One number, intelligent call processing system

• US 6,661,884 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NeuStar Information Services, Inc. (Neustar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Murex Securities Limited (Wallsgrove Ltd.)
• Inventors: Moore, George G., Shaffer, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US10/082,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 379/127.01, 379/207.12, 379/211.02, 379/219, 379/220.01, 379/221.01, 379/67, 379/90.01, 379/93.24, 379/142, 379/265.01, 379/113, 379/112, 379/88.01, 379/88.13, 379/223
• US Class Current: 379/201.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A one number, multi-application, intelligent call processing system provides service benefits to a caller, a servicing location and/or a vanity number advertiser during a call, parallel to the call and/or post call in an integrated common architecture. The system utilizes VRU technology in conjunction with the national telecommunications network connected via Computer Telephone Integration (CTI) to a virtual telephone number database containing a nationwide master list of telephone numbers with attribute data items associated by Spatial Key linkage to each telephone number. The process of the invention is initiated by a caller dialing a selected telephone number to request information and/or services. Based on the number dialed, a caller or network provided ten-digit telephone number and VRU prompted for and received caller input, the system retrieves the application requested data from the virtual telephone number database and provides it to the network.

Claims

1. A method of using an identifier received during communication over a network and at least one publicly available database to link to and retrieve information related to an entity selected from a plurality of entities, wherein the entity is selected via a spatial key determined from the received identifier, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier during communication over a network;

associating the received identifier with a spatial key, wherein the spatial key is based on information obtained at least in part from one of;

a United States Postal Service (USPS) National Address database, a USPS ZIP Code database, a USPS City State database, a USPS Delivery Sequence database, a US Census Bureau Topographically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing system (TIGER) database, a database containing latitude and longitude coordinates for a plurality of street links, a North American Datum (NAD) database, a national Telephone Number Plan Area database, and a national Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database;

selecting, via at least a portion of the spatial key, at least one entity from a plurality of entities;

retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity; and

providing the retrieved information to the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity is stored in database records containing the spatial key, and the database records do not contain the received identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatial key is selected from one of:

a ZIP code having at least seven digits, a telephone number, a Census Block Code, a hierarchical geographic code, coordinate pair, a latitude and longitude pair, an interleaved latitude and longitude coordinate pair, and a number derived from latitude and longitude.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key is performed at a first location and the information associated with the at least one selected entity is retrieved from a remote database at a second location remote from the first location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected entity is a store location and retrieving information associated with at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from a database located at a remote location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein retrieving information from the database located at the remote location comprises retrieving information using a second key different from the spatial key used to select the store location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second key is a unique service location identifier.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second key is a telephone number.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key further comprises associating the selected entity with a second key, and wherein selecting at least one entity from a plurality of entities comprises selecting at least one entity via at least a portion of the spatial key.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second key is a spatial key.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second key is a non-spatial key.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information via the second key.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein associating the received identifier with a second key is performed at a first location and the information associated with the at least one selected entity is retrieved from a remote database at a second location remote from the first location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from one of:

a credit bureau database, a property database, a business financial database, a business location database, and a government location database.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from a census geography database.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from a client location database.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from a USPS address database.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from a geodemographic database.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from a spatial database.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from a phone number database.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises performing a computation.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key comprises performing a computation.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key comprises performing a table lookup.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the retrieved information to the network comprises sending information to an electronic-mail address.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the retrieved information to the network comprises sending information to an Internet address.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the received identifier comprises a physical address.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the received identifier comprises a street address.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the received identifier comprises a latitude and longitude coordinate pair.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the received identifier comprises a network address.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the received identifier comprises a telephone number.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the received identifier comprises an Internet address.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the received identifier comprises an electronic mail address.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier during communication over a network comprises capturing information provided by the network.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier during communication over a network comprises capturing key entry data.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier during communication over a network comprises capturing handwritten information.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier during communication over a network comprises capturing information from a voice recognition unit.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier during communication over a network comprises prompting a user to provide an address.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier during communication over a network comprises validating a user-provided address.

39. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier during communication over a network comprises standardizing a user-provided address.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key comprises ZIP+4 coding an address.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key comprises coding an address with a delivery point code (DPC).

42. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key comprises coordinate coding an address.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key comprises latitude and longitude coding an address.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises a business telephone number.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises a business address.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises a business Internet address.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises a business electronic mail address.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identifier during communication over a network comprises transferring to an operator.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises distance information related to the entity based on the received identifier.

50. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises a distance-ordered list of information related to a plurality of entities based on the received identifier.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises a map related to the entity location.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises driving directions related to the entity location.

53. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information from one of:

a USPS address database, a credit bureau database, a property database, a geodemographic database, a business financial database, a business location database, and a government location database.

54. The method of claim 1, further comprising a second key associated with the spatial key, and wherein retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity comprises retrieving information based on the second key.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the second key is a spatial key.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the second key is selected from one of a social security number, a drivers license number, and a DUNS number.

123. The method of claim 1, 57, 58, 75, 86 or 102 wherein the network comprises the Internet.

124. The method of claim 1, 57, 58, 75, 86 or 102 wherein the network comprises a CTI network.

125. The method of claim 1, 57, 58, 75, 86 or 102 wherein the network comprises a telephony network.

126. The method of claim 1, 57, 58, 75 or 102 wherein the network comprises a wireless network.

57. A method of using an identifier received during communication over a network and at least one publicly available database to link to and retrieve information related to an entity selected from a plurality of entities, wherein the entity is selected via a spatial key determined from the received identifier, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier during communication over a network;

associating the received identifier with a spatial key;

selecting, via at least a portion of the spatial key, at least one entity from a plurality of entities;

retrieving information associated with the at least one selected entity including information derived at least in part from a publicly available database selected from one of;

a United States Postal Service (USPS) National Address database, a USPS ZIP Code database, a USPS City State database, a USPS Delivery Sequence database, a United States Census Bureau Topographically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing system (TIGER) database, a database containing latitude and longitude coordinates for a plurality of street links, a North American Datum (NAD) database, a national Telephone Number Plan Area database, and a national Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database; and

providing the retrieved information to the network.

58. A method of ordering products or services from an entity selected from a plurality of entities based on an identifier received during communication over a network, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier during communication over a network;

associating the received identifier with a spatial key, wherein the linkage key is based on information obtained at least in part from one of;

a United States Postal Service (USPS) National Address database, a USPS ZIP Code database, a USPS City State database, a USPS Delivery Sequence database, a US Census Bureau Topographically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing system (TIGER) database, a database containing latitude and longitude coordinates for a plurality of street links, a North American Datum (NAD) database, a national Telephone Number Plan Area database, and a national Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database;

selecting, via at least a portion of the spatial key, an order-accepting entity from a plurality of entities;

retrieving information associated with the selected order-accepting entity; and

providing the retrieved information to the network to enable placing an order with the order-accepting entity.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the selected order-accepting entity comprises a plurality of order-accepting entities.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the order is for a service.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein the order is for a product.

62. The method of claim 58, wherein the order is for food.

63. The method of claim 58, wherein the order is for pizza.

64. The method of claim 58, wherein the order is for delivery.

65. The method of claim 58, wherein the information associated with the order-accepting entity is stored in database records containing spatial key information, and the database records do not contain the received identifier.

66. The method of claim 58, wherein the spatial key is selected from one of:

a ZIP code having at least seven digits, a telephone number, a Census Block Code, a geographic code, coordinate pair, a latitude and longitude pair, an interleaved latitude and longitude coordinate pair, and a number derived from latitude and longitude.

67. The method of claim 58, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key is performed at a first location and the information associated with the order-accepting entity is retrieved from a remote database at a second location remote from the first location.

68. The method of claim 58, wherein retrieving information associated with the order-accepting entity comprises retrieving information from a database located at a remote location.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein retrieving information from the database located at the remote location comprises retrieving information using a second key different from the spatial key used to select the order-accepting entity.

70. The method of claim 69, wherein the second key is a service location identifier.

71. The method of claim 69, wherein the second key is a telephone number.

72. The method of claim 58, wherein providing the retrieved information to the network comprises sending information to an electronic-mail address.

73. The method of claim 58, wherein providing the retrieved information to the network comprises sending information to an Internet address.

