AUTOMATIC LONG DISTANCE CARRIER CODE LOOKUP

Abstract: A telecommunications device is automatically responsive to a long distance number produced therein to generate a long distance carrier code for use with the long distance number.

Description: AUTOMATIC LONG DISTANCE CARRIER CODE LOOKUP BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Field of the Invention The invention relates to telecommunication devices and, more particularly, to telecommunication devices that access and utilize long distance carrier services. Background and Objects of the Present Invention When a telecommunication device such as, for example, a telephone or a modem, communicates with another telecommunication device via a long distance telephone carrier, the user of the calling device can select the long distance carrier. This selection is often based upon consideration of which long distance carriers have the best available rates and service. The user can select the long distance carrier by notifying the local service provider of the user's choice of long distance carriers, or by dialing a long distance carrier access code before each long distance call. If the user has previously notified the local service provider that long distance company A is to be the regular long distance carrier, but the user determines that it is advantageous to place a call to France using long distance carrier B, the user must dial an access code for long distance carrier B, or get operator assistance. In order to dial in the access code for long distance carrier B, the user must of course remember that it is desirable to call France using long distance carrier B rather than the regular long distance carrier A. Moreover, the user must remember the access code for long distance carrier B. Thus, the user must disadvantageous^ rely upon his memory to remember that long distance carrier B is desired and to remember the access code for carrier B. Even if the user remembers that carrier B is desired for the call to France, and also remembers the carrier code, there is still the inconvenience of manually dialing in the carrier access code in addition to the regular number. If operator assistance is used so there is no need to remember the carrier code, still the user must first remember that carrier B is desirable for calls to France, or the call will be dialed as usual and go through via regular carrier A. Moreover, operator assistance increases the cost of the call. The user can of course program the telephone numbers in France, along with the carrier B access code, into the programmable memory conventionally available in telecommunication devices. However, even with the number and carrier access code already programmed into the memory of the telecommunication device, the user must still remember that the desired number is in fact stored in and available from the memory. That is, the pre-programmed number and carrier access code is of no value unless the user remembers to access it from the memory. If the user forgets that a preprogrammed number plus carrier code is available, then the situation is the same as described above wherein the user must first remember that a long distance carrier other than the regular carrier is desired, and then must either remember the desired carrier access code or seek operator assistance. FIGURE 1 is a block diagram of a conventional telecommunication device, such as a telephone or a modem, that gives rise to the problems discussed above. If the logic at 11 determines that the user entry at user entry port 12 has selected a pre- programmed telephone number, then the output 13 of logic 11 causes the "frequently called number" lookup table 15 (also referred to as a speed dial memory) to send the desired pre-programmed number to the local carrier and to a redial memory 17. If logic 11 determines that the user has selected the number previously stored in the redial memory (often referred to as the last number redial feature), then the output 19 from logic 11 causes redial memory 17 to pass the number stored therein to the local carrier. If the logic 11 determines that the user has manually dialed in a number, then logic 11 passes the number (see 18) to the local carrier and to redial memory 17. As mentioned above, if the desired long distance carrier code is stored along with the number in lookup table 15, then the desired carrier will be accessed when the lookup table passes the number to the local carrier. FIGURE 2 illustrates generally the operation of FIGURE 1 as described above. If the user entry requests the number from the redial memory 17, this selection is determined at 21, and the number is retrieved from the redial memory at 23 and restored in the redial memory at 28. If redial is not desired, then logic 11 determines at 27 whether a pre-programmed number is desired. If so, that pre-programmed number is retrieved at 29 from the lookup table, and that number is stored in the redial memory at 28. If no pre-programmed number is desired at 27, then the user has manually entered a number, which manually entered number is stored in the redial memory at 28. When the desired number is stored in the redial memory at 28, the stored number can also be passed to the local carrier at 25. The conventional telecommunication device illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 thus provides the aforementioned possibility of pre-programming into the telecommunication device a long distance number and the desired long distance carrier access code. However, the arrangement of FIGURES 1 and 2 gives rise to the various disadvantages discussed above with respect to individualized selection of a long distance carrier other than the user's normal long distance carrier. It is therefore desirable to provide a telecommunication device which permits individualized selection of a long distance carrier other than the user's normal long distance carrier without requiring the user to remember any long distance carrier codes or even to remember that a particular long distance carrier code has been pre- programmed into a memory within the telecommunication device. