US Patent No: 6,456,709

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Method and apparatus for monitoring telephonic members and providing directory assistance

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ALSO PUBLISHED AS: 20020057788
ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

Importance

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Abstract

Telephone users desiring directory assistance services are connected via standard telephone procedures to a directory assistance provider, such as an operator. An operator provides the destination number and initiates a connection to that number. Once that connection is initiated, the connection is monitored for the occurrence of a predetermined condition, such as a busy signal. If no such condition is detected, the caller proceeds with the call in the normal manner. If, however, such a condition is detected, the caller is automatically transferred to a directory assistance provider for further help.

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First Claim

Related Publications

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
GRAPE TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC.BETHLEHEM, PA108

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Cox, Patrick M Tigard, OR 34 715
Filliger, Paul W Keizer, OR 30 574
Huey, Christopher A Banks, OR 33 665
Kepler, Michael A Aloha, OR 51 1407
Powell, A Peter Colton, OR 16 341

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
AT&T Bell Laboratories (5)
4,979,206 Directory assistance systems 169 1989
5,056,134 Audible logo for identifying a common carrier 36 1990
5,163,083 Automation of telephone operator assistance calls 141 1990
5,181,237 Automation of telephone operator assistance calls 111 1991
5,353,336 Voice directed communications system archetecture 75 1992
 
AT&T CORP. (2)
5,517,560 Call billing and measurement methods for redirected calls 72 1995
5,768,513 Multimedia messaging using the internet 124 1996
 
GRAPE TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC. (2)
5,797,092 Method for monitoring the connection between the subscriber and the destination telephone and providing directory assistance upon detection of predetermined tone 38 1995
5,737,700 Providing assistance to a mobile telephone subscriber travelling from a location to a desired location 35 1996
 
MCI COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION (2)
5,222,120 Long distance telephone switching system with enhanced subscriber services 204 1990
5,187,740 Method and apparatus for telephone call reorigination 77 1991
 
AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY (1)
4,922,519 Automated operator assistance calls with voice processing 111 1988
 
ASPECT TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION (1)
4,696,028 PBX Intercept and caller interactive attendant bypass system 176 1984
 
BALL, HARLEY R. (1)
5,850,433 System and method for providing an on-line directory service 371 1996
 
BELL CANADA (1)
5,479,488 Method and apparatus for automation of directory assistance using speech recognition 115 1994
 
Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated (1)
4,932,042 Spontaneous voice and data messaging 159 1989
 
ERICSSON INC. (1)
5,689,547 Network directory methods and systems for a cellular radiotelephone 62 1995
 
INTELLECTUAL VENTURES I LLC (1)
5,511,111 Caller name and identification communication system with caller screening option 304 1993
 
Messager Partners (1)
5,414,754 System for providing proactive call services utilizing remote monitors 77 1992
 
NETWORK TELEPHONE SERVICES, INC. (1)
4,908,850 Voice services network with automated billing 143 1988
 
RAYOVAC CORPORATION (1)
4,959,855 Directory assistance call processing and calling customer remote signal monitoring arrangements 138 1988
 
SCIENCE DYNAMICS CORPORATION (1)
5,157,718 Interface adapter permitting tops position to function as directory assistance unit 16 1989
 
TELAC CORP. (1)
4,817,129 Method of and means for accessing computerized data bases utilizing a touch-tone telephone instrument 99 1987
 
TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL) (1)
5,063,591 Toll ticketing record generation for billing of intersystem handoff calls in a mobile telephone system 37 1990
 
VERIZON SERVICES CORP. (1)
5,418,844 Automatic access to information service providers 161 1992

Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
GRAPE TECHNOLOGY GROUP, INC. (5)
6,801,763 Technique for effectively communicating travel directions 60 2001
6,668,055 Personalized assistance system and method 27 2002
7,493,101 Text to speech conversion method 0 2004
7,433,457 Personalized assistance system and method 1 2006
8,090,090 Method and apparatus for monitoring telephonic members and providing directory assistance 0 2008
 
PALUS A31, LLC (4)
6,999,758 System and method for providing communications services 7 2003
7,929,682 System and method for providing communications services 0 2005
7,613,452 System and method for providing communications services 0 2005
7,970,108 System and method for providing communications services 1 2009
 
ROUND ROCK RESEARCH, LLC (4)
7,010,116 Method of programming telephone numbers and identifiers in a telephone 1 1998
6,697,484 Method of programming telephone numbers and identifiers in a telephone 15 1998
6,597,772 Method of programming telephone numbers and identifiers in multiple databases 10 1998
6,625,444 Method of programming a telephone 8 1999
 
VERIZON BUSINESS GLOBAL LLC (4)
7,640,166 Method for charging on-line directory assistance services 0 2001
7,127,617 On-line directory assistance system 36 2001
7,069,446 Stateless mechanism for data retrieval 7 2001
7,275,162 On-line directory assistance system 1 2006
 
D. WALL FOUNDATION LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (3)
7,425,980 Videoconferencing systems with recognition ability 0 2004
8,174,559 Videoconferencing systems with recognition ability 0 2008
7,990,411 Videoconferencing systems with recognition ability 0 2008
 
ALCATEL LUCENT (1)
7,668,171 Method and apparatus for providing estimated response-wait-time displays for data network-based inquiries to a communication center 2 2004
 
AMERITECH CORPORATION (1)
7,095,826 Method and system for providing enhanced call waiting 2 2003
 
AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P. (1)
7,580,374 Systems and methods for setting future teleconference calls 3 2001
 
AT&T KNOWLEDGE VENTURES, L.P. (1)
7,903,805 Method and system for providing enhanced call waiting 0 2006
 
CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC. (1)
7,502,993 Calling service using voice enabled web based application server 5 2000
 
GENESYS TELECOMMUNICATIONS LABORATORIES, INC. (1)
7,006,607 Method and apparatus for recording and automated playback of personal agent greetings in a communication-center environment 17 2002
 
GOOGLE INC. (1)
7,127,046 Voice-activated call placement systems and methods 13 2002
 
PARKER, STEPHEN (1)
8,103,261 Secure valet telephone system apparatus and method 10 2006
 
STEIN, DAVID G. (1)
7,415,105 Telephone call redirection system 0 2006
 
VERIZON SERVICES CORP. (1)
7,203,299 Methods and apparatus for using AIN techniques to forward answered calls to one of a plurality of voice mailboxes 1 2003
 
Other [Check patent profile for assignment information] (10)
7,227,936 Method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous telephone calls 8 2002
7,187,761 Method and system for providing advertising to telephone callers 54 2002
8,130,928 Method and system for number indexing for advertising 1 2006
8,078,977 Method and system for intelligent processing of electronic information 1 2006
7,573,993 Method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous telephone calls 4 2007
7,606,358 System and method for providing personal directory assistance services 4 2008
8,254,547 Method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous telephone calls 1 2009
8,254,548 Method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous telephone calls 1 2009
8,254,549 Method and system for providing directory assistance to erroneous telephone calls 1 2009
8,363,806 Method and system for alphanumeric indexing for advertising via cloud computing 1 2012

Maintenance Fees

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11.5 Year Payment $7400.00 $3700.00 $1850.00 Mar 24, 2014
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