Processing of telecommunications transmissions and directing consumers to need providers

• US 6,021,180 A
• Filed: 04/30/1997
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carole Kass
• Original Assignee: Business Edge Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Kass, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Daniel S.
• Application Number:
  US08/846,414
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.22, 379/201, 379/216, 379/219, 379/220, 379/221, 379/229, 379/230, 379/210, 379/211, 707/4
• US Class Current: 379/88.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1058 Shopping and product ordering
• 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 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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 3/4935 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

Abstract

A processor responds to first and second specific sequences of data by providing the same first expression. The first and second specific sequences of data are derived from sequences of telephone digits which are typed in by a telephone caller. The first expression is transmitted by the processor back to the telephone caller in a spoken language. The processor first receives a general sequence of data before responding to either the first specific sequence of data or the second specific sequence of data. The processor receives the actual locations of a plurality of telephones in a region. The processor uses these actual locations to produce a first estimated location of a telephone in the region. Distances of the actual locations of the plurality of telephones in the region from the first estimated location are calculated by the processor. The processor then preferably eliminates telephones that are located above a threshold distance from the first estimated location. A revised estimated location is then calculated based on the actual locations of the plurality of telephones in the region with the exception of the eliminated telephones. The processor receives locations of a plurality of providers and determines a first provider that is nearby to a telephone caller. In response to a telephone call from the telephone caller, the processor places the telephone caller in communication with the first provider.

Claims

1. A system under the control of a processor which:

receives a first location of a first telephone;

receives a second location of a second telephone;

receives a plurality of further locations of further telephones, the first and second locations and the plurality of further locations located in a region;

receives an origin location;

determines a first distance of the first telephone from the origin location;

calculates a first estimated location of a third telephone in the region based on the second location and the plurality of further locations, without using the first location of the first telephone if the first distance of the first telephone from the origin location is greater than a threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 and further wherein the system:

receives a plurality of locations of a plurality of providers;

determines a first provider that is nearby to the first estimated location; and

in response to a telephone call from a caller telephone located in the region calls a telephone of the first provider and places the caller telephone in communication with the telephone of the first provider.

3. The system of claim 2 and further wherein the system:

determines a second provider that is nearby to the first estimated location; and

in response to a signal calls a telephone of the second provider and places the caller telephone in communication with the telephone of the second provider.

4. The system of claim 3 and wherein the signal is a busy signal.

5. The system of claim 3 and wherein the signal is derived from an input from the caller telephone.

6. The system of claim 5 and wherein the signal is derived from a signal key typed into the caller telephone.

7. A system under the control of a processor which:

receives through a telecommunications transmission, from a caller telecommunications device, a description of a general need;

produces a plurality of choices of general needs based on the description and provides the plurality of choices of general needs to the caller telecommunications device by a telecommunications transmission; and

receives from the caller telecommunications device through a telecommunications transmission, a selection of a first choice from the plurality of choices of general needs.

8. The system of claim 7 and further wherein the description of the general need is an oral description.

9. The system of claim 7 and further wherein the description of the general need is a series of telephone digits.

10. The system of claim 9 and further wherein the series of telephone digits forms a plurality of letters of a spoken language word.

11. The processor of claim 10 and further wherein in response to the selection of the first choice, the system calls a telecommunications device of the first choice and places the caller telecommunications device in communication with the telecommunications device of the first choice.

12. The system of claim 11 and wherein the information about the location of the first choice is recorded in a data base.

13. The system of claim 7 and wherein the general need is a product.

14. The system of claim 7 and wherein the general need is a service.

15. The system of claim 7, and further wherein in response to the selection of the first choice , the system sequentially calls, under the control of a user of the caller telecommunications device, a plurality of telecommunications devices of the first choice and places the caller telecommunications device in communication with called ones of said plurality of telecommunications devices of the first choice.

16. A system under the control of a processor which:

receives through a telecommunications transmission, from a caller telecommunications device, a description of a general need;

produces a plurality of choices of general needs based on the description and provides the plurality of choices of general needs to the caller telecommunications device by a telecommunications transmission;

receives from the caller telecommunications device through a telecommunications transmission, a selection of a first choice from the plurality of choices of general needs; and

produces a nearby provider of said first choice by determining the location of the caller telecommunications device.

