System and method of developing mapping and directions from caller ID

• US 6,459,782 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1999
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solid Information Technology Oy (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goldstar Information Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Barry, David Mark, Bedrosian, Bert, Thornsberry, Marvin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US09/437,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20020027981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201, 379/912, 379/913, 379/207.15, 379/307.14, 379/201.03, 379/93.12, 379/93.23, 379/100.01, 379/127, 379/201.01, 379/88.21, 379/142, 379/142.06, 701/1, 701/25, 701/200, 701/201, 701/215, 701/213, 701/211, 701/209, 701/207
• US Class Current: 379/201.08
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/362 received from an external device or application, e.g. PDA, mobile phone or calendar application
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• 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

Abstract

A system is disclosed for generating instructions enabling navigation between an origin and a location identified by an address corresponding to data in an incoming communication, such as a customer name or customer telephone number. The system comprises a conventional caller identification unit that reads information transmitted in conjunction with an incoming customer telephone call. A main processor engine receives this information and searches a database for a match between the information and the customer'"'"'s address. Once the customer'"'"'s address is successfully located and retrieved by the main processor engine, the address is communicated to a mapping engine. The mapping or other direction-generating engine searches a database for data associated with the address that may be used by the mapping or other direction-generating engine to generate or directions a map between a predetermined point of origin and the address. Once the map is generated, it can then be displayed on a computer screen and/or printed.

Claims

1. A standalone computer system for generating travel directions from a point of origin, corresponding to a location of said computer system, to a destination that corresponds to a geographic location associated with telephone number identification information representative of an incoming or outgoing telephone call comprising:

i) a telephone receiver;

ii) a database containing information correlating said telephone number identification information with a corresponding geographic location, said database includes;

a) a locally assembled address book, and

b) telephone directory information;

iii) navigation software operative to provide a map or navigation directions between said geographic location associated with the telephone number identification information and the location of the computer system;

iv) an output device; and

v) a computer program operative to;

a) control said computer system to detect and interpret incoming or outgoing telephone number identification information associated with a telephone call;

b) control said computer system to first search said locally assembled address book in said database using the telephone number identification information to obtain information representative of a geographic location associated with the telephone number identification information, and

subsequently search said telephone directory information to obtain information representative of a geographic location associated with the telephone number identification information whenever said information in not found in said locally assembled address book;

c) control said computer system to employ said navigation software to automatically provide said map or navigation directions between said point of origin and the geographic location associated with the telephone number identification information; and

d) control the computer system to selectively provide said map or navigation directions to said output device in a desired media.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the database includes address information associated with the geographic location of the destination.

3. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the computer program is responsive to information obtained from said database by supplying said information to said navigation software.

4. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the computer program is further operative to control the computer system to automatically display an interview screen for user input when said telephone number identification information is not found in said database.

5. The computer system of claim 1 wherein the navigation software comprises mapping software responsive to point of origin information and destination information to generate a map between the said point of origin and the destination.

6. A method of generating, by computer, travel directions from a first location to the location of a telephone caller including:

(a) providing a stand-alone computer installation at said first location, said stand-alone computer having a database that includes;

1) a locally assembled address book, and

2) telephone directory information;

(b) receiving a telephone call at said first location;

(c) detecting caller identification information electronically associated with said received telephone call;

(d) providing navigation software in the computer installation;

(e) programming said navigation software with the location of said first location corresponding to a point of origin;

(f) automatically retrieving destination information corresponding to the location of the telephone caller as derived from the caller identification information electronically associated with a telephone call from the caller by;

1) first searching said locally assembled address book in said database using the caller identification information, and

2) subsequently searching said telephone directory information to obtain destination information relative to situs of the telephone caller when said destination information is not found in the locally assembled address book;

(g) automatically communicating destination information corresponding to the location of the telephone caller as derived from the caller identification information electronically associated with a telephone call from the caller to said navigation software; and

(h) outputting navigation information for navigating from said first location to the location of the telephone caller as developed by the navigation software.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing, by a program routine responsive to the presence of caller identification information electronically associated with a received telephone call, the steps of looking for a caller'"'"'s address in at least one associated database, and if present, causing retrieval of the caller'"'"'s address information from the associated database for use by the navigation software, and displaying an interview screen if a caller'"'"'s address is not present in the at least one associated database.

8. The method of claims 6, wherein providing navigation software in the computer installation comprises providing textual travel direction producing software responsive to point of origin information and destination information, and wherein step (h) comprises using said textual travel direction producing software to generate and output said textual directions from a point of origin represented by said point of origin information to a destination represented by said destination information.

9. A method for generating navigation information automatically with respect to a location to which a telephone call is placed, as a destination, comprising:

(a) providing a stand-alone computer installation connected to receive a telephone number of a call being placed from said computer installation;

(b) providing a database of address information associated with telephone numbers within said computer installation, said database comprising;

1) a locally assembled address book, and

2) telephone directory information;

(c) providing said computer installation with navigation software for generating navigation information from a point of origin to a destination corresponding to said location to which a telephone call is placed;

(d) using said computer installation for performing the steps of;

(i) retrieving address information from said database corresponding to a telephone number to which a call is placed by;

1) first searching said locally assembled address book in said database using said telephone number, and

2) subsequently searching said telephone directory information to obtain address information relative to the location associated with the telephone number called when said address information is not found in the locally assembled address book;

(ii) providing the retrieved address information as a destination to said navigation software;

(iii) providing a point of departure to the navigation software; and

(iv) outputting navigation information generated by the navigation software for navigating from said point of departure to said destination,

whereby a telephone caller is able to obtain navigation information from the point of departure to the situs of the location called.

