Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
  • H04M3/487—Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
  • H04M3/493—Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
  • H04M3/4931—Directory assistance systems
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
  • H04M1/26—Devices for calling a subscriber
  • H04M1/27—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
  • H04M1/274—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc
  • H04M1/2745—Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously with provision for storing more than one subscriber number at a time, e.g. using toothed disc using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
  • H04M1/27485—Appending a prefix to or inserting a pause into a dialling sequence
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M2201/00—Electronic components, circuits, software, systems or apparatus used in telephone systems
  • H04M2201/18—Comparators
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
  • H04M3/42025—Calling or Called party identification service
  • H04M3/42034—Calling party identification service
  • H04M3/42059—Making use of the calling party identifier
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
  • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
  • H04M3/42025—Calling or Called party identification service
  • H04M3/42085—Called party identification service
  • H04M3/42102—Making use of the called party identifier

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to telephone systems and, more
• conventional directory assistance transaction involves a calling party accessing the service (e.g., through a 411 or 1-411 call), after which a human or automated operator
• the requested number is provided electronically through an introductory "The number is " phrase.
• NANP North American Numbering Plan
• reply to a directory inquiry, except now the reply is extended to include ⁇ at the beginning of the reply message — the additional (and often well-known) area code.
• Prepending the area code information requires the user to wait to hear the digits (i.e. the actual destination number) he or she really needs, while additional, unnecessary digits are
• the present invention addresses this problem.
• Still another object of this invention is to enhance the flexibility of a directory
• a response to a directory service inquiry includes an
• a directory assistance reply would be of the form "The
• Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating the preferred method of the present invention for providing directory assistance.
• the present invention is implemented in a conventional directory assistance
• the service in response to a directory assistance inquiry by a caller, the service locates a required directory assistance inquiry by a caller.
• the destination number in the usual manner.
• the destination number will have an associated
• the response to the directory assistance inquiry comprises the destination number followed by the area code.
• the directory assistance inquiry identifies the requested number as "386-0300" within area code "972”
• the inventive method offers a reply to the calling party in a format such as identified below:
• appending the area code may be dependent on the source of the initial call.
• Figure 1 The method for directory assistance is implemented within a geographic area in which local telephone calls are associated with at least first and second area codes.
• the first area code is "214"
• the method begins at step 10 to determine whether a directory
• step 12 the method continues at step 12 to process the inquiry. This involves locating a destination number of the called party, and this
• destination number will have an associated area code due to the use of multiple area
• step 20 continues at step 20 to communicate to the caller a response to the directory assistance
• step 20 would communicate the following: "The number is 3-8-6-0-3-0-0
• the method branches to step 22 to communicate to the caller a response comprising the destination number sans area code.
• step 16 determines whether the outcome of the test at step 16 is negative. If the outcome of the test at step 16 is negative, the inquiry originated from a telephone in the second area code. This causes the method to branch to step 22, as previously described.
• the area code information is

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=25474771

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1998
  • 1998-10-01 JP JP2000514450A patent/JP2001518756A/ja active Pending
  • 1998-10-01 WO PCT/US1998/020530 patent/WO1999017520A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-10-01 EP EP98950798A patent/EP1027800A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-10-01 AU AU96753/98A patent/AU9675398A/en not_active Abandoned

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