JP2004519138A - System and method for matching calls to electronic phone book entries - Google Patents

Abstract

A system 36, 38 for accurately matching telephone calls to corresponding entries in an electronic telephone directory 40 suitable for use with the telephone device 10. The systems 36, 38 include a first mechanism 38 for identifying telephone calls and providing telephone numbers in response. The second mechanism 36 determines a home area code associated with the telephone device. The third mechanism 38 may include a home zone code and a telephone number to accurately match the telephone call with the corresponding entry in the electronic directory 40, whether or not the entry in the directory 40 includes a zone code. use. In particular embodiments, the first mechanism 38 includes a mechanism 38 that identifies a telephone call as an incoming call or an outgoing call. Caller identification system 38 identifies the incoming call and provides a telephone number in response. Another mechanism 38 stores the outgoing number dialed by the user and provides the outgoing number as a telephone number in response. The area code of the wireless telephone device 10 is stored in the computer 36. A third mechanism 38 prefixes the digit based on the area code to the telephone number and, if the telephone number is 7 digits long, provides an adjusted number in response. The third mechanism 38 may add a digit based on the area code to the beginning of the seven digit telephone directory entry and provide an adjusted entry in response thereto to provide an electronic telephone directory entry having only seven digits. And another mechanism 38 for adjusting the pressure. Additional mechanism 38 compares the adjusted number to an entry in electronic telephone directory 36 containing the adjusted entry, and responds if the adjusted number matches an entry in electronic telephone directory 40. Then, a matching signal is given as an output of the third mechanism 38.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to communication systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for matching incoming and / or outgoing calls with entries in an electronic telephone directory of a wireless telephone or other communication device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Wireless telephones are used in a variety of demanding applications ranging from search and rescue to business applications. Such applications call for distinctive wireless telephones for efficiently transmitting and receiving incoming and outgoing calls.
[0003]
As wireless telephony advances, there are more and more unique requirements. Existing wireless telephones typically include a computer for running software, such as telephone directory software, to improve the functionality of the telephone. Many software currently in development and already developed require that incoming and outgoing calls be accurately matched to the appropriate entries in the electronic telephone directory. For example, call record maintenance software that tracks incoming or outgoing calls from parties listed in the electronic phone book, and notifies the user when an incoming call matches an entry in the electronic phone book Calling party identification software both require accurate matching of incoming and / or outgoing calls with entries in the telephone directory.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Currently, systems and methods for matching incoming and / or outgoing calls with entries in a telephone directory include a dialed number or an incoming caller identification number and a corresponding entry in an electronic telephone directory. Depends on the exact alignment between. Unfortunately, such methods often do not accurately match incoming and outgoing calls with the appropriate entries in the electronic phonebook. For example, if a user is operating with a 619 zone code and dials a 7 digit number, the dialed telephone number will not match the corresponding 10 digit entry in the electronic telephone directory containing the 619 zone code. Similarly, if the user enters a 7 digit number in the electronic phone book instead of a 10 digit number, the 7 digit phone book entry will incorrectly match calls received from different area codes with similar last 7 digits.
[0005]
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a system and method for accurately matching incoming and outgoing calls with corresponding entries in an electronic telephone directory and preventing accidental errors resulting from misaligned area codes. I have.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
This need in the art is addressed by a system for accurately matching telephone calls to corresponding entries in an electronic telephone directory of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the invention is suitable for use in a wireless telephone device and includes a first mechanism for identifying a telephone call and providing a telephone number in response. A second mechanism determines a home zone code associated with the phone. A third mechanism is to provide a home area code and at least a portion to accurately match a telephone call to a corresponding entry in the electronic phone book, whether or not the entry in the electronic phone book includes a zone code. Use phone numbers.
[0007]
In particular embodiments, the first mechanism includes a mechanism for identifying a telephone call as an incoming call or an outgoing call. The caller identification system identifies an incoming call and provides a telephone number in response. Another mechanism stores the outgoing number dialed by the user and provides the outgoing number as a telephone number in response.
