JP2552080B2 - Method and data processing system for automatically executing application - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data processing system, and more particularly to a data processing system which automatically activates an application by inputting a number to a telephone line.

[0002]

Data processing systems can be coupled to telephones or telephone lines. A person operating a data processing system, called a user, can make a call, for example, by selecting a name or telephone number from a database maintained within the data processing system. In response to the user selection, the data processing system enters the desired telephone number on the connected telephone line. The data processing system can also monitor activity on the connected telephone line when the telephone number is entered from outside the data processing system.

A data processing system may also activate and serve applications or data files maintained within the system. Applications and data files are provided by visual display or audible channels. The data processing system can also include a voice recording application that can record communications on telephone lines connected to the system. The person using the telephone manually activates an application or data file maintained within the data processing system or a voice recording application for recording telephone communications.

[0004]

When the registration number is entered into the telephone line through the data processing system or manually from the telephone keypad, the corresponding application and data files are automatically activated and provided. Register the number that is entered on the telephone line so that the application or data stored in the data processing system
It is desirable to associate the file with a registration number. Further, it is desirable to associate a voice recording application with a registration number so that telephone calls associated with the registration number are automatically recorded.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, a method and data processing system for associating an application with a telephone number is disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention captures a number entered on a telephone line and determines if an application or data file is associated with this captured number. Then, if the application or data file is associated with the acquisition number, the application corresponding to the number is activated and the application or data file is provided to the user. Preferably, the present invention maintains a database of registration numbers and applications corresponding to the registration numbers in the data processing system. When the telephone call is successfully connected to the registration number, the telephone voice recording application can be selectively activated to record the telephone communication.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram of an apparatus according to the present invention. This device is a data processing system 10
Contains 0. The data processing system 100 includes a processor 10
2, the processor 102 includes a central processing unit (CP
U) 104 and memory 106. Other memory, such as hard disk file storage 108 and floppy disk 110, may also be connected to processor 102. Floppy disk drive 110 reads from and writes to removable diskette 112, which may store computer program code for executing portions of the invention in data processing system 100. The input is the fax / modem 114 connected to the telephone line 116, and the scanner 1
It is also received from 18. Data processing system 100 further includes user interface hardware, such as mouse 120, keyboard 122, and microphone 124, from which user input is input to processor 102. The data processing system 100 includes a monochrome or color display monitor 126 and a visual display device such as a monochrome or color display printer 128, which provide visual information. The data processing system may further include an audio display device that provides audio information, such as speaker 130. Telephone 132 is connected to telephone line 116 via fax / modem 114.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a logic flow diagram representing the method of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which registers the number entered on the telephone line, and the application and data.
Shows how to associate a file with its registration number. A process called the registration process begins at block 200. The process moves to block 210, where the user specifies the number to be registered. The registration number may be a telephone number or any other number entered on the telephone line. The process then moves to block 220, where the user specifies one or more applications associated with the registration number. The designated application is referred to as the registered application and is activated and executed by the data processing system when it is detected that the registration number has been entered on the telephone line. In a data processing system where an application is activated based on the selection of the corresponding data file, the application can be registered by registering the data file corresponding to the application. Preferably, the voice recording application is not registered at block 220, and in this embodiment activation of the voice recording application is at block 2.
Specified separately at 40.

Processing then proceeds from block 220 to block 2.
Moving to 30, where the user specifies invocation parameters corresponding to any application registered at block 220. Invocation parameters are command line
Parameters, startup parameters, filenames of data files to be accessed, keystrokes
It includes macros, configuration commands, or other commands for activating and executing applications in the desired format.

The process then moves to block 240, where the user specifies whether the telephone call set to the registration number should be recorded automatically by the data processing system. If yes, processing transfers to block 250
Here, the automatic recording flag for associating the voice recording application of the data processing system with the registration number is set. Processing then proceeds from block 250 to block 260.
Move to

Returning to block 240, if automatic recording is not specified, processing proceeds directly from block 240 to block 2.
Move to 60. At block 260, the registration number and all user input data (including the state of the automatic recording flag) associated with them at blocks 220 through 250 are stored in the correlation database (correlationdatabas).
stored in e). The registration process then moves to block 270 and ends.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a logic flow diagram of a preferred embodiment of the process of activating and providing applications and data files upon entry of a registration number on the telephone line. A process called a monitoring process begins at block 300 and activates the monitoring process in the data processing system. Upon detecting that a number has been entered on the telephone line, the process proceeds to block 310. The number is selected by name or telephone number from a database maintained within the data processing system, using the telephone dial or keypad or the automatic dialing feature, or other well known means for entering numbers on telephone lines. Input by using the method. The monitoring process captures the number entered on the telephone line.

