Abstract:
A method and telephone apparatus that places a telephone call to a directory assistance system and verbally provides the system with information identifying an entity is provided. The directory assistance system transmits data including at least the phone number and alphanumeric identifier of the entity to the telephone. Upon receipt of the data from the directory assistance system, the data is stored into the memory of the telephone. Thus, the telephone is automatically programmed with at least a telephone number and its associated alphanumeric identifier. Accordingly, the telephone number can later be recalled and dialed through the use of the alphanumeric identifiers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of telephones and, more particularly to a method of programming telephone numbers and telephone number identifiers into a telephone. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, public use of wireless communication devices, such as wireless telephones, has increased greatly. Wireless telephones, such as cellular telephones, are typically either independently powered hand-held units or are mounted in vehicles. 
     Because of their mobility, wireless telephones must be light and compact. A user needs to be able to comfortably carry the telephone in a pocket, purse or briefcase. For example, it is common for a wireless telephone to have only a liquid crystal display (LCD), a numeric keypad, a very limited number of control buttons, such as a clear/end button, a send button and a power button. A personal digital assistant (PDA) incorporating a wireless telephone might include a touch sensitive or pen-based screen in addition to the above list of user-interface devices. 
     In recent years, wireless telephones have been manufactured with operating features identical to those found in conventional telephones. In addition, wireless telephones have been manufactured with paging and PDA features. Despite all of the technological advancements, wireless telephones are not without their shortcomings. For example, today&#39;s wireless telephones allow a user to program their frequently dialed telephone numbers into the memory of their telephone for later rapid dialing, but this programming function must be performed manually. Manual programming of the wireless telephone can take time and requires the user to remember how to perform the steps required to carry out the programming function. 
     The user can refer to the wireless telephone user manual to determine the steps required to properly program telephone numbers into the telephone. This, however, is not preferred since these manuals are rarely, if ever, carried around with the telephone. Without the manual the user will not be able to manually program telephone numbers into the wireless telephone. Even if the user locates the telephone manual, the user may still have difficulty in programming telephone numbers into the wireless telephone since some users may not understand the lengthy and detailed instructions. Accordingly, there is a need and desire for a method and apparatus for automatically programming telephone numbers into a wireless telephone. 
     Moreover, most wireless telephones also allow the user to associate and program an alphanumeric identifier for each telephone number stored in the telephone&#39;s memory. These alphanumeric identifiers may then be used to quickly recall and dial a stored telephone number without requiring a user to remember the called party&#39;s telephone number. Unfortunately, this programming function must also be performed manually and suffers from at least the same drawbacks associated with the programming of dialed phone numbers. Accordingly, there is a need and desire for a method and apparatus for automatically programming a telephone number&#39;s alphanumeric identifier into a wireless telephone. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method and apparatus for automatically programming telephone numbers into a wireless telephone. 
     The present invention also provides a method and apparatus for automatically programming a telephone number&#39;s alphanumeric identifier into a wireless telephone. 
     The above and other features and advantages of the invention are achieved by a method and telephone apparatus that places a telephone call to a directory assistance system and verbally provides the system with information identifying an entity. The directory assistance system transmits data including at least the phone number and alphanumeric identifier of the entity to the telephone. Upon receipt of the data from the directory assistance system, the data is stored into the memory of the telephone. Thus, the telephone is automatically programmed with at least a telephone number and its associated alphanumeric identifier. Accordingly, the telephone number can later be recalled and dialed through the use of the alphanumeric identifiers. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention given below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a cellular telephone system which can be used to practice the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary cellular telephone used in the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a first embodiment of an automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming process performed by the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a second embodiment of an automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming process performed by the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a third embodiment of an automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming process performed by the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a fourth embodiment of an automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming process performed by the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 7 a - 7   c  are flow charts illustrating modifications of the automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming processes of FIG.  3 - 6 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Although the invention is described below in the context of a cellular wireless telephone, the invention is not so limited and may be used with any type of wireless telephone or other wireless communication device where a series of numbers and/or symbols must be entered to establish a connection to a called party. Accordingly, the below detailed description of use of the invention with a cellular telephone is only representative and not limiting of the invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural, logical, or programming changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a cellular telephone system  10  which can be used to practice the present invention. The system  10  includes a directory assistance system  12  connected by a telephone line  20  to a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO)  14 . The MTSO  14  is connected by a telephone line  22  to cellular telephone facility  16  (also referred to herein as a “cell-site facility  16 ”). The cell-site facility  16  includes an antenna  18  for transmitting voice and digital information via various voice and digital channels to an antenna  34  of a cellular telephone  30 . The antenna  18  of the cell-site facility  16  is also used to receive voice and digital information via the various voice and digital channels from the antenna  34  of the cellular telephone  30 . The system  10  could include more cell-site facilities  16  and cellular telephones  30  if so desired, but only one of facility  16  and telephone  30  are illustrated for convenience purposes. 
     As will be discussed below with reference to FIGS. 3-6, the present invention will utilize the directory assistance system  12  to retrieve at least telephone numbers associated alphanumeric identifiers entities which are to be programmed into the telephone  30 . The directory assistance system  12  is a conventional. An example of a directory assistance system  12  which can be utilized by the present invention is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,700 (Cox et al.), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The system  12  will contain a database of at least telephone numbers and alphanumeric identifiers associated with each telephone number. The database residing in the directory assistance system  12  may also contain other information associated with each telephone number in the database. Additional information may include street address, city, state and any other information desired by the users of the cellular telephone  30 . The directory assistance system  12  will be operated by a telephone company, cellular service provider, or a company that manufactures and/or distributes cellular telephones. 
