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  Toll-free directory assistance with competitor advertisementUSPTO Application #: 20070242811Title: Toll-free directory assistance with competitor advertisement Abstract: The current invention is a system for providing telephone directory assistance service in which a telephone user calls to the system and the system will, based on the requested number or type of service, hear a recorded advertisement for a competitor of the requested service. The advertisements are selected from a databank, which may include any number advertisements, according to selection criteria. After the advertising announcement is completed, the directory assistance call is processed as usual. The selection criteria can include the use of SIC codes. (end of abstract)
Agent: Hamilton, Brook, Smith & Reynolds, P.C. - Concord, MA, US Inventor: Scott Wolmuth USPTO Applicaton #: 20070242811 - Class: 379088220 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Telephonic Communications, Audio Message Storage, Retrieval, Or Synthesis, Message Management The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070242811. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
RELATED APPLICATION(S) [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/063,990, filed May 31, 2002. The entire teachings of the above application(s) are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates to systems for providing telephone toll services such as, but not limited to, directory assistance or long-distance calling. [0004] 2. Description of Prior Art [0005] The need for phone customers to locate the name, address and number of businesses such as airlines, floral shops and auto repair shops has been around for almost as long as the phone has been in existence. [0006] Currently most phone systems charge extra for the look up of the names and addresses and numbers of general or specific businesses. This can get to be costly and many telephone customers find such directory assistance charges to be excessive. [0007] There is also a current need for many businesses to market to a wide pool of consumers with targeted advertisement. This can be done efficiently through the use of SIC codes or "Standard Industry Codes." By knowing exactly what a particular consumer is looking for at that particular moment a company can target their scope of interest with an ad. [0008] The use of advertisements within a telephone system is well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,007 by Marino is for a "Telephone toll service with advertising". It is a system for providing an economical telephone toll service in which a telephone subscriber selects the economical service by, for example, sending an appropriate signal, and then dials his directory assistance call or other telephone toll call. After the caller's options are determined, and typically before signaling for the call is commenced, a recorded-announcement of an aural or visual nature is connected to the subscriber's line, with the announcement consisting of at least one advertisement. The advertisements are selected from a databank according to some predetermined technique of selection, which may include any number of factors or features to make the service attractive to subscribers and of a nature to make the service also sufficiently rewarding to advertisers. The advertisement is not however, tied to the caller's specific interests or SIC code based on the number dialed. [0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,625 by Lederman is a "Telephone advertising method and apparatus." It is a method and apparatus for routing a telephone call through a telephone network from a caller to a called party designated by the caller via advertising service apparatus that operates in two modes successively, the parties being in communication with each other in one mode and ads are selected from storage during that mode and the ads are impressed on one or both of the parties during a different mode. Selection of ad messages for use is controlled by many criteria. Delivery of the advertisements is recorded for accounting purposes. The modes may alternate between message intervals whose duration is determined by ad message length and communication intervals whose length is determined by a talking time timer. Still there is a need for better selection criteria. [0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,775 by Hidary is a "Cellular telephone advertising system." It discloses a cellular telephone system, which is provided with an ad server and a memory for holding various commercial messages. The messages are either generic or are tailored for specific demographically selected subscribers or geographic cells. When communication is established either between a subscriber or a nonsubscriber, at least one of them receives either a generic or a specific commercial message. These advertisements are not geared to the needs of a particular caller. [0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,784 by Blen is an "Automatic telephone advertising provided in lieu of dial-tone." This invention discloses a telephone advertising service providing a short advertising message through a telephone receiver as a telephone call is initiated. Several different messages are offered in different sets of channels, with the messages changing depending on the time of day. When a prohibit service signal is active, the subscriber line is switched directly to the telephone exchange. These messages are not targeted towards the interests of a particular caller. [0012] There is still room for improvement within the art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] It is a general object of the present invention to have a process that allows the cross marketing of phone customers when they ask for directory assistance. [0014] The current invention is such that if a consumer is interested in airline tickets and they are calling Directory Assistance an ad based on their interest is played to that consumer. An airline or travel related ad will have a much higher impact and be received with a much higher level of interest with this consumer than to someone who is watching the evening news and is shown an airline ad. [0015] By knowing exactly what a particular consumer is looking for at the moment they are looking; you can target their scope of interest with an ad. Using SIC code or "Standard Industry Code" or even some other variable such as having a live operator select which ad would be appropriate does this. [0016] The concept is to use the information obtained in the 10 second listing request to play a targeted message and offer instant access to the product or service related to that message via "live call transfer" or "press 1 to be transferred to (the advertiser) now". [0017] For non-SIC code ads general, non-category specific ads such as "refinancing your home" or a home improvement ad can be played. These ads can be played based on the point of call. This can be done by setting up calls to be routed to a specific ad if the point of the caller's location is within a specific area code, zip code, city block or other parameter. [0018] This would be helpful for companies like Home Depot, who might want to buy ad space in zip codes of "mostly owner occupied residences", or pay day advance stores, who might want to buy advertisement for areas which are more economically depressed. [0019] The type of ad and when the ad is played, can be controlled to a highly specific degree. [0020] This system involves Point of call routing which is the routing an inbound 800 number call based on the location of the caller and routing the call to any predetermined location using zip code, area code, area code and prefix or city block maps. [0021] Ads can be bought to target specific competitor names or industry codes. They can also be bought by markets delineated by zip code, area code city block or statewide. Continue reading... Full patent description for Toll-free directory assistance with competitor advertisement Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Toll-free directory assistance with competitor advertisement patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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