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a telecommunication device which permits individualized selection of a long distance carrier other than the user's normal long distance carrier without requiring the user to remember any long distance carrier codes or even to remember that a long distance carrier code has been pre-programmed into a memory of the telecommunication device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a block diagram of a conventional telecommunication device. FIGURE 2 is a flow diagram which illustrates the operation of the telecommunication device of FIGURE 1. FIGURE 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a telecommunication device according to the present invention. FIGURE 4 is a flow diagram which illustrates the operation of the telecommunication device of FIGURE 3. FIGURE 5 illustrates examples of how a number dialed into the telecommunication device of FIGURE 3 is translated into a number output from the telecommunication device to the local carrier. FIGURE 6 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a telecommunication device according to the present invention. FIGURE 7 is a flow diagram which illustrates the operation of the telecommunication device of FIGURE 6. FIGURE 8 is a flow diagram which illustrates how the use of default long distance carrier codes can be incorporated into the operation illustrated in FIGURE 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Example FIGURE 3 illustrates in block diagram form one example of telecommunication device according to the present invention. The number dialed at 31 is initially stored in a memory 33. The number in the memory 33 is then passed to a logic function 35 which determines whether or not a long distance canier code should be combined with (prepended to) the number in memory 33 before the number is sent to the local carrier. Any necessary combining of the long distance carrier code with the number dialed occurs at 37. It should be noted that the redial memory 17 from prior art FIGURE 1 could be used to implement memory 33 in FIGURE 3. Example FIGURE 4 is a flow diagram which illustrates the operation of the logic function 35 of FIGURE 3. It is determined at 41 whether the number dialed is a long distance number. If not, then the number will be sent directly to the local carrier without being combined with a long distance carrier code at 37 in FIGURE 3. If a long distance number is detected at 41, then it is determined at 43 whether the long distance number is an international long distance number. If not, then the number dialed, or at least the area code, is used to enter a lookup table of domestic long distance carrier codes at 45. The lookup table can implement a logical hash function wherein there is a one-to-one correspondence between, for example, the area code and the appropriate long distance carrier code. For example, the area code could define the address at which the desired long distance carrier code for that area code is located. If a domestic long distance carrier code for the number (or area code) dialed is found in the lookup table 45, then that carrier code is automatically prepended to the number dialed (see 37 in FIGURE 3) before the number is sent to the local carrier. If the lookup table 45 does not include a long distance carrier code for the number (or area code) dialed, then nothing is prepended to the number before it is sent to the local carrier. That is, the number from memory 33 in FIGURE 3 passes unchanged through block 37 of FIGURE 3. If an international call is detected at 43, then the number dialed, or at least the country code, is used to enter an international long distance carrier code lookup table at 47. If an international long distance carrier code is found for the number (or country code) dialed, then that carrier code is automatically prepended to the number dialed at 37 in FIGURE 3 before the number is sent to the local carrier. If the lookup table 47 does not include an international long distance carrier code for the number (or country code) dialed, then the number dialed passes unchanged through block 37 of FIGURE 3 to the local carrier. Refening now to Example FIGURE 5, if the long distance number at 51 is dialed into the telecommunication device of FIGURE 3, the device will recognize at 41 and 43 that the number is a domestic long distance number. Using that number at 51, or at least the area code "202", to enter into the lookup table 45, the carrier code 18021 is found in the lookup table and then prepended to the number at 51 , resulting in the number at 53. The "800" number at 55 does not require a long distance earner and therefore will cause decision block 41 to be answered negatively, so the number will pass unchanged to the local carrier. The number at 57 will be recognized at 41 and 43 as an international long distance call. Using the number at 57, or at least the country code "44", to enter the international long distance carrier code lookup table 47, carrier code 10321 is found and is prepended to the number at 57, resulting in the number