VIDEO AND AUDIO DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE

摘要

A directory assistance system which provides video directory assistance information together with (or in place of) audio directory assistance information is disclosed. Directory assistance calls from a calling party desiring to learn a sought-after telephone number are routed to a directory assistance system. On the basis of data for identifying a sought-after telephone number, the directory assistance system determines whether there is video information associated with the sought-after telephone number. When video information is available, the information is provided to the calling party together with or in lieu of an audio directory assistance message. Providing video directory assistance information in this manner greatly increases the amount of information that can be provided to a calling party, while still allowing directory assistance to be automated.