Method and apparatus for monitoring telephonic members and providing directory assistance

• US 6,456,709 B1
• Filed: 03/13/1997
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Metro One Telecommunications, Inc.
• Inventors: Huey, Christopher A., Cox, Patrick M., Powell, A. Peter, Kepler, Michael A., Filliger, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoosain, Allan
• Application Number:
  US08/816,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/157, 379/201, 379/218, 379/260-267, 379/308, 379/309, 379/321, 379/100.05, 379/185, 379/34, 379/69, 379/77, 379/82, 379/88.17, 379/88-8-, 379/113, 379/114, 379/213, 379/214, 455/404, 455/416, 455/414, 455/417, 455/412, 455/413
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• 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 3/432 Arrangements for calling a subscriber at a specific time, e.g. morning call service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53341 Message reply
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

Telephone users desiring directory assistance services are connected via standard telephone procedures to a directory assistance provider, such as an operator. An operator provides the destination number and initiates a connection to that number. Once that connection is initiated, the connection is monitored for the occurrence of a predetermined condition, such as a busy signal. If no such condition is detected, the caller proceeds with the call in the normal manner. If, however, such a condition is detected, the caller is automatically transferred to a directory assistance provider for further help.

Claims

1. A method of providing directory assistance services to a customer, comprising:

receiving a call from the customer on an inbound channel;

eliciting a directory assistance request from the customer;

searching a database containing telephone numbers for search results including a destination telephone number that satisfies the directory assistance request;

allocating an outbound channel for attempting to establish a connection to a destination telephone associated with the destination telephone number;

monitoring the outbound channel using a signal processing device;

detecting a connection status signal on the outbound channel before the destination telephone answers;

analyzing by the signal processing device the connection status signal to determine if the connection status signal indicates a network communication problem; and

when it is determined that the communication status signal indicates a network communication problem, automatically connecting the customer to a directory assistance provider, and offering a selected service to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a DTMF detector to the inbound channel to detect customer input.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the DTMF detector is applied until the customer disconnects.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the call is originated from a wireless telephone.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving call origination data on the inbound channel; and

verifying the authority of the customer in attempting to establish a connection to the destination telephone.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising terminating the attempt to establish a connection to the destination telephone before connecting the customer to the directory assistance provider.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising informing the customer of the network communication problem before connecting the customer to the directory assistance provider.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

placing the call into a call distribution system before connecting the customer to the directory assistance provider, the directory assistance provider being specified by the call distribution system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the call is placed into the call distribution system with an assigned priority.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected service includes conveying the destination telephone number to the customer.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected service includes transmitting the destination telephone number to the customer'"'"'s alphanumeric communication device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected service includes transferring the customer to an operator.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected service includes recording a message to be delivered to a destination party associated with the destination telephone number.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the directory assistance provider includes an operator.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the directory assistance provider includes a voice server.

16. A method of providing directory assistance services to a customer, comprising:

receiving a call from the customer on an inbound chancel;

eliciting a directory assistance request from the customer;

searching a database containing telephone numbers for search results including a destination telephone number that satisfies the directory assistance request;

allocating an outbound channel for attempting to establish a connection to a destination telephone associated with the destination telephone number;

monitoring the outbound channel using a signal processing device;

detecting a connection status six on the outbound channel;

analyzing by the signal processing device the connection status signal to determine whether the connection status signal is a ring-no-answer signal; and

when it is determined that the connection status signal is a ring-no-answer signal, automatically transferring the customer to a directory assistance provider while continuing the attempt to establish a connection to the destination telephone over the outbound channel and continuing to monitor the outbound channel using the signal processing device.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising applying a DTMF detector to the inbound channel to detect customer input.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the DTMF detector is applied until the customer disconnects.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the call is originated from a wireless telephone.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving call origination data on the inbound channel; and

verifying the authority of the customer in attempting to establish a connection to the destination telephone.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing the directory assistance provider with the search results.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising presenting the customer with a menu of directory assistance options, wherein the menu of directory assistance options includes one or more of the following:

conveying the destination telephone number to the customer;

transmitting the destination telephone number to the customer'"'"'s alphanumeric communication device;

transferring the customer to a directory assistance operator;

continuing to monitor the outbound channel using the signal processing device; and

recording a message to be delivered to a destination party associated with the destination telephone number.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the directory assistance provider includes an operator.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the directory assistance provider includes a voice server.

25. A method of providing directory assistance services to a customer, comprising:

receiving a call from the customer on an inbound channel;

eliciting a directory assistance request from the customer;

searching a database containing telephone numbers for search results including a destination telephone number that satisfies the directory assistance request;

allocating an outbound channel for attempting to establish a connection to a destination telephone associated with the destination telephone number;

monitoring the outbound channel using a signal processing device;

detecting a connection status signal on the outbound channel;

analyzing by the signal processing device the connection status signal to determine whether the connection status signal is a busy signal; and

when it is determined that the detected connection status signal is a busy signal, terminating the connection attempt to the destination telephone over the outbound channel, automatically transferring the customer to a directory assistance provider, and offering a selected service to the customer.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising applying a DTMF detector to the inbound channel to detect customer input.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the DTMF detector is applied until the customer disconnects.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the call is originated from a wireless telephone.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

receiving call origination data on the inbound channel; and

verifying the authority of the customer in attempting to establish a connection to the destination telephone.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising providing the directory assistance provider with the search results.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the selected service includes conveying the destination telephone number to the customer.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein the selected service includes transmitting the destination telephone number to the customer'"'"'s alphanumeric communication device.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein the selected service includes transferring the customer to an operator.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein the selected service includes recording a message to be delivered to a destination party associated with the destination telephone number.

