Abstract:
A method for dialing a telephone number indirectly, including obtaining an alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to a telephone subscriber and associating the identifier with a destination telephone number of the telephone subscriber to form a mapping therebetween. The method further includes storing the mapping in a lookup table, dialing the identifier using an originating telephone, using the identifier as a pointer to the lookup table so as to recover the destination telephone number from the stored mapping, and establishing a connection between the originating telephone and a destination telephone via the destination telephone number.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to dialing a telephone number, and specifically to indirectly dialing the number.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A telephone “line” has a unique telephone number, based on an international addressing recommendation E.164, associated with the line. Recommendation E.164, published by the International Telecommunication Union, Geneva, Switzerland, describes the number as comprising a country code, a national destination (or area) code and a subscriber number. In order to access the line, which may be connected to a communication device such as a landline telephone, a mobile telephone, or a facsimile machine, the unique number is dialed by a caller. Depending on the location of the caller in relation to the line, the caller may not need to dial the complete number in order to access the line. For example, a caller dialing from a mobile or landline telephone based in the United Kingdom, and dialing to a number in the United Kingdom, does not need to dial the country code “44” of the United Kingdom. Similarly, a caller in area code 212 in the United States does not need to dial either country code “1” or area code 212 if the caller is dialing from a telephone based in area code 212.  
           [0003]    In the disclosure and in the claims, the term “dial” is assumed to refer to use of a rotary dial or a numeric keypad or other actuator which is able to convey signals representative of a telephone number. The term “dial” is also assumed to refer to voice dialing, where vocal sounds are transformed to signals representative of the telephone number.  
           [0004]    Rather than dialing the unique number, or the part of the number, indirect dialing systems are known in the art. One such system uses letters which are already associated with numbers on the dial of a telephone, e.g., A, B, and C are associated with “2.” A telephone number may thus be converted at least partly to letters, and the letters themselves may be used as a mnemonic and dialed. It will be appreciated that such indirect dialing systems use the existing E.164 number format in a transliterated form.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,868 to Hamano, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a call processing system for an intelligent network. The system includes a number translation table in a service exchange point which has dial numbers and corresponding translation numbers stored in the point. When a call is made to the service exchange point, the dial numbers and the translation numbers stored in the number translation table are accessed, and a translation number corresponding to the inputted call is generated. The dial numbers comprise 800 or 900 numbers, which are translated to local, typically 7-digit, numbers.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,574 to Oran, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a dial plan mapper which manages the translation between E.164 numbers and Internet hosts so as to provide voice over the Internet (VoIP) services. A dial string is received and predetermined match patterns, such as a four digit extension that does not start with 0, 9 or 8, corresponding to a local extension call in some private branch exchange (PBX) systems, are compared with the dial string. The dial plan mapper identifies the longest match of the dial string and outputs call configuration information associated with the identified match pattern.  
           [0007]    The Internet Engineering Task Force, in conjunction with the International Telecommunication Union, has produced a standard, request for comments (RFC) 2916, which translates E.164 telephone numbers into IP addresses. RFC 2916, incorporated herein by reference, comprises a protocol and a database that maps telephone numbers to Internet domain names. RFC 2916 discusses the use of the Domain Name System (DNS) for storage of E.164 numbers, and how the DNS can be used for identifying available services connected to one E.164 number.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for indirect dialing of a telephone number.  
           [0009]    In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a telephone number of a communication device is associated with an identifier of a user of the device. The identifier comprises any alphanumeric string, such as a social security number, a car license number, or a passport number, which is able to identify the user of the device. The association between the string and the telephone number is preferably generated by the user. Alternatively, the association is generated by an entity having knowledge of the string and the telephone number. Preferably, the string is able to uniquely identify the user. Alternatively, the string is able to identify a group of users which includes the user of the device.  
           [0010]    The association is stored in a database. A caller who wishes to contact the user dials the identifier, which most preferably includes a prefix chosen from a group of prefixes, each prefix defining a type of string used as the identifier. A telephone network within which the caller is operating accepts the call, and, responsive to the prefix, accesses the database. Alternatively, rather than providing a group of prefixes, one prefix is implemented in the telephone network, and used by the caller, as a notification to access the database. If the string uniquely identifies the user, the database provides the telephone number of the communication device in response. In cases where the string identifies a group of users, the caller is queried by a server in the network so as to identify the user of the device, and after the identification the database provides the telephone number. The network then continues the process of placing the call in the standard manner. The caller is thus able to contact the communication device indirectly, without knowledge of the telephone number of the device.  
           [0011]    The communication device may be any type of landline phone, mobile phone, facsimile machine, or any other apparatus which is dialable by the telephone number.  
           [0012]    In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the identifier comprises a car license number which is automatically read by an imaging system under control of the caller. Most preferably, the system dials the license number after reading the number.  
           [0013]    There is therefore provided, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for dialing a telephone number indirectly, including:  
           [0014]    obtaining an alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to a telephone subscriber;  
           [0015]    associating the identifier with a destination telephone number of the telephone subscriber to form a mapping therebetween;  
           [0016]    storing the mapping in a lookup table;  
           [0017]    dialing the identifier using an originating telephone; using the identifier as a pointer to the lookup table so as to recover the destination telephone number from the stored mapping; and  
           [0018]    establishing a connection between the originating telephone and a destination telephone via the destination telephone number.  
