Patent ID: 7340249

Claim:
A method of automatically accessing a service provider on the basis of radio data system (RDS) information provided in a pre-specified template format and received as an encoded RDS data signal which is carried in conjunction with the normal encoded audio radio signal from a radio frequency broadcast, said service provider being a contact centre which comprises a contact routing mechanism for receiving and routing incoming contacts, and a plurality of human operators to which said incoming contacts can be routed by said routing mechanism to enable said human operators to respond to said contacts, said method comprising the steps of: (i) receiving said radio frequency broadcast using an RDS radio receiver and extracting said RDS information on the basis of said pre-specified template format; (ii) creating a message on the basis of at least some of said RDS information; (iii) sending said message to the contact centre using either a pre-specified address or an address provided in the RDS information; (iv) receiving said message at the contact centre; (v) extracting said RDS information from the message; and (vi) routing the message to one of a plurality of human contact centre operators on the basis of said RDS information.