DETERMINATION OF END-OF-MARKING FOR CELLULAR INTERFACE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to software and a method for determining the end-of-dialing of a telephone number made in a standard terrestrial telephone, coupled to a cellular network by means of a cellular interface apparatus. The cellular interfaces that connect a standard terrestrial telephone such as a telephone of the Old Telephone System (POST = Plain Old Telephone System), or fax machine, and the like, to a cellular network, are described in the patents of the USA Commonly owned Nos. 4,658,096, and 4,737,975, these patents are incorporated herein by reference. The cellular interface systems of the prior art determine when the last digit of a telephone number has been marked or supplied based on three methods: digit count, elapsed time interval, and manual delivery. In the digit count method, the device automatically counts the number of digits dialed and when a predetermined limit is reached, it activates an automatic SEND signal to SEND the telephone number to the transceiver to end the call on the system. cell phone. This method is also based on digit recognition, such that, if digit 1 is dialed first, the device will wait for the eleven-digit power supply before activating the automatic SEND signal. The problem with this method is that the digit count for which the automatic SEND signal is activated, will typically vary from country to country, and requires relatively sophisticated software. The second method of elapsed time interval is based on a predetermined rest after the marking of a digit and if that predetermined rest has been reached, it is automatically considered that the last digit of the telephone number has been supplied, and then the SEND signal automatically. This method has the disadvantage that the generation of the signal SEND (SEND) is relatively much longer after input of the last digit, compared to the first method of digit count. The elapsed time interval of rest can run from two seconds to twenty seconds. The programmable synchronizer of this method comprises circuits that have parameters adjustable in the factory by the user. The time period is set at the factory to a value, nominally 3 seconds, and stored in the radio EEPROM. Depending on the requirements of the client, you can establish a wide range of delays, (typical values have been from 2 to 10 seconds). If the value is set too long, the customer may wonder why the phone is waiting; if it is set too short, the phone will dial wrong with an incomplete number, if the customer's pause is too long. The third manual method is based on the telephone user pressing a predetermined "SEND" button on the telephone, such as the key of the number sign or the star key or the like, after having provided the last digit of the telephone number. phone number, in order to activate the signal SEND (SEND). An alternate version of this is the use of a flash with a hook that causes the immediate generation of a SEND command. The synchronization of a flash with a hook is elusive for many people. If it is too fast, it is not recognized by the system; If it's too long, the phone will hang up. In accordance with the present invention, a new method is employed in conjunction with one or more of the three methods of the prior art set forth above, to accelerate the generation of the automatic SEND signal, for those telephone numbers that have been previously marked on the phone. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a method for use with a cellular interface that couples a terrestrial telephone or fax machine or similar standard such as a POTS telephone., to a cellular network that will automatically generate a SEND signal by corresponding the telephone number dialed with an emergency telephone number or previously dialed that is stored in the memory of the cellular interface unit. A primary objective of the present invention is to compare the dialed telephone number with the list of previously stored and emergency stored telephone numbers by saving the previously dialed telephone number and emergency numbers by numerical order by time ordering or other technique . Another objective of the present invention is to automatically allow one of the end-demarcation methods of the prior art to determine the generation of a SEND signal for those telephone numbers dialed which do not correspond to a previously dialed telephone number or emergency stored. Another objective of the present invention is to store a previously dialed telephone number, to adjust to a currently dialed telephone number, allowing it to be automatically sent to the transceiver after it has been previously dialed at least one or more times. Towards this and other objects, the method of the present invention consists of software stored in the memory of a cellular interface unit that couples a standard terrestrial telephone such as a telephone or POTS fax machine with a cellular network. The