Advanced directory services

• US 8,335,777 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miles, Alvin Charles, Decker, John Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Son T
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOI, MICHELE C
• Application Number:
  US11/470,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Included are embodiments for providing advanced directory services. One embodiment of a method includes receiving categorical data related to a desired listing, wherein the categorical data is configured to describe at least one category associated with the listing, wherein the at least one listing includes at least one communications address. Other embodiments include receiving sub-categorical data related to the desired listing, wherein the sub-categorical data is configured to describe at least one sub-category associated with the at least one category. Still other embodiments include sending a search request for at least one listing, wherein the at least one listing is associated with the received categorical data and wherein the at least one listing is associated with the received sub-categorical data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a switch, a call from a mobile communications device of a caller for a desired listing, wherein;

the desired listing is a business listing; and

the switch is configured to;

receive calls from at least one communications device;

route any of the calls to a desired location;

transfer any of the calls to and from a network device; and

transfer any of the calls to a business associated with any desired listing;

placing, by the switch, the call on hold;

bridging, by the switch, the call to an application server;

providing, by the application server, via the switch, a prompt to the mobile communications device to determine the desired listing;

receiving, by the application server, from the mobile communications device via the switch, an indication of the desired listing;

providing, by the application server, a query to a data storage for at least one listing associated with the desired listing;

responsive to the query, receiving, by the application server from the data storage, found listings, wherein at least a portion of the found listings is determined by an advertiser;

providing the found listings to a workstation, wherein the workstation, the data storage, and the application server are distributed and disparate;

transferring the call, via the switch, to the workstation;

when a number of the found listings is greater than a desirable number of listings, in order to reduce the number of the found listings to the desirable number of listings, providing, from the workstation, via the switch to the mobile communications device, a request for supplemental information regarding the desired listing;

receiving, by the workstation, from the mobile communications device via the switch, a response to the request for the supplemental information;

determining, by the workstation, based on the response to the request for the supplemental information, a second listing;

providing, by the workstation to a document storage and retrieval (DSAR) server, the second listing;

receiving, from the DSAR server, a DSAR key that is associated with the desired listing and is based on the second listing;

providing, by the workstation to the application server, the DSAR key;

providing a request from the workstation to the switch to transfer the call to the application server;

transferring, by the switch, the call from the workstation to the application server in response to the request from the workstation to the switch;

providing, by the application server to the DSAR server, the DSAR key and a request for selected listings based on the DSAR key; and

providing, to the caller by the application server, via the switch;

an indication of the selected listings;

a photograph of at least one business entity associated with the selected listings;

driving directions to the at least one business entity associated with the selected listings; and

information pertaining to finding any other nearest business entity associated with the selected listings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired listing comprises at least one communications address.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating display of the found listings at the workstation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the workstation, operator input indicating a selection of the desired listing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the found listings comprise data related to a type of business.

6. A tangible computer readable storage medium that is not a transmission medium or a propagating medium, the tangible computer readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by a switch, a call from a mobile communications device of a caller for a desired listing, wherein;

the desired listing is a business listing; and

the switch is configured to;

receive calls from at least one communications device;

route any of the calls to a desired location;

transfer any of the calls to and from a network device; and

transfer any of the calls to a business associated with any desired listing;

placing, by the switch, the call on hold;

bridging, by the switch, the call to an application server;

providing, by the application server, via the switch, a prompt to the mobile communications device to determine the desired listing;

receiving, by the application server, from the mobile communications device via the switch, an indication of the desired listing;

providing, by the application server, a query to a data storage for at least one listing associated with the desired listing;

responsive to the query, receiving, by the application server from the data storage, found listings, wherein at least a portion of the found listings is determined by an advertiser;

providing the found listings to a workstation, wherein the workstation, the data storage, and the application server are distributed and disparate;

transferring the call, via the switch, to the workstation;

when a number of the found listings is greater than a desirable number of listings, in order to reduce the number of the found listings to the desirable number of listings, providing, from the workstation, via the switch to the mobile communications device, a request for supplemental information regarding the desired listing;

receiving, by the workstation, from the mobile communications device via the switch, a response to the request for the supplemental information;

determining, by the workstation, based on the response to the request for the supplemental information, a second listing;

providing, by the workstation to a document storage and retrieval (DSAR) server, the second listing;

receiving, from the DSAR server, a DSAR key that is associated with the desired listing and is based on the second listing;

providing, by the workstation to the application server, the DSAR key;

providing a request from the workstation to the switch to transfer the call to the application server;

transferring, by the switch, the call from the workstation to the application server in response to the request from the workstation to the switch;

providing, by the application server to the DSAR server, the DSAR key and a request for selected listings based on the DSAR key; and

providing, to the caller by the application server, via the switch;

an indication of the selected listings;

a photograph of at least one business entity associated with the selected listings;

driving directions to the at least one business entity associated with the selected listings; and

information pertaining to finding any other nearest business entity associated with the selected listings.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the desired listing comprises at least one communications address.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, the operations further comprising facilitating display of the desired listing.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, the operations further comprising receiving operator input indicating a selection of the desired listing.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the found listings comprise data related to a type of business.

11. A system comprising:

a switch, an application server, a workstation, a data storage, and a document storage and retrieval (DSAR) server, that are configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by a switch, a call from a mobile communications device of a caller for a desired listing, wherein;

the desired listing is a business listing; and

the switch is configured to;

receive calls from at least one communications device;

route any of the calls to a desired location;

transfer any of the calls to and from a network device; and

transfer any of the calls to a business associated with any desired listing;

placing, by the switch, the call on hold;

bridging, by the switch, the call to the application server;

providing, by the application server, via the switch, a prompt to the mobile communications device to determine the desired listing;

receiving, by the application server, from the mobile communications device via the switch, an indication of the desired listing;

providing, by the application server, a query to the data storage for at least one listing associated with the desired listing;

responsive to the query, receiving, by the application server from the data storage, found listings, wherein at least a portion of the found listings is determined by an advertiser;

providing the found listings to the workstation, wherein the workstation, the data storage, and the application server are distributed and disparate;

transferring the call, via the switch, to the workstation;

when a number of the found listings is greater than a desirable number of listings, in order to reduce the number of the found listings to the desirable number listings, providing, from the workstation, via the switch to the mobile communications device, a request for supplemental information regarding the desired listing;

receiving, by the workstation, from the mobile communications device via the switch, a response to the request for the supplemental information;

determining, by the workstation, based on the response to the request for the supplemental information, a second listing;

providing, by the workstation to the document storage a data store and retrieval (DSAR) server, the second listing;

receiving, from the DSAR server, a DSAR key that is associated with the desired listing and is based on the second listing;

providing, by the workstation to the application server, the DSAR key;

providing a request from the workstation to the switch to transfer the call to the application server;

transferring, by the switch, the call from the workstation to the application server in response to the request from the workstation to the switch;

providing, by the application server to the DSAR server, the DSAR key and a request for selected listings based on the DSAR key; and

providing, to the caller by the application server, via the switch;

an indication of the selected listings;

a photograph of at least one business entity associated with the selected listings;

driving directions to the at least one business entity associated with the selected listings; and

information pertaining to finding any other nearest business entity associated with the selected listings.

12. The system of claim 11, the operations further comprising sending a search request for the desired listing.

13. The system of claim 11, the operations further comprising transferring the caller to an operator for determining the desired listing.

14. The system of claim 11, the operations further comprising determining whether the caller desires advanced directory services.