Apparatus and method for obtaining information in a wide-area telephone system with multiple local exchanges and multiple information storage sites

• US 4,782,509 A
• Filed: 07/06/1987
• Issued: 11/01/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cognitronics Corp. (ThinkEngine Networks, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cognitronics Corp. (ThinkEngine Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shepard, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Thomas W.
• Application Number:
  US07/069,828
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88, 379/89, 379/97, 379/213, 379/214, 379/235
• US Class Current: 379/88.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

A telephone system wherein any one of a large number of telephones is connectible to a local directory assistance request processor. The name of a subscriber whose telephone number is sought is entered through a connected telephone by spelling out the subscriber'"'"'s name with the standard telephone push-buttons, using the grouped alphabetic designators on those buttons. The resulting decimal signals are stored in the request processor, and also are forwarded by a digital transmission system to the appropriate one of a number of directory processors each having a subscriber data base in alphanumeric code. A look-up is carried out to locate the alphanumeric code data identifying the subscriber'"'"'s name corresponding to the originally-entered decimal request signals, and the located alphanumeric information including name and telephone number is sent back through the digital transmission system to the request processor. The alphanumeric code data is used at that processor to control a voice-response unit which directs to the originating telephone corresponding speech signals identifying the subscriber'"'"'s name and telephone number.

Claims

1. In a telephone system of the type having a plurality of local exchange distributed about a very large geographical region remotely from one another, each local exchange being connected to a corresponding set of telephones by voice grade channels, each telephone including keying means for sending decimal signals through the associated voice grade channel to the corresponding local exchange, said keying means comprising a set of keying means each designating a group of alphabetic letters and an associated numeral so that the signals produced by each of said set of keying means can be used to represent the corresponding alphabetic group and the associated numeral;

the improvement comprising;

(1) a plurality of information retrieval processors distributed about said geographical region remotely from one another, each of said information retrieval processors including associated information storage means storing alphanumeric data identifying information of potential interest to a person at any one of said telephones connected to any one of said local exchanges;

(2) a request processor at each of said local exchanges to receive from any of the corresponding set of telephones an information request signal in the form of a plurality of decimal signals representing at least one multi-character data word identifying particular information at one of said information retrieval processors which is desired to be retrieved therefrom, said request processors including;

(A) means to store the received decimal request signals from any of the corresponding set of telephones;

(B) means to develop transmittable digital signals representing the stored decimal information request signals;

(C) means to store alphanumeric reply signals representing the particular information desired as identified by said information request siganls; and

(D) a signal-controllable voice-response unit for sending to any of the set of telephones connected over said voice grade channel signals representing selected speech sounds corresponding to alphanumeric reply signals in said means to store reply signals;

(3) a digital data transmission network connecting all of said local exchanges to all of said information retrieval processors so that said transmittable digital signals representing information request signals can be transmitted from said local exchanges through said network to any selected information retrieval processor, with the information desired to be retrieved therefrom being transmitted back from said selected information retrieval processor through said digital network to the request processor at the local exchange which developed said transmittable digital signals;

(4) each of said information retrieval processors further comprising;

(A) look-up means for comparing signals corresponding to said transmittable siganls received from said digital data network with signals developed from said information storage means associated with the corresponding information retrieval processor;

(B) means to develop and send back through said digital data network to said request processor developing the transmittable digital signals representing the stored information request signals alphanumeric reply signals representing the particular information from said associated storage means identified by said information request signals;

(5) said voice-response unit of each request processor including means operable to produce and direct through the voice-grade channel of the telephone which originated the information request signals speech signals responsive to said stored alphanumeric reply signals sent back from the selected information retrieval processor in digital alphanumeric format over said digital data transmission network and representing the particular information requested from that telephone.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said digital network is of the "star" type comprising a store and forward unit.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

a plurality of said request processors are coupled to said store and forward unit; and

a plurality of said remote information retrieval processors are coupled to said store and forward unit.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information retrieval processors store telephone directory information including names of parties whose telephone numbers may be sought;

the reply signals sent back from such retrieval processors including the name of the party whose telephone number was sought.

5. The method of obtaining information stored alphanumerically in any selected one of a plurality of geographically remote regions by operating a telephone in a telephone system of the kind including a plurality of local exchanges each connectible by respective voice-grade channels to any of a corresponding set of telephones including a plurality of keying means for producing respective decimal signals, said keying means comprising a set of keying means each designating a group of alphabetic letters and an associated numeral so that the signals produced by each of said set of keying means can be used to represent the corresponding alphabetic group and the associated numeral;

said method comprising the steps of;

operating said keying means at any one of said telephones of any of said sets of telephones to produce a request signal in the form of a plurality of decimal signals identifying the information at said selected one remote region which is desired;

directing said decimal signals through the respective voice-grade channel from said one telephone to the corresponding local exchange;

storing said decimal signals at a request processor at said corresponding local exchange;

directing signals corresponding to said request signal in digital signal format through a digital network to an information retrieval processor at the selected region geographically remote from said local exchange and including storage means storing alphanumeric data identifying information in said remote region;

carrying out a look-up of said stored information at said information retrieval processor at said selected remote region to locate the particular information desired as identified by the decimal siganls entered through said one telephone;

directing back through said digital network to said corresponding local exchange digital alphanumeric signals representing said particular information;

storing at said request processor at said corresponding local exchange alphanumeric reply signals corresponding to said alphanumeric signals sent back through said digital network;

operating a voice-response unit at said corresponding locla exchange in accordance with said stored alphanumeric reply signals to develop speech siganls identifying said particular information; and

directing said developed speech signals through said respective voice-grade channel back to said one telephone to furnish the requested information to the person operating said one telephone.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the request siganl is developed at said request processor in message format comprising an envelope indicating "start", "end", and voice-grade channel of origin.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital request signals being transmitted through the digital network are directed to a store and forward unit which adds to the signal envelope the identity of the request processor which originated the digital request signals and sends the resulting signal on to the selected remote region.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the information sought is the telephone number of a party in the selected geographically remote region.

9. For use with a telephone system of the type having a large number of telephones connected to a local exchange by respective voice channels, each telephone including keying means for sending corresponding decimal signals through the associated voice channel, at least certain of said keying means designating respective groups of alphabetic letters and an associated number so that the decimal signals can be used both to represent such alphabetic letters and said associated numbers so as to provide for developing decimal directory request signals;

fully-automatic directory-assistance equipment comprising;

(1) request processing apparatus at said local exchange to receive decimal directory request signals from and to send responsive answer messages back to any of said telephones, said request processing apparatus including;

(A) means to store decimal directory request siganls from said telephones including subscriber name and other identifying data with each of said groups of alphabetic letters being represented by a single corresponding decimal signal;

(B) means to develop transmittable digital signals representing the information of said stored decimal request signals;

(C) a signal-controllable voice-response unit for sending signals representing selected speech sounds to any of said telephones over said voice channels in the form of answer messages responsive to directory request signals;

(2) directory processing apparatus at a region geographically remote from said local excahnge and comprising directory storage apparatus having a subscriber data base including alphanumeric codes representing subscriber names and telephone numbers;

(3) digital data transmission means to carry said transmittable digital siganls form said request processing apparatus at said local exchange to said directory processing apparatus at said remote region;

(4) said directory processing apparatus further comprising;

(A) look-up means for comparing signals corresponding to the transmittable signals received from said digital transmission means with signals developed from said subscriber data base; and

(B) means to develop and send back through said digital data transmission means to request processing apparatus alphanumeric signals representing information from said subscriber data base identifying the subscriber name, and other information, responsive to decimal request signals received over said digital data transmission means from said local exchange;

said voice-response unit of said request processing apparatus including means operable to produce and direct through the voice channel of the telephone which originated the decimal directory request signals speech signals responsive to said alphanumeric signals sent back from said directory processing apparatus through said digital data transmission means and forming an answer message response to the original directory request signals from that telephone;

said telephone keying means comprising eight keying means six of which designate 3 alphabetic characters each, and the remaining two designate 4 alphabetic characters including Q and Z respectively.

10. For use with a telephone system of the type having a large number of telephones connected to a local exchange by respective voice channels, each telephone including keying means for sending corresponding decimal signals through the associated voice channel, at least certain of said keying means designating respective groups of alphabetic letters and an associated number so that the decimal signals can be used both to represent such alphabetic letters and said associated numbers so as to provide for developing decimal directory request signals;

fully-aromatic directory-assistance equipment comprising;

(1) request processing apparatus at said local exchange to receive decimal directory request signals from and to send responsive answer messages back to any of said telephones, said request processing apparatus including;

(A) means to store decimal directory request signals from said telephones including a subscriber name and other identifying data with each of said groups of alphabetic letters being represented by a single corresponding decimal signal;

(B) means to develop transmittable digital signals representing the information of said stored decimal request signals;

(C) a signal-controllable voice-response unit for sending signals representing selected speech sounds to any of said telephones over said voice channels in the form of answer messages responsive to directory request signals;

(2) directory processing apparatus at a region geographically remote from said local exchange and comprising directory storage apparatus having a subscriber data base including alphanumeric codes representing subscriber names and telephone numbers;

(3) digital data transmission means to carry said transmittable digital signals from said request processing apparatus at said local exchange to said directory processing apparatus at said remote region;

(4) said directory processing apparatus further comprising;

(A) look-up means for comparing signals corresponding to the transmittable signals received from said tigital transmission means with signals developed from said subscriber data base; and

(B) means to develop and send back through said digital data transmission means to said request processing apparatus alphanumeric signals representing information from said subscriber data base identifying the subscriber name, and other information, responsive to decimal request signals received over said digital data transmission means from said local exchange;

said voice-response unit of said request processing apparatus including means operable to produce and direct through the voice channel of the telephone which originated the decimal directory request signals speech signals responsive to said alphanumeric signals sent back from said directory processing apparatus through said digital data transmission means and forming an answer message response to the original directory request signals from that telephone;

said telephone keying means comprising eight keying means each designating a group of alphabetic characters and an associated numeral;

said keying means further comprising two keying means carrying special designations in the form of star and pound signs, respectively, one of said two keying means serving to produce a signal representing a separator between groups of characters and the other serving to produce a signal representing end of entry.