     As will be discussed below, the directory assistance system  12  is configured to receive telephone calls, input information concerning a entity, perform a database search based on the input information and output via digital data at least a telephone number and its corresponding alphanumeric identifier associated with the input entity information. As will be discussed below, the directory assistance system  12  may output the telephone number and alphanumeric identifier (and other information if necessary) either directly over the telephone line  20 , via e-mail or even by paging the cellular telephone  30  (if the cellular telephone  30  has the e-mail or paging capabilities). The directory assistance system  12  may utilize a human operator or voice activated equipment to input the entity information received from the telephone  30 . The use of voice activated equipment in a directory assistance system  12  is well known in the art. 
     The invention is implemented on the cellular telephone side by the provision of some additional programming of the cellular telephone processor to enable the telephone to carry out the operations described herein. The invention may be implemented in any conventional cellular telephone which includes a processor to control the complex functions of the cellular telephone. Thus, the invention is not restricted to any particular cellular telephone circuit architecture. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,403 to Sutphin shows one representative telephone circuit and associated processor which can be programmed to implement the invention and the disclosure of this patent is incorporated herein by reference. The &#39;403 patent includes a microcomputer processor called a controller which interacts with various other circuits to enable the telephone to perform its cellular telephone operations. This controller is further programmed as described below to implement the invention. FIG. 2 illustrates in a high level block diagram a cellular telephone  30  having a processor serving as a controller  32 , transmit/receive circuitry  36 , memory circuit  38 , antenna  34  and a handset  40  representative of the telephone disclosed in the &#39;403 patent. 
     FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a first embodiment of an automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming process  200  performed by the present invention. Initially, the process  200  begins when a user initiates a telephone call to the directory assistance system (DAS) from the user&#39;s telephone (step  202 ). At step  202 , the user verbally provides information about an entity to the DAS so that the DAS may search for and retrieve at least a telephone number and alphanumeric identifier corresponding to the entity. The information may include the entity&#39;s name, address or any other information that would aid in the search for the entity&#39;s telephone number. The entity may be, for example, a person, company or an association. 
     At this point, the DAS searches for the telephone number and alphanumeric identifier (and other information if desired) based upon the entity information received from the user. As stated earlier, the DAS may include a human operator or voice activated equipment to input the entity information and initiate a search for a telephone number and other desired entity data. 
     At this point, the DAS accesses its database of telephone numbers and alphanumeric identifiers based upon the entity information received by the user and retrieves at least the telephone number and alphanumeric identifier associated with the entity. As stated above, depending on the capabilities of the telephone, the DAS may also retrieve addressing or other pertinent information associated with the entity. Once retrieved, the DAS transfers the telephone number and alphanumeric identifier (and other information if necessary) to the telephone in the form of digital data (step  206 ). 
     The digital data containing the entity telephone number and alphanumeric identifier (and any other information if necessary) is received by the telephone (step  208 ) and the data is stored into the memory of the telephone (step  210 ). The telephone number and alphanumeric identifier (and any other information) will be stored in a non-volatile or EEPROM memory to preserve the information. If temporary memory was used throughout the process  200 , then the information must be transferred to the non-volatile or EEPROM memory before the telephone is powered down. 
     Once the entity telephone number and its alphanumeric identifier are programmed into the memory of the telephone, the user may use the identifier to initiate telephone calls to the entity without dialing or even remembering its telephone number. 
     FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a second embodiment of an automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming process  300  performed by the present invention. The process  300  is essentially the same as the process  200  (FIG. 3) except that the telephone&#39;s speaker is disconnected prior to the receipt of the digital data from the DAS (step  205 ). This would prevent the user from hearing loud tones associated with the transmission of the digital data. The speaker could then be reconnected after all of the digital data has been received from DAS (step  209 ). 
     FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a third embodiment of an automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming process  400  performed by the present invention. The process  400  is implemented when the telephone has an e-mail capability. The process  400  is essentially the same as the process  200  (FIG. 3) except that the DAS transfers the entity telephone number, alphanumeric identifier and other information associated with the entity via a subsequent short message service (SMS) e-mail to the user&#39;s telephone (step  406 ). The telephone receives the e-mail and parses out the entity telephone number and alphanumeric identifier (and other information) from the e-mail message (step  408 ). The information parsed out of the e-mail message is then stored into the memory of the telephone (step  410 ). 
     FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a fourth embodiment of an automatic telephone number and alphanumeric identifier programming process  500  performed by the present invention. The process  500  is implemented when the telephone has a paging capability. The process  500  is essentially the same as the process  200  (FIG. 3) except that the DAS transfers the entity telephone number, alphanumeric identifier and other information associated with the entity via a subsequent page to the user&#39;s telephone (step  506 ). The telephone receives the page and parses out the entity telephone number and alphanumeric identifier (and other information) from the page (step  508 ). The information parsed out of the page is then stored into the memory of the telephone (step  510 ). 
     The present invention can be modified in several ways. Referring to FIGS. 7 a - 7   c,  for example, the stored entity telephone number or its alphanumeric identifier can be displayed on the telephone&#39;s display. This can be done as step  211  of process  200  (FIG. 3) inserted after step  210  and process  300  (FIG. 4) inserted after step  210 , step  411  of process  400  (FIG. 5) inserted after step  410  or as step  511  of process  500  (FIG. 6) inserted after step  510 . 
     The present invention is implemented in software and that the software instructions and data can be stored in PROM, EEPROM or other non-volatile memory of the telephone. The present invention can be stored on a hard drive, floppy disc, CD-ROM or other permanent or semi-permanent storage medium and subsequently transferred to the memory of the telephone. The program embodying the present invention can also be divided into program code segments, downloaded, for example, from a server computer or transmitted as a data signal embodied in a carrier wave to the telephone as is known in the art. In addition, the present invention can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. 
     While the invention has been described in detail in connection with the preferred embodiments known at the time, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.