Method and system for providing directory assistance services during attempt to complete customer or after call termination via an alphanumeric page

• US 5,873,032 A
• Filed: 03/22/1996
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Metro One Telecommunications, Inc.
• Inventors: Timmins, Timothy A., Cox, Patrick M., Kepler, Michael A., Filliger, Paul W., Powell, Adrian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/620,374
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/416, 455/417, 379/114, 379/212, 379/88, 379/97, 364/460
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/424 Arrangements for automatic redialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/48 Arrangements for recalling a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy
• 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 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/523 with call distribution or queueing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/60 Semi-automatic systems, i.e. in which the numerical selection of the outgoing line is under the control of an operator
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 : Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A mobile telephone, or personal communication services subscriber who wishes directory assistance services is connected in the conventional manner to an operator who identifies a destination telephone number desired by the subscriber. As known in the prior art, the operator then initiates a call connecting the subscriber to the destination telephone number. In a preferred embodiment, the operator locates a desired destination telephone number in a computer database, and can select automatic dialing of the located number. Further, rather than dropping all further involvement with the call, the preferred embodiment of the present invention continually monitors the connection thereby established for a predetermined DTMF signal issued by the customer, such as that obtained by pressing the "*" button. If such a signal is detected, the customer is transferred to a directory assistance operator, who can then provide whatever further assistance is needed (e.g., providing further directory assistance). If a busy signal or non-answering party is detected, a customer is given a plurality of options including leaving a recorded message or page, or a predetermined alphanumeric message or page for the called party. In this case, the system automatically tries, repeatedly, to deliver the recorded message or page and, optionally, confirms successful or failed message delivery to the calling party.

Claims

1. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service at a directory assistance center, comprising the steps:

(a) receiving a customer call from a calling customer using a customer telephone;

(b) connecting the calling customer to a directory assistance operator;

(c) locating a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the calling customer in a computer database;

(d) initiating a telephone call between the calling customer and a destination telephone having the destination telephone number responsive to operator selection of the destination telephone number;

(e) monitoring said telephone call for a ringing condition of a predetermined call status duration;

(f) after said predetermined call status duration of the ringing condition has been detected, muting the ringing signal for the calling customer while continuing to attempt to complete the telephone call between the calling customer telephone and the destination telephone;

(g) while the ringing signal is muted, playing a recorded menu of options for the calling customer, the recorded menu allowing the calling customer to select from a plurality of options with a predetermined caller input signal;

(h) monitoring said telephone call for either call completion or said predetermined caller input signal issued by the calling customer responsive to said recorded menu;

(i) if said predetermined caller input signal is detected, taking action based on said predetermined caller input signal issued by the calling customer; and

(j) if call completion is detected, ceasing to play said recorded menu and allowing the call between the calling customer telephone and the destination telephone to proceed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

after playing said recorded menu of options, returning said ringing signal to its pre-muted volume level; and

repeating steps (e)-(j).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the initiating step comprises selecting one of the following options:

leaving a recorded voice message for a desired party, leaving a pre-determined alphanumeric message for the desired party, leaving a dictated message for the desired party, calling the desired party back every N-minutes, where N-minutes is chosen by the calling customer, leaving a recorded voice page for the desired party, leaving a pre-determined alphanumeric page for the desired party, hanging up, or being returned to a directory assistance operator.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the calling customer wishes to record a voice message for a non-answering party which will be delivered at a later time, and if so,

terminating said telephone call to the destination telephone, and

allowing the calling customer to record the voice message to be delivered to the non-answering party at a later time.

5. The method of claim 4 which further includes allowing the calling customer to determine how many attempts will be made to deliver the recorded voice message.

6. The method of claim 4 which further includes calling the calling customer back at a later time to confirm successful or failed recorded voice message delivery.

7. The method of claim 4 where the recorded voice message is a recorded voice page.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the calling customer wishes to leave an alphanumeric message for a non-answering party which will be delivered at a later time, and if so,

terminating said telephone call to the destination telephone, and

allowing the calling party to leave an alphanumeric message to be delivered to the non-answering party at a later time.

9. The method of claim 8 in which the alphanumeric message is created by the directory assistance center from voice dictation by the calling customer.

10. The method of claim 8 in which the alphanumeric message is selected from a predetermined set of alphanumeric messages.

11. The method of claim 8 in which the alphanumeric message is an alphanumeric page.

12. The method of claim 8 which further includes calling the calling party back at a later time to confirm successful or failed alphanumeric message delivery.

13. The method of claim 8 which further includes allowing the calling customer to determine how many attempts will be made to deliver the alphanumeric message.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether said predetermined caller input signal is a return-to-operator signal, and if so,

reassigning an operator to the calling customer,

playing a return greeting for the calling customer, and

re-connecting the calling customer to a directory assistance operator.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the return-to-operator signal is a DTMF tone for the star key on a telephonic keypad.

16. The method of claim 1 in which the predetermined caller input signal is a voice response from the calling customer.

17. The method of claim 1 in which the predetermined caller input signal is a DTMF tone response.

18. The method of claim 1 which includes continuously monitoring said telephone call using a dedicated monitoring device.

19. A method of providing directory assistance service at a directory assistance center, where the directory assistance center is in communication with a calling customer, and the calling customer is identified at the directory assistance center by a calling customer telephone number, the method comprising:

locating a destination telephone number for the calling customer;

initiating a telephonic connection between the calling customer and a destination telephone having the destination telephone number;

monitoring the telephonic connection for a termination signal from the calling customer; and

upon detection of the termination signal,

sending an alphanumeric page from the directory assistance center to the calling customer telephone number, said page including the destination telephone number and name of a party associated with the destination telephone number.

20. The method of claim 19 where the page is sent with a predetermined paging protocol.

21. The method of claim 20 where the predetermined paging protocol supports transmission of numeric and alphanumeric pages.

22. The method of claim 20 where the predetermined paging protocol supports transmission of digital information.

23. A method of providing directory assistance to a calling customer, the customer having a telephonic device for receiving and storing pages, the method comprising:

receiving a directory assistance call at a directory assistance center from the calling customer;

identifying a destination telephone number of a destination party;

establishing a connection between the calling customer and the destination party; and

upon termination of the connection by the calling customer,

sending an alphanumeric page from the directory assistance center to be stored in the calling customer'"'"'s telephonic device, said alphanumeric page including the destination telephone number and name of the destination party associated with the destination telephone number.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

retrieving the alphanumeric page stored in the calling customer telephonic device; and

calling the called party using the information contained within the retrieved page.

25. The method of claim 23 where the alphanumeric page is sent with a predetermined paging protocol.

26. The method of claim 25 where the predetermined paging protocol supports transmission of numeric and alphanumeric pages.

27. The method of claim 26 where the predetermined paging protocol supports transmission of digital information.

28. The method of claim 23 where the calling customer telephonic device is a mobile telephone.