Automated directory assistance call completion and calling number delivery system

• US 5,613,006 A
• Filed: 11/18/1994
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Morris Reese
• Original Assignee: Morris Reese
• Inventors: Reese, Morris
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US08/342,166
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 379/213, 379/215, 379/142, 379/212, 379/67, 379/88, 379/84
• US Class Current: 379/67.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27 Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42195 Arrangements for calling back a calling subscriber when the wanted subscriber ceases to be busy H04M3/48
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

An automated directory assistance call completion and calling number delivery system is disclosed which allows a party to call a telephone or a cellular company directory assistance operator, request a phone number of a person to be contacted and asks that the call be completed automatically. The system is responsive to a predetermined code keyed-in on a keypad of the calling party pushbutton phone, or to a voice response from the calling party, for automatically completing the call to an idle or an in-use telephone station of the person to be contacted, and for disclosing the calling party directory telephone number with a corresponding name to the person to be contacted. The person to be contacted is then in a position to decide whether or not to answer the call based on the identity of the calling party. Whether the call is answered or not the person to be contacted apparatus receives, displays and stores the calling party directory telephone number with the corresponding name for later recall, visual display and automatic or manual dialing of the stored directory telephone number with the corresponding name.

Claims

1. A method of automatically completing a call to a person to be contacted and then disclosing to said person to be contacted a directory telephone number with a corresponding name (DN) of a calling party wishing to converse with said person to be contacted when said calling party calls a directory assistance (DA) operator to request a phone number of said person to be contacted and asks that said call be completed automatically, comprising the steps of:

(a) responding by an interactive audio response unit (IARU) of a tandem switch serving said DA operator to information received from said DA operator relating to said person to be contacted by searching an associated data base to find a phone number which corresponds to said information received from said DA operator and, when said phone number is found and determined to be listed or unlisted, then providing to said calling party an appropriate recorded message;

(b) said tandem switch determining whether a predetermined digit or a voice response has been received in response to the recorded message;

(c) said tandem switch then retrieving from the associated data base said phone number of said person to be contacted and, upon translating area and office codes of said phone number into appropriate routing information to select a trunk line which is an appropriate route to a terminating central office, then transmitting said DN of said calling party to said terminating central office if said digit or said voice response has been received;

(d) said terminating central office serving said person to be contacted responding to said DN of said calling party from said tandem switch by connecting to said person to be contacted idle telephone line and sending ringing signals;

(e) said terminating central office then transmitting said DN of said calling party to an apparatus at said person to be contacted station during a silent interval between a first and a second ringing signal; and

(f) said apparatus at said person to be contacted station receiving, displaying and storing said DN of said calling party from said terminating central office during said silent interval between said first and said second ringing signal.

2. A method of automatically completing a call to a person to be contacted and then disclosing to said person to be contacted a directory telephone number with a corresponding name (DN) of a calling party wishing to converse with said person to be contacted when said calling party calls a directory assistance (DA) operator to request a phone number of said person to be contacted and asks that said call be completed automatically, comprising the steps of:

(a) responding by an interactive audio response unit (IARU) of a tandem switch serving said DA operator to information received from said DA operator relating to said person to be contacted by searching an associated data base to find a phone number which corresponds to said information received from said DA operator and, when said phone number is found and determined to be listed or unlisted, then providing to said person to be contacted an appropriate recorded message;

(b) said tandem switch determining whether a predetermined digit or a voice response has been received in response to the recorded message;

(c) said tandem switch then retrieving from the associated data base said phone number of said person to be contacted and, upon translating area and office codes of said phone number into appropriate routing information to select a trunk line which is an appropriate route to a terminating central office, then transmitting said DN of said calling party to said terminating central office if said digit or said voice response has been received;

(d) said terminating central office serving said person to be contacted responding to said DN of said calling party from said tandem switch by connecting to said person to be contacted in-use telephone line and sending a call waiting (CW) tone signal;

(e) said person to be contacted apparatus responding to said CW tone signal by muting its associated handset for a predetermined interval of time;

(f) said person to be contacted apparatus responding to said CW tone signal also by transmitting an acknowledgment tone to said terminating central office indicating that it is capable of receiving said DN of said calling party;

(g) said terminating central office responding to said acknowledgment tone by transmitting said DN of said calling party to said person to be contacted apparatus during a silent interval of said CW tone signal cycle; and

(h) said person to be contacted apparatus receiving, displaying and storing said DN of said calling party from said terminating central office during said silent interval of said CW tone signal cycle.

3. A method of automatically completing a call to a person to be contacted and then providing to the person to be contacted a directory telephone number with a corresponding name (DN) of a calling party wishing to converse with the person to be contacted when the calling party calls a directory assistance (DA) operator to request a phone number of the person to be contacted and asks that the call be completed automatically, comprising the steps of:

(a) in response to information received from the DA operator which is identical to information received from the calling party relating to the person to be contacted, searching an associated data base to find the phone number of the person to be contacted corresponding to said information received from the DA operator and, when the phone number is found and determined to be listed or unlisted, then providing the calling party with an appropriate recorded message;

(b) in response to a predetermined digit or voice response received from the calling party station responsively to said recorded message, retrieving the phone number of the person to be contacted from the associated data base and, upon translating area and office codes of the phone number into appropriate routing information to select a trunk line which is an appropriate route to a terminating central office serving the person to be contacted, then transmitting said DN of the calling party to the terminating central office;

(c) the terminating central office connecting to the person to be contacted idle telephone line and sending ringing signals and, during a silent interval between said ringing signals, then transmitting said DN of the calling party to the person to be contacted apparatus; and

(d) the person to be contacted apparatus receiving, displaying and storing said DN of the calling party from the terminating central office during the silent interval between said ringing signals.

4. A method of automatically completing a call to a person to be contacted who is already engaged in a telephone conversation with another caller and then providing to the person to be contacted a directory telephone number with a corresponding name (DN) of a calling party wishing to converse with the person to be contacted when the calling party calls a directory assistance (DA) operator to request a phone number of the person to be contacted and asks that the call be completed automatically, comprising the steps of:

(a) in response to information received from the DA operator which is identical to information received from the calling party relating to the person to be contacted, searching an associated data base to find the phone number of the person to be contacted corresponding to said information received from the DA operator and, when the phone number is found and determined to be listed or unlisted, then providing the calling party with an appropriate recorded message;

(b) in response to a predetermined digit or voice response received from the calling party station responsively to said recorded message, retrieving the phone number of the person to be contacted from the associated data base and, upon translating area and office codes of the phone number into appropriate routing information to select a trunk line which is an appropriate route to a terminating central office serving the person to be contacted, then transmitting said DN of the calling party to the terminating central office;

(c) the terminating central office connecting to the person to be contacted in use telephone line and sending a call waiting tone and, during a silent interval after said call waiting tone, then transmitting said DN of the calling party to the person to be contacted apparatus;

(d) the person to be contacted apparatus responding to said call waiting tone from the terminating central office by muting its associated handset for a predetermined interval of time;

(e) the person to be contacted apparatus responding to said call waiting tone from the terminating central office also by generating and transmitting an acknowledgment tone to the terminating central office;

(f) the terminating central office responding to the acknowledgment tone from said apparatus by transmitting said DN of the calling party to said apparatus of the person to be contacted during the silent interval after said call waiting tone; and

(g) the person to be contacted apparatus receiving, displaying and storing said DN of the calling party from the terminating central office during the silent interval after said call waiting tone.