17. The system of claim 16 and further wherein the system:

provides a list of a plurality of nearby providers which provide a need having a code; and

translates the description of the general need provided by the caller communication device into the code.

18. The system of claim 17 and further wherein:

the code is an SIC Standard Industrial Classification code.

19. The system of claim 16 and further wherein the system under the control of the processor:

generates a list of a plurality of nearby providers based upon the determined location of the caller telecommunications device.

20. A system under the control of a processor which:

determines a revised estimated location of a third telephone based on a second location, a plurality of further locations and a first location of a first telephone in a region;

receives the second location of a second telephone in the region;

produces a first estimated location of the third telephone in the region based on the first and second locations;

receives the plurality of further locations of a plurality of further telephones, the plurality of further locations located in the region;

produces the first estimated location of the third telephone in the region based on the first and second locations and the plurality of further locations;

determines a first distance of the first telephone from the first estimated location; and

determines a revised estimated location of the third telephone based on the second location and the plurality of further locations, without using the first location of the first telephone if the first distance is greater than a threshold.

21. A location determining method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first location of a first telephone;

receiving a second location of a second telephone;

receiving a plurality of further locations of further telephones, the first and second locations and the plurality of further locations located in a region;

receiving an origin location;

determining a first distance of the first telephone from the origin location;

calculating a first estimated location of a third telephone in the region based on the second location and the plurality of further locations, without using the first location of the first telephone if the first distance of the first telephone from the origin location is greater than a threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of locations of a plurality of providers;

determining a first provider that is nearby to the first estimated location; and

calling a telephone of the first provider and placing the caller telephone in communication with the telephone of the first provider in response to a telephone call from a caller telephone located in the region.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

determining a second provider that is nearby to the first estimated location; and

calling a telephone of the second provider and placing the caller telephone in communication with the telephone of the second provider in response to a signal.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of deriving the signal from a busy signal.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of deriving the signal from an input from the caller telephone.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of obtaining the signal from a signal key typed into the caller telephone.

27. A method of selecting a need using a telecommunications device, comprising the steps of:

receiving through a telecommunications transmission, from a caller telephone device, a description of a general need;

producing a plurality of choices of general needs based on the description and providing the plurality of choices of general needs to the caller telecommunications device by a telecommunications transmission; and

accepting from the caller telecommunications device through a telecommunications transmission, a selection of a first choice from the plurality of choices of general needs.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of receiving comprises the step of receiving an oral description of a general need.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said step of receiving comprises the step of receiving a series of telephone digits.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the series of telephone digits for a plurality of letters of a spoken language word.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of calling a telecommunications device of the first choice and placing the caller telecommunications device in communication with the telecommunications device of the first choice in response to the selection of the first choice.

32. The method of claim 31, comprising the step of recording in a data base the information about the location of the first choice.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the general need is a product.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the general need is a service.

35. A method of identifying a nearby provider of a general need, comprising the steps of:

receiving through a telecommunications transmission, from a caller telecommunications device, a description of a general need;

producing a plurality of choices of general needs based on the description and providing the plurality of choices of general needs to the caller telecommunications device by a telecommunications transmission;

receiving from the caller telecommunications device through a telecommunications transmission, a selection of a first choice from the plurality of choices of general needs; and

producing a nearby provider of said first choice by determining the location of the caller telecommunications device.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of:

providing a list of a plurality of nearby providers which provide a need having a code; and

translating the description of the general need provided by the caller communication device into the code.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of generating a list of a plurality of nearby providers based upon the determined location of the caller telecommunications device.

38. A location determining method, comprising the step of:

determining a revised estimated location of a third telephone based on a second location, a plurality of further locations and a first location of a first telephone in a region;

receiving the second location of a second telephone in the region;

producing a first estimated location of the third telephone in the region based on the first and second locations;

receiving the plurality of further locations of the plurality of further telephones, the plurality of further locations located in the region;

producing the first estimated location of the third telephone in the region based on the first and second locations and the plurality of further locations;

determining a first distance of the first telephone from the first estimated location; and

determining the revised estimated location of the third telephone based on the second location and the plurality of further locations, without using the first location of the first telephone if the first distance is greater than a threshold.