at 59. It should be noted that the lookup tables 45 and 47 of FIGURE 4, which are part of the logic function 35 of FIGURE 3, can be implemented in a portion of the existing conventional pre-programmable memory 15 in FIGURE 1. The user could then program carrier codes desired for given domestic area codes and foreign countries into the lookup tables 45 and 47 in a manner analogous to the conventional process of storing frequently used numbers in the lookup table 15. It will be clearly apparent to workers in the art that the remainder of the functionality of logic function 35, as described above with respect to FIGURES 3 and 4, can be readily implemented in hardware or software in the data processing section of a conventional telecommunication device, such as a telephone or modem. Example FIGURE 6 illustrates another telecommunication device according to the present invention. Conventional logic 11 discriminates between a redial request, a pre-programmed number request and a manually dialed number, as in prior art FIGURE 1. Also as in FIGURE 1, if a pre-programmed number is selected by the user, that number is passed to the redial memory 17. Also as in FIGURE 1, if the user has manually dialed a number, that number is passed to redial memory 17. Thus, regardless of whether the user has selected the redial option, the pre-programmed number option or has manually entered a number, the desired number will reside in redial memory 17, just as in the conventional device of FIGURE 1. The number in the redial memory 17 is then applied via a communication path 62 to a logic section 61, a domestic carrier code lookup table 63 and an international carrier code lookup table 65. The lookup tables 63 and 65 can be a part of the existing conventional pre-programmable lookup table memory 15, as indicated by the broken lines in FIGURE 6. If the logic 61 and lookup tables 63 and 65 locate a long distance carrier code, then that code is prepended at 67 to the number from redial memory 17, and the resultant number is passed to the local carrier. If no long distance carrier code is identified by the logic 61 and tables 63 and 65, then no code is prepended at 67. Example FIGURE 7 illustrates the operation of the telecommunication device of FIGURE 6. It will be noted that, from the point of user entry to point 71 in FIGURE 7, the operation is the same as illustrated in prior art FIGURE 2. It is determined at 73 whether the number stored in redial memory is a long distance number that could utilize a long distance canier access code. If not, the number from redial memory passes unchanged directly to the local carrier at 75. If the number is a long distance number at 73, then it is determined at 77 whether the long distance number is an international number. If not, then the domestic carrier code table is used at 79. If the number is an international number at 75, then the international canier code table is used at 72. After the appropriate lookup table has been accessed, it is determined at 74 whether a carrier code has been found. If not, then the number from redial memory passes unchanged to the local carrier at 75. If a carrier code has been found at 74, then that carrier code is automatically prepended to the number from redial memory at 76, and the resultant number is then passed to the local carrier at 75. In the foregoing description of FIGURES 3-4 and 6-7, if the appropriate lookup table does not include a long distance carrier code corresponding to the desired long distance number, then nothing is prepended to the long distance number before the long distance number is passed to the local carrier. Alternatively, however, each of the above-described lookup tables at 45, 47, 63 and 65 may also have stored therein a default long distance carrier code to be prepended to the long distance number if the lookup table does not include a long distance carrier code corresponding to the long distance number. These default codes would also be user-programmable in the same manner (described above) as the other codes in the lookup tables. Example FIGURE 8 illustrates how the operation of FIGURE 7 is modified to accommodate the use of default long distance carrier codes. If it is determined at 74 (see also FIGURE 7) that the appropriate lookup table does not include a long distance canier code corresponding to the desired long distance number, then, at 81, the logic 61 of FIGURE 6 obtains either the default international long distance carrier code from the international carrier code lookup table 65, or the default domestic long distance carrier code from the domestic carrier code lookup table 63. This default long distance canier code is then prepended to the long distance number at 76 (see FIGURE 7). Referencing again FIGURES 3-5, if the long distance numbers at 51 and 57 have no conesponding entries in the respective lookup tables at 45 and 47, then the long distance carrier codes "10821" and "10321" in the respective numbers at 53 and 59 would respectively represent default domestic and international long distance carrier codes obtained by logic function 35 from lookup tables 45 and 47. The above-described use of default domestic and international long distance carrier codes insures that the user's call will always go through the user's choice of long distance caniers. Because the default long distance canier codes are programmably changeable, the user can switch long distance caniers (virtually transparently) without contacting the local canier and incurring service switching or disconnect fees. The user may change the default long distance canier codes