Personal directory services with directed communication

• US 8,473,562 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Glasgow, Jay Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taha, Shaq
• Application Number:
  US13/681,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20130080252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 217 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

Included are systems and methods for directing data. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving a listing for a data provider, the listing including a plurality of criteria related to the data provider and receiving an indication to add at least a portion of the listing to a personal directory. Other embodiments include adding at least a portion of the listing to the personal directory and receiving an indication from the data provider to send data to the personal directory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a computing device, a listing from a directory listing subscriber, the listing comprising business contact information related to the directory listing subscriber;

receiving, via the computing device, a request from a user for the listing;

providing, by the computing device, the listing to the user;

receiving, via the computing device from the user, a selection of portions of the business contact information to add to a personal directory associated with the user, wherein the selection further comprises user modifications to the portions of the business contact information, and wherein the personal directory is stored on a device associated with a directory listing service provider;

adding, by the computing device, the portions of the business contact information and the user modifications to the portions of the business contact information to the personal directory;

receiving, via the computing device, a first indication from the directory listing subscriber to send data associated with the directory listing subscriber to the personal directory, the data comprising an advertisement related to the directory listing subscriber;

providing, by the computing device, the advertisement to a device associated with the user;

receiving, via the computing device, a selection of the advertisement;

in response to receiving the selection of the advertisement, providing, by the computing device, a plurality of options associated with the advertisement;

and sending, by the computing device, billing data related to the advertisement to a billing system, wherein the billing data related to the advertisement comprises charges to the directory listing subscriber, and wherein the charges are associated with providing the advertisement to the device associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating display of a second indication related to the data on the device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second indication comprises a link configured to display the data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is further associated with a messaging address.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data further comprises a message sent to the messaging address.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the messaging address comprises an instant messaging address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional information relating to the listing from the user;

and adding the additional information to the personal directory in association with the portions of the business contact information.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operation comprising:

receiving a listing from a directory listing subscriber, the listing comprising business contact information related to the directory listing subscriber;

receiving a request from a user for the listing;

providing the listing to the user;

receiving a selection of portions of the business contact information to add to a personal directory associated with the user, wherein the selection further comprises user modifications to the portions of the business contact information, and wherein the personal directory is stored on a device associated with a directory listing service provider;

adding the portions of the business contact information and the user modifications to the portions of the business contact information to the personal directory;

receiving a first indication from the directory listing subscriber to send data associated with the directory listing subscriber to the personal directory, the data comprising an advertisement related to the directory listing subscriber;

providing the advertisement to a device associated with the user;

receiving a selection of the advertisement;

in response to receiving the selection of the advertisement, providing a plurality of options associated with the advertisement;

and sending billing data related to the advertisement to a billing system, wherein the billing data related to the advertisement comprises charges to the directory listing subscriber, and wherein the charges are associated with providing the advertisement to the device associated with the user.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, having further computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operation comprising displaying a second indication related to the data on the device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the second indication comprises a link configured to display the data.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the data is further associated with a messaging address.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the data further comprises a message sent to the messaging address.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the messaging address comprises an instant messaging address.

14. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

and a memory storing a program comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a listing from a directory listing subscriber, the listing comprising business contact information related to the directory listing subscriber,

receiving a request from a user for the listing,

providing the listing to the user,

receiving a selection of portions of the business contact information to add to a personal directory associated with the user, wherein the selection further comprises user modifications to the portions of the business contact information, and wherein the personal directory is stored on a device associated with a directory listing service provider,

adding the portions of the business contact information and the user modifications to the portions of the business contact information to the personal directory,

receiving a first indication from the directory listing subscriber to send data associated with the directory listing subscriber to the personal directory, the data comprising an advertisement related to the directory listing subscriber,

providing the advertisement to a device associated with the user, receiving a selection of the advertisement,

in response to receiving the selection of the advertisement, providing a plurality of options associated with the advertisement, and

sending billing data related to the advertisement to a billing system, wherein the billing data related to the advertisement comprises charges to the directory listing subscriber, and wherein the charges are associated with providing the advertisement to the device associated with the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the program comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising displaying a second indication related to the data on the device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second indication comprises a link configured to display the data.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the data is further associated with a messaging address.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the data further comprises a message sent to the messaging address.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the messaging address comprises an instant messaging address.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the program comprises further instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving additional information relating to the listing from the user;

and adding the additional information to the personal directory in association with the portions of the business contact information.