Arrangement for entering information into a directory on a telephone terminal

A softkey directory for use in a telephone terminal is arranged such that a user of the terminal is prevented from entering the same name identifier at more than one softkey label. The directory is further arranged such that the user of the telephone terminal also is prevented from entering a telephone number without an associated name identifier and from entering a name identifier without an associated telephone number.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Technical Field 
This invention is directed to telephone terminals and more particularly, to 
configurable telephone terminals. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Current trends in the design of telephone terminals indicate that more and 
more telephone functionality is being integrated into the telephone 
display. For example, information as to the features available on the 
display has migrated from LEDs to the display, and local additions such as 
telephone number directories, status inspection, incoming caller 
information etc., are all migrating to the display. 
Many interactive display arrangements available today permit accessing the 
features available on the display through softkeys. One such feature 
available on these arrangements is a personalized directory of frequently 
called telephone numbers for the user. A user may enter these numbers and 
provide associated names which appear as softkey labels for identifying 
these numbers. These directory entries are accessed by the user and while 
being viewed may be dialed automatically in these display arrangements. 
The prior art interactive display arrangements with a personalized 
directory allow a user to enter duplicate names into the directory. 
Duplicate names, however, can confuse the user and misdialing errors can 
easily occur. By way of example, if a user is allowed to provide in the 
directory two softkey labels having the same name, the user unfortunately 
is forced to remember which of the two softkey labels will place a call to 
the person he or she is then trying to reach. 
These prior art interactive display arrangements also allow a user to enter 
a telephone number without a name or the name without the telephone number 
into the directory. Having a directory entry with a name but no telephone 
number can also lead to misdialing errors. Also having a directory entry 
with a telephone number but no name creates an undefined or blank softkey 
label in the directory at which the user can place a call. When attempting 
to use the directory, finding such an entry without an associated softkey 
label is very difficult for a user. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The prior art problems are solved in accordance with the present invention 
by providing a personalized softkey directory arranged such that a user of 
a telephone terminal containing this directory is prevented from entering 
the same name identifier at more than one softkey label. The directory is 
further arranged such that the user of the terminal is also prevented from 
entering a telephone number without an associated name identifier and from 
entering a name identifier without an associated telephone number.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an illustrative block diagram of a 
telephone terminal 100 useful for describing the operation of the present 
invention. The terminal includes an input/output (I/O) interface unit 110 
which connects to a telecommunication switch 111, such as the 5ESS.RTM. 
central office (CO) switch or the DEFINITY.RTM. private branch exchange 
(PBX) switch, via lines 101. This I/O interface unit 110 contains 
switching, control, and line circuits required by the terminal 100 for 
establishing, maintaining and terminating communication connections 
between the terminal and the CO or PBX switch 111. Through these circuits, 
the terminal 100 thus sends to and receives from the CO or PBX switch 111 
switching and control signals. 
The terminal also includes a program memory 112 which provides instructions 
to a central processor unit (CPU) 113 for controlling the various 
operating features and functions originating at the terminal. This program 
memory 112 also contains data for interpreting a plurality of codes 
representative of various network information received from the switch 111 
and for generating codes to be transmitted to the switch 111. A data 
memory 114 is utilized by the CPU 113 for storing and accessing data 
associated with performing the various functions and features programmed 
in the program memory 112. In one embodiment, CPU 113 is a microprocessor, 
program memory 112 is read-only-memory (ROM) and data memory 114 is a 
random-access-memory (RAM). These components are readily available from a 
number of semiconductor manufacturers such as Intel, Motorola, AMD and 
NEC. Connected to the interface unit 110 is a user interface 200, the 
physical aspects of which are shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. 
With general reference now to FIG. 2, the user interface 200 comprises a 
user interactive display shown as menu screen 210-2, switch administered 
keys or buttons 212, call appearance keys or buttons 213, multiple hard 
keys 214 through 217, an "Exit" key 221 and softkeys 226 through 229. 
Other well-known keys or buttons are also illustrated as part of the 
telephone terminal shown in FIG. 2 but are not further described herein. 
