Methods and systems for enhanced directory assistance using wireless messaging protocols

Abstract

Directory assistance provides telephone number look up services to callers based on the business or caller name as listed in a telephone directory. In the prior art, directory assistance provides a value-added service to telephone users and an expense that must be charged back to telephone callers or absorbed by telephone carriers. In enhanced directory assistance (EDA) services as described in the disclosure, EDA is further developed to deliver a keyword targeted advertising service to telephone listing owners and advertisers. The present invention provides a method and system to extend EDA services to the wireless messaging systems used by telecommunications operators. The invention further discloses methods to support both one-way and two-way communications on these devices, as well as systems to support the distributed EDA Transaction business model.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first call from a requester, the first call containing keyword data usable by an enhanced directory assistance service;   forwarding the first call to an enhanced directory assistance service; and   transmitting to the requester a return message comprising a directory listing for at least one advertiser and a callback number associated with each advertiser.   
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 receiving a callback communication from the requester to an advertiser identified by the callback number associated with the advertiser in the return message.   
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 3 , further comprising:
 transferring the callback communication from the requester to the enhanced directory assistance service.   
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the message is one of: a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, an Enhanced Message Service (EMS) message, a message based on Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), an email message, and an Instant Message (IM) message. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the keyword data is specified using one or more of: an operator-assisted directory assistance, an automated directory assistance, a wireless message, an email message, and an IM. 
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the directory listing is organized in an order associated with one or more of the following: a location associated with the directory listing, a keyword relevancy associated with the directory listing, and a referral amount associated with the directory listing. 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the callback communication is a call from the requester to a business associated with the directory listing. 
     
     
         9 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the callback communication is a response message. 
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the response message is responsive to a location associated with a wireless messaging device. 
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein each of the first call and the callback communication is one or more of the following: a telephonic call and a message call. 
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the callback number comprises an extension associated with the advertiser. 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a communication interface; and   a processor configured to:
 receive a first call from a requester, the first call containing keyword data usable by an enhanced directory assistance service; 
 forward the first call to a directory assistance service; and 
 transmit to the requester a return message comprising a directory listing for at least one advertiser and a callback number associated with each advertiser. 
   
     
     
         14 . A system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 transmit a callback communication from the requester to an advertiser identified by the callback number associated with the advertiser in the message.   
     
     
         15 . A system as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 transfer the callback communication from the requester to the enhanced directory assistance service.   
     
     
         16 . A system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the message is one of the following: a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, an Enhanced Message Service (EMS) message, a message based on Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), an email message, and an Instant Message (IM) message. 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 forwarding data identifying an advertiser to an enhanced directory assistance service;   receiving a referral call from the directory assistance service; and   paying a fee to the directory assistance service for the referral call;   wherein the referral call was initiated by a requester from a directory listing generated by the directory assistance service, the directory listing identifying the advertiser and having a callback number an associated with the advertiser.   
     
     
         18 . A method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the referral call originated from a wireless device. 
     
     
         19 . A method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the directory listing was transmitted to the requester in the form of a message. 
     
     
         20 . A method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the message is one of: a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, an Enhanced Message Service (EMS) message, a message based on Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), an email message, and an Instant Message (IM) message. 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving a directory listing generated by an enhanced directory assistance service;   forwarding to a requester the directory listing in the form of a message displayable on a wireless device, wherein the directory listing comprises data identifying one or more advertisers, each advertiser having associated therewith a callback number; and   enabling the requester to initiate a callback from the wireless device to one of the advertisers identified in the directory listing.   
     
     
         22 . A method as recited in  claim 21 , further comprising:
 receiving the callback from the requester to the advertiser the form of the message.   
     
     
         23 . A method as recited in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 transferring the message to the directory assistance service.