           [0019]    Preferably, the originating telephone and the destination telephone each include a communication device chosen from a group of devices including a mobile telephone, a landline telephone, and a facsimile machine.  
           [0020]    Further preferably, the destination telephone number includes a first string formatted in an industry-standard format, and the identifier includes a second string formatted differently from the industry-standard format.  
           [0021]    Further preferably, the identifier includes an identifier-prefix and an identifier-string, wherein the identifier-prefix classifies a type of the identifier-string, and wherein the identifier-string is assigned by an entity associated with the type and independent of the telephone subscriber.  
           [0022]    Further preferably, the entity includes an official body authorized to assign the identifier-string.  
           [0023]    Preferably, the entity includes a credit card company, and the identifier-string includes a credit card number.  
           [0024]    Further preferably, the identifier includes an identifier-prefix which acts as a notification that the identifier is not an industry-standard telephone number and that the method is to be invoked.  
           [0025]    Preferably, the originating telephone is operative in a first communication network, and the destination telephone is operative in a second communication network.  
           [0026]    Preferably, the alphanumeric identifier includes a string which acts as an identification of the telephone subscriber.  
           [0027]    Alternatively or additionally, the alphanumeric identifier includes a string which acts as an identification of an object associated with the telephone subscriber.  
           [0028]    Preferably, the identifier includes a car license number, and dialing the identifier includes forming an image of a car license plate and recovering the car license number from the image.  
           [0029]    There is further provided, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, apparatus for dialing a telephone number indirectly, including:  
           [0030]    a memory wherein is stored a lookup table including a mapping associating an alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to a telephone subscriber with a destination telephone number; and  
           [0031]    a communication server which is adapted to receive the identifier as a dialed input from an originating telephone, to access the lookup table responsive thereto, to recover the destination telephone number by using the identifier as a pointer to the lookup table, and to provide the destination telephone number to a communication network so as to enable the network to establish a connection between the originating telephone and a destination telephone via the destination telephone number.  
           [0032]    Preferably, the originating telephone and the destination telephone each include a communication device chosen from a group of devices including a mobile telephone, a landline telephone, and a facsimile machine.  
           [0033]    Preferably, the destination telephone number includes a first numeric string formatted in an industry-standard format, and the identifier includes a second numeric string formatted differently from the industry-standard format.  
           [0034]    Preferably, the identifier includes an identifier-prefix and an identifier-string, wherein the identifier-prefix classifies a type of the identifier-string, and wherein the identifier-string is assigned by an entity associated with the type and independent of the telephone subscriber.  
           [0035]    Further preferably, the entity includes an official body authorized to assign the identifier-string.  
           [0036]    Alternatively or additionally, the entity includes a credit card company, and the identifier-string includes a credit card number.  
           [0037]    Preferably, the identifier includes an identifier-prefix which acts as a notification that the identifier is not an industry-standard telephone number and that the method is to be invoked.  
           [0038]    Preferably, the communication network includes a first communication network wherein the originating telephone is operative, and wherein the destination telephone is operative in a second communication network coupled to the first communication network.  
           [0039]    Preferably, the identifier includes a numerical string which acts as an identification of the telephone subscriber.  
           [0040]    Alternatively or additionally, the identifier includes a numerical string which acts as an identification of an object associated with the telephone subscriber.  
           [0041]    Preferably, the identifier includes a car license number, and including an imaging system which is adapted to form an image of a car license plate, to recover the car license number from the image, and to convey the car license number to the communication server.  
           [0042]    There is further provided, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for dialing a telephone number indirectly, including:  
           [0043]    obtaining an alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to a first and a second telephone subscriber;  
           [0044]    associating the identifier with a first destination telephone number of the first telephone subscriber to form a first mapping therebetween;  
           [0045]    associating the identifier with a second destination telephone number of the second telephone subscriber to form a second mapping therebetween;  
           [0046]    storing the first and the second mapping in a lookup table;  
           [0047]    dialing the identifier using an originating telephone;  
           [0048]    using the identifier as a pointer to the lookup table so as to recover the first and the second destination telephone numbers from the stored mappings;  
           [0049]    choosing one of the first and second destination telephone numbers as a desired destination telephone number; and  
           [0050]    establishing a connection between the originating telephone and a desired destination telephone via the desired destination telephone number.  
           [0051]    Preferably, choosing one of the first and second destination telephone numbers includes requesting a caller dialing the identifier to choose between the telephone numbers.  
           [0052]    There is further provided, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, apparatus for dialing a telephone number indirectly, including:  
           [0053]    a memory wherein is stored a lookup table including a first mapping associating an alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to a first telephone subscriber with a first destination telephone number and a second mapping associating the alphanumeric identifier that is assigned to a second telephone subscriber with a second destination telephone number; and  
           [0054]    a communication server which is adapted to receive the identifier as a dialed input from an originating telephone, to access the lookup table responsive thereto, to recover the first and the second destination telephone numbers by using the identifier as a pointer to the lookup table, to request a caller dialing the identifier to choose a desired destination telephone number from the first and the second destination telephone numbers, and, responsive to the choice, to provide the desired destination telephone number to a communication network so as to enable the