# US 9,438,747 B2 · Method and system for non-traditional directory assistance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,747 B2 - Document ID: US9438747B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/574,064 - Filed: 2014-12-17 - Published: 2015-04-16 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2007-05-25 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: At&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Inventors: Thomas A. Rand; Erik Trusler; Timothy Sheridan; Gary Alpert; Denise Archibald; Nelson Cain; Debra J. Wilke; Gary Hensley; Janie M. Braun; Denise Perry; Sidney A. Minnick, Jr.; Jeffrey C. Reid - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438747B2 ## CPC - H04M 15/51: {for resellers, retailers or service providers} - H04M 3/4878: {Advertisement messages} - H04M 3/4931: {Directory assistance systems} - H04M 2242/15: Information service where the information is dependent on the location of the subscriber - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) ## Abstract A directory assistance service includes a database and an interface module. The database stores a set of audio advertisements, and the audio advertisements are priced based on a tiered pricing model. The interface module is in communication with the database and receives a directory assistance request from a caller, plays the caller one or more audio advertisements from the database, and charges an advertiser for playing the audio advertisements based on the tiered pricing model. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a memory that stores instructions; a processor that executes the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising: setting a tiered pricing model for a set of audio advertisements, wherein the set of audio advertisements is placed in a tier based on a type of an advertiser associated with the set of audio advertisements and based on a number of locations that the advertiser is physically located in; receiving, at an interface module of a directory assistance service, a telephone call from a caller; playing, to the caller, an audio advertisement that is selected from the set of audio advertisements; charging, based on the tiered pricing model, the advertiser for playing the audio advertisement, wherein the audio advertisement is rotated more frequently in response to the advertiser paying more for the audio advertisement that is selected from the set of advertisements; passing, by utilizing the interface module, the telephone call to a routing module of the directory assistance service, wherein the telephone call is passed to the routing module after receiving an election from the caller to connect the telephone call to the advertiser; and connecting, via the telephone call passed to the routing module, the caller to the advertiser when the audio advertisement that is selected from the set of audio advertisements is played. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a directory assistance request from the caller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise selecting the audio advertisement from the set of audio advertisements in response to the directory assistance request. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise placing the set of audio advertisements in the tier based on a size of the advertiser. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise placing the set of audio advertisements in the tier based on a value to the advertiser for the caller being delivered to the advertiser, wherein the value is based on an amount of payment associated with connecting the caller to the advertiser via the telephone call. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a value to the advertiser for the caller being delivered to the advertiser, wherein the value is based on an amount of payment associated with connecting the caller to the advertiser via the telephone call. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise including a verbal coupon in the audio advertisement that is selected from the set of audio advertisements. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining, in response to receiving a request from the caller, if a different audio advertisement of a different advertiser is available. ### Claim 9 A method, comprising: setting, by utilizing instructions from memory that are executed by a processor, a tiered pricing model for a set of audio advertisements, wherein the set of audio advertisements is placed in a tier based on a type of an advertiser associated with the set of audio advertisements and based on a number of locations that the advertiser is physically located in; receiving, at an interface module of a directory assistance service, a telephone call from a caller; playing, to the caller, an audio advertisement that is selected from the set of audio advertisements; charging, based on the tiered pricing model, the advertiser for playing the audio advertisement, wherein the audio advertisement is rotated more frequently in response to the advertiser paying more for the audio advertisement that is selected from the set of advertisements; passing, by utilizing the interface module, the telephone call to a routing module of the directory assistance service, wherein the telephone call is passed to the routing module after receiving an election from the caller to connect the telephone call to the advertiser; and connecting, via the telephone call passed to the routing module, the caller to the advertiser when the audio advertisement that is selected from the set of audio advertisements is played. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a directory assistance request from the caller. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting the audio advertisement from the set of audio advertisements in response to the directory assistance request. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising playing, to the caller, a re-direct audio advertisement associated with a different advertiser if the audio advertisement is unavailable. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising prioritizing the audio advertisement over a different audio advertisement based on selection criteria. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising providing, to the caller, a code for obtaining a discount associated with the advertiser. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a value to the advertiser for the caller being delivered to the advertiser, wherein the value is based on an amount of payment associated with connecting the caller to the advertiser via the telephone call. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising playing, to the caller, the audio advertisement that is selected from the set of audio advertisements if the audio advertisement matches a category requested by the caller. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising determining, in response to receiving a request from the caller, if a different audio advertisement of a different advertiser is available. ### Claim 18 A computer-readable device comprising instructions, which, when loaded and executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising: setting a tiered pricing model for a set of audio advertisements, wherein the set of audio advertisements is placed in a tier based on a type of an advertiser associated with the set of audio advertisements and based on a number of locations that the advertiser is physically located in; receiving, at an interface module of a directory assistance service, a telephone call from a caller; playing, to the caller, an audio advertisement that is selected from the set of audio advertisements; charging, based on the tiered pricing model, the advertiser for playing the audio advertisement, wherein the audio advertisement is rotated more frequently in response to the advertiser paying more for the audio advertisement that is selected from the set of advertisements; passing, by utilizing the interface module, the telephone call to a routing module of the directory assistance service, wherein the telephone call is passed to the routing module after receiving an election from the caller to connect the telephone call to the advertiser; and connecting, via the telephone call passed to the routing module, the caller to the advertiser when the audio advertisement that is selected from the set of audio advertisements is played.