second retrieving step comprises the steps of:

receiving a data communications message from a name resolution adapter disposed within the PSTN;

extracting an address for said calling party from said message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second retrieving step comprises the steps of querying a line item database (LIDB) through a name resolution adapter disposed in the PSTN for an address for said calling party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said computing step comprises the step of computing prospective telephone connection charges based upon said retrieved addresses.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said computing step comprises the step of computing prospective telephone per minute usage charges based upon said retrieved addresses.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically completing step comprises the steps of:

receiving a selection from said calling party responsive to said prompting step;

completing said call if said selection indicates an affirmative choice by said calling party to complete said call; and

,

otherwise exiting.

9. A system for providing automatic call completion in a directory assistance system in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the system comprising:

a telephone subscriber database disposed in a switch in the PSTN;

a name resolution adapter disposed in the PSTN and coupled to said telephone subscriber database;

a directory assistance system disposed externally to the PSTN and communicatively linked to said name resolution adapter over a data communications network; and

,

a call billing computation process coupled to said directory assistance system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said telephone subscriber database is a line item database (LIDB).

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising an interactive voice response system disposed in said directory assistance system and configured for interaction with calling parties.

12. A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for providing automatic call completion in a directory assistance system in a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform the steps of:

receiving and processing a directory assistance request from a calling party over the PSTN;

first retrieving an address for said calling party from the PSTN and second retrieving an address for a telephone number produced by said directory assistance request;

computing prospective telephone charges based upon said retrieved addresses;

prompting said calling party with said computed prospective charges; and

,

automatically completing a call between said calling party and said telephone number.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 12, wherein said processing step comprises the step of performing a telephone number lookup for said request in an enterprise system in a directory assistance system.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 12, wherein said processing step comprises the step of performing a reverse telephone number lookup for said request in an enterprise system in a directory assistance system.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 12, wherein said second retrieving step comprises the steps of:

receiving a data communications message from a name resolution adapter disposed within the PSTN;

extracting an address for said calling party from said message.

16. The machine readable storage of claim 12, wherein said second retrieving step comprises the steps of querying a line item database (LIDB) through a name resolution adapter disposed in the PSTN for an address for said calling party.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 12, wherein said computing step comprises the step of computing prospective telephone connection charges based upon said retrieved addresses.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 12, wherein said computing step comprises the step of computing prospective telephone per minute usage charges based upon said retrieved addresses.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 12, wherein said automatically completing step comprises the steps of:

receiving a selection from said calling party responsive to said prompting step;

completing said call if said selection indicates an affirmative choice by said calling party to complete said call; and

,

otherwise exiting.