software of the invention will automatically generate a SEND signal to the transceiver, when it corresponds to a telephone number currently marked with an emergency telephone number or previously dialed stored in the memory of the cellular interface unit. The software of the invention stores the list of emergency or pre-marked telephone numbers in numerical order, in order of time or random storage of numbers, and continuously updates the list for each dialed telephone number dialed on the telephone of system. The software of the system will allow one of the methods of the previous end-of-dialing technique to determine the generation of the SEND signal for those telephone numbers that are currently marked that do not correspond with a previously marked telephone number stored predetermined number of times, such as two. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a flow chart showing the beginning of the system of the correspondence process of a currently dialed telephone number with a stored number of emergency telephone numbers or previously marked; Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the start of a new dialing sequence to correspond to a telephone number currently marked with a stored list of emergency telephone numbers and previously dialed; Figure 3 is a flow chart showing a current correspondence process of a currently dialed telephone number with a stored list of previously dialed telephone numbers; and Figure 4 a flow diagram showing the sequence of events to determine the storage and disposal of a previously dialed telephone number. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention consists of software stored in the memory of a cellular interface that couples a standard terrestrial telephone such as a telephone or POTS fax machine to a cellular network. The software of the invention is based on an algorithm that will provide, without user intervention, a quick comparison of the number currently marked with a set of numbers stored in memory. When the algorithm determines that the currently dialed number corresponds to a previously dialed number that had a high probability of completing the call or an emergency number, an SEND command is issued. This algorithm distinguishes between confusing similar numbers. The purpose of the algorithm is to recognize the end of dialing of a telephone number that is currently dialed, and is not used to complete the dialing of a number, such as a partially supplied number, nor to serve as a "speed dial" table. The software of the invention uses the algorithm to correspond the telephone number currently marked complete, with the list or table, of telephone numbers successfully completed, marked pre-orders or emergency alerts. If the currently dialed telephone number has no correspondence in the table, then one of the methods of the prior art to determine the end-of-dialing is used to generate the command SEND (SEND) to transmit the currently dialed telephone number to transceiver. In order to determine if a telephone number is to be stored as a previously marked phone number successfully completed, certain precondition criteria must be used. According to the invention, all sequences of numbers acceptable to the telephone storage system of the invention are non-redundant, that is, no number can appear as a main subset of another number. For example, if "234 5678" is a valid telephone number to store in the table then "234 567 8901" can not be a valid telephone number, since the software of the invention will never be able to go beyond the first seven digits. (This is why dialing "1" for long distance is added to the PSTN). Therefore "1 234 567 8901" is a non-redundant and valid telephone number and can be stored in the table according to the present invention. In this way, there is no need to differentiate international telephone numbers from the premises, since all the numbers are non-redundant sequences. The exception to this rule is the digit "0", which can be used only to mark the operator, or it can precede a longer string of digits; the system of the invention requires a minimum number of digits, thus avoiding recognition of a single "0" as a valid number. The method of the present invention can be activated or deactivated by the user by the provision of a sequence of specific keys. When deactivated, the status of all stored numbers is retained, and no new numbers are supplied. A list of successfully completed, pre-dialed or emergency N phone numbers will be stored in memory, where N can be adjusted to any number depending on the amount of available memory and processor speed. Because the storage is finite, it is necessary an indication of the "age" of the telephone number (number of other numbers dialed since the current telephone number was last dialed), in order to indicate which telephone is the oldest and should be eliminated when the space must be released in order to add a new phone number. Emergency numbers will always