Methods and systems for directory information lookup

• US 20050053220A1
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Zafar, Shadman, Rajagopalan, Mahesh, Reformato, John R., Reding, Craig L., Helbling, Christopher L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/36 Memories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/387 using subscriber identification cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42204 Arrangements at the exchange for service or number selection by voice at the terminal H04M1/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4933 with operator assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4936 Speech interaction details speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13034 A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13224 Off-net subscriber, dial in to/out from network, teleworking
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13282 : Call forward, follow-me, call diversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 : Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for obtaining contact-related information associated with a party using an identifier. The identifier may include a calling party number, a previously-dialed number, and/or a number specified by a user. The identifier could also include an e-mail address, an instant messenger address, a photograph, etc. A request for contact-related information may be initiated by a user and/or a device associated with the user. The request may include an identifier associated with a party. Methods and systems may retrieve contact-related information associated with the party using the identifier. Methods and systems may leverage one or more networks to retrieve the contact-related information. Contact information may be retrieved in order to add a contact to a user'"'"'s address book.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining contact information comprising:

receiving a request for contact-related information associated with a party, the request including identifying information associated with the party;

retrieving the contact-related information associated with the party using the identifying information, the contact-related information being different from the identifying information; and

performing a process using the retrieved contact-related information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request including identifying information comprises receiving a request including one of a name, a telephone number, and a network identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request including identifying information comprises receiving a request including an e-mail address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request including identifying information comprises receiving a request including one of an audio signal, a video signal, a photograph, and a digital image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the contact-related information associated with the party comprises retrieving one or more of a home address, a business address, a digital image, an audio signal, a public record, and information associated with relatives of the party.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the contact-related information comprises retrieving the contact-related information using a search engine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the contact-related information comprises retrieving the contact-related information using an operator network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a process comprises adding the contact-related information to an address book.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adding the contact-related information to the address book is performed without user intervention.

10. A method for obtaining contact information, the method comprising:

receiving, by a service center, a request initiated by a user for contact information associated with a telephone number;

querying, by the service center and in response to the request, a directory means for the contact information;

receiving the contact information at the service center; and

storing, via the service center, the contact information in a contact list associated with a user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the telephone number for which contact information is requested includes a telephone number associated with a call received by the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the telephone number for which contact information is requested includes a telephone number previously dialed by the user.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the telephone number for which contact information is requested is specified by the user.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing the user with access to the contact information.

15. In a system having a user terminal, a service center, and a server, a method for obtaining contact information, the method comprising:

receiving, by the service center, a request from the user terminal for contact information associated with a telephone number;

forwarding the request from the service center to the server;

transmitting, in response to the request, a query including the telephone number from the server through a gateway to a directory means;

receiving the contact information by the server via the gateway;

forwarding the contact information from the server to the service center; and

providing a user with access to the contact information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting a query including the telephone number from the server includes transmitting a query including the telephone and an identifier associated with a user of the user terminal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the contact information by the server includes receiving the contact information from storage means associated with the directory means.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the contact information by the server includes receiving at least one of a name, a street, a city, a state, a zip code, a facsimile number, and an e-mail address associated with the telephone number.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein providing access to the contact information includes providing the user with access to the contact information via the user terminal.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

storing the contact information in a contact list maintained by the service center.

21. A communications system comprising:

a user device, coupled to a network, configured to transmit a request for contact information associated with a telephone number;

a service center associated with the user device configured to receive the request for contact information from the network; and

a first server, coupled to the service center, configured to;

query, in response to the request and using the telephone number, a directory means via a gateway to obtain the contact information,

receive a response to the query from the directory means via the gateway; and

forward the response received from the directory means to the service center.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the directory means is a directory assistance service maintained by at least one service provider.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the directory means includes a storage device for maintaining the contact information.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the user device is one of a general purpose computer, a personal computer, a Blackberry™

device, a Ergo Audrey™

device, a wireless device, and a Personal Digital Assistant.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the service center includes a second server coupled to the network for receiving the request for contact information.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the response received by the first server from the directory means and forwarded to the service center includes listing information, which includes at least one of a name, a street, a city, a state, a zip code, a facsimile number, and an e-mail address.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the service center provides a user with access to the listing information via the network.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the service center stores the listing information in a contact list associated with a user.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the response received by the first server from the directory means and forwarded to the service center indicates that information associated with the telephone number is not available to the public.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the response received by the first server from the directory means and forwarded to the service center indicates a billing type associated with the telephone number.

31. The system of claim 21, wherein the response received by the first server from the directory means and forwarded to the service center includes at least one error message.

32. A system for obtaining contact information comprising:

receiving means for receiving a request for contact-related information associated with a party, the request including identifying information associated with the party;

retrieving means for retrieving the contact-related information associated with the party using the identifying information, the contact-related information being different from the identifying information; and

processing means for performing a process using the retrieved contact-related information.

33. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a system to perform a method, the system including at least one processor for executing the instructions, the method comprising:

receiving a request for contact-related information associated with a party, the request including identifying information associated with the party;

retrieving the contact-related information associated with the party using the identifying information, the contact-related information being different from the identifying information; and

performing a process using the retrieved contact-related information.