Toll-free directory assistance with automatic selection of an advertisement from a category
First Claim
1. A method for providing directory assistance information in a public telecommunication network accessed by a directory assistance number, the method comprising:
- at a call processing station;
setting up a call between the call processing station and a customer station who dialed the directory assistance number to access the call processing station;
receiving a request for directory assistance information from the customer station relating to a telephone number for a specific provider of goods or services;
examining the request for directory assistance information to select a telephone number of the specific provider of goods or services to provide to the customer station;
automatically selecting an advertisement categorized within a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services based on the selected telephone number; and
forwarding the selected advertisement from a database to the customer station.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The current invention is a system for providing telephone directory assistance service in which a telephone user calls to the system and the system will, based on the requested number or type of service, hear a recorded advertisement. The advertisements are selected from a databank, which may include any number advertisements categorized within the category associated with the service, according to selection criteria. After the advertising announcement is completed, the directory assistance call is processed as usual. The selection criteria can include the use of SIC codes.
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Citations
75 Claims
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1. A method for providing directory assistance information in a public telecommunication network accessed by a directory assistance number, the method comprising:
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at a call processing station; setting up a call between the call processing station and a customer station who dialed the directory assistance number to access the call processing station; receiving a request for directory assistance information from the customer station relating to a telephone number for a specific provider of goods or services; examining the request for directory assistance information to select a telephone number of the specific provider of goods or services to provide to the customer station; automatically selecting an advertisement categorized within a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services based on the selected telephone number; and forwarding the selected advertisement from a database to the customer station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer having a stored computer program and processor to execute computer program instructions that cause the computer to:
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set up a call between a call processing station and a customer station who dialed a directory assistance number to access the call processing station; receive, over a public telecommunication network, a directory assistance request for information from the customer station relating to a telephone number for a specific provider of goods or services; examine the request for information to select a telephone number of the specific provider of goods or services to provide to the customer station; select an advertisement categorized within a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services, automatically, based on the selected telephone number; and forward the selected advertisement to the customer station. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for providing access to directory assistance information in a public telecommunication network accessed by a directory assistance number, the system comprising:
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a customer station including call connection circuitry; and a call processing station that operates to set up a call between the call processing station and the customer station who dialed the directory assistance number to access the call processing station, to receive a request for directory assistance information from the customer station relating to a telephone number for a specific provider of goods or services, to examine the request for directory assistance information to select a telephone number of the specific provider of goods or services to provide to the customer station, to automatically select an advertisement categorized within a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services based on the selected telephone number, and to selectively forward the selected advertisement to the customer station. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. An apparatus for providing directory assistance information in a public telecommunication network accessed by a directory assistance number comprising:
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an advertisement database to store a plurality of advertisements categorized within a plurality of categories; a selector to automatically select an advertisement, categorized within a category associated with a specific provider of goods or services, from the plurality of advertisements in the advertisement database based on a telephone number of the specific provider of goods or services, the telephone number determined by examining a directory assistance request received over the public telecommunication network for a customer station who dialed the directory assistance number; and an output device to forward the selected advertisement to an external device. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for providing directory assistance information in a public telecommunication network accessed by a toll-free number, the method comprising:
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at a call processing station; setting up a call between the call processing station and a customer station who dialed the toll-free number to access the call processing station; receiving a request for information from the customer station relating to a telephone number for a specific provider of goods or services; examining the request for information to select a telephone number of the specific provider of goods or services; automatically selecting an advertisement categorized within a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services based on the selected telephone number; and forwarding the selected advertisement from a stored media to the customer station. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A call processing station for providing access to directory assistance information for a public network via a toll-free number, the call processing station comprising:
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a receiver to receive a request for directory assistance information from a customer station relating to a telephone number for a specific provider of goods or services; a processor to examine the request for directory assistance information to select a telephone number of the specific provider of goods or services and automatically select an advertisement categorized within a category associated with the specific provider of goods or services based on the selected telephone number; and a transmitter to selectively forward the selected advertisement to the customer station. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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Specification