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US 5,339,352 AGranted
Directory assistance call completion via mobile systems
AssigneeBell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.
InventorsMichael G. Armstrong, Jennifer L. Glacken
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeBell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.
InventorsMichael G. Armstrong, Jennifer L. Glacken
Estimating the term…
A user of a wireless communication service, e.g. a cellular telephone subscriber, can dial directory assistance; and upon request, the operator service system (OSS) will complete a call connection to a station identified in a retrieved directory listing. The switching office of the wireless communication system will forward data to the operator service system and will provide a connection of the call to the operator service system, both via a dedicated trunk. This trunk utilizes Feature Group D signaling. The OSS identifies the particular carrier providing the wireless communication service based on the identification of the dedicated trunk. The operator service system records the request for call completion, any details of the connection to the identified station necessary for billing and the identity of the requesting terminal. All of this data is forwarded to the identified service operator who in turn adds charges for directory assistance and for the call completion to the user's bill for wireless communication services.
A method of providing a directory assistance call completion service to a wireless communication service subscriber comprising:
A system for providing a directory assistance call completion service to a subscriber to a wireless communication service offered via a mobile communications controller, said system comprising:
A system for providing a directory assistance call completion service to a subscriber to a wireless communication service, comprising:
A system for providing a directory assistance call completion service to a terminal, comprising:
A system for providing a directory assistance call completion service to a wireless communication terminal, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: accounting or billing
Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice…
Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication
Directory assistance systems: connection initiated by DAS system
Term ended 1 Oct 2012 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
The present invention relates to methods and systems for completing directory assistance calls from a wireless telephone to a station identified in a directory listing.
Directory assistance call completion or "DACC" service has been deployed by a number of the local telephone operating companies (TELCO's). The DACC service enables a directory assistance caller to request and obtain automatic completion of a call to the station identified in the requested directory listing, for example by simply pressing "one" on a dual tone multifrequency telephone, such as a TOUCHTONE telephone. The directory assistance telephone system and the associated telephone network provide a completed voice grade connection between the caller's station and the station identified by the directory listing and record an additional charge, e.g. $.30, for billing on the caller's telephone bill. Set up of the connection to the destination station is faster than for manual dialing. Such automatic call completion also eliminates the need for the caller to memorize or write down the telephone number from the retrieved directory listing.
DACC eligibility screening is performed on every directory assistance call. Calls involving inter-LATA completions as well as calls from selected stations such as hotels, dormitories, etc., typically are screened out and the caller is not offered DACC. In addition, present systems screen out calls from cellular telephone users. Present systems do not offer the DACC service to cellular customers because with current network arrangements it is not possible to bill the individual cellular station subscriber for the DACC related charges, as discussed below.
FIG. 1 provides a conceptualized illustration, in general block diagram form, of the communication system for implementing the directory assistance call completion service for cellular subscribers, in accord with the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows the Feature Group D type signalling between the mobile telephone switching office and the telephone operator position switch.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the procedure for processing a directory assistance call from a cellular station, according to the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows the system of the present invention, in simplified block diagram form, including the necessary components for providing the service to cellular subscribers located in a single Local Access and Transport Area (LATA).
By way of a simple example, FIG. 1 shows a single automobile 11, with a cellular telephone station installed therein. The system, however, clearly will service a large number of cellular telephone stations. Two-way wireless communications are conducted between the cellular telephone in automobile 11 and one of the cell cite antennas 13 of a cellular network operating within the LATA. A trunk circuit 15 connects cell cite antenna 13 to a mobile telephone switching office (MTSO) 17. The MTSO 17 typically is a program controlled telephone switch set up for processing cellular telephone calls, for example an AUTOPLEX 1000 switch manufactured by AT&T.
The MTSO 17 provides switched connections between communication circuits on the trunk 15 and the landline telephone network. Typically, the MTSO will connect via trunk circuits to one or more local or tandem offices of the local public switched telephone network (not shown) and may connect to the point of presence of one or more Interexchange Carriers (IXC's). For simplicity, FIG. 1 does not illustrate the connections to local or tandem offices or to the IXC's networks.