Telephone directory assistance method and telephone directory assistance system

Abstract

This telephone directory assistance system accepts a request for a telephone number of a registrant, and judges whether the registrant is registered in a telephone number data base. When the registrant is registered in the telephone number data base, the telephone directory assistance system judges whether a message from the inquirer is transmitted to the registrant without informing the telephone number to the inquirer based on a telephone number disclosing condition registered in the telephone number data base. Then, in a case of transmission, the inquirer is caused to input a message and the inputted message is informed to the registrant.

1 .- 18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . A method of informing an inquirer of a new telephone number and a new e-mail address of a new cellular phone corresponding to a change from an old cellular phone to the new cellular phone, the method comprising the steps of: 
 storing an old telephone number of the old cellular phone corresponding to the new telephone number of the new cellular phone and an old e-mail address of the old cellular phone corresponding to the new e-mail address of the new cellular phone;    judging whether or not to inform the inquirer of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to a disclosing condition capable of being set each the inquirer, when the inquirer requests to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number corresponding to the old telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to the old e-mail address; and    informing the inquirer, permitted to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address, of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the disclosing condition includes a first condition of confirming a registrant of the old and new cellular phones whether or not to inform the inquirer of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the first condition includes the steps of requesting the inquirer to record a voice message, notifying the registrant that the message has been recorded, and causing the registrant to gain access for playback of the recorded message from the cellular phone.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 20 , wherein the first condition includes the steps of requesting the inquirer to send an e-mail and causing the registrant to receive the sent e-mail.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the e-mail is sent to the registrant via a center.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein an e-mail address of the registrant is presented to the inquirer from a center and the inquirer directly sends the e-mail to the registrant.  
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 20 , the first condition includes the steps of requesting the inquirer to record a voice message to a message box and giving a transmission to inform the registrant of the recorded voice message from the message box.  
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising the step of selecting one from the followings (1) to (3) to set the one as the disclosing condition by a registrant of the old and new cellular phones: 
 1) always disclosing at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address of the registrant to all inquirers;    2) always refusing to disclose at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address of the registrant to all inquirers; and    3) notifying the registrant of information from the inquirer without informing the inquirer of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address of the registrant.    
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 20 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing a list of specific inquirers who are refused to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address; and    refusing to inform the inquirer included in the list of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address.    
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 27 , 
 wherein the first condition includes the steps of requesting the inquirer to record a voice message, notifying the registrant that the message has been recorded, causing the registrant to gain access for playback of the recorded message from the cellular phone, and    wherein the inquirer is listed in the list when the registrant inputs registration refusal through the cellular phone in response to the access.    
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 27 , 
 wherein the first condition includes the steps of requesting the inquirer to send an e-mail, and causing the registrant to receive the sent e-mail, and    wherein the inquirer is listed in the list when the registrant inputs registration refusal through the cellular phone in response to the reception of the e-mail.    
   
   
       30 . A system for informing an inquirer of a new telephone number and a new e-mail address of a new cellular phone corresponding to a change from an old cellular phone to the new cellular phone, the system comprising: 
 a data base for storing an old telephone number of the old cellular phone corresponding to the new telephone number of the new cellular phone, an old e-mail address of the old cellular phone corresponding to the new e-mail address of the new cellular phone, and a disclosing condition capable of being set each the inquirer;    means for judging whether or not to inform the inquirer of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to the disclosing condition, when the inquirer requests to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number corresponding to the old telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to the old e-mail address; and    means for informing the inquirer, permitted to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address, of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address.    
   
   
       31 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the disclosing condition includes a first condition of confirming a registrant of the old and new cellular phones whether or not to inform the inquirer of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address.  
   
   
       32 . The system according to  claim 31 , further comprising: 
 means for requesting the inquirer to record a voice message, when the inquirer requests to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number corresponding to the old telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to the old e-mail address;    means for recording the voice message from the inquirer;    means for notifying the registrant that the message has been recorded; and    means for sending the recorded message in response to access by the registrant through the cellular phone.    
   
   
       33 . The system according to  claim 31 , further comprising means for requesting the inquirer to send an e-mail to at least one of the system and the registrant, when the inquirer requests to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number corresponding to the old telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to the old e-mail address.  
   
   
       34 . The system according to  claim 31 , further comprising: 
 means for requesting the inquirer to record a voice message, when the inquirer requests to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number corresponding to the old telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to the old e-mail address;    means for recording the voice message from the inquirer; and    means for sending the recorded message by accessing the cellular phone of the registrant.    
   
   
       35 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising means for selecting one from the followings (1) to (3) to set the one as the disclosing condition by the registrant of the old and new cellular phones: 
 1) always disclosing at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address of the registrant to all inquirers;    (2) always refusing to disclose at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address of the registrant to all inquirers; and    3) notifying the registrant of information from the inquirer without informing the inquirer of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address of the registrant.    
   
   
       36 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 means for storing a list of specific inquirers who are refused to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address; and    means for refusing to inform the inquirer included in the list of at least one of the new telephone number and the new e-mail address.    
   
   
       37 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 means for requesting the inquirer to record a voice message, when the inquirer requests to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number corresponding to the old telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to the old e-mail address;    means for notifying the registrant that the message has been recorded; and    means for listing the inquirer in the list, when registration refusal is inputted through the cellular phone of the registrant in response to the access for playback of the recorded message from the cellular phone.    
   
   
       38 . The system according to  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 means for requesting the inquirer to send an e-mail to at least one of the system and the registrant, when the inquirer requests to be informed of at least one of the new telephone number corresponding to the old telephone number and the new e-mail address corresponding to the old e-mail address; and    means for listing the inquirer in the list when registration refusal is inputted through the cellular phone in response to the reception of the e-mail.