Processing proceeds from block 310 to block 320.
Go to and access the correlation database. The process then moves to block 330 to determine if the number entered on the telephone line is a registration number. If not, the process moves to block 420 and ends. If yes, processing transfers to block 340.

At block 340, the process activates the application and data files associated with the registration number in the correlation database. Applications or data files are activated using their corresponding call parameters in the correlation database. Processing then moves to block 350 where, for example, display monitor 126, display printer 128, or speaker 13.
0 allows users to register applications and data
Serve the file. Multiple applications can be active at the same time, if the data processing system permits. Processing then moves to block 360. If the application or data file is not associated with the registration number, then processing transfers to block 360 without accessing or providing the application or data file.

At block 360, the process determines whether the automatic recording flag is set corresponding to the registration number. If not, the process moves to block 420 and ends.

At block 370, the process determines whether the telephone call set to the registration number was successfully connected. Preferably, this decision is made after the call has been determined that the call has been recorded. However, if the phone call is not successfully connected and application or data file activation is not required,
This decision may be made before activating the corresponding application or data file. Block 37
If 0 is negative, the process moves to block 380, notifies the user that the call was not connected, then moves to block 420 and ends. If block 370 is affirmative, processing transfers to block 390 to begin recording telephone communications.

[0016] Preferably, the voice recording application of the data processing system digitizes the telephone communication and records it within the data processing system. However,
The data processing system can use any voice recording application or mechanism that can be controlled by the system.

The process then moves to block 400 where upon receipt of the user termination request or detection of termination of the telephone connection,
Stop recording. Processing then moves to block 410,
The record is stored, then block 420 is entered and exited.

Briefly summarized below, the user registers a number by the registration process shown in FIG. 2 and associates an application or data file with the registration number. Call parameters are also specified. The call parameters are
Allows the user to specify the record of telephone calls that will be set to the registration number.

The monitoring process shown in FIG. 3 monitors telephone and telephone line activity. When a number is entered on the telephone line, the monitoring process gets the number and determines if the number is registered. If so, the process activates and provides the application and data file corresponding to the registration number by using the call parameters. The process also determines if a call of this number is recorded and if the connection was successful and completed and activates a voice recording application to record the call.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a data processing system which automatically activates an application by inputting a number to a telephone line.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus used to accomplish the method of an embodiment of the invention and form part of the apparatus of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the present invention for registering numbers entered on a telephone line and associating applications and data files with registration numbers.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of the present invention for activating an application and providing the application and data files upon entering a registration number on a telephone line.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 data processing system 102 processor 104 central processing unit (CPU) 108 hard disk file storage device 110 floppy disk device 114 fax / modem 116 telephone line 126 monochrome or color display monitor 128 monochrome or color display printer 132 telephone

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method of executing in a telephone call initiation program data processing system, the method comprising: obtaining a telephone number input to a telephone line to initiate an associated telephone service; Determining whether an application is associated with the acquired telephone number, and if the application registered by the user is associated with the acquired telephone number, launch the application registered by the user And a step of: 2. Initiating an application registered by the user on the telephone line in response to acquiring the telephone number input and correlating the acquired telephone number input with an application registered by the user. The method of claim 1 including the step of determining if the telephone call was successfully connected. 3. A means for initiating a telephone call to a telephone service associated with the telephone number input to the telephone line, including means for obtaining a telephone number input to the telephone line, and an application registered by the user. Means for determining whether it is associated with the acquired telephone number, and means for activating the application registered by the user when the application registered by the user is associated with the acquired telephone number And a data processing system including. 4. Initiating an application registered by the user on the telephone line in response to acquiring the telephone number input and correlating the acquired telephone number input with an application registered by the user. 4. The data processing system of claim 3, further comprising means for determining if the telephone call was successfully connected.