Toll-free directory assistance with automatic selection of an advertisement from a category
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- requesting directory assistance for a selected telephone number, the selected telephone number being associated with a specific provider of goods or services;
automatically selecting an advertisement categorized within the category associated with the specific provider of goods or services from an advertising database based on the selected telephone number; and
presenting the selected advertisement.
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Abstract
The current invention is a system for providing telephone directory assistance service in which a telephone user calls to the system and the system will, based on the requested number or type of service, hear a recorded advertisement. The advertisements are selected from a databank, which may include any number advertisements categorized within the category associated with the service, according to selection criteria. After the advertising announcement is completed, the directory assistance call is processed as usual. The selection criteria can include the use of SIC codes.
106 Citations
80 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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requesting directory assistance for a selected telephone number, the selected telephone number being associated with a specific provider of goods or services;
automatically selecting an advertisement categorized within the category associated with the specific provider of goods or services from an advertising database based on the selected telephone number; and
presenting the selected advertisement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for providing directory assistance information in a telecommunication network, the network comprising a customer station and a call processing station, the method comprising:
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at the customer station, dialing a telephone number used for accessing the call processing station;
setting up a call connection from the customer station to the call processing station;
providing a request for information relating to a telephone number for a specific provider of goods or services;
at the call processing station, receiving the request for information from the customer station;
examining the request for information to identify a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services;
automatically selecting an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements categorized within the category;
receiving the selected advertisement from a stored media;
forwarding the selected advertisement to the customer station; and
at the customer station, receiving the selected advertisement. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:
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receive a directory assistance request for information relating to a specific provider of goods or services;
examine the request for information to identify a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services;
select an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements categorized within the category associated with the specific provider of goods or services automatically; and
receive the selected advertisement and forward the selected advertisement to a customer station. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A system comprising:
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a customer station including call connection circuitry; and
a call processing station that operates to receive a request for directory assistance information from the customer station, to examine the request for directory assistance information to identify a category associated with a specific provider of goods or services, to automatically select an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements categorized within the category from an advertisement database and to selectively forward the selected advertisement to the customer station. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. An apparatus comprising:
a selection means, the selection means operates to automatically select an advertisement from a plurality of advertisements in an advertisement database to one of play and display on an external device based on a telephone number of a specific provider of goods and services, the advertisement is categorized within a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
Specification