have the minimum age assigned, so that they are never replaced. The storage of the telephone number table will preferably be in non-volatile RAM memory (NVRAM = non-volatiel RAM), but it is not critical. However, usually RAM will be more readily available than NVRAM, and can be used for storage. The loss of power will eliminate the list of memorized numbers. A manual reset, which effectively empties the stored list of phone numbers, can also be provided. Since the length of telephone numbers varies throughout the world, and since there are no limitations where a telephone can be used, a scheme for counting digits is not implemented, apart from an optional requirement of a minimum number, programmable in the factory , of marked digits, in order to help in avoiding memorization of invalid numbers. Each phone number will be stored in the list, or table only once. An account of the number of times the phone number has been successfully dialed (up to a maximum, or MIN-HITS) will be included in the list or table. End-of-dialing (EOD) declaration by the method of the present invention is not valid until the count of number of times marked is equal to a minimum amount or MIN-HITS, where MIN- HITS will be at least 2, and where each time the phone number was dialed it ended in a successful transmission. This restriction where the count of number of times marked must be equal to or greater than MIN-HITS will avoid an incomplete phone number from being falsely acquired and stored in the table, which would otherwise occur, for example if waiting a long time between marked digits, the EOD method of elapsed time interval enters; in this way, due to the software of the invention will never pass the number shortened falsely once it has been acquired in memory, the use of T equal to or greater than 2 will solve this problem, in addition to the previously mentioned requirement of the minimum number programmable in the factory of marked digits. This is necessary, since a falsely cut telephony number may violate the consideration that the numbers are not redundant. If it is possible to determine from the telephone that a voice / traffic channel is assigned, a new number can be further qualified. The new number will only be stored if a voice / traffic channel is assigned by the network for a predetermined amount of time (approximately 15 seconds). If a number is explicitly rejected by the network, and only control messages are exchanged, the number will be declared invalid and will not enter the table. If the particular type of telephone is unable to communicate this information to the processor in which the algorithm runs, this qualifier can not be implemented. Each number stored in the memory-table will be followed by an automatically added character, for example "#" that flags at the end of the number. As mentioned above, numbers can be stored randomly, in stored numbers, or in an orderly fashion in time. The preferred form of the invention is random storage. In the case of storage ordered by numbers or random, another field is required, whose additional field is a "label" to indicate information of "age", so that the oldest stored telephone number can be discarded eventually, as it is added new one. In the time-ordered method, the oldest telephone number will be removed, or deleted, when the end of memory capacity has been reached and a new telephone number is to be acquired. Under the time-ordered method, when the dialed telephone number has been recognized as a previously stored telephone number, the old instance of the previously stored telephone number must be removed, with the same telephone number now stored in the head of the telephone. list, but below the emergency numbers. In the preferred embodiment, the memory of the cellular interface unit is used as follows. RAM locations are used to store the sequence of telephone numbers currently marked for entry, RAM locations are used to store the table or list of telephone numbers or previously dialed. The number of times (MIN-HITS) that the telephone number must be marked before declaring itself valid to enter the table, where it is available to indicate EOD, is hard coded with the program code. Register or location RAM is also used to store the account of the digits currently marked (digit index). In addition, each stored number location of the table of emergency telephone numbers previously marked and stored in RAM, includes space for a telephone number up to, preferably 16 digits, the number of times that number has been previously dialed, a indicator of age, and a flag indicating a correspondence of the current digit with the digit to be marked. Referring now to Figures 1-4, flowcharts are also shown for the preferred form of the invention, wherein the list of previously marked, stored telephone numbers is stored randomly. Figure 1 shows the reset process 10. All phone number entries are adjusted so that their age indication is at a maximum, with the number of hits