74. The method of claim 58, wherein associating the received identifier with a spatial key further comprises associating the selected entity with a second key, and wherein selecting at least one entity from a plurality of entities comprises selecting at least one entity via the spatial key.

75. A method of providing information associated with an initiating party to an advertiser, the method comprising:

capturing an identifier of an initiating party during real-time communications to a network address of a vanity advertiser;

determining a spatial key associated with the identifier;

linking at least a portion of the determined spatial key with spatial information in records in at least one database to select one or more records;

retrieving information associated with the initiating party from the one or more selected records; and

providing the retrieved information associated with the initiating party to the advertiser via a communications network.

76. The method of claim 75 wherein the retrieved information includes store location information and further comprising providing driving directions related to the spatial key and the store location information.

77. The method of claim 75, wherein the retrieved information includes store location information and further comprising providing distance information related to the spatial key and the store location information.

78. The method of claim 75, wherein the retrieved information includes store location information and further comprising enabling the initiating party to place an order from a store location.

79. An automated communication processing system, comprising:

a database including records containing spatial information; and

a processor coupled to a communication network and configured to capture a first (location identifier during a communication session,

determine a spatial key associated with the first location identifier,

select records from said database by comparing at least a portion of the determined spatial key with spatial information from said database records;

retrieve information associated with the first location identifier from said selected records,

receive a communication network address associated with a recipient, and

communicate the retrieved information associated with the first location identifier to the communication network address during the communication session.

80. The system of claim 79, wherein the communication session comprises an Internet session.

81. The system of claim 79, wherein the communication session comprises a telephone call.

82. The system of claim 79, wherein the communication network address comprises a facsimile telephone number.

83. The system of claim 79, wherein the communication network address comprises a modem telephone number.

84. The system of claim 79, wherein the communication network address comprises an electronic-mail address.

85. The system of claim 79, wherein the communication network address comprises an Internet address.

86. In a communication network, a method of retrieving information associated with a first party during communication processing, the method comprising:

receiving an information request over a communication network from a first communicating party;

capturing an identifier of the first communicating party;

determining a spatial key associated with the first party identifier;

retrieving, via at least a portion of the spatial key, information associated with the first party identifier; and

responding to the information request based on the retrieved information associated with the first party identifier.

87. The method of claim 86, wherein the retrieved information associated with the first party identifier is a first party provided identifier;

a first party provided telephone number;

a DNIS number;

an ANI number;

a caller ID number;

a spatial key of a first party identifier;

a list of one or more locations servicing the first party with a name and address of the servicing location and a distance to the location;

days and hours of operation for one or more servicing locations;

USPS CASS certified address of the first party identifier;

latitude and longitude associated with the first party identifier;

latitude and longitude associated with the servicing location address;

driveable directions from a location of the first party identifier to a servicing location;

driveable directions from a servicing location to a location of the first party identifier;

a map showing the location of the first party identifier, the servicing location and a street network between the location of the first party identifier and the servicing location;

micro directions for the servicing location;

servicing location daily specials;

servicing location product availability, information and pricing;

servicing location special events and start times;

household information associated with the first party identifier;

individual information associated with the first party identifier;

business location information associated with the first party identifier;

government location information associated with the first party identifier;

business financial information associated with the first party identifier;

geographic information associated with the first party identifier;

property information associated with the first party identifier;

or vanity advertiser product announcements and promotions.

88. The method of claim 86, wherein the first party identifier comprises a physical address.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein the physical address comprises a street address.

90. The method of claim 88, wherein the physical address comprises a coordinate on the earth.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein the coordinate on the earth comprises a latitude and longitude coordinate pair.

92. The method of claim 86, wherein the first party identifier comprises a telephone number.

93. The method of claim 86, wherein the first party identifier comprises an Internet address.

94. The method of claim 86, wherein the first party identifier comprises an electronic-mail address.

95. The method of claim 86, wherein the communication network comprises a voice and data network.

96. The method of claim 86, wherein the communication network includes a wireless network.

97. The method of claim 86, wherein capturing the first party identifier comprises capturing information provided by the communication network.

98. The method of claim 86, wherein capturing the first party identifier comprises capturing key entry data from the first party.

