Method and system for automatically sending, receiving and utilizing information transmitted over a communication network

• US 7,027,580 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oliver Wendel Gamble
• Original Assignee: Oliver Wendel Gamble
• Inventors: Gamble, Oliver Wendel
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Creighton
• Application Number:
  US10/739,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20040151296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.17
• US Class Current: 379/218.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service

Abstract

An apparatus for automatically sending, capturing, and utilizing requested information transmitted over a communication network. The utilization may take the form of saving and dialing a requested phone number, or the electronic storing and making known text information. The apparatus removes the need for manual interacting in the employment of its automated capabilities. The apparatus can communicates over the communication network with a provider of the information, instructing the provider to send the requested information (Phone Number or Text Information) in a recognizable electronic format. The apparatus will discern the nature of the retrieve information and act accordingly. If the information is a requested phone number, it will make known the phone number before dialing it. If the information is text information (i.e. address), it will make known the address to the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for hand-free dialing of a phone number obtained from a Callers using a dialing device, Operator, or Directory Assistance (CODA) over a communication network using a dialing device, comprising:

a. determining whether a dialing device is able to retrieve information from a CODA in a non-verbal electronic format over a communication network;

b. collecting the signals that encode transmitted information;

c. determining if the received information contain a phone number, text information, or both;

d. making the transmitted information known to the user of the hand-free dialing device;

e. hand-free and automatically dialing the digits of the transmitted phone number.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a signal from the dialing device that tells the CODA that said dialing device can handle information transmitted in a electronic format.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining whether a directory assistance call is being made is accomplished by determining whether the dialed digits meets a predetermined sequence of digits.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dialing device makes known the information received from the CODA in either a visual or audio format.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the CODA electronically transmits information that contains a phone number to the dialing device over a communication network.

6. The method according to 1, wherein the dialing device that receives the information transmitted over a communication network is either a wired or wireless telephonic device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the CODA transmits the requested information in a high-speed electronic signal format using DTMF tone.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a signal that indicates the start of the information being transmitted by the CODA.

9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the signal that indicates the end of the information being transmitted by the CODA.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the start of the transmitted information to the dialing device is accomplished by detecting a predetermined number of electronic signals that meet a predetermine sequence.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication of information between the CODA and a dialing device is accomplished by the detection of a predetermined number of electronic signals in a specific arrangement constituting indicator flags, and electronic signals in a non-specific sequence constituting information.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein determining the end of the transmitted information to the dialing device is accomplished by detecting a predetermined number of electronic signals that meet a predetermine sequence.

13. A system for a dialing device to rapidly retrieve information from a CODA (Callers using a dialing device, Operator, or Directory Assistance) and execute hand-free dialing of a phone number contained within said information after making known the phone number to the dialing device user, comprising:

means for a dialing device to be able to generate a recognizable signal that causes an outgoing call to a directory to be routed to a directory assistance center able to transmit information in a non-verbal high-speed electronic format;

means for a CODA to recognize an incoming call from a dialing device able to receive and process information transmitted in a non-verbal electronic format;

means for the CODA to transmitted information in real time at high-speed to a dialing device over a communication network;

means for the dialing device to make known the phone number received from the CODA; and

means for hand-free and automatically dialing the digits of the received phone number.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein determining the end of the transmitted information to the dialing device is accomplished by detecting a predetermined number of electronic signals that meet a predetermine sequence.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein determining the dialing device ability to handle information transmitted in a non-verbal format is accomplished by detecting a predetermined number of electronic signals arranged in a predetermine sequence that constitute a positive indicator for this ability.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the dialing device generates a signal indicating that the requested information be send back in a non-verbal format is accomplished by the CODA detecting a predetermined electronic signal specific to this type of request.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the communication of information between the CODA and a dialing device is accomplished by the detection of a predetermined number of electronic signals in a specific arrangement constituting indicator flags, and electronic signals in a non-specific sequence constituting information.

18. Computer executable software code stored on a computer readable medium, the code for hand-free dialing of a phone number retrieved from a CODA (Callers using a dialing device, Operator, or Directory Assistance) in a high speed non-verbal electronic format, comprising:

computer executable software code for determining whether information transmitted in a high-speed non-verbal format over a communication network contain a phone number;

code for a dialing device to signal to a CODA (Callers using a dialing device, Operator, Directory Assistance) indicating its ability to process information transmitted in a non-verbal format;

code for capturing information transmitted in a non-verbal format from a CODA to a dialing device;

code for determining whether the information transmitted by the CODA contains a phone number;

code for revealing a phone number contained in the transmitted information to the dialing device user;

code for hand-free auto-dialing of a phone number received from a CODA.

19. Computer executable software code according to claim 18, further comprising:

a dialing device storing software coding for encoding and decoding electronic signals from a Callers using a dialing device, Operator, or Directory Assistance (CODA);

and coding for converting electronic signals from a CODA into a visual display or an audio message direct at the dialing device user.

20. Computer executable software code according to claim 18, further comprising:

code for storing information received by a Callers using a dialing device, Operator, or Directory Assistance (CODA) from an incoming call from a dialing device.