at zero, and the phone number marked at null, with so there is no phone number stored in the memory table (block 12). The program of the invention obtains the emergency numbers of non-volatile memory and places them in the table, adding the terminator, adjusting the number of hits equal to the minimum of previous hits (MIN-HITS) and the antiquality equal to zero for each number (block 13) It is noted that zero seniority will never be advanced in subsequent stages, such that these special numbers are never removed from the table by the antiquity algorithm of the software or program of the invention. At this point, the system has yet to be used for the first time, or the system has been reinitialized to save power to the system, or to reinitialize it by means of a key sequence feed. The "restart" sub-routine then ends (block 14).Figure 2 shows the initialization process 20 that occurs before each telephone number is dialed when a dial tone begins (off-hook condition). After the generation of dial tone, the cellular interface unit that couples a standard terrestrial telephone such as a POTS telephone or fax machine and the like with a cellular network, such as that described in US Pat. Nos. 4,658,096 , and 4,737,975, the software or program of the invention releases the mark buffer, sets the digit position count to zero and sets the "Table index" to "Not Found" (block 22). To ensure that all emergency and pre-dialed telephone numbers stored in the table memory are searched and compared to the telephone number currently dialed, each entry in the table has its correspondence flag set to "true" (block 24) upon which the dial tone sub-routine (block 26) exits, and the program of the invention expects the entry of digits of a telephone that is dialed. Now with reference to Figure 3, the current sub-routine of "Marked Digit Correspondence" is illustrated 30. In decision block 32, the marked digit position is first examined to see if it is greater than the maximum allowed. For example, if the currently dialed telephone number is greater than 16 digits, then upon entering digit 17 ("NO" of decision block 32) the sub-routine goes out (block 34), and the correspondence process for the number The currently marked telephone is terminated, with that of the other EOD methods that is used to generate the SEND command such as the elapsed time interval method. If the dialed digit is in a site that is less than the maximum allowed ("YES" (YES) of decision block 32), then that digit currently dialed from the currently dialed telephone number is stored in the dial buffer area of RAM (block 34). After each digit of the currently dialed telephone number has been stored in the RAM dialing memory, then that digit and its value are checked against the list of previously dialed telephone numbers, to see if there is a correspondence
(block 36). If the digit is the first dialing, then all the emergency telephone number entries or previously marked in the table, are searched and compared; that is, for a first digit marked, all entries in the table have been initially adjusted to have a "VERIDIC" correspondence flag. In this way, for the first digit entry, the response to decision block 38 will be "YES" for each entry in the table. In block 40, the dialed digit is compared with the corresponding digit of each table entry. For the first digit dialed, all table entries will be searched; for subsequent dialed digits, only those entries for which the "Correspondence Flag" has been set to "VERIDIC", will be searched. If the entry is not found to correspond, then the response to block 40 is "NO", the correspondence flag for that entry is set to "FALSE" (block 42), and then the sub-routine checks to see if all the entries have been checked or marked (block 44), and if "NO", then the next entry is chosen (block 46) and the process is repeated. If the answer to decision block 44 is "YES", meaning that all entries have been compared, then the sub-routine exits (block 48) and returns to decision block 32 and waits for the next digit to be entered, with the that the decision block 32 will again determine if its location is less than the maximum allowed, and if it is "YES", then the blocks 34-40 are repeated for each digit dialed. If the answer to decision block 40 is "YES", which means that it has been found in the correspondence between the digit marked and the corresponding digit in the table entry, then the sub-routine checks to check if the next digit position of the table entry is the terminator symbol, such as "#", or similar (decision block 50). If "YES" then this indicates that the dialed telephone number is the same as the newly verified table entry (block 52). If the answer to decision block 50 is "NO", then the sub-routine proceeds to decision block 44 to see if all entries have been compared. If all have been checked, then the sub-routine is exited (block 48), and it returns to decision block 32 to wait for entry of the next digit dialed