35. The method of claim 25 wherein the directory assistance provider includes an operator.

36. The method of claim 25 wherein the directory assistance provider includes a voice server.

37. A method of providing directory assistance services to a customer comprising:

receiving a call from the customer on an inbound channel;

eliciting a directory assistance request from the customer;

searching a database containing telephone numbers for search results including a destination telephone number that satisfies the directory assistance request;

verifying the authority of the customer to attempt to establish a connection to the destination telephone;

retrieving the destination telephone number from the database;

allocating an outbound channel for attempting to establish a connection to a destination telephone associated with the destination telephone number;

outdialing the destination telephone number;

analyzing communication on the outbound channel using a signal processing

device;

detecting a connection status condition on the outbound channel, the connection status condition indicating a network communication problem; and

automatically connecting the customer to a directory assistance provider and offering a selected service to the customer after detection of the connection status condition.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising applying a DTMF detector to the inbound channel to detect customer input.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the call is originated from a wireless phone.

40. The method of claim 37 wherein the directory assistance provider includes a voice server.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising presenting the customer by the voice server with a menu of directory assistance options.

42. The method of claim 37 further comprising informing the customer of the network communication problem.

43. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

upon a successful connection attempt to the destination telephone, connecting the customer to a voice server;

presenting the customer with a menu of directory assistance options; and

monitoring the inbound channel with a DTMF detector for a customer input.

44. The method of claim 37 further comprising placing the call into a call distribution system before connecting the customer to the directory assistance provider, the directory assistance provider being specified by the call distribution system.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the call is placed into the call distribution system with an assigned priority.

46. The method of claim 37 further comprising presenting the customer with a menu of directory assistance options when the customer is connected to the directory assistance provider, said menu including one or more of the following options:

conveying the destination telephone number to the customer;

transferring the customer to a directory assistance operator;

transmitting the destination telephone number to the customer'"'"'s alphanumeric communication device;

continuing to monitor the outbound channel with the signal processing device; and

recording a message to be delivered to a destination party associated with the destination telephone number.

47. A directory assistance system for providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising:

a plurality of inbound channels for receiving customer calls;

a plurality of outbound channels for attempting to establish connections to destination telephones;

a switch platform having at least one signal processing device for analyzing and detecting connection status conditions of network communication problems on the plurality of outbound channels; and

a server for searching directory assistance databases for search results including destination telephone numbers that satisfy directory assistance requests, the switch platform automatically connecting a customer call on an inbound channel to a directory assistance provider offering a selected service to a caller of the customer call after detection, by the signal processing device, of a connection status condition of a network communication problem.

48. The directory assistance system of claim 47 further comprising a DTMF detector for monitoring and detecting customer input on the inbound channel.

49. The directory assistance system of claim 47 further comprising:

a memory for storing the search results; and

a transport for transferring the search results to the directory assistance provider.

50. A directory assistance system for providing directory assistance access to a customer caller, comprising:

a plurality of inbound channels for receiving customer calls;

a plurality of outbound channels for attempting to establish connections to destination telephones;

a switch platform having at least one signal processing device for analyzing and detecting connection status conditions of ring-no-answer on the plurality of outbound channels; and

a server for searching directory assistance databases for search results including destination telephone numbers that satisfy directory assistance requests, the switch platform automatically connecting a customer call on an inbound channel to a directory assistance provider upon detection by the signal processing device of a ring-no-answer connection status condition on an outbound channel, the signal processing device continuing to monitor the outbound channel after the customer call is connected to the directory assistance provider.

51. The directory assistance system of claim 50 further comprising a DTMF detector for monitoring and detecting customer input on the inbound channel.

52. The directory assistance system of claim 50 further comprising:

a memory for storing the search results; and

a transport for transferring the search results to the directory assistance provider.

53. A directory assistance system for providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising:

a plurality of inbound channels for receiving customer calls;

a plurality of outbound channels for attempting to establish connections to destination telephones;

a switch platform having at least one signal processing device for analyzing and detecting busy signals on the plurality of outbound channels; and

a server for searching directory assistance databases for search results including destination telephone numbers that satisfy directory assistance requests, the switch platform automatically connecting a customer call on an inbound channel to a directory assistance provider offering a selected service to a caller of the customer call upon detection, by the signal processing device, of a busy signal.

54. The directory assistance system of claim 53 further comprising a DTMF detector for monitoring and detecting customer input on the inbound channel.

55. The directory assistance system of claim 53 further comprising:

a memory for storing the search results; and

a transport for transferring the search results to the directory assistance provider.

56. A method of providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising:

receiving a call from the customer caller on an inbound channel;

allocating an outbound channel for communications with a destination telephone associated with a destination telephone number;

connecting the inbound channel with the outbound channel to establish a connection connecting the custom caller'"'"'s call to the destination telephone;

monitoring the connection after the customer caller'"'"'s call is connected to the destination telephone;

detecting a disconnection of the destination telephone from the connection;

monitoring the inbound channel for a period of time after the destination telephone disconnects; and

if the customer caller does not disconnect within the period of time after the destination telephone disconnects, automatically connecting the customer caller to a directory assistance provider.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the disconnection of the destination telephone is detected by detecting a bit transition indicating that the destination telephone went from an off-hook status to an on-hook status.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein the directory assistance provider includes an operator.

59. The method of claim 56 wherein the directory assistance provider includes a voice server.

60. The method of claim 56 further comprising providing, by the directory assistance provider, the customer caller with selected directory assistance options.

61. The method of claim 56 further comprising the directory assistance provider offering a service to the customer caller, wherein the service comprises communicating the destination telephone number to the customer caller.

62. The method of claim 59 further comprising the directory assistance provider offering a service to the customer caller, wherein the service comprises the voice server communicating the destination telephone number to the customer caller.