10. The method for generating navigation information according to claim 9, wherein step (d) (iii) comprises providing the address of the computer installation as the point of departure.

11. A method of generating travel directions from a location receiving a telephone call to a location of a telephone caller comprising:

(a) providing a stand-alone computer installation connected to receive a telephone call;

(b) receiving a telephone call;

(c) detecting caller identification information electronically associated with said received telephone call including at least one of a telephone number associated with a calling telephone and a name associated with said calling telephone;

(d) providing a database in the computer installation, said database comprising;

1) a locally assembled address book, and

2) telephone directory information;

(e) automatically retrieving an address from said database associated with at least one of the telephone numbers and a name associated with said calling telephone by;

1) first searching said locally assembled address book in said database using said telephone number, and

2) subsequently searching said telephone directory information to obtain said address relative to the location associated with the telephone number called when the address is not found in the locally assembled address book; and

(f) generating travel directions in response to the address automatically retrieved and at least one further address input to the computer installation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one further address of step (f) is an address associated with the situs of the computer installation.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising using a software routine, choosing the at least one further address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein choosing the at least one further address includes choosing the at least one further address on the basis of a relationship of available further addresses with the address automatically retrieved.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of choosing on the basis of a relationship comprises choosing the at least one further address on the basis of proximity to the address automatically retrieved.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising assembling multiple delivery routings.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising assembling multiple delivery routes from the addresses of callers.

18. A standalone system for generating travel directions from a point of origin, corresponding to a location of said system, to a destination that corresponds to a geographic location associated with telephone number identification information representative of an incoming or outgoing telephone call comprising:

a) a computer system configured to detect and interpret telephone number identification information associated with an incoming or outgoing call being placed from the computer system;

b) a database containing address information associated with said telephone number identification information, said database comprising;

a) a locally assembled address book, and

b) telephone directory information;

c) said computer system including navigation software for generating navigation information from a point of origin to a destination;

d) said computer system being programmed to;

i) first search said locally assembled address book in said database, and

subsequently search said telephone directory information to retrieve address information associated with said telephone number identification information obtained from said call being placed from the computer system;

ii) provide the retrieved address information as a destination to said navigation software;

iii) provide a point of origin to the navigation software; and

iv) output navigation information generated by the navigation software from the of origin to the destination whereby a user is able to obtain navigation information from a preselected situs to the situs of the location called.

19. The system for generating travel information according to claim 18 wherein the computer system is programmed to provide the address of the computer system as the point of origin, whereby a user is able to obtain navigation information from the user'"'"'s situs to the situs of the location called.

20. A system for generating travel directions from a first location to location of a telephone caller comprising:

a) a stand-alone computer system including;

i) a modem connection or communication port connected to receive a telephone call;

ii) a database comprising;

a) a locally assembled address book, and

b) telephone directory information;

iii) a computer program operative to;

a) control said computer system to detect and interpret incoming telephone number identification information associated with a telephone caller including at least one telephone number and a name associated with said telephone caller;

b) control said computer system to first search said locally assembled address book in said database using the telephone number identification information derived by said first computer program, and subsequently search said telephone directory information to automatically obtain an address that is associated with said at least one of the telephone number and name associated with the telephone caller; and

iv) navigation software operative to control the computer installation to generate travel directions in response to the address automatically obtained and at least one further address input to the computer system.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the at least one further address is an address associated with the situs of the computer system.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising a software routine for choosing the at least one further address.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the software routine for choosing the at least one address includes instructions for choosing the at least one further address on the basis of a relationship of available further addresses with the address automatically retrieved.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the relationship is proximity to the address automatically retrieved.

25. The system of claim 20 further comprising a multiple delivery routing program, the at least one further address including destination addresses derived from other callers such that a delivery route is sequentially assembled from an initial point of origin to a caller address and from said caller address to a further caller address.

26. The system of claim 20 further comprising a computer program operative to control the computer system to assemble multiple delivery routes from the addresses of telephone callers.

27. A stand-alone computer system for generating information automatically with respect to a telephone call between two locations comprising:

a) a computer program operative to control said computer system to extract telephone number identification information from a call in progress;

b) a database of additional information associated with the telephone number identification information and containing the additional information in association with the telephone number identification information, said database comprising;

1) a locally assembled address book, and

2) telephone directory information;

c) the computer system including a computer program operative to;

i) control the computer system to retrieve the information associated in the database with the telephone number identification information of the call in progress by;

1) first searching said locally assembled address book in said database using the said telephone number, and

2) subsequently searching said telephone directory information to obtain said address relative to the location associated with the telephone number called when the address is not found in the locally assembled address book; and

ii) control said computer to output the additional information generated.

28. The system according to claim 27 wherein the computer system is programmed to display the additional information during the course of the telephone call in progress.

29. The system according to claim 27 wherein the additional information contains caller profile information relating to the entity from whose telephone the call in progress was made.

30. The system according to claim 27 wherein the additional information contains caller profile information relating to the entity whose telephone number is being called.

31. The system according to claim 27 wherein the additional information comprises navigational information.

32. The system according to claim 31 wherein the navigational information is directional information between the location of the calling telephone and the called telephone.

33. The system according to claim 27 wherein the situs of the computer system database is remote from the calling telephone and the telephone number being called.

34. The system according to claim 27 wherein the computer system is programmed to output the additional information to a location of at least one of the telephones engaged in the call in progress.