from the currently dialed telephone number. If not all entries have been checked, then the sub-routine returns to decision block 38 to check the next table entry. If the response to decision block 50 is "YES", the sub-routine has determined that the currently dialed telephone number corresponds to one of the entries. The program then sets "table index" to the corresponding entry (block 52), then the program determines how many times that table entry has been successfully marked.; that is, in decision block 54, the sub-routine determines whether the minimum number of times marked (MIN-HITS) is at least equal to some minimum of successfully completed previous calls for that entry in the table, which is preferably equal to or greater than 2. If "YES", then the EOD flag is set to "VERY" (block 56) and the "SEND" command (SEND) is generated. If the response to decision block 54 is "NO", meaning that the entry of the table has only been successfully called once, if T = 2, then the sub-routine will discard this table entry and advance to exit immediately ( block 48) and the currently dialed telephone number will have its "SEND" command (SEND) generated by one of the methods of the prior art, such as the elapsed time interval method. Now with reference to Figure 4, the sub-routine is illustrated to determine if a currently dialed telephone number should be added back to the table of emergency telephone numbers and previously marked, as well as other update functions. The sub-routine of Figure 4 first determines how much the currently dialed telephone number was connected (block 60). If it is less than a minimum time such as 15 seconds, then the unimportant call is considered. If the call was connected for more than a minimum amount of time, then the sub-routine starts. The sub-routine in Figure 4 first ensures that the currently dialed telephone number has at least a required number of digits (decision block 62) in order to avoid storing badly marked numbers in the storage table. If it is "NQ", then the sub-routine exits (block 64). If "YES", then the sub-routine continues to determine if the currently dialed telephone number has found a correspondence in the table of entries of previously dialed telephone numbers (block 64). If it is "NO", indicating that the currently dialed telephone number has found a correspondence with an emergency telephone number or previously marked in the entries table, then the currently dialed telephone number is chosen for entry in order to update the table (block 66). Decision block 68 then determines that so many times the emergency or pre-dialed telephone number corresponds to this currently dialed telephone number has been successfully dialed or the number of "hits". If the number of "hits" is greater than the minimum amount (greater than MIN-HITS, where MIN-HITS is preferably equal to or greater than 2), then the response to decision block 68 is "NO", and the sub-routine advances. If the answer to decision block 68 is "YES", then the sub-routine will increase the number of successfully completed calls, or hits in RAM for that entry (block 70). In either "YES" or "NO" to decision block 68, the sub-routine proceeds to block 72, where the age of all entries is increased, such that each entry, in addition to emergency numbers and the current entry, will have its date stamp updated or increased by one to a higher value, for all telephone numbers previously marked in the table, whose date stamp was more recent than the previous date stamp of the telephone number previously marked that corresponded . The phone number currently marked which is the previously dialed telephone number that corresponds, now has its date stamp updated and adjusted to one (block 74), indicating that this entry is the most recent. If the response to decision block 64 is "YES", indicating that the currently dialed telephone number has not found correspondence in the table of entries, then the table of entries must be updated by replacing the oldest previously dialed telephone number with the most recently dialed phone number (blocks 76 and 78). The value of the number of "hits" for this most recent entry is set to 1, since it is the first time that this currently dialed telephone number has been successfully dialed (block 80). The following is the list of software or program to perform the flow diagrams previously detailed. It is noted that this software or program will operate on a table whose entries have been stored using an unordered method. ////////////////////////////////////////////////// /////// // file: enddial.c // // purpose: original call without delay for frequently dialed numbers // // Copyright (C) 1997 Corporation, Inc. /////// ////////////////////////////////////////////////// #include "rtx5 lh" #include "Std_def.h" #include "mail_box.h" #include "utils.h" #include "eeprom.h"
#define MAX_DIAL_ENTRIES 50 #define MIN_HITS 2 #define TERMINATOR "#" #define NOT_FOUND 255 #define PHONE_NUM_LENGTH 17 #define MIN DIGITS 3
