Full-featured and actionable access to directory assistance query results

• US 20050272473A1
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PhoneSpots, Inc. (UpSnap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PhoneSpots, Inc. (UpSnap, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ebert, Christopher A., Share, Christina L., Sheena, Jonathan A., Hull, Jesse F.
• Application Number:
  US10/861,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272473A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/563
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• 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: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network

Abstract

A spoken request for directory assistance is placed through a mobile telephone in a conventional manner and data representing information responsive to the request is placed in an easily accessible and actionable database for subsequent retrieval. Actions designed for the type of information, including navigation directions for information which includes a location, are associated with the information and made available to the mobile telephone. Each of these actions are available to the user with only a few key clicks on the reduced keypad of the mobile telephone and initial specification of the place of interest using the same reduced keypad is avoided by allowing the user to simply speak to identify the place of interest.

Claims

1. A method for serving a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device, the method comprising:

receiving a spoken query through the device according to a voice communication protocol; and

in response to the query, storing information responsive to the query in a database for subsequent retrieval by the device according to a data communication protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the information as a voice signal to the device according to a voice communication protocol.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the information as a textual message according to a message protocol.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the message protocol and the data communication protocol are one and the same protocol.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the message includes a link to the information in the database such that activation of the link by a user of the device causes retrieval of the information from the database by the device.

6. A method for serving a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device, the method comprising:

receiving information which was previously retrieved from a database in response to a spoken query from the device; and

storing the information in a manner that causes the information to be subsequently retrievable by the device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the spoken query was previously transmitted by the device through a mobile telephone network.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining a type of the information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein storing the information comprises:

storing the information in accordance with the type of the information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein storing the information comprises:

associating actions with the information in accordance with the type of the information.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein associating actions comprises:

including user-interface mechanisms with the information when sending the information to the device in response to a request therefore.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the type of information includes a place and the actions include retrieval of navigation directions relative to the place.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the navigation directions are also relative to a location of the device.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the place of the information is predetermined to be the destination of the navigation directions and the location of the device is predetermined to be the origin of the navigation directions.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a request from the device to provide the navigation directions; and

in response to the request;

determining the location of the device;

determining the navigation directions between the location of the device and the place of the information; and

sending the navigation directions to the device.

16. A computer readable medium useful in association with a computer which includes a processor and a memory, the computer readable medium including computer instructions which are configured to cause the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by:

receiving a spoken query through the device according to a voice communication protocol; and

in response to the query, storing information responsive to the query in a database for subsequent retrieval by the device according to a data communication protocol.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by also:

sending the information as a voice signal to the device according to a voice communication protocol.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by also:

sending the information as a textual message according to a message protocol.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the message protocol and the data communication protocol are one and the same protocol.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the message includes a link to the information in the database such that activation of the link by a user of the device causes retrieval of the information from the database by the device.

21. A computer readable medium useful in association with a computer which includes a processor and a memory, the computer readable medium including computer instructions which are configured to cause the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by:

receiving information which was previously retrieved from a database in response to a spoken query from the device; and

storing the information in a manner that causes the information to be subsequently retrievable by the device.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the spoken query was previously transmitted by the device through a mobile telephone network.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by also:

determining a type of the information.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23 wherein storing the information comprises:

storing the information in accordance with the type of the information.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24 wherein storing the information comprises:

associating actions with the information in accordance with the type of the information.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein associating actions comprises:

including user-interface mechanisms with the information when sending the information to the device in response to a request therefore.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 25 wherein the type of information includes a place and the actions include retrieval of navigation directions relative to the place.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein the navigation directions are also relative to a location of the device.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28 wherein the place of the information is predetermined to be the destination of the navigation directions and the location of the device is predetermined to be the origin of the navigation directions.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28 wherein the computer instructions are configured to cause the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by also:

receiving a request from the device to provide the navigation directions; and

in response to the request;

determining the location of the device;

determining the navigation directions between the location of the device and the place of the information; and

sending the, navigation directions to the device.

31. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor; and

a server module (i) which executes in the processor from the memory and (ii) which, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by;

receiving a spoken query through the device according to a voice communication protocol; and

in response to the query, storing information responsive to the query in a database for subsequent retrieval by the device according to a data communication protocol.

32. The computer system of claim 31 wherein the server module, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by also:

sending the information as a voice signal to the device according to a voice communication protocol.

33. The computer system of claim 31 wherein the server module, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by also:

sending the information as a textual message according to a message protocol.

34. The computer system of claim 33 wherein the message protocol and the data communication protocol are one and the same protocol.

35. The computer system of claim 33 wherein the message includes a link to the information in the database such that activation of the link by a user of the device causes retrieval of the information from the database by the device.

36. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor; and

a server module (i) which executes in the processor from the memory and (ii) which, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by;

receiving information which was previously retrieved from a database in response to a spoken query from the device; and

storing the information in a manner that causes the information to be subsequently retrievable by the device.

37. The computer system of claim 36 wherein the spoken query was previously transmitted by the device through a mobile telephone network.

38. The computer system of claim 36 wherein the server module, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by also:

determining a type of the information.

39. The computer system of claim 38 wherein storing the information comprises:

storing the information in accordance with the type of the information.

40. The computer system of claim 39 wherein storing the information comprises:

associating actions with the information in accordance with the type of the information.

41. The computer system of claim 40 wherein associating actions comprises:

including user-interface mechanisms with the information when sending the information to the device in response to a request therefore.

42. The computer system of claim 40 wherein the type of information includes a place and the actions include retrieval of navigation directions relative to the place.

43. The computer system of claim 42 wherein the navigation directions are also relative to a location of the device.

44. The computer system of claim 43 wherein the place of the information is predetermined to be the destination of the navigation directions and the location of the device is predetermined to be the origin of the navigation directions.

45. The computer system of claim 43 wherein the server module, when executed by the processor, causes the computer to serve a request for information requested through a voice- and data-capable device by also:

receiving a request from the device to provide the navigation directions; and

in response to the request;

determining the location of the device;

determining the navigation directions between the location of the device and the place of the information; and

sending the navigation directions to the device.