at any time, cost free. It will be clearly evident to workers in the art that the logic functions provided by logic 61 and described with respect to FIGURES 6-8, and the prepend function at 67 in FIGURE 6 can be readily implemented in hardware or software in the data processing section of a conventional telecommunication device such as a telephone or modem. The present invention thus provides the capability of pre-programming long distance canier codes into a telecommunications device so that the telecommunications device can automatically prepend a desired long distance carrier code to a long distance number entered by the user of the telecommunications device, whether the number was manually entered in its entirety, or was selected from a group of pre-programmed numbers in a memory, or was selected from a last number redial memory of the telecommunications device. This permits individualized and automatic selection of a long distance canier other than the user's normal long distance canier, without requiring the user to remember any long distance canier codes or even that any long distance carrier codes have previously been pre-programmed into the telecommunication device. The user can easily change the programmed canier codes at will in the same manner that frequently called numbers are changed in the speed dial memory of conventional telephones. The previous description is of prefened embodiments for implementing the invention, and the scope of the invention should not necessarily be limited by this description. The scope of the present invention is instead defined by the following claims.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A method of operating a telecommunications device, comprising: providing a long distance number within the device; and responsive to the long distance number, producing within the device a long distance canier code for use with the long distance number. 2. The method of Claim 1 , including combining the long distance carrier code with the long distance number within the device. 3. The method of Claim 1 , wherein said producing step includes finding said long distance canier code in a memory. 4. The method of Claim 1, wherein said producing step includes producing said long distance canier code as a function of a code in the long distance number indicative of a geographic area that the long distance number will access. 5. The method of Claim 4, wherein said producing step includes using the code to locate the long distance carrier code in a memory. 6. A method of operating a telecommunications device, comprising: from among a plurality of sources within the device which are each capable of providing a long distance number within the device, selecting one of the sources and causing the selected source to provide a long distance number within the device; and producing within the device, and regardless of the selected source, a long distance canier code for use with the long distance number. 7. The method of Claim 6, including combining the long distance carrier code with the long distance number within the device. 8. The method of Claim 6, wherein said producing step includes finding said long distance carrier code in a memory. 9. The method of Claim 6, wherein said producing step includes producing the long distance canier code as a function of a code in the long distance number that is indicative of a geographic area that the long distance number will access. 10. The method of Claim 9, including using the code to locate the long distance canier code in a memory. 11. The method of Claim 6, wherein said selecting step includes selecting a last number redial memory as the selected source. 12. The method of Claim 6, wherein said selecting step includes selecting a speed dial memory as the selected source. 13. The method of Claim 6, wherein said selecting step includes selecting a user entry port of the device as the selected source. 14. A telecommunications device, comprising: a communication path for carrying a long distance number within said device; and a circuit having an input coupled to said communication path to receive the long distance number, said circuit having an output to provide, in response to said long distance number received at said input, a long distance carrier code for use with said long distance number. 15. The device of Claim 14, wherein said circuit includes a memory having said long distance carrier code stored therein. 16. A telecommunications device, comprising: a communication path for carrying a long distance number within said device; a plurality of sources coupled to said communication path, each said source capable of providing a long distance number on said communication path; and a circuit having an output that provides a long distance canier code for combination with a long distance number provided by one of said sources, regardless of which of said sources produces the long distance number, said output coupled to said communication path. 17. The device of Claim 16, wherein said circuit includes a memory having said long distance canier code stored therein. 18. The device of Claim 16, wherein one of said sources is a memory having said long distance number stored therein. 19. The device of Claim 18, wherein said memory is one of a redial memory and a speed dial memory. 20. The device of Claim 16, wherein one of said sources is a user entry port ananged to receive manually entered information.

Inventors: MORGAN JOHN C, MORGAN, JOHN, C.
Applicants: ERICSSON GE MOBILE INC, ERICSSON INC.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: H04M1
IPC codes: H04M1