void ResetDialig (void); void CheckDialDigit (BYTE digit); void Number Valid (void); void SetNewest (void); void ReplaceOldest (void);
typedef struct. { BYTE match; BYTE age; BYTE hits; BYTE PhoneNumber [PHONE_NUM_LENGTH]; } DialEntry;
static DialEntry DialTbl [MAX_DIAL_ENTRIES]; static BYTE DigitPosition; static BYTE DialIndex; static BYTE DialBuffer [PHONE NUM LENGTH];
// requested when turning on // initializes DialTbl void InitEod (void). { BYTE i, j; for (i = 0; I <MAX_DI L_ENTRIES; ++ i). { DialTbl [i] .age = MAX_DIAL_ENTRIES; DialTbl [i] .hits = O; for (j = 0; j <PHONE_NUM_LENGTH; ++ j) DialTbl [i]. PhoneNumber [j] = 0; } } // requested at the start of dial tone // initializes EOD values for new dialing sequence void ResetDialing (void). { BYTE i; DigitPosition = 0; DialIndex = NOT_FOUND; for (i = 0; i <MAX_DIAL_ENTRIES; ++ i) DialTbl [i] .match = TRUE; for (i = 0; Í <PHONE_NUM_LENGTH; ++ i) DialBuffer [i] = 0; } // requested for MMI task for each digit dialed, if // the first dialed character is not Terminator // originates calls if valid correspondence is found in // DialTbl void EndOfDialing (BYTE digit). { BYTE i; if (DigitPosition> PHONE_NUM_LENGTH-l) return; // originates calls if valid correspondence is found in DialTbl Dial Buffer [DigitPosition] = digit; // saves digit in // buffer for (i = 0; i <MAX_DI L_ENTRIES; ++ I). { // search all // the if table (DialTbl [i] .match). { // jumps entries that have not // already had // correspondence if (DialTbl [i] .PhoneNumber [DigitPosition] = = digit). { // if the corresponding digit and if (DialTbl [i]. PhoneNumber [DigitPosition + 1) = TERMINATOR). { // is the last digit in // the entry DialIndex = i; // save the index of // input if (DialTbl [i] .hits> = MIN_HITS) // if the hits // of input > MIN_HITS EODial = TRUE; // originates call break; } } else DialTbl [i] .match = FALSE; // free flag if not
} // there is correspondence} ++ DigitPosition;
} // requested from the MMI task when it connects > 15 seconds // replace older entry in DialTbl if the number
// dialed is not in DialTbl // increments input hits that are in the table and
// make the most recent entry void NumberValid (void). { if (DigitPosition > = MIN_DIGITS). { if (DialIndex = = NOT_FOUND) ReplaceOldest (); else { if (DialTbl [Diallndex] .hits <MIN__HITS) ++ DialTbl [Diallndex] .hits; SetNewest (); }
} // increase the age of entries that are more // recent than // DialTbl [Diallndex} // set the age of DialTbl [Diallndex] to the most recent
(0) void SetNewest (void). { BYTE i; for (i = 0; i <MAX_DIAL_ENTRIES; ++ i). { if (DialTbl [i]. age <DialTbl [Diallndex]. age) ++ DialTbl [i]. age;
} DialTbl [DialIndex] .age = 0; } // replaces older entry (maximum age) in DialTbl with
// number in DialBuffer // and up to the most recent void entry ReplaceOldest (void). { BYTE i, OldestAge; 01destAge = 0 DialIndex = 0 for (i = 0; i <MAX_DIAL_ENTRIES; ++ I). { if (DialTbl [i] .age> 01dest Age). { Oldest Age = DialTbl [i] .age; DialIndex = i; } } DialTbl [Diallndex] .hits = 1; for (i = 0; (< PHONE NUM LENGTH) & DialBuffer [i]; ++ 1) DialTbl [Diallndex]. PhoneNumber [i] = DialBuffer [i]; DialTbl [Dial Index]. PhoneNumber [i] = TERMINATOR; SetNewest (); } While the radio network and the interface discussed previously have been those for the cellular network, other radio network systems can also easily employ the system of the invention. The types of cellular systems in addition to the pure type of cellular systems, where the present invention may be employed, are those that are generally related to a wireless digital personal communication systems having a plurality of intelligent base stations and remote handset terminals., smart, each having a predetermined radio cellular coverage area, and more particularly to a personal communication system (or PCS), radio telephone, cellular radio, digital, which has a complete ISDN interface, thereby facilitating interconnection direct and PCS call traffic switching through the ISDN interface, and the public switched telephone network or any other switched network, the personal communication system has voice / data / image (or any combination thereof) and full duplex two-way input and output calls, which is fully operational and compatible with any selected modulation approach, with protocol transfer between cells that is provided through distributed logic implemented in resident software at the remote handset terminals smart base stations and the public switched telephone network (or any other switched network) equipped with a PCS service control database. If memory space is available, telephone numbers other than those designated for emergency use may be stored and issued in the form of emergency numbers. These numbers can include network operator business numbers, and numbers provided by the user. While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope, spirit and intent of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.