DISTRIBUTED ELECTRONIC PHONEBOOK

• US 20080194237A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aleksey Matyushev, Andrey V. Matyushev
• Original Assignee: Aleksey Matyushev, Andrey V. Matyushev
• Inventors: MATYUSHEV, ANDREY V., MATYUSHEV, ALEKSEY
• Application Number:
  US11/853,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20080194237A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

A method for providing an electronic phonebook to a phone includes providing a software application to the phone for accessing the electronic phonebook, providing an electronic phonebook database accessible using the software application, wherein the software application provides for displaying phonebook information from the phonebook database to a user of the phone in a hierarchical format organized by business segment and business sub-segment. The software application also provides for making calls from electronic phonebook, updating phonebook database and tracking use of the phone for calling listings identified through use of the electronic phonebook database.

Claims

1. A method for providing an electronic phonebook on a phone, comprising:

providing a software application to the phone for accessing the electronic phonebook;

providing an electronic phonebook database accessible using the software application;

wherein the software application provides for displaying phonebook information from the phonebook database to a user of the phone in a hierarchical format organized by business segment and business sub-segment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the software application provides for updating the electronic phonebook database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the software application is implemented using Java.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving from a user of the phone a selection of a phone number from the electronic phonebook database to connect with.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising establishing a connection with the selection of the phone number.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising playing a voice message after the step of establishing the connection.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the voice message includes information indicative of use of the electronic phonebook database.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising tracking information associated with use of the electronic phonebook database.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the tracking information includes number of times that a listing within the electronic phonebook database is dialed by the phone.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the tracking information includes number of times that a listing associated with the selection is viewed on the phone.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the electronic database comprises providing the electronic database on a digital storage medium accessible by the phone.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the electronic database comprises transferring the electronic database or accessing the electronic database using a wireless communication link.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the wireless communication link is a cellular communication link.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the wireless communication link is a wireless ethernet link.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the electronic database comprises downloading at least a portion of the electronic database.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the software application provides for receiving a user rating for a business listed in the electronic database.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the software application provides for displaying user ratings for businesses listed in the electronic database.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the software application provides for presenting an advertising message to the user of the phone while the phone is performing functions indicative of the user making a call decision.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the business sub-segments comprises a plurality of business listings.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein a position of each of the plurality business listings within the business sub-segment being determined at least partially based on size of a fee associated with the position.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the phone is a mobile phone.

22. The method of claim 2 wherein the software application further provides for periodically providing a reminder that the phonebook database is outdated.

23. The method of claim 2 wherein the software application further provides for automatically updating the phonebook database through remote access.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the phonebook information comprises phone listings from multiple area codes.

25. A method for providing an electronic phonebook on a phone, comprising:

providing a software application to the phone for accessing the electronic phonebook;

providing an electronic phonebook database accessible using the software application;

wherein the software application provides for displaying phonebook information from the phonebook database to a user of the phone in a hierarchical format organized by business segment and business sub-segment;

wherein the software application further provides for presenting an advertising message to the user of the phone while the phone is performing functions indicative of the user making a call decision;

wherein the software application provides for tracking use of the phone for calling listings identified through use of the electronic phonebook database.