Technique for effectively providing a personalized information assistance service

A method for providing an information assistance service, comprising:

• maintaining a directory database, which includes listings associated with entities, at least one of the listings comprising a plurality of information items;
• allowing one or more of the information items in the at least one listing to be restricted from disclosure on an individual information item basis;
• receiving an information assistance call from a caller, the call including a request for connection information concerning a desired entity;
• searching the directory database in response to the request;
• obtaining a search result including a selected one of the listings which is associated with the desired entity;
• and
• disclosing, to the caller, one or more selected information items in the selected listing which are unrestricted from disclosure to the caller.

A method for providing information assistance service, comprising receiving an information assistance call, the call including a request for connection information;

• searching a database in response to the request;
• obtaining the requested connection information;
• connecting the call to a destination device based on the requested connection information;
• monitoring for a status of the call;
• providing a description of at least one service feature to the caller after the status is determined;
• and
• allowing the user to modify the service to incorporate the at least one service feature during the call.

A method for providing information targeted to a user, comprising:

• maintaining preference data associated with the user;
• selecting information having content in accordance with the preference data;
• receiving an information assistance call from the user, the call including a request for connection information;
• searching a database in response to the request;
• obtaining the requested connection information;
• connecting the call to a destination device based on the requested connection information;
• monitoring for a status of the call;
• and
• providing the selected information to the user during the call after the status is determined.

A method for use in an information assistance service system configured to carry out an action in response to a first command, comprising:

• maintaining command reconfiguration data associated with a user;
• receiving an information assistance call from the user;
• during the call, monitoring for a second command which relates to the first command pursuant to the command reconfiguration data;
• and
• carrying out the action when the second command is determined.

A method for providing a caller identification service through an information assistance service provider, comprising:

• receiving an information assistance call, the call including a request for connection information;
• searching a database in response to the request;
• obtaining the requested connection information;
• obtaining data concerning the caller;
• connecting the call to a destination device based on the connection information;
• and
• including, by the information assistance service provider, the data in a data stream for connecting the call to the destination device to realize the caller identification service.

An information assistance service system comprising:

• an interface for receiving an information assistance call by a caller, along with signals for setting up the call, the signals containing an identifier identifying a communications device from which the call originates;
• a processor for determining whether user data associated with the identifier is maintained by the information assistance service system, the user data concerning a manner in which the call is to be handled;
• a mechanism for requesting the caller to provide the user data if the user data is not maintained by the information assistance service system;
• and
• storage for storing the user data associated with the identifier, the call being handled based on the user data.

A system for providing an information assistance service, comprising:

• a directory database, which includes listings associated with entities, at least one of the listings comprising a plurality of information items;
• a mechanism for allowing one or more of the information items in the at least one listing to be restricted from disclosure on an individual information item basis;
• an interface for receiving an information assistance call from a caller, the call including a request for connection information concerning a desired entity, a search result being obtained from searching the directory database in response to the request, the search result including a selected one of the listings which is associated with the desired entity;
• and
• a device for disclosing, to the caller, one or more selected information items in the selected listing which are unrestricted from disclosure to the caller.

A system for providing information assistance service, comprising an interface for receiving an information assistance call, the call including a request for connection information;

• a database from which the requested connection information is obtained;
• a mechanism for connecting the call to a destination device based on the requested connection information;
• a processor for monitoring for a status of the call;
• and
• a device for providing a description of at least one service feature to the caller after the status is determined, the user being allowed to modify the service to incorporate the at least one service feature during the call.

A system for providing information targeted to a user, comprising:

• storage for storing preference data associated with the user;
• a server for selecting information having content in accordance with the preference data;
• an interface for receiving an information assistance call from the user, the call including a request for connection information;
• a database from which the requested connection information is obtained;
• a mechanism for connecting the call to a destination device based on the requested connection information;
• a processor for monitoring for a status of the call;
• and
• a device for providing the selected information to the user during the call after the status is determined.

An information assistance system configured to carry out an action in response to a first command, comprising:

• storage for storing command reconfiguration data associated with a user;
• an interface for receiving an information assistance call from the user;
• a processor for monitoring, during the call, for a second command which relates to the first command pursuant to the command reconfiguration data;
• and
• a device for carrying out the action when the second command is determined.

A system for providing a caller identification service through an information assistance service provider, comprising:

• an interface for receiving an information assistance call, the call including a request for connection information;
• a database from which the requested connection information is obtained;
• at least one source from which data concerning the caller is obtained;
• a mechanism for connecting the call to a destination device based on the connection information;
• and
• a device for including by the information assistance service provider the data in a data stream for connecting the call to the destination device to realize the caller identification service.