GB2167272A

GB2167272A - Repertory dialling facilities

Info

Publication number: GB2167272A
Application number: GB08528142A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Charles Peacey
Original assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
Current assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
Priority date: 1984-11-19
Filing date: 1985-11-14
Publication date: 1986-05-21
Also published as: GB2167272B; GB8429160D0; GB8528142D0

Abstract

Telecommunications apparatus such as a telephone 11 is provided with a plurality of number stores, and a display 16 arranged in operation to provide a moveable cursor 17. When activated, the cursor may occupy any one of a plurality of predetermined positions, each of which corresponds to a number store. Adjacent each of the predetermined cursor positions of the display is an identification area 19 on which a name or symbol appropriate to the stored number can be marked. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Repertory dialling facilities The present invention relates to tele-communications, and in particular but not exclusively to the provision of repertory dialling facilities.

Modern telephones and like equipment are frequently provided with some form of number storage system. In many such instruments, number storage is limited to just one number, and this is frequently in the form of 'last number redial'. This facility allows the instrument user to store an already dialled number with, generally, one keystroke. To recall this stored number, generally the same or another key is pressed once. The facility is useful, but the ability to store only one number restricts the usefuiness.

(It is to be understood that the term 'number', unless the context clearly requires otherwise, is used in this specification to mean a string of digits such as make up a telephone number or telex number.) More advanced telephones, particularly those incorporating a microprocessor, often a plurality of number stores, and give the user the opportunity of producing and accessing a repertoire of stored numbers, the size of repertoire ranging from less than ten to several tens of numbers, depending upon the particular instrument. It is this facility to store a repertoire of numbers which gives rise to the name 'repertory dialling'. In general, a number may be stored, or a stored number retrieved, with only two or three keystrokes; this saves the user's time and reduces the chances a misdialling.

There are a variety of ways in which the stores may be accessed; different instruments adopting different methods. Some instruments are provided with separate dedicated keys each of which allows access to one or two (by means of a shift key, for example) stores.

Other instruments address stores via the digit (0-9) keys of the keypad in combination with a relevant function (memory store or memory recall key.

Whichever of these techniques is used, it is clearly necessary for the instrument user to be able to tell which store any required number is in. The most common way of doing this is by means of notes on slips of paper, in personal directories, or inside the user's head. All these methods suffer from a common disadvantage in that they rely on the notes, in whatever form, being available in the vicinity of the instrument.

This problem is overcome in some instruments having dedicated keys, by providing the keys with legendable inserts. Each key controlling a store can thus be marked with an appropriate legend corresponding to the number stored in the store addressed by that key.

Where each key serves to address two stores, the insert can be marked accordingly to indentify the two numbers. In this way, if the inserts are given legends which are directly readable, such as the names of the individuals, firms or services whose numbers are stored, the instrument user no longer has the problem of keeping separate notes of the location and indentity of the stored numbers.

There are, however, drawbacks to the use of separate dedicated keys. If a reasonable number of stores is to be provided, a considerable amount of extra space will be needed to site the additional keys. The current trend towards slimmer and compact telephone designs means that this approach is not suitable for such applications.

Instruments which do not have dedicated storage keys suffer not only from the disadvantage that their keys are far less readily legendable than are dedicated keys, but also from the disadvantage that double digit store indentification codes are required if there are more than about ten stores. Ten stores can be provided with single digit codes, by using the digits 0 to 9, and in some cases a limited number of further stores may be provided by giving other keys an extra use. Instruments in which double digit indentification codes are used have been found to be less attractive to users or prospective customers, than comparable instruments with single digit codes.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided telecommunications apparatus comprising a plurality of stores, and a display arranged in operation to provide a moveable cursor, wherein access to any store is dependent upon the position of said cursor.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of providing selective access to any one from a plurality of stores wherein access to said one is dependent upon the position of a moveable cursor on a display.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided the combination of a display arranged in operation to provide a moveable cursor, and a plurality of stores, wherein access to individual stores is determined according to the position of said cursor.

The combination of a display arranged in operation to provide a moveable cursor and a plurality of stores according to the invention finds particular application in telephones having repertory dialling facilities, but may of course be used to provide other facilities in telephones or other telecommunications apparatus.

The form of the moveable cursor will depend primarily upon the type of display which provides it. Typically the display would be a liquid crystal display (LCD), although light emitting diode (LED) displays, plasma displays or other displays known to those skilled in the art could be used. LCDs offer very great flexi bility, and those skilled in the art will be aware how segments of different shapes or colours can be produced. Cursors may, for example, take the form of pointers, spots, or bars and may be contrasted from their backgrounds either by differences in colours or by differences in intensity (i.e. light on a dark background, or dark on a light background).

