US6570974B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Cable connected network server platform for telephone white-yellow page services and emergency 911 location identification
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1998-12-31
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Granted: 2003-05-27
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Expires: 2018-12-31
Abstract
Abstract A twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed set-top device provides a plurality of services, including computerized directory assistance services and identification of the geographic location and set top device from which a directory assistance query has been made. Directory assistance information may be broadcast from a cable head end, or a directory assistance database may be searched, based on a query entered by a user, or both broadcasting and searching may be performed. The search results can be prioritized based on the geographical proximity between locations of the listings in the search results and the location from which the query was entered. The address of the set top device and/or the tap to which the set top device is coupled are used for determining the location from which the query was entered.
Inventors
- 👤 Irwin Gerszberg
- 👤 Jeffrey S. Martin
- 👤 Hopeton S. Walker
- 👤 Edward L. Wallace
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:19
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/487; H04M3/493; H04M3/4931; H04M11/00; H04M11/04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/4104; H04N21/4131; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204; H04N21/42206; H04N21/4221; H04N21/42222; H04N21/42224; H04N21/47; H04N21/478; H04N21/60; H04N21/61; H04N21/6106; H04N21/6118; H04N21/6156; H04N21/6168; H04N7/00; H04N7/14; H04N7/141; H04N7/142; H04N7/147; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04M2207/00; H04M2207/20; H04M2242/00; H04M2242/04; H04M2242/22; H04M2242/30; H04M3/42025; H04M3/42034; H04M3/42042
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of providing automated telephone directory assistance, comprising steps of: providing a user interface allowing entry of a directory assistance query; appending an address that is uniquely associated with an addressable cable set top device to a received directory assistance query; transmitting the directory assistance query and the address associated with the cable set top device to a computerized directory assistance server over at least a portion of a local loop network; searching a directory assistance database based on at least the received directory assistance query and the address associated with the cable set top device; prioritizing results produced by searching based on a geographical proximity of each search result to a geographical location from which directory assistance query was entered; appending the address associated with the cable set top device to the results; transmitting the results and the address associated with the cable set top device over at least a portion of the local loop network to the cable set top device; and communicating the results through the user interface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
172 words
A method of providing automated telephone directory assistance, comprising steps of: providing a user interface allowing entry of a directory assistance query; appending an address that is uniquely associated with an addressable cable set top device to a received directory assistance query; transmitting the directory assistance query and the address associated with the cable set top device to a computerized directory assistance server over at least a portion of a local loop network; searching a directory assistance database based on at least the received directory assistance query and the address associated with the cable set top device; prioritizing results produced by searching based on a geographical proximity of each search result to a geographical location from which directory assistance query was entered; appending the address associated with the cable set top device to the results; transmitting the results and the address associated with the cable set top device over at least a portion of the local loop network to the cable set top device; and communicating the results through the user interface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising steps of: indicating that additional information is available for at least one of the results; and providing additional information for at least one of the results in response to a request for additional information.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 2 , further comprising a step of automatically dialing a telephone number associated with a result in response to a request to automatically dial the telephone number.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 3 , further comprising a step of storing the automatically dialed telephone number for use in prioritizing subsequent directory assistance queries.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 4 , further comprising a step of prioritizing the results based upon at least one automatically dialed telephone number that was previously stored in response to a request to store the automatically dialed telephone number.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of receiving the directory assistance query verbally in natural language through the user interface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising steps of: storing the geographical location associated with the cable set top device based on an in-line tap that uniquely identifies the geographical location of the cable set top device; and using the stored geographical location associated with the cable set top device for prioritizing the results based upon the geographical proximity of each result to the geographical location of the cable set top device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
182 words
Apparatus for providing automated telephone directory assistance, comprising a user interface allowing entry of a directory assistance query; means for appending an address that is uniquely associated with an addressable cable set top device to a received directory assistance query; means for transmitting the directory assistance query and the address associated with the cable set top device to a computerized directory assistance server over at least a portion of a local loop network; means for searching a directory assistance database based on at least the received directory assistance query and the address associated with the cable set top device; means for prioritizing results produced by searching based on a geographical proximity of each search result to a geographical location from which directory assistance query was entered; means for appending the address associated with the cable set top device to the results; means for transmitting the results and the address associated with the cable set top device over at least a portion of the local loop network to the cable set top device; and means for communicating the results through the user interface.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
182 words
Apparatus for providing automated telephone directory assistance, comprising a user interface allowing entry of a directory assistance query; means for appending an address that is uniquely associated with an addressable cable set top device to a received directory assistance query; means for transmitting the directory assistance query and the address associated with the cable set top device to a computerized directory assistance server over at least a portion of a local loop network; means for searching a directory assistance database based on at least the received directory assistance query and the address associated with the cable set top device; means for prioritizing results produced by searching based on a geographical proximity of each search result to a geographical location from which directory assistance query was entered; means for appending the address associated with the cable set top device to the results; means for transmitting the results and the address associated with the cable set top device over at least a portion of the local loop network to the cable set top device; and means for communicating the results through the user interface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising: means for indicating that additional information is available for at least one of the results; and means for providing additional information for at least one of the results in response to a request for additional information.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising means for automatically dialing a telephone number associated with a result in response to a request to automatically dial the telephone number.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising means for storing the automatically dialed telephone number for use in prioritizing subsequent directory assistance queries.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising means for prioritizing the results based upon at least one automatically dialed telephone number that was previously stored in response to a request to store the automatically dialed telephone number.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising means for receiving the directory assistance query verbally in natural language through the user interface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
75 words
The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising: means for storing the geographical location associated with the cable set top device based on an in-line tap that uniquely identifies the geographical location of the cable set top device; and means for using the stored geographical location associated with the cable set top device for prioritizing the results based upon the geographical proximity of each result to the geographical location of the cable set top device.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-05-26 | 2006-11-25 | 2007-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-05-26 | 2010-11-25 | 2011-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-05-26 | 2014-11-25 | 2015-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |