Telephone system for connecting a customer to a supplier of goods
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A system for routing a telephone call from a first party who dials a telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic of a given item to a nearby second party out of a group of second parties who can supply said given item, the telephone system comprising:
- first routing means for routing said telephone call to a telephone service center relatively near said first party;
location determining means for determining the location of said relatively nearby second party based at least in part on the telephone number dialed by said first party; and
,second routing means for routing said telephone call from said first party through said telephone service center to said nearby second party who can supply said item.
3 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephone system automatically connects a potential customer with a nearby dealer who can provide the goods or services desired by the potential customer. The potential customer first dials an "800"-type number which preferably includes digits uniquely characteristic of the product or service desired. The system identifies the originating telephone number of the potential customer and a computer initially routes the call to a specific customer dealer service company (CDSC) office in the general vicinity of the potential customer. The specially equipped CDSC HQ office includes a vertical-horizontal (V-H) file listing each dealer by product/service and equivalent of longitude/latitude. A comparison is performed between the telephone number of the potential customer and the data in the V-H file to find 1-3 selected dealers nearby to the potential customer. The system then automatically dials the telephone number of the closest dealer thereby routing the potential customer directly to a nearby dealer who can provide the products or services of interest to that customer. If the dealer'"'"'s telephone number is busy or does not answer, the system can attempt to call another nearby dealer if one exists. The system also provides for billing the telephone call and for reporting each call in detail to the advertiser.
-
Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A system for routing a telephone call from a first party who dials a telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic of a given item to a nearby second party out of a group of second parties who can supply said given item, the telephone system comprising:
-
first routing means for routing said telephone call to a telephone service center relatively near said first party; location determining means for determining the location of said relatively nearby second party based at least in part on the telephone number dialed by said first party; and
,second routing means for routing said telephone call from said first party through said telephone service center to said nearby second party who can supply said item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for routing a telephone call from a first party who dials a telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic of a given item to a nearby second party out of a group of second parties who can supply said item, said method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) first routing of said call to a telephone service center; (b) determining the location of a relatively nearby second party based upon the telephone number dialed by said first party; and
,(c) second routing of said call to said relatively nearby second party. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
-
-
14. A system for routing a telephone call from a potential customer who has an originating telephone number and who dials a telephone number including digits uniquely characteristic of a given item to a nearby dealer out of a group of dealers who can supply said item, said system comprising:
-
first routing means for routing the originating telephone number of said telephone call to a telephone service center relatively near said potential customer; location determining means located at said telephone service center for determining the location of said nearby dealer based at least in part upon the telephone number dialed by said potential customer; and
,second routing means for routing said telephone call from said potential customer to said nearby dealer of said item. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A system for routing a telephone call from a first party who dials a telephone number, including digits characteristic of a given item to a nearby second party out of a group of second parties who can supply said given items, said telephone sustem comprising:
-
first party telephone number determining means for determining the originating telephone number of said first party; determining means for determining the location of said nearby second party based at least in part on the telephone number dialed by said first party; and
,routing means connected to said location determining means for routing said telephone call from said first party to said nearby second party who can supply said item. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A system for placing an order for an item based upon a telephone call from a first party who dials a telephone number, including digits characteristic of said item to be delivered to a second party from a nearby third party out of a group of third parties who can supply said given items, said telephone system comprising:
-
second party telephone number determining means for determining the telephone number of said second party; location determining means for determining the location of said nearby third party based at least in part on the telephone number dialed by said first party; and
;routing means connected to said location determining means for routing said telephone call from said first party to said third party nearby said second party who can supply said item. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
-
37. A telephone system for routing a telephone call from a first party who dials a telephone number including digits characteristic of a given item to a nearby second party out of a group of second parties who have exclusive territories for said items based at least in part on the telephone number dialed by said first party;
- and,
routing means connected to said location determining means for routing said telephone call from said first party to said second party with said exclusive territory.
- and,
-
38. A telephone system for routing a telephone call from a first party who desires an item and who dials a telephone number to a nearby second party out of a group of second parties who can supply said item, said telephone system comprising:
-
item identification means for identifying the item designated by said first party; first party telephone number determining means for determining the originating telephone number of said first party; location determining means for determining the location of said nearby second party based at least in part on said originating telephone number of said first party and the identify of said item as identified by said item identification means; and
,routing means connected to said location determining means for routing said telephone call from said first party to said nearby second party. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
-
Specification