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an example of a known type of telephone instrument which offers repertory dialling facilities.

Figure 2 shows how a first embodiment of the present invention might be incorporated in a telephone of the type shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 2a shows part of the display of the telephone of Fig. 2 in greater detail.

Figure 3 shows an alternative display arrangement for the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a block diagram of a circuit suitable for use in the invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a telephone instrument 1 of known type comprises a case 2, a handset 3, a keypad 4 having digit keys 5, and feature keys 6, and a display 7. The display 7 is an 8-digit, 7-segments liquid-crystal display (LCD) in the example shown. Although alternative displays such as light emitting diodes can be used, the low power consumption and low operating voltage of LCDs make them particularly suitable for use in telecommunications equipment. The display 6 is used to allow the telephone user to see the number being dialled or the numbers stored.

The provision of a display has been found to be an extremely useful facility on repertory dialling instruments because it enables the user to check the stored numbers without having to dial them. The display could of course be used for other functions, such as to display the time of day, or the elapsed time of a call, and may be an alphanumeric display or a simple digital display.

In order to perform these functions, the telephone incorporates a microprocessor, display driving circuity, and memory circuitry, none of which is shown in the figure. The repertory store is provided by the memory circuitry which may be a separate RAM integrated circuit.

In order to store a number in one of the repertory stores, the store is addressed by keying the memory store key 6' followed by one of the digit keys. The number may then be keyed into the store. alternatively, a number in the display may be entered into a repertory store by addressing as above-ie by keeping the memory store key followed by a single digit representing the store to be accessed.

Fig. 2 shows a telephone incorporating a first embodiment of the present invention. The telephone 11 is similar to that of Fig. 1, having a case 2, handset 3, keypad 4, keys 5 and 6 and a display 16. As can be seen, however, the display incorporates additional segments 17, and the areas of the case along the upper and lower surfaces of the digital 16 bear legends adjacent to the additional segments 17.

Fig. 2a shows in greater detail part of the display of the telephone 11 of Fig. 2.

In the example shown, the LCD is modified to provide an 8-digit, 8-segment display, each digit having an additional segment in the form of a delta-shaped pointer. The pointers are arranged above and below alternate digits, to give four above and four below the conventional parts of the display. The pointers here provide the moveable cursor of the invention.

The pointers 17 are, like any other segment of an LCD, only activated, i.e. made visible against the background, when needed. LCDs can be made in a variety of forms, the digits or characters being 'on', ie showing up against their backgrounds either as dark against light, light against dark, or as one colour against another colour.

The pointers are activated when it is desired to access one of the eight repertory stores.

Each pointer corresponds to one of the stores, and when activated it indicates that its store may be accessed. The user of the telephone may therefore mark each of the eight indentification areas 19a-19g of the index region to indicate the identity of the individual, company or service whose number is stored in the relevant store.

When it is desired to enter a number into one of the stores, the user keys a 'memory store' key 18, which initiates the store accessing process, the first stage of which is the sequential activation of the pointers, one at a time, around the eight positions. This sequential activation continues until the user keys the 'memory store' key 18 again. This stops the sequenc, leaving activated that pointer which was activated when the user keyed the 'store' key for the second time. The user then has access to the store which corresponds to the pointer thus illuminated. The second keying of the 'memory store' key 18 may simultaneously enter a displayed number into the store. Alternatively, the user may enter a number into the store by keying it afresh. The user then adds some indentifier, such as a name, to the relevant indentification area of the index region. For example, the user may halt the pointer progression at 17e, to store his doctor's number, and will write 'DOCTOR' on area 19e. Similarly, the other seven stores may contain the numbers which the user has to call frequently, or numbers of services which might be needed urgently; the identification areas of the index region bearing appropriate legends.

When it is desired to recall a stored number, say the Doctor's number of the previous example, the user presses a 'memory recall' key 20 which activates the pointer display as has already been described for the 'store' key.

When the pointer 17e, which is adjacent the area 1 9e now marked DOCTOR, is activated, the user presses 'memory recall' 20 again and the number stored in the store e is displayed.

The recall number thus displayed may be simultaneously transmitted if, for example, the handset is off hook or if the instrument has an 'on-hook' dialling facility.