[0008]
The area code of the radiotelephone is stored in memory. If the telephone number is 7 digits long and provides an adjusted number in response, the third mechanism prepends the digit based on the area code to the telephone number. A third mechanism is to add a digit based on the area code to the beginning of the 7 digit phone book entry and provide an adjusted entry in response thereto, thereby providing an entry in the electronic phone book having only 7 digits. Includes another mechanism for adjusting the An additional mechanism compares the adjusted number to an entry in the electronic phone book containing the adjusted entry and, if the adjusted number matches an entry in the electronic phone book, responds thereto. A match signal is provided as the output of the third mechanism.
[0009]
The superior design of the present invention is facilitated by a third mechanism, which compares the appropriate area code information to the incoming and outgoing numbers before making a comparison that matches the entry in the electronic telephone directory. Attaching to the digit number eliminates alignment errors caused by the lack of zone code information associated with the 7 digit telephone number and 7 digit dial number in the electronic address book.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
While the invention will be described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art will recognize additional modifications, adaptations, applications, embodiments within the scope thereof and in additional areas where the present invention is very useful.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless telephone device 10 configured according to the present invention. Wireless telephone device 10 includes an antenna 30 connected to a duplexer 32. The duplexer 32 is connected to a transceiver 34, which is connected to a computer 36 running a caller ID and telephone directory matching software 38 configured in accordance with the present invention. The computer 36 accesses the electronic telephone directory 40. The computer 36 is also connected to a data interface adapter 44, an audio encoding / decoding circuit 46, a keypad 48 and a screen 50. The audio coding / decoding circuit 46 is connected to the microphone 52 and the speaker 54. Additional circuits such as clock circuits and power supplies are not shown in this radiotelephone device 10 for clarity, but those skilled in the art will know where the required additional circuits are included and how to include them. ing. Similarly, for clarity, electronic telephone directory 40 is shown separately from computer 36, but in practice electronic telephone directory 40 is comprised of software and stored in computer memory (not shown). Is preferred.
[0012]
In operation, antenna 30 transmits and receives signals via duplexer 32. Duplexer 32 facilitates the sharing of antenna 30 resources between transmitting and receiving functions. Transceiver 34 includes a transmission circuit for transmitting signals such as coded voice signals or negotiation signals via antenna 30 and duplexer 32. Transceiver 34 or receiving circuitry for receiving a signal, such as a service negotiation message or a coded voice signal, over wireless network 18 from another telephone device, base station, or mobile central office (not shown). Contains. Transceiver 34 also includes the down-conversion circuitry required to convert the received signal to a digital baseband signal for processing via computer 36. In addition, transceiver 34 includes the up-conversion circuitry required to convert the transmitted signal from a digital baseband signal to a radio frequency signal for transmission via antenna 30.
[0013]
The user may dial a number with keypad 48 to initiate a call. Computer 36 negotiates a service connection with an available wireless service provider associated with wireless network 18 via transceiver 34, duplexer 32, and antenna 30. Once the service is set up, voice, data or fax information is transferred over the air interface link 14. In a voice call, the user's voice is input to microphone 52, encoded by voice encoding / decoding circuit 46, and transmitted via computer 36, transceiver 34, duplexer 32, and antenna 30. Similarly, the received voice message is decoded by voice coding / decoding circuit 46 via speaker 54 as voice. The data interface adapter 44 allows software running on the computer 36 to be upgraded or changed. Data interface adapter 44 also facilitates use of wireless telephone device 10 as an external modem for an external computer (not shown). In this case, the modem software runs on the computer 36 and / or the external computer and facilitates communication with the external computer. Such modem software is well known in the art and can be developed or purchased by one of ordinary skill in the art.
[0014]
In an embodiment of the present invention, computer 36 runs specific phonebook matching software 38, which is configured according to the present invention. Specific phonebook matching software 38 monitors the wireless telephone 10 for dialing outgoing calls or receiving incoming calls and, if a matching entry exists, stores the associated telephone number in the electronic phonebook 40. Matches the entry. Phonebook matching software 38 also includes caller ID software (not shown) known in the art.