99. The method of claim 86, wherein capturing the first party identifier comprises capturing key entry data from an operator in response to a communication from the first party.

100. The method of claim 86, wherein capturing the first party identifier comprises capturing information from a voice recognition unit.

101. The method of claim 86, wherein capturing the first party identifier comprises translating handwritten information into digital data.

102. In a communication network, a method of retrieving information associated with a first party during communication processing, the method comprising:

capturing a first party identifier of a first communicating party;

determining a spatial key associated with the first party identifier;

selecting information associated with the first communicating party from a first database based on at least a portion of the determined spatial key; and

communicating the selected information associated with the first communicating party to at least one recipient.

103. The method of claim 102, wherein capturing a first party identifier comprises capturing one of a street address, a latitude and longitude coordinate pair, a network address, a telephone number, an Internet address, and an electronic mail address.

104. The method of claim 102, further comprising prompting a user to provide an address.

105. The method of claim 102, further comprising validating a user-provided address.

106. The method of claim 102, wherein determining a spatial key comprises accessing a master table having a plurality of party identifiers and associated linkage keys.

107. The method of claim 102, wherein selecting information associated with the first communicating party includes accessing a second database using data obtained from the first database.

108. The method of claim 102, wherein determining a spatial key comprises performing a mathematical operation on the first party identifier.

109. The method of claim 108, wherein the mathematical operation comprises latitude and longitude interleaving.

110. The method of claim 102, wherein selecting information associated with the first communicating party comprises performing a computation on information retrieved from the first database.

111. The method of claim 110, wherein the computation comprises performing a distance determination using information retrieved from the first database.

112. The method of claim 111, wherein the distance determination is a function of a first set of coordinates related to a first party location and a second set of coordinates determined by accessing the first database.

113. The method of claim 112, wherein the first set of coordinates related to the first party location are provided by the communication network.

114. The method of claim 112, wherein the first set of coordinates related to the first party location comprises latitude and longitude coordinates.

115. The method of claim 102, wherein the first set of coordinates related to the first party location comprise one of the following:

a current location of the first party or a location of a second location provided by the first party.

116. The method of claim 102, wherein selecting information associated with the first communicating party includes accessing a second database using information obtained from the first database.

117. The method of claim 102, wherein determining the spatial key associated with the first party identifier comprises:

accessing a database containing components of the first party identifier; and

performing a computation on at least one of the components to determine the best first party identifier.

118. The method of claim 117, wherein the computation comprises standardizing the first party identifier.

119. The method of claim 102, wherein capturing the first party identifier further comprises one of:

capturing information provided by the communication network;

retrieving data generated by key entry of the first party;

key entry by an operator in response to a communication from the first party; and

recognizing an identifier obtained by a voice recognition unit.

120. The method of claim 102, wherein said selected information associated with the first communicating party comprises consumption propensity information.

121. The method of claim 102, wherein said first communicating party is communicating with said at least one recipient and said retrieved information associated with the first communicating party is communicated during communication processing.

122. The method of claim 102, wherein the selected information associated with the first communicating party is a first party provided identifier;

a first party provided telephone number;

a DNJS number;

an ANI number;

a caller ID number;

a spatial key of a first party/network provided identifier;

a list of one or more locations servicing the first party with a name and address of the servicing location and a distance to the location;

days and hours of operation for one or more servicing locations;

USPS CASS certified address of the first party/network provided identifier;

latitude and longitude associated with the first party/network provided identifier;

latitude and longitude associated with the servicing location address;

driveable directions from a location of the first party/network provided identifier to a servicing location;

driveable directions from a servicing location to a location of the first party/network provided identifier;

a map showing the location of the first party/network provided identifier, the servicing location and a street network between the location of the first party/network provided identifier and the servicing location;

micro directions for the servicing location;

servicing location daily specials;

servicing location product availability, information and pricing;

servicing location special events and start times;

household information associated with the first party/network provided identifier;

individual information associated with the first party/network provided identifier;

business location information associated with the first party/network provided identifier;

government location information associated with the first party/network provided identifier;

business financial information associated with the first party/network provided identifier;

geographic information associated with the first party/network provided identifier;

property information associated with the first party/network provided identifier;

or vanity advertiser product announcements and promotions.