As an alternative to automatic stepping of the cursor following keying of either the memory store or memory recall key, direct control of the cursor's position may be provided by having a 'cursor' key, keying of which activates the cursor, subsequent keying of the cursor key incrementing the cursor one step.

The cursor key is used in combination with a 'store' key and a 'recall' key respectively to store and recall numbers. Two 'cursor' keys may be provided, one enabling movement of the cursor clockwise, the other enabling anticlockwise movement.

Of course, as those skilled in the art will be aware, the present invention may be put into effect using any one of a large number of different arrangements of keys and protocols, the invention not being restricted to any or all of the practice arrangements disclosed in this specification.

An alternative display arrangement is shown in Fig. 3. The moveable cursor in this display comprises pointers which are arranged beneath the conventional digit segments of each character. Similarly, the indentification areas 19a-19h of the index region are all located beneath the display. The areas are arranged in two rows of four, the upper row having areas corresponding to stores a, c, e and g. The lower row, staggered with respect to the first has areas corresponding to b, d, f and h. In this way the individual identification areas need not be made any smaller than those used with the display shown in Fig. 2.

Among the reasons for proposing that the pointer segments should be disposed on one side only of the display is that it is easier to produce an LCD of this form, and it enables the display height to be reduced relative to that of Fig. 2.

In the second embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 4, a display 26 is provided solely for the pointers. As can be seen, sixteen pointers and identification areas are provided, and they correspond to sixteen repertory stores. This display is arranged vertically, with the identification areas of the index region arranged on either side. The sixteen pointers are arranged in pairs on eight levels, although, as before, they are only activated one at a time.

This arrangement, although it requires more space then those of Figs. 2 and 3, can be applied where there is no digit display or where it is desirable to have separate displays.

Fig. 5 shows an example of a telephone circuit suitable for use in the invention. As those skilled in the art will be aware, the circuit is generally conventional, having line interface and power extraction circuitry 30, speech circuitry 31 and a microcomputer 32 controlling the telephone's operations such as signalling, a separate RAM 33 for number storage etc., a keypad 34, and a display 35. However, the display, which is here a 16 digit 8 segment LCD, is provided with 16 arrows for use in conjunction with the RAM 33 in the repertory facility.Furthermore, the microprocessor is programmed so that in response to the actuation of the cursor key (or of the store or recall key if no cursor key is provided), the following events take place: a first part of the microprocessor, which controls the display, actuates a first one of the arrows 16, simultaneously a second part of the microprocessor, which controls access to the number storage RAM 33 is activated to address a number store in said RAM, the number store so addressed corresponding to said first one of the arrows 16; increment pulses are produced within the microprocessor and are fed to said first and second parts of the microprocessor to cause a second one of the arrows to be activated and to cause the corresponding number store in RAM 33 to be addressed.

The incrementing continues with simultaneous activation and addressing until either the 'store' or 'recall' key is actuated, at which time the arrow then activated corresponds to the addressed store into which anumber may be addressed or from which a stored number may be obtained.

Claims

1. Telecommunications apparatus comprising a plurality of stores, and a display arranged in operation to provide a moveable cursor, wherein access to any store is dependent upon the position of said cursor.

2. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein an index region is provided adjacent said display.

3. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said cursor can appear only at one of a plurality of predetermined locations at any one time.

4. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said display is adapted to provide characters in addition to said cursor.

5. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said display comprises a multi-element display, each element being adapted to display characters and to de fine a predetermined location for said cursor.

6. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein when any store is accessed, its contents are displayed on said display.

7. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a second display is provided, which display is adapted to provide characters.

8. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein when any store is accessed its contents are displayed on said second display.

9. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein for any cursor location only one store may be accessed.

10. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the or each display is a liquid crystal display.

11. Telecommunications apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said apparatus is a telephone.

12 A method of providing selective access to any one from a plurality of stores, wherein access to said one is dependent upon the position of a moveable cursor on a display.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein movement of said cursor is by stepping between discrete positions.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein each of said discrete positions corresponds to one from said plurality of stores.

15. The combination of a display arrangement in operation to provide a moveable cursor, and a plurality of stores, wherein access to individual stores is determined according to the position of said cursor.

16. A combination as claimed in claim 15 wherein an index region is provided adjacent said display.

17. A combination as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16 wherein said display is further adapted to display alphanumeric characters.

18. Telecommunications apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Figs. 2 and 2a of the accompanying drawings.

19. Telecommunications apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

20. Telecommunications apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.