[0015]
The superior telephone directory matching software 38 of the present invention uses a local code associated with the wireless telephone device 10 at the beginning of outgoing telephone numbers to generate a 10 digit number for comparison. Overcome errors about information that does not take code into account. The resulting 10 digit number is compared to a 10 digit telephone number entry in electronic telephone directory 40. Before comparing the entry in the electronic telephone directory with the outgoing number of 10 digits, all the 7-digit numbers in the electronic telephone directory 40 are prefixed with the 7-digit number by the area code (home code) of the wireless telephone device 10. (Area code) is converted to a 10 digit number. The area code of the wireless telephone device 10 is predetermined and stored in a memory such as the electronic telephone directory 40. Similarly, before comparing the incoming 10-digit number with the entry in the electronic telephone directory 40, all 7-digit numbers in the electronic telephone directory 40 must be replaced with the area code (home area code) of the wireless telephone device 10. It is converted to a 10-digit number by appending.
[0016]
A typical phone book matching system will show a match between every 7 digit phone book entry and a 10 digit incoming or outgoing phone number where the last 7 digits match the 7 digit phone book entry, often Inaccurate phone book alignment results. Similarly, typical systems show a match between the outgoing number of 7 digits and the last 7 digits of the 10 digit telephone number entry, often resulting in inaccurate phone book matches. These inaccuracies are resolved by the specific software 38 and associated radiotelephone device 10, as described in more detail below.
[0017]
A unique system of the present invention for facilitating matching incoming telephone calls to phone book entries is a system that uses voice recognition to process incoming call waiting calls and associated signals. Especially effective. A system for effectively handling incoming call waiting calls suitable for use in accordance with the present invention is disclosed in co-filed U.S. patent specification (Attorney's specification number QCPA990274, S. Hafiz, Title of Invention). "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING CALL-WAITING FUNCTIONALITY VIA VOICE RECOGNITION"), assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.
[0018]
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the software 38 of FIG. 1 for effectively matching incoming and outgoing calls to entries in the electronic telephone directory 40 of FIG. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in initial monitoring mechanism 60, software 38 monitors wireless telephone device 10 for dialed outgoing calls and incoming calls. The incoming call may be a standard incoming call, a call waiting call, or another type of incoming call without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0019]
If the incoming call has been received by the radiotelephone device 10 and the user has answered the incoming call, control passes to the caller ID mechanism 62, where the telephone number of the incoming call is a caller identification system. And whether it is available or not restricted by methods known in the art. The required caller ID functionality is embedded in software 38. Caller ID functionality is known in the art, is easily developed and ordered, and is configured in software 38 or other hardware (not shown) of wireless telephone device 10. Those skilled in the art will recognize that in order for the caller ID system to work properly, the caller ID must be supported by the network with which the wireless telephone device 10 communicates. While the present invention is suitable for use in a caller ID system that provides a 10 digit telephone number, the present invention does not depart from the scope of the present invention, and may be applied to caller IDs such as international numbers of different lengths. It is easily adapted for use with other length numbers provided by the system.
[0020]
If the caller ID mechanism 62 determines that the incoming number for the software 38 is a restricted number or is not valid, control is transferred to a first indicating mechanism 64, where the software 38 The display screen 50 indicates that the incoming call is from a restricted number. One exemplary displayed message is "Incoming call from restricted number". After the first display mechanism 64, control passes to the mismatched mechanism 66, where the software 38 returns an indication that no match was found between the incoming call and the entry in the electronic telephone directory 40. Alternatively, a special entry for unmatched calls may be created in the electronic phonebook 40, and restricted or unmatched calls can be considered as matched to the unmatched call category.
[0021]
Once the caller ID mechanism 62 has properly acquired the telephone number associated with the received call, control passes to an initial prepending mechanism 68, where the radio is sent to add to the 7 digit telephone number entry. Prefixed before the home area code of telephone device 10, resulting in a 10 digit temporary telephone directory entry, which is then compared to the incoming number for matching. The home area code of the wireless telephone device 10 is stored in telephone computer memory or is retrievable from memory of an associated communication network (not shown). Alternatively, the temporary phone book may be configured as a permanent phone book stored in the memory of the computer 36.
