Voice-activated telephone directory and call placement system

Claim 1

A method of operating a telecommunications network for providing a voice-activated telephone directory, the network having the capability of routing calls thereover and for processing caller-spoken, voice entries, said method comprising the steps of: (a) storing a plurality of caller-associated telephone directories including the step of storing voice templates of a plurality of callers speaking respective directory listings; (b) organizing said listings as part of respective subsidiary directories having respective subsidiary directory names with said subsidiary directories included as part of respective subdirectories having respective subdirectory names; (c) storing voice templates of the callers speaking said respective subdirectory and subsidiary directory names; (d) receiving a telephone call over the network from a caller in response to the dialing of a directory access telephone number associated with the caller's directory; (e) verifying the identity of the caller and, in response, retrieving said directory associated with the caller; (f) receiving a caller-spoken entry, comparing said entry with said subdirectory name template of said directory associated with the caller, and determining whether said entry matches said subdirectory name template; (g) if a match is determined between said entry and subdirectory name template, comparing a subsequent caller-spoken entry with said subsidiary directory name template included as part of said subdirectory, and determining whether said subsequent entry matches said subsidiary directory name template; (h) if a match is determined between said subsequent entry and subsidiary directory name template, comparing an additional caller-spoken entry with said listing template, and determining whether said additional entry matches said listing template; and (i) if a match is determined between said additional entry and listing template, retrieving said listing-associated telephone number.

Claim 2

A method of operating a telecommunications network for providing a voice-activated telephone directory, the network having the capability of routing calls thereover and for processing caller-spoken, voice entries, said method comprising the steps of: (a) storing a plurality of caller-associated telephone directories including the step of storing voice templates of a plurality of callers speaking respective directory listings; (b) organizing said listings as part of respective subsidiary directories having respective subsidiary directory names with said subsidiary directories included as part of respective subdirectories having respective subdirectory names; (c) storing voice templates of the callers speaking said respective subdirectory and subsidiary directory names; (d) receiving a telephone call over the network from a caller in response to the dialing of a directory access telephone number associated with the caller's directory; (e) verifying the identity of the caller and, in response, retrieving said directory associated with the caller; (f) receiving a caller-spoken entry, comparing said entry with said subdirectory name template of said directory associated with the caller, and determining whether said entry matches said subdirectory name template; (g) if a match is determined between said entry and subdirectory name template, comparing a subsequent caller-spoken entry with said subsidiary directory name template included as part of said subdirectory, and determining whether said subsequent entry matches said subsidiary directory name template; (h) if a match is determined between said subsequent entry and subsidiary directory name template, comparing an additional caller-spoken entry with said listing template, and determining whether said additional entry matches said listing template; and (i) if a match is determined between said additional entry and listing template, retrieving said listing-associated telephone number.

Claim 11

A method of operating a telecommunications network for providing a voice-activated telephone directory, said network having a capability of routing calls thereover and for processing caller-spoken, voice entries, said method comprising the steps of: (a) storing a plurality of subdirectories organized into a plurality of directories; (b) assigning a predetermined telephone number to each of said directories; (c) providing access to a directory in response to a caller dialing said telephone number assigned to said directory; (d) comparing a caller-spoken entry received over said network with a previously stored voice template of said caller speaking a subdirectory name identifying a subdirectory included as part of said directory associated with said telephone number, and determining whether said spoken entry matches said subdirectory name template; (e) if a match is determined between said entry and name template, comparing a subsequent, caller-spoken entry received over said network with a previously stored, voice template of said caller speaking a directory listing organized as part of said subdirectory, and determining whether said subsequent entry matches said directory listing template; and (f) if a match is determined between said subsequent entry and said directory listing template, retrieving a destination telephone number previously stored in association with said directory listing.

Claim 12

A method of operating a telecommunications network for providing a voice-activated telephone directory, said network having a capability of routing calls thereover and for processing caller-spoken, voice entries, said method comprising the steps of: (a) storing a plurality of subdirectories organized into a plurality of directories; (b) assigning a predetermined telephone number to each of said directories; (c) providing access to a directory in response to a caller dialing said telephone number assigned to said directory; (d) comparing a caller-spoken entry received over said network with a previously stored voice template of said caller speaking a subdirectory name identifying a subdirectory included as part of said directory associated with said telephone number, and determining whether said spoken entry matches said subdirectory name template; (e) if a match is determined between said entry and name template, comparing a subsequent, caller-spoken entry received over said network with a previously stored, voice template of said caller speaking a directory listing organized as part of said subdirectory, and determining whether said subsequent entry matches said directory listing template; and (f) if a match is determined between said subsequent entry and said directory listing template, retrieving a destination telephone number previously stored in association with said directory listing.