The multiple hard buttons 214 through 217 are respectively labeled "Menu", 
"Dir", "&lt;Prev", and "Next&gt;". The Menu button 214 is used to configure the 
terminal to the local softkey state, one aspect of which is described in 
greater detail later herein with specific reference to the menu screens 
210-2 through 210-7 shown in FIG. 2 through 7. Similarly, the Dir button 
215 also configures the terminal to the local softkey state, and also 
gives the user quick access to a local directory stored in the terminal 
with the first few entries appearing on the display. The &lt;Prev and Next&gt; 
buttons 216 and 217 are used to access additional menu items in both the 
local softkey state and in a network-based or switch feature state. In the 
local softkey state, for example, name identifiers and telephone numbers 
may be accessed by these buttons for entering or editing with the softkeys 
226 through 229. Also the &lt;Prev and Next&gt; buttons 216 and 217 may be used 
in the switch feature state, for example, to display the previous or next 
entry in a directory query feature. The labels and functions of the 
softkeys 226 through 229 appear on the associated menu screen 210-2. The 
label or function for each of these keys changes dynamically as the user 
performs functions and makes selections via these softkeys. 
While the embodiment of the present invention is described as being 
incorporated into a telephone terminal, it should be recognized that the 
present command-operated terminal could be utilized in a computer or other 
program-controlled system. Since such systems utilize a variety of 
hardware and programming techniques, no attempt is made to describe the 
details of the program used to control the telephone terminal. However, 
the present invention must be blended into the overall structure of the 
system in which it is used and must be tailored to mesh with other 
features and operations of the system. Thus, in order to avoid confusion 
and in order to enable those skilled in the art to practice the claimed 
invention, this specification will describe the operation of the present 
invention using the telephone terminal 100 shown in both FIGS. 1 and 2 
together with the menu screens 210-2, 210-3, 210-4, 210-5, 210-6 and 210-7 
of FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, which taken together describe 
the logical steps and the various parameters required to implement the 
present invention. 
A softkey directory is provided, in accordance with the invention, for 
preventing a user of a telephone terminal containing this directory from 
entering the same character string or name identifier in more than one 
directory entry. The directory is further arranged such that the user of 
the terminal is also prevented from entering a telephone number without an 
associated name identifier and from entering a name identifier without an 
associated telephone number. 
In an illustration of the functionality of the softkey directory, the 
following operative description, in accordance with the invention, is 
provided. In this regard and with reference first to the initial number 
entry menu screen 210-2 shown in FIG. 2, when a user wishes to enter a 
telephone number, he or she accesses this screen in the menu hierarchy. 
Shown in this menu screen 210-2 is a field for entering a telephone 
number. 
A user is not permitted to advance from this screen 210-2 to an editing 
number entry screen 210-3, shown in FIG. 3, until a digit, or other 
recognizable symbol such as the pause symbol represented by the pause 
softkey label, is entered. The user is otherwise presented only with the 
Quit softkey 229 until a digit is entered. Pressing the Quit softkey 229 
abandons the directory entry procedure. After a digit is entered, the 
label above the softkey 229 changes from Quit to Done for indicating at 
this time that the user is 1) at the editing number entry screen and 2) 
permitted, by pressing the Done softkey 229, to proceed to an initial 
character entry screen 210-4. 
The initial character entry screen 210-4 operates in a manner similar to 
the initial number entry screen 210-2. This screen 210-4 presents only a 
Quit softkey label to the user until a character is entered into the 
screen. After a character has been entered, the softkey label changes from 
Quit to Done for indicating that the user is at the editing name entry 
screen 210-5. From this screen, the user is permitted to select the Done 
softkey 229 which saves both an original name identifier with a telephone 
number into the softkey directory. 
After pressing the Done softkey 229 to save the name identifier and the 
telephone number, a process in the telephone terminal checks all existing 
directory entries to ensure that there is no exact duplicate entry for the 
name identifier portion of the entry attempting to be saved by the user of 
the telephone terminal. If a match is not found, the entry is saved as 
shown in menu screen 210-6. If a match is found, however, the user is 
informed as shown in menu screen 210-7. In this screen, the user is given 
the opportunity to: 1) rename the new entry; 2) replace the old entry with 
the new entry; 3) view the old and new phone numbers; or 4) quit and not 
save the new entry. Another way of eliminating a duplicate entry also 
includes giving the user the option of renaming the old entry. 
What has been described is merely illustrative of the present invention. 
Other applications to telephone, computer or other user interactive 
systems other than the disclosed system are contemplated as being within 
the knowledge of one skilled in the an and may be utilized without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.