[0022]
If the monitoring mechanism determines that the outgoing call is being dialed, control is transferred to the counting mechanism 70, where the digit number of the outgoing telephone number is counted. If the outgoing number is a 7 digit number, control passes to a second heading mechanism 72, where the home area code of the radiotelephone 10 is set before the outgoing number for comparison purposes. Is added to After the second prepending mechanism 72, control is transferred to the first mechanism 68. If the outgoing number is a 10 digit number, control is transferred directly to the first mechanism 68.
[0023]
Mechanisms 62 and 70 each comprise a mechanism for identifying a telephone number corresponding to an incoming or outgoing telephone call, and are used by subsequent mechanisms of software 38 in response thereto, as described in more detail below. Give a phone number to.
[0024]
Once the 10 digit number temporary telephone directory has been created by the first mechanism 68, control is transferred to the scanning mechanism 74, where the temporary telephone directory stores entries matching the outgoing number in the temporary telephone directory. If this is not already a 10 digit number, it is adjusted by the second mechanism 72 to a 10 digit number or an incoming number of 10 digits. If a match is found, control passes to the matching mechanism 76, where the software 38 returns to the matching instructions used by other routines or software, such as call record keeping software, to process the phonebook match. If no match is found, control is transferred to the no match mechanism 66. Once the no alignment mechanism 66 or alignment mechanism 76 completes, the software 38 is complete.
[0025]
The exact programming details required to implement software 38 of FIG. 2 will be readily developed by one of ordinary skill in practicing the discussion of the invention.
[0026]
Thus, the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Those skilled in the art practicing the present invention will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof.
[0027]
It is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the invention.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless telephone device configured in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2 is a software flow diagram for efficiently matching incoming and outgoing calls to electronic telephone directory entries running on the telephone computer of FIG. 1.

Claims (11)

In a system for accurately matching a telephone call to a corresponding entry in an electronic telephone directory,
First means for identifying a telephone number corresponding to the telephone call and providing the telephone number in response thereto;
Second means for determining a home area code;
Using the home area code and at least a portion of the telephone number to accurately match the call to a corresponding entry in the electronic phone book, whether or not the entry in the electronic phone book includes a zone code And a third means. The system of claim 1, wherein the first means includes means for identifying the telephone call as an incoming call or an outgoing call. 3. The system of claim 2 wherein said first means includes a caller identification system for identifying an incoming call and providing said telephone number in response. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first means includes means for storing an outgoing call dialed by a user and providing said outgoing number as said telephone number in response thereto. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein said second means includes a computer storing said area code of a wireless telephone device. The third means adds a digit to the beginning of the telephone number based on the area code if the telephone number is 7 digits long, and provides an adjusted number in response thereto. The described system. The electronic telephone directory having only seven digits by adding the digit to the beginning of the seven digit telephone directory entry based on the area code and providing an adjusted entry in response thereto. 7. The system of claim 6, including means for adjusting the number of entries. The third means compares the entry in the electronic phone book containing the adjusted entry with the adjusted number, and if the adjusted number matches an entry in the electronic phone book. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein a matching signal is provided as an output of said third means in response thereto. In a system for accurately matching an incoming or outgoing call to a corresponding entry in an electronic telephone directory associated with a telephone,
First means for identifying said incoming or outgoing call and providing a telephone number in response thereto;
Second means for determining whether the telephone number includes zone code information and providing a first signal in response thereto;
Third means for obtaining an area code associated with the telephone and providing a second signal in response thereto;
A matching means in the electronic telephone directory based on the telephone number and the first and second signals, and fourth means for accurately matching the incoming or outgoing call. System. In a system for accurately matching a telephone call to a corresponding entry in an electronic telephone directory,
First means for identifying a telephone number dialed by a user;
Second means for determining a home area code;
The home area code and at least a portion of the telephone number are used to accurately match the telephone call with the corresponding entry in the electronic telephone directory, whether or not the entry in the electronic directory contains a zone code. A third means for use. In a method of accurately matching a telephone call to a corresponding entry in an electronic telephone directory,
Identifying the telephone call and providing a telephone number in response thereto;
Determine the home area code,
The home area code and at least a portion of the telephone number to accurately match the telephone call with the corresponding entry in the electronic telephone directory, whether or not the entry in the electronic phone book includes a zone code. A method that includes the step of using.

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