Directory assistance system

• US 5,267,304 A
• Filed: 04/05/1991
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Slusky, Ronald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US07/680,862
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88, 379/89, 379/142, 379/201, 379/213, 379/255, 379/357
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27485 Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

In an automated directory assistance system, the telephone number of the calling party is used to determine whether or not the outgoing "spoken" message will include the area code of the sought-after number.

Claims

1. A method for use in an automated directory assistance system of the type in which calls are routed to the directory assistance system, via a telephone system, from a calling party desiring to learn a sought-after telephone number, said method comprising the steps of

receiving in the directory assistance system the telephone number of the calling party from the telephone system, and

delivering to the calling party a computer-generated audio message which gives said sought-after telephone number,

said delivering step including the step of selectively including the area code of the sought-after number in said message in response to information derived from said received telephone number and said sought-after telephone number.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said area code is included in said message only if the area codes of said received number and said sought-after number are different.