Methods for conditional tone responsive reconnection to directory assistance center

• US 5,995,826 A
• Filed: 08/05/1997
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• 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: Kepler, Michael A., Cox, Patrick M., Filliger, Paul W., Powell, Adrian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMMING, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US08/906,489
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 370/338, 379/379, 379/67, 379/213, 379/201, 379/74, 379/84, 379/88
• 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 3/42102 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 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup

Abstract

A cellular telephone 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 in the prior art, the operator then initiates a call connecting the subscriber to the destination telephone number. However, 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 back to a directory assistance operator, who can then provide whatever further assistance is needed (e.g. redialing a busy number, or providing further directory assistance). This feature can be disabled, manually or automatically, if the destination number makes its own use of the DTMF signals. Billing information for the calls originated by the directory assistance operator on the subscriber'"'"'s behalf is logged in a database at the directory assistance center. This data is thereafter provided to the cellular carrier, permitting it to bill the subscriber for calls originated by the directory assistance operator.

Claims

1. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service comprising the steps:

receiving a customer call originated from a customer telephone;

connecting the customer telephone to a directory assistance operator;

determining a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the customer;

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

determining whether the destination telephone includes the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue a predetermined DTMF tone signal;

only if the destination telephone is determined not to include the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue said predetermined DTMF tone signal, reconnecting said customer telephone to a directory assistance operator upon detection of a said predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by said customer telephone, but not if said predetermined DTMF tone signal is issued from said destination telephone; and

wherein the customer telephone can reconnect to a directory assistance operator by issuing said predetermined DTMF tone signal, whereas the destination telephone cannot, and the system reconnects the customer telephone to a directory assistance operator only if the destination telephone does not make use of said predetermined DTMF tone signal.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said determining step includes consulting a database.

3. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service comprising the steps:

receiving a customer call originated from a customer telephone;

connecting the customer telephone to a directory assistance operator;

determining a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the customer;

establishing a telephonic connection between the customer telephone and the destination telephone;

determining whether the destination telephone includes the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue a predetermined DTMF tone signal;

only if said destination telephone does not include the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue said predetermined DTMF tone signal, reconnecting said customer telephone to a directory assistance operator upon detection of a said predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by said customer telephone;

the method further including monitoring for said predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by the customer telephone after a telephonic connection between the customer telephone and the destination telephone is dropped by the destination telephone going on-hook, up until the customer telephone goes on-hook; and

wherein said monitoring does not terminate when the destination telephone goes on-hook, but continues until the customer telephone goes on-hook.

4. The method of claim 3 in which said determining step includes consulting a database.

5. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service to a wireless subscriber, comprising the steps:

receiving a customer call originated from a customer wireless device;

connecting the customer to a directory assistance operator;

determining a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the customer;

if the customer verbally requests an audible recitation of the destination telephone number, providing the customer said audible recitation of the destination telephone number, and then automatically establishing a telephonic connection between the customer wireless device and the destination telephone;

if the customer does not verbally request an audible recitation of the destination telephone number, automatically establishing a telephonic connection between the customer wireless device and the destination telephone without providing an audible recitation of the destination telephone number;

determining whether the destination telephone includes the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue a predetermined DTMF tone signal; and

only if said destination telephone does not include the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue said predetermined DTMF tone signal, reconnecting said customer wireless device to a directory assistance operator upon detection of a said predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by said customer wireless device.

6. The method of claim 5 in which said determining step includes consulting a database.

7. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service comprising the steps:

receiving a customer call originated from a customer telephone;

connecting the customer to a directory assistance operator;

by dialogue with a first human operator at the directory assistance service center, and in conjunction with a database record indicated by a pointer and referenced by the first human operator, determining a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the customer;

establishing a telephonic connection between the customer telephone and the destination telephone;

determining whether the destination telephone includes the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue a predetermined DTMF tone signal;

only if the destination telephone is determined not to include the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue said predetermined DTMF tone signal, reconnecting said customer telephone to a directory assistance operator upon detection of a said predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by said customer telephone, said reconnecting connecting the customer to a second human operator different than the first; and

transferring to said second human directory assistance operator said pointer indicating the database record referenced by the first human directory assistance operator, wherein said second operator has access to the database record accessed by the human directory assistance operator who first provided service to the customer.

8. The method of claim 7 in which said determining step includes consulting a database.

9. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service comprising the steps:

receiving a customer call originated from a customer telephone;

connecting the customer telephone to a directory assistance operator;

ascertaining a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the customer;

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

determining whether the destination telephone includes the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue a predetermined DTMF tone signal; and

if the destination telephone is determined to include the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue the predetermined DTMF tone signal, disabling the capability to reconnect the customer telephone to a directory assistance operator that otherwise occurs upon detection of the predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by the customer telephone.

10. The method of claim 9 in which the determining step includes consulting a database.

11. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service comprising the steps:

receiving a customer call originated from a customer telephone;

connecting the customer telephone to a directory assistance operator;

ascertaining a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the customer;

establishing a telephonic connection between the customer telephone and the destination telephone;

monitoring the telephonic connection for the predetermined DTMF tone signal until the customer telephone goes on-hook;

determining whether the destination telephone includes the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue a predetermined DTMF tone signal; and

if the destination telephone is determined to include the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue the predetermined DTMF tone signal, disabling the capability to reconnect the customer telephone to a directory assistance operator that otherwise occurs upon detection of the predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by the customer telephone.

12. The method of claim 11 in which the determining step includes consulting a database.

13. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service to a wireless subscriber, comprising the steps:

receiving a customer call originated from a customer wireless device;

connecting the customer to a directory assistance operator;

ascertaining a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the customer;

if the customer requests an audible recitation of the destination telephone number, providing the customer with an audible recitation of the destination telephone number;

automatically establishing a telephonic connection between the customer wireless device and the destination telephone;

determining whether the destination telephone includes the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue a predetermined DTMF tone signal; and

if the destination telephone is determined to include the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue the predetermined DTMF tone signal, disabling the capability to reconnect the customer wireless device to a directory assistance operator that otherwise occurs upon detection of the predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by the customer wireless device.

14. The method of claim 13 in which the determining step includes consulting a database.

15. An enhanced method of providing telephone directory assistance service comprising the steps:

receiving a customer call originated from a customer telephone;

connecting the customer to a first directory assistance operator;

by dialogue with the first human operator, and in conjunction with a database record indicated by a pointer and referenced by the first human operator, ascertaining a destination telephone number of a desired party wanted by the customer;

establishing a telephonic connection between the customer telephone and the destination telephone;

determining whether the destination telephone includes the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue a predetermined DTMF tone signal;

if the destination telephone is determined to include the functionality to solicit the customer telephone to issue the predetermined DTMF tone signal, disabling the capability to reconnect the customer telephone to a second directory assistance operator that otherwise occurs upon detection of the predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by the customer telephone; and

upon reconnection of the customer telephone to a second directory assistance operator resulting from the detection of the predetermined DTMF tone signal issued by the customer telephone, transferring to the second human directory assistance operator the pointer indicating the database record referenced by the first human directory assistance operator, wherein the second directory assistance operator has access to the database record accessed by the first human directory assistance operator.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the determining step includes consulting a database.