Patent · US Expired

Directory assistance access to intercept telephone numbers

US5892820A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
16References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 28, 1996
Grant dateApr 6, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 28, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M3/487
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Directory assistance calls are routed to an operator tandem switch that distributes incoming directory assistance calls among available operator positions. For each call, the operator interacts with the caller to identify a directory listing sought by the caller and enters the listing information into the operator's terminal to retrieve the requisite information from a data base. An interface is provided between the directory assistance system and an intercept system to handle listings for which a directory number is no longer operative. A flag set in the data base file for the old directory listing would indicate that the number was on intercept. The system can thus provide current information contained in the directory assistance data base or updated information as to the status of subscriber's of non-working directory numbers, obtained from the intercept system data base.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.