Personal address updates using directory assistance data

• US 7,352,848 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Decker, John Jeffrey, Stillman, Scott T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang; Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HEMANT SHANTILAL
• Application Number:
  US10/891,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20040258234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.02, 379/88.03
• US Class Current: 379/88.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for storing directory assistance information in a subscriber'"'"'s electronic address book for future use. If a directory number associated with the desired called party is not in the subscriber'"'"'s address book, a voice services node initiates a call to a directory assistance service to obtain a directory number for the called party. If the subscriber would like to have the obtained number added to the subscriber'"'"'s address book, the directory number, name and address associated with the requested directory assistance may be added to the subscriber'"'"'s address book for future use by the subscriber when the subscriber needs the directory number associated with the called party.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining directory assistance information and for storing the obtained directory assistance information in a subscriber address book, comprising:

receiving a call from a calling party seeking directory assistance information for a directory number;

if the calling party has the address book in the database, querying the address book database for the directory number before querying a source of directory assistance information;

if the directory number is located in the address book database, returning the directory number to the calling party;

if the calling party has the address book in the database and the directory number is not located in the address book database, querying the source of directory assistance information for the directory number;

if the calling party does not have the address book in the database, prompting the calling party to register establishment of the address book in the database before querying the source of directory assistance information for the directory number, and establishing the address book for the calling party requested by the calling party in response to the prompt for establishing the address book, and then querying the source of directory assistance information for the directory number;

prompting the calling party with an offer to add obtained directory assistance information to the address book database; and

adding to the address book database the directory number and associated name obtained from the source of directory assistance information.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

if the directory assistance information for the directory number is not located in the address book database, prompting the calling party with an offer to connect the calling party to a source of directory assistance information.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

if the directory assistance information for the directory number is not located in the address book database, connecting the calling party to a source of directory assistance information without prompting the calling party.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein returning the directory number comprises returning the directory number to the calling party as a data representation of the digits making up the directory number located in the address book database.

10. The medium as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

returning the directory number to the calling party as a data representation of the digits making up the directory number located in the address book database.

4. A computer-readable medium encoding a set of instructions for executing a method for obtaining directory assistance information and for storing the obtained directory assistance information in a subscriber address book, the method comprising:

receiving a call from a calling party seeking directory assistance information for a directory number;

if the calling party has the address book in the database, querying the address book database for the directory number before querying a source of directory assistance information;

if the directory number is located in the address book database, returning the directory number to the calling party;

if the calling party has the address book in the database and the directory number is not located in the address book database, querying the source of directory assistance information for the directory number;

if the calling party does not have the address book in the database, prompting the calling party to register establishment of the address book in the database before querying the source of directory assistance information for the directory number, and establishing the address book for the calling party requested by the calling party in response to the prompt for establishing the address book, and then querying the source of directory assistance information for the directory number;

prompting the calling party with an offer to add obtained directory assistance information to the address book database; and

adding to the address book database the directory number and associated name obtained from the source of directory assistance information.

5. The medium as in claim 4, the method further comprising:

if the directory assistance information for the directory number is not located in the address book database, prompting the calling party with an offer to connect the calling party to a source of directory assistance information.

6. The medium as in claim 4, the method further comprising:

if the directory assistance information for the directory number is not located in the address book database, connecting the calling party to a source of directory assistance information without prompting the calling party.

7. A method for maintaining a subscriber address book database with information obtained for a calling party from a source of directory assistance information, the method comprising:

in response to a request by the calling party to a query source of directory assistance information requesting a directory number, if the calling party has the address book in the database, querying the subscriber address book for the directory number before querying the source of directory assistance information, providing the directory number to the calling party if the directory number is located in the subscriber address book, and, if the calling party has the subscriber address book in the database but the directory number is not located in the subscriber address book, prompting the calling party with an offer to add obtained directory assistance information to the address book database;

if the calling party does not have the address book in the database, prompting the calling party to register establishment of the address book in the database before querying the source of directory assistance information for the directory number, and establishing the address book for the calling party requested by the calling party in response to the prompt for establishing the address book, and then querying the source of directory assistance information for the directory number; and

adding to the address book database the directory number and associated name obtained from the source of directory assistance information.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein:

the obtained information is added to the address book database if requested by the calling party in response to the prompt.

11. The method as in claim 7, wherein providing the directory number to the calling party comprises providing a data representation of the digits making up the directory number located in the subscriber address book.