DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE SERVICE BASED ON CONTEXT IDENTIFIER

• US 20130022188A1
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Padmanabhan, Sundar Rajan, Pathak, Apurva
• Granted Patent: US 8,861,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/201.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2038 Call context notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for providing context information pertaining to a request of a directory assistance operator service based on a context identifier. The context identifier permits the directory assistance operator service to obtain context information including a location of the user and a location relevant to a directory listing search. The context identifier also can be used to pass context information or directory listing information across multiple types of user devices that use different types of services including a television service, a mobile service, a landline telephone service, and Internet service, and third party devices to permit enhanced directory assistance services to be provided to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a mobile phone service and a television service to users;

receiving, by a network device, context information pertaining to a use of a directory assistance service, provided to a user via a user device for receiving the mobile phone service or the television service;

generating, by the network device, a context identifier;

storing, by the network device, the context identifier and the context information;

transmitting, by the network device, the context identifier to the user device;

receiving, by the network device, a request for the context information, wherein the request includes the context identifier; and

transmitting the context information to a directory assistance operator service device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving, by the network device, the context information based on the context identifier, and wherein the context information includes a location of the user, a location to which a directory listing relates, and a type of service used by the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the user device, a directory assistance request for a directory assistance operator service, wherein the directory assistance request includes the context identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a telephone call between a directory assistance operator service device and another user device associated with the user, wherein the other user device includes a mobile phone device or a landline phone device, and the receiving, by the network device, the context information comprises;

receiving, by the network device, the context information, wherein the user device includes a set top box and a television.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the user device, a directory listing from the directory assistance operator service device, and wherein the context information includes a directory assistance search query and a directory assistance category that pertains to a search for a directory listing invoked by the mobile phone device when using a directory assistance service included in the mobile service, or the set top box and the television when using a directory assistance service included in the television service.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, by a user device, a request for a directory assistance operator service;

aggregating, by the user device, context information pertaining to a directory request that the directory assistance operator service is to service, wherein the context information includes a location of the user of the user device and a location to which a listing pertains.

transmitting, by the user device, the context information;

receiving, by the user device, a context identifier that maps to the context information;

generating, by the user device, the directory request that includes the context identifier; and

transmitting, by the user device, the directory request to a directory assistance operator service device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, by the user device, a directory assistance request to search for a directory listing, wherein the directory assistance request includes a search query, a directory category, and a search radius parameter;

transmitting, by the user device, the directory assistance request; and

receiving, by the user device, a directory assistance response that includes a search result, and wherein the context information includes the search query and the directory category.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a directory listing, in response to the directory request, from the directory assistance operator service device.

9. A device comprising:

a transceiver;

one or more memories to store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions that configure the one or more processors to;

receive context information, via the transceiver, wherein the context information includes a location of a user of a user device and a location pertaining to a directory listing;

generate a context identifier;

store the context identifier and the context information in one of the one or more memories;

transmit the context identifier, via the transceiver, to the user device;

receive a request, via the transceiver, for the context information, wherein the request includes the context identifier;

retrieve the context information based on the context identifier; and

transmit, via the transceiver, the context information to a directory assistance operator service device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the context identifier includes a unique string and a field that indicates a type of service that the user device uses to transmit the context information, wherein the field indicates a mobile service, a television service, or an Internet service.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein, when generating, the one or more processors execute the instructions to configure the one or more processors to:

generate the context identifier based on one or more portions of data included in the context information, and wherein, when storing, the one or more processors execute the instructions to configure the one or more processors to;

store the context identifier and the context information in a database.

12. A device comprising:

a transceiver;

one or more memories to store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions that configure the one or more processors to;

receive a user input request for a directory assistance operator service;

aggregate context information pertaining to a directory request that the directory assistance operator service is to service, wherein the context information includes a location of the device and a location to which a directory listing pertains.

transmit, via the transceiver, the context information;

receive, via the transceiver, a context identifier that maps to the context information;

generate the directory request that includes the context identifier; and

transmit, via the transceiver, the directory request to a directory assistance operator service device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device includes one of a mobile device or a set top box.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to configure the one or more processors to:

receive, via the transceiver, a directory listing, in response to the directory request;

transmit, via the transceiver, an enhanced service request that includes the context identifier to another device; and

receive, via the transceiver, in response to the enhanced service request one of a coupon pertaining to the directory listing, navigation instructions to a location associated with the directory listing, user reviews pertaining to the directory listing, or better business bureau information pertaining to the directory listing.

15. A tangible computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a computational device to:

receive a user input request for a directory assistance operator service;

aggregate context information pertaining to a directory request that the directory assistance operator service is to service, wherein the context information includes a location of the device and a location to which a directory listing pertains.

generate a request that includes the context information;

transmit the request to a network device;

receive a context identifier that maps to the context information;

generate the directory request that includes the context identifier; and

transmit the directory request to a directory assistance operator service device.

16. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions executable by the computational device to:

provide graphical user interfaces to permit a user to;

search for directory listings and receive directory listing results; and

initiate a communication to a directory assistance operator via the directory assistance operator service device.

17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions to aggregate comprise instructions executable by the computational device to:

retrieve a search query pertaining to a directory listing search invoked by the user via one of the graphical user interfaces;

retrieve a directory listing category pertaining to the directory listing search; and

aggregate the context information, wherein the context information includes the search query and the directory listing category.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the tangible computer-readable medium resides in a mobile device or a set top box.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions executable by the computational device to:

receive a directory response that includes a directory listing in response to the directory request; and

display the directory listing.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein, the instructions to receive the directory response further comprise instructions executable by the computational device to:

receive the directory response that includes one of a coupon pertaining to the directory listing, user reviews pertaining to the directory listing, or better business bureau information pertaining to the directory listing;

transmit the context identifier to another device; and

receive navigational instructions to a location associated with the directory listing.