Telephonic communications – With usage measurement – Call traffic recording by computer or control processor
Reexamination Certificate
1997-06-12
2001-11-20
Nguyen, Duc (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
With usage measurement
Call traffic recording by computer or control processor
C379S142010, C379S142170, C379S093230, C455S566000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06320943
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention is directed to an electronic directory system and method, and more particular, a personalized electronic directory.
The telecommunications industry is expanding rapidly as new types of communication devices are discovered and as new uses for existing communication devices are found. Cordless and cellular phones, for example, have increased the mobility of the telecommunications consumer. The number of personal communication devices such as fax machines and personal computers operating over the telephones lines has also dramatically increased. As the number and type of communication devices used by the typical consumer has increased, the number of telecommunication numbers associated with each individual user has also increased. For example, one individual may have a home phone number, a work phone number, a home fax number, a work fax number, a cellular phone number, and a pager number. As the number of telecommunication numbers associated with a given individual increase, the overall number of telecommunication numbers that must be remembered in order to communicated effectively with that individual are also increased.
In the business environment, a number of directory systems have been developed to provide access to telecommunication numbers needed by the business telecommunications consumer. For example, computer databases are often used to store the names and numbers of people. Access to the database is typically provided to a large number of people via computer networks. The computer used to access the number database may also include a telephonic device, modem and the like, or be interfaced to a telephone in order to dial the number retrieved from the database. Such a database requires substantial effort and time to maintain and update the database and requires each user to have access to a computer.
Another type of directory system often employed in a business environment is a telephone accessible directory. This type of directory is typically part of a private branch exchange (PBX) server. The server is typically used to store names and phone numbers of employees within the business organizations. A telephone is typically used by the user to look-up a desired telephone number by inputting the name of the individual using the alphanumeric correspondence on the telephone keypad. As the number of phone numbers stored on such a directory increase, the directory becomes more difficult to use as large portions of the name to look-up must be entered to get a desired number. The cumbersome nature of the directory is compounded when the typical telephone keypad (e.g. DTMF keys) is used to access the directory because multiple letters are associated with each key.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally, the present invention relates to an electronic telecommunications directory. In one particular embodiment, the directory includes a memory arrangement provided to store directory information. The directory information includes telecommunications numbers and priority information associated with each telecommunications number. A user interface is provided to receive directory access information. A processing unit, coupled to the memory arrangement and the user interface, identifies a particular telecommunications number in response to the directory access information and the priority information.
In accordance with another particular embodiment, a method of storing and retrieving directory information is provided. A plurality of telecommunications numbers are stored in a memory. Priority information is associated with each of the stored telecommunications numbers. Directory access information related to a telecommunications number to be retrieved is received and a sub-set of the telecommunications numbers is identified based on the directory access information. One or more telecommunications numbers are presented to a user based on the associated priority information.
In accordance with another embodiment, a communications device is provided which includes a directory of telecommunications numbers including priority information. The device also includes a processing arrangement which monitors usage of the communication device. In accordance with one particular embodiment of the invention, the priority information is based on the monitored usage.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the invention an electronic directory is provided in a communications device which is configured to communicate with a communication network. The communication device includes a memory arrangement which is provided to store a directory of telecommunications numbers and identification information associated with each of the telecommunications numbers. A call monitor is coupled to receive caller identification information received with an incoming call on the communication network. The caller identification information includes a telecommunications number and corresponding identification information associated with the incoming call. The call monitor is configured to extract the telecommunications number and corresponding identification information associated with the incoming call and to store the extracted telecommunications number and corresponding identification information in the memory arrangement as an entry in the directory. A directory manager is coupled to the memory arrangement and is configured to receive look-up identification information associated with a number to be retrieved from the directory. The directory manager retrieves a directory entry corresponding to the look-up identification information.
In another particular embodiment of the invention a communication device includes a memory arrangement provided to store a directory of telecommunications numbers and identification information associated with each of the telecommunications numbers and a user interface for inputting one or more numbers of a telecommunications number to be called. A directory manager is coupled to the memory arrangement and is configured to retrieve a telecommunications number in the directory of telecommunications numbers which matches the one or more numbers of the number to be called. The directory manager outputs the retrieved number for display to a user. In one embodiment, the device may automatically dial the number in response to input from the user.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and the detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
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Legerity Inc.
Nguyen Duc
Williams Morgan & Amerson
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