Abstract: A communication assistance system is provided having a first database with a plurality of listings, each listing having at least one contact name and a corresponding contact number. A switching device receives calls from a plurality of users desiring to access the listings and an operator terminal receives the communication from the switching device and retrieves a listing from the first database. A first route is provided for handling telephone communications between the operator terminal and the user and a second route is provided with an out-of band processor for receiving information corresponding to call completion information and to provide call completion data to the switching device for completing the call between the user and the requested listing.

Abstract: An enhanced directory assistance system includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from at least one caller desiring to receive directions. A direction module is configured to receive a desired destination information provided by the caller and the location of the caller. The direction module is further configured to provide directions to the caller based on the destination and the caller location information, where the system maintains a preferred destination listing configured to store a preferred destination information relating to a destination request frequently requested by the caller, such that when the system recognizes the caller, the desired destination is populated directly from the preferred destination information.

Abstract: A communication assistance system for providing access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters desiring to access the subscriber information. A listing database is configured to store the subscriber information including a field containing wireless phone numbers of a desired portion of the subscribers and a connect field that stores information instructing the system as to whether to mask the subscriber's wireless phone number to the requester, such that during a process that the requester is being connected to a desired subscriber, the connect field is examined to determine whether to disclose the subscriber's wireless phone number to the requester.

Abstract: A billing system is provided for a communication assistance system that provides access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers. The billing system and communication assistance system include a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters desiring access to the information corresponding to subscribers. A database stores the information corresponding to each of the subscribers, including their phone numbers. A billing record database is coupled to the switch and configured to store information corresponding to amount of time the requester was connected to each one of the subscribers. The communication assistance system provides instructions to the subscriber's service provider such that the subscriber is not billed for the call.

Abstract: A directory assistance system is provided for providing subscriber information to requesters communicating with the assistance system. A telephone switch receives calls from a plurality of requesters desiring to access the information corresponding to subscribers. A first database stores the information corresponding to each of the subscribers, including their phone numbers. A communications interface for database clean-up receives instructions from the subscribers so as to allow the subscribers to modify their corresponding information in the first database, where the communications interface is coupled to a carrier customer care representative system configured to receive phone calls from the subscribers. A carrier clean-up database is coupled to the customer care representative system and configured to store the modified information received from the subscribers.

Abstract: The present invention is a personalized assistance system for a user of a telephone, comprised of a first database, the first database having a contact list for the user. The contact list includes at least one contact name and a corresponding contact number and including the user's electronic commerce information. A telephone identification code is uniquely associated with the telephone and electronically transmitted to the personalized assistance system, when the user calls the system. A customer service representative terminal, coupled to the database and the telephone hardware are provided where the telephone identification code prompts automatic retrieval of the contact list to the customer service representative terminal in response to processing the telephone identification code. The customer service representative terminal obtains the electronic commerce information in response to a user request to perform an electronic commerce transaction.

Abstract: A communication assistance system provides access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscriber listings. The system includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of callers desiring to access the information corresponding to the subscriber listings and a database directory listing for storing information corresponding to each one of the subscriber listings. The information in the subscriber listings include a Rate Plan field associated with billing rates corresponding to each one of the subscribers such that when the system connects the caller to the subscriber, the system employs the Rate Plan Field to determine the billing amount charged to the caller so that the subscriber is not billed for the call.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an enhanced directory assistance system (2) for providing directions information to a plurality of callers (4). The system is comprised of a telephone switch (12) for receiving calls from a plurality of callers (4) desiring to receive directions, an automatic location system configured to provide the location from the callers (4) during a call session to the telephone switch (12); and an enhanced services direction module (21) configured to receive destination and starting location information provided by the caller (4) and further configured to provide directions to the caller (4) based on the provided information.

Abstract: A communication assistance system provides access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers. The system includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters desiring to access the information corresponding to subscribers and a database directory listing storing information corresponding to each one of the subscribers. The information includes a Pre-Announcement field containing information indicating whether a requester is pre-announced before a voice connection to a subscriber is made where the pre-announce field is defaulted to active when the requester is calling for a wireless device.

Abstract: A communication assistance system provides access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers. The system includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters desiring to access the information corresponding to subscribers. A first database is configured to store the information corresponding to each of the subscribers, including phone numbers. A closing prompt module is coupled to the first database so as to select a closing prompt code associated with a desired closing prompt message so as to provide a selected closing prompt message, where anyone of the available closing prompt messages is provided to a requester. The closing prompt module selects the closing prompt code relating to a subscriber information other than the subscriber information requested by the requester.

Abstract: A directory assistance system is provided for providing subscriber information to requesters communicating with the assistance system. A telephone switch receives calls from a plurality of requesters desiring to access the information corresponding to subscribers. A first database stores the information corresponding to each of the subscribers, including their phone numbers. A communications interface for database clean-up receives instructions from the subscribers so as to allow the subscribers to modify their corresponding information in the first database, where the communications interface is coupled to a carrier customer care representative system configured to receive phone calls from the subscribers. A carrier clean-up database is coupled to the customer care representative system and configured to store the modified information received from the subscribers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a communication assistance system comprised of a first database (18) having a plurality of listings where each of the listings has at least one contact name and a corresponding contact number. A telephony hardware (12) is provided, configured to couple a telephone device (6) of a user to the system. A past requested listing table is also provided for at least one of the users of the system, configured to store past requested listings obtained from the database, as requested by the user. When the user contacts the system with the telephone device, the system recognizes the user and forwards the past requested listing table to an operator terminal of the system.

Abstract: A communication assistance system is provided for providing access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers. The system includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters desiring access to the information corresponding to subscribers. A database stores the information corresponding to each of the subscribers, including their phone numbers. A dial string translator receives dial strings dialed by the plurality of requesters and translate them to a corresponding digit sequence associated with a service provided by the communication assistance system.

Abstract: An enhanced directory assistance system includes a directory assistance platform configured to receive calls from at least one requester seeking a listing and a listing database, coupled to the directory assistance platform configured to store a plurality of listings. At least one listing has a preferred status. When the requester contacts the directory assistance platform seeking the listing, a customer service representative at the directory assistance platform retrieves listings that meet the requester's search requirement, at least one of which is a listing having a preferred status. The at least one listing having a preferred status is given a more prominent display to the customer service representative than the remaining listings among the plurality of listings that do not have a preferred status.

Abstract: An enhanced directory assistance system has a directory assistance platform, configured to receive a verbal request from a requester for a desired downloadable item among a plurality of downloadable items. A download features module coupled to the directory assistance platform, where the download features module is configured to retrieve information corresponding to the plurality of downloadable items in response to the verbal request, such that the download features module causes the desired downloadable item to be delivered to a telephone device of the requester.

Abstract: A communication assistance system is provided for providing access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers. The system includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters desiring to access the information corresponding to subscribers. A first database stores the information corresponding to each subscriber, including their phone numbers. A closing prompt module is coupled to the first database so as to select a closing prompt code from a plurality of available closing prompt codes, where each of the closing prompt codes is associated with a desired closing prompt message so as to provide a selected closing prompt message, where anyone of the available closing prompt messages is provided to a requester.

Abstract: A communication assistance system for providing access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters desiring to access the subscriber information. A listing database is configured to store the subscriber information including a field containing wireless phone numbers of a desired portion of the subscribers and a connect field that stores information instructing the system as to whether to mask the subscriber's wireless phone number to the requester, such that during a process that the requester is being connected to a desired subscriber, the connect field is examined to determine whether to disclose the subscriber's wireless phone number to the requester.

Abstract: A communication assistance system (2) is provided for accessing information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers (6). This system is comprised of a telephone switch (12) for receiving calls from a plurality of requesters (4), a call center (16) for routing each of said received calls to an operator terminal (20), and a first database (18) configured to store said information corresponding to each of said subscribers (6).

Abstract: The present invention is a personalized assistance system for a user of a telephone, comprised of a first database, the first database having a contact list for the user. The contact list includes at least one contact name and a corresponding contact number and including the user's electronic commerce information. A telephone identification code is uniquely associated with the telephone and electronically transmitted to the personalized assistance system, when the user calls the system. A customer service representative terminal, coupled to the database and the telephone hardware are provided where the telephone identification code prompts automatic retrieval of the contact list to the customer service representative terminal in response to processing the telephone identification code. The customer service representative terminal obtains the electronic commerce information in response to a user request to perform an electronic commerce transaction.

Abstract: The present invention is a call routing system for use in directory assistance. The call routing system employs a primary call routing device configured to receive directory assistance calls from callers at a first directory assistance system, and determines, for each of the calls, whether they will be handled by the first directory assistance system, or by a second directory assistance system among a plurality of directory assistance systems. A secondary router is also provided, configured to route the calls within the first directory assistance system to the primary call routing device. The secondary router has a default call distribution logic, such that if the primary call routing device is off-line, the secondary call router routes the calls among the first directory assistance system and the plurality of directory assistance systems according to the default distribution logic.