Importance

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Abstract

A method and system for determining, through voice recognition, the geographic location of the initiator of a telephone call. The initiator dials a specified telephone number and is connected to a computer system. The telephone number dialed is used in a system that requires knowledge of the initiator's location to determine the recipient of the call. The system asks the initiator one of a series of questions, those questions designed by the user of the system (client) to determine which one of a plurality of recipients should receive the call. The initiator's verbal response to each question is digitized using speech recognition technology. The system uses each digitized response to either assign a location designator to the call or ask more definitive questions. At the point where the answers have satisfied the client's location determination, the point of call origination is determined and a locational designator is assigned to the initiator. The locational designator generated by the system can be correlated to a number of geographic designations, such as postal indicators (e.g., zip code, zip +4, postal code), major and minor civil divisions, latitude and longitude, geographic boundaries, political boundaries or client-defined geography such as service areas, sales territories, or delivery territories. The locational designator of the initiator is used in place of the ANI in location-based call routing systems. As a result of such correlation, this invention is particularly useful for cellular telephones, non stationary communications devices, emergency services, dealer locator systems, and delivery services, or any application where the initiator is connected to one of a plurality of recipients based on matching the initiator's location to client-defined criteria, including wherein a recipient's number is a local telephone number. The locational designator may be defined by a point, a line, a geographic area, an intersection, or by client-defined criteria.

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First Claim