Method and apparatus for monitoring telephonic members and providing directory assistance

A method of providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising the steps:

• receiving a customer call on a first inbound channel;
• eliciting a directory assistance request from the customer;
• searching a database containing telephone numbers for search results including a destination telephone number that satisfies the directory assistance request;
• allocating a first outbound channel for attempting to establish a connection to a destination telephone associated with the destination telephone number;
• applying a call analyzer to the first outbound channel;
• monitoring the first outbound channel with the call analyzer for a configurable period of time to detect a connection status condition;
• detecting a connection status condition;
• determining if the connection status condition is a ring-no-answer condition;
• if the detected connection status condition is a ring-no-answer condition:
• transferring the customer to a voice server while continuing the attempt to establish a connection to the destination telephone over the first outbound channel and continuing to monitor the first outbound channel with the call analyzer;
• providing the voice server with search results from the directory assistance request;
• and
• presenting the customer with a menu of directory assistance options.

A method of providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising the steps:

• receiving a customer call on a first inbound channel;
• eliciting a directory assistance request from the customer;
• searching a database containing telephone numbers for search results including a destination telephone number that satisfies the directory assistance request;
• allocating a first outbound channel for attempting to establish a connection to a destination telephone associated with the destination telephone number;
• applying a call analyzer to the first outbound channel;
• monitoring the first outbound channel with the call analyzer for a configurable period of time to detect a connection status condition;
• detecting a connection status condition;
• determining if the connection status condition is a busy signal;
• if the detected connection status condition is a busy signal:
• removing the call analyzer from the first outbound channel;
• terminating the connection attempt to the destination telephone over the first outbound channel;
• connecting the customer to a voice server;
• providing the voice server with the search results from the directory assistance request;
• and
• presenting the customer with a menu of directory assistance options.

A method of providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising the steps:

• receiving a customer call on a first inbound channel;
• receiving call origination location data on the first inbound channel;
• eliciting a directory assistance request from the customer;
• searching a database containing telephone numbers for search results including a destination telephone number that satisfies the customer's directory assistance request;
• verifying the authority of the customer to attempt to establish a connection to the destination telephone;
• retrieving the destination telephone number from the database;
• allocating a first outbound channel for attempting to establish a connection to a destination telephone associated with the destination telephone number;
• outdialing the destination telephone number over the first outbound channel;
• applying a call analyzer to the first outbound channel;
• applying a DTMF detector to the first inbound channel to detect customer input;
• monitoring the first outbound channel with the call analyzer to detect a connection status condition;
• detecting a connection status condition;
• and
• connecting the customer to a directory assistance provider upon detection of the connection status condition.

A directory assistance system for providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising:

• a plurality of inbound channels for receiving customer calls;
• a plurality of outbound channels for attempting to establish connections to destination telephones;
• a plurality of directory assistance operators;
• a voice server;
• switching means having a plurality of call analyzers for monitoring and detecting connection status conditions on the plurality of outbound channels;
• server means capable of searching directory assistance databases for search results including destination telephone numbers that satisfy directory assistance requests;
• and
• means for connecting a customer call on a first inbound channel, without further action on the part of the customer, to a directory assistance operator upon detection, by a call analyzer, of a connection status condition indicating a network connection problem.

A directory assistance system for providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising:

• a plurality of inbound channels for receiving customer calls;
• a plurality of outbound channels for attempting to establish connections to destination telephones;
• a plurality of directory assistance operators;
• a voice server;
• switching means having a plurality of call analyzers for monitoring and detecting connection status conditions on the plurality of outbound channels;
• server means capable of searching directory assistance databases for search results including destination telephone numbers that satisfy directory assistance requests;
• and
• means for connecting a customer call on a first inbound channel, without further action on the part of the customer, to the voice server upon detection of a ring-no-answer connection status condition by a call analyzer.

A directory assistance system for providing directory assistance services to a customer caller, comprising:

• a plurality of inbound channels for receiving customer calls;
• a plurality of outbound channels for attempting to establish connections to destination telephones;
• a plurality of directory assistance operators;
• a voice server;
• switching means having a plurality of call analyzers for monitoring and detecting connection status conditions on the plurality of outbound channels;
• server means capable of searching directory assistance databases for search results including destination telephone numbers that satisfy directory assistance requests;
• and
• means for connecting a customer call on a first inbound channel, without further action on the part of the customer, to a voice server upon detection, by a call analyzer, of a connection status condition indicating a busy signal.