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EP0823809A2
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Universal directory service
Assignee: AT&T Inc
•
Filing: 1997-07-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-07-15
Abstract
Abstract A universal directory service (UDS) provides the communication addresses of individuals associated with numerous different institutions, and can be accessed via more than one communication channel. A UDS server communicates with one or more data sources to provide directory information to a user. The UDS also provides supplemental information such as company name, logo, and specialty. The UDS can be accessed via numerous communication channels including the internet, on-line service providers, wireless devices, modem, dedicated access channels, voice access via an attendant, and voice access via a speech recognition and synthesis system.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter H. Stuntebeck
- 👤 Andrew Frederick Bulfer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 16:03
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/487; H04M3/493; H04M3/4931; H04M2201/00; H04M2201/40; H04M2201/60; H04M3/42229; H04M7/00; H04M7/12; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of operating a directory service in order to provide directory
information to a user of said directory service CHARACTERIZED BY the steps of: providing a plurality of communication channels for accessing said
directory service; receiving identifying information relating to an individual via one of
said communication channels; searching at least one data source using said identifying information in
order to retrieve directory information relating to said individual, wherein said at
least one data source contains information relating to a plurality of individuals listed
on the directory service, and said plurality of individuals are associated with
different entities; and transmitting said directory information relating to said individual to the
user via said one of said communication channels.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of searching at least one data
source comprises transmitting a query to at least one server.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said step of transmitting a query to at
least one server comprises transmitting a query to each of a local directory server, an
on-line corporate server, a local database server, and a white pages server.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one server comprises a
local directory server.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said local directory server includes
directory information relating to the directory provider and institutions hosted by the
directory provider.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one server comprises an
on-line corporate server.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one server comprises a
local database server.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one server comprises a
white pages server.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising, before said searching step,
the step of processing said identifying information in order to identify at least one of
a plurality of data sources as appropriate for searching, and wherein said searching
step comprises: searching said identified at least one of said plurality of data sources
using said identifying information in order to retrieve directory information relating
to said individual.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of permitting said
plurality of individuals listed on the directory service to update their directory
information.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said different entities comprise
corporations, institutions, individuals, and universities.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said directory information comprises
a plurality of communication of addresses.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said directory information further
comprises supplemental information.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said supplemental information
comprises a type of business, a specialty, business hours, prices, an organizational
chart, a map, and a logo.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said a plurality of communication
channels comprise an internet communication channel, an on-line service provider
communication channel, a wireless communication channel, a dedicated
communication channel, and an attendant communication channel, and a speech
recognition and synthesis system communication channel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
134 words
A directory service for providing directory information to a user of
said service comprising: a server; CHARACTERIZED BY: a plurality of communication channels for accessing said server; and at least one data source which communicates with said server, and
which contains information relating to a plurality of individuals listed on the
directory service, said plurality of individuals being associated with different
entities, and wherein: when identifying information relating to an individual is received by
said server from the user via one of said plurality of communication channels, said
server searches at least one of said at least one data source using said identifying
information in order to retrieve directory information relating to said individual, and
then transmits said directory information relating to said individual to the user via
said one of said communication channels.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said server searches at least one of
said at least one data source by transmitting a query to at least one data server when
identifying information is received by said server from the user via one of said
plurality of communication channels.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said at least one data server
comprises a local directory server.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said local directory server
includes directory information relating to the directory provider and institutions
hosted by the directory provider.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said at least one data server
comprises a corporate on-line server.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said at least one data server
comprises a local database server.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said at least one data server
comprises a white pages server.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said server transmits a query to
each of a local directory server, a corporate on-line server, a local database server,
and a white pages server when identifying information is received by said server
from the user via one of said plurality of communication channels.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said different entities comprise
corporations, institutions, individuals, and universities.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said directory information
comprises a plurality of communication addresses.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said directory information further
comprises supplemental information.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said supplemental information
comprises a type of business, a specialty, business hours, prices, an organizational
chart, a map, and a logo.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said a plurality of communication
channels comprises an internet communication channel, an on-line service provider
communication channel, a wireless communication channel, a dedicated
communication channel, and an attendant communication channel, and a speech
recognition and synthesis system communication channel.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
90 words
The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said at least one data source
comprises a plurality of data servers, and wherein said server processes said
identifying information in order to identify at least one of said plurality of data
servers as appropriate for searching, and then searches said identified at least one of
said plurality of data servers using said identifying information in order to retrieve
directory information relating to said individual when identifying information is
received by said server from the user via one of said plurality of communication
channels.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said plurality of data servers
comprise a local directory server, a plurality of on-line corporate servers, a local
database server, and a white pages server.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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