United States Patent [19] [ii] Patent Number: 5,023,904
Kaplan et al. [45] Date of Patent: * Jun. 11,1991
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Primary Examiner—Jin F. Ng
Assistant Examiner—Wing F. Chan
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Woodcock Washburn Kurtz
Mackiewicz & Norris
A direct telephone dialing ordering system and method is disclosed wherein a calling customer can order products and/or services from a given vendor without voice interchange. The system operates in a local Access and Transport Area (LATA) switching network which has Feature Group D services utilizing a predetermined dialing plan. The system is positioned within the LATA and is assigned a Feature Group D interexchange carrier number. In accordance with the dialing plan of the Feature Group D service, certain digits of the originating call are utilized to direct the call to the system within the LATA to a point of termination wherein the system appears as an interexchange carrier. The system is then free to utilize the remaining digits of the originating call for determination of variables such as vendor, product, grade and the like designations. The feature Group D Automatic Number Identification (ANI) for the calling customer is likewise passed on to the system for customer identification, credit verification and the like. The data is processed and batched and forwarded to a system ordering service vendor in visual printout or via data communication lines.
