METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHING BETWEEN FREE DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SERVICE AND CHARGEABLE DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SERVICE

• US 20090136018A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volt Delta Resources LLC (NewNet Communication Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Volt Delta Resources LLC (NewNet Communication Technologies LLC)
• Inventors: Detrie, Robert C., Pellegrino, Michael, Oldach, Richard J., Scott, Dwight E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,233,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/218.10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8183 Request users acknowledgement prior to use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• 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 3/4931 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 3/5166 in combination with interactive voice response systems or voice portals, e.g. as front-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/58 Arrangements for transferring received calls from one subscriber to another; Arrangements affording interim conversations between either the calling or the called party and a third party substation line holding circuits H04M1/80

Abstract

A method of redirecting a directory-assistance call includes receiving a directory-assistance request from a caller, determining via a free directory-assistance service whether information corresponding to the directory-assistance request is available, responsive to a determination that the information is available, presenting, to the caller, the information free of charge to the caller and, responsive to a determination that the information is not available, redirecting the directory-assistance call to a chargeable directory-assistance service.

Claims

1. A method of redirecting a directory-assistance call, the method comprising:

receiving a directory-assistance request from a caller;

determining via a free directory-assistance service whether information corresponding to the directory-assistance request is available;

responsive to a determination that the information is available, presenting, to the caller, the information free of charge to the caller; and

responsive to a determination that the information is not available, redirecting the directory-assistance call to a chargeable directory-assistance service.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising charging the caller for utilizing the chargeable directory-assistance service.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising presenting, via the chargeable directory-assistance service, the information to the caller.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising, prior to the step of presenting, via the chargeable directory-assistance service, the information to the caller, forwarding at least a portion of the directory-assistance request to the chargeable directory-assistance service.

5. The method of claim 3, comprising, prior to the step of presenting, via the chargeable directory-assistance service, the information to the caller, the chargeable directory-assistance service requesting the caller to provide the directory-assistance request.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising, responsive to a determination that the information is not available, presenting to the caller an option of accepting or denying redirection of the directory-assistance call to the chargeable directory-assistance service;

and

responsive to acceptance of the redirection, performing the redirecting step.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising, responsive to denial by the caller of the redirection, terminating the directory-assistance call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory-assistance request comprises a request for a listing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the listing is for a wireless telephone.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising, prior to the step of presenting to the caller the information free of charge to the caller, presenting to the caller at least one advertisement.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of presenting to the caller at least one advertisement comprises:

determining call attributes of the directory-assistance call;

accessing, utilizing at least some of the call attributes, a profile of the caller;

selecting at least one advertisement based, at least in part, on the profile; and

presenting, to the caller, the at least one selected advertisement.

12. An article of manufacture for redirecting a directory-assistance call, the article of manufacture comprising:

at least one computer readable medium;

processor instructions contained on the at least one computer readable medium, the processor instructions configured to be readable from the at least one computer readable medium by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate as to perform the following steps;

receiving a directory-assistance request from a caller;

determining via a free directory-assistance service whether information corresponding to the directory-assistance request is available;

responsive to a determination that the information is available, presenting, to the caller, the information free of charge to the caller; and

responsive to a determination that the information is not available, redirecting the directory-assistance call to a chargeable directory-assistance service.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the processor instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate as to perform the following step:

charging the caller for utilizing the chargeable operator directory-assistance service.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the processor instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate as to perform the following step:

presenting, via the chargeable directory-assistance service, the information to the caller.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the processor instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate as to perform the following step:

forwarding at least a portion of the directory-assistance request to the chargeable directory-assistance service prior to presenting, via the chargeable directory-assistance service, the information to the caller.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein the processor instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate as to perform the following step:

requesting the caller to provide the directory-assistance request prior to presenting, via the chargeable directory-assistance service, the information to the caller.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the processor instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate as to perform the following steps:

responsive to a determination that the information is not available, presenting to the caller an option of accepting or denying redirection of the directory-assistance call to the chargeable directory-assistance service; and

responsive to acceptance of the redirection, performing the redirection.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the processor instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate as to perform the following step:

terminating the directory-assistance call responsive to denial by the caller of the redirection.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the directory-assistance request comprises a request for a listing.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19, wherein the listing is for a wireless telephone.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the processor instructions are configured to cause the at least one processor to operate as to perform the following step:

prior to presenting to the caller the information free of charge to the caller, presenting to the caller at least one advertisement.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the step of presenting to the caller at least one advertisement comprises:

determining call attributes of the directory-assistance call;

accessing, utilizing at least some of the call attributes, a profile of the caller;

selecting at least one advertisement based, at least in part, on the profile; and

presenting, to the caller, the at least one selected advertisement.

23. A directory-assistance call redirecting system comprising:

a free directory-assistance system adapted to determine whether information corresponding to a directory-assistance request is available and present, to the caller, the information free of charge to the caller responsive to a determination that the information is available; and

a chargeable operator directory-assistance system interoperably coupled to the free directory-assistance system and adapted to present, to the caller, the information responsive to a determination by the free directory-assistance system that the information is not available.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the free directory-assistance system comprises:

a central processing unit (CPU) having a network interface;

a telephony interface adapted to interact with the caller;

a voice feature node (VFN) adapted to prompt the caller for a listing;

a caller-profile circuitry adapted to store profiles for the caller;

a call screening circuitry (CSC) adapted to determine call attributes; and

a plurality of advertisement servers adapted to store a plurality of advertisements.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein the call attributes comprise a caller name, a caller phone number, a caller location, and a time of the directory-assistance call.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein:

the free directory-assistance system is adapted to present, to the caller, an option of accepting or denying redirection of the directory-assistance call to the chargeable operator directory-assistance system responsive to a determination that the information is not available; and

the free directory-assistance system is adapted to redirect the directory-assistance call to the chargeable operator directory-assistance system responsive to acceptance of the redirection.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the free directory-assistance system is adapted to terminate the directory-assistance call responsive to denial by the caller of the redirection.

28. The system according to claim 23, wherein the directory-assistance request comprises a request for a listing.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the listing is for a wireless telephone.

30. The system according to claim 23, wherein the chargeable operator directory-assistance system comprises:

a switching and signaling component adapted to interact with the caller;

an automation circuitry adapted to automate a transferred directory-assistance call and prompt the caller for a listing;

a call data circuitry (CDC) adapted to store preferences for the caller;

at least one directory-assistance operator; and

a data link adapted to form a communications path between the free directory-assistance system and the chargeable operator directory-assistance system.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the preferences comprise permission granted by the caller to automatically redirect the directory-assistance call between the free directory-assistance system and the chargeable operator directory-assistance system.

32. The system according to claim 30, wherein the automation circuitry is further adapted to determine if automated directory assistance is appropriate or whether the directory assistance should be handled by the at least one directory-assistance operator.

33. The system according to claim 23, wherein the chargeable operator directory-assistance system is adapted to charge the caller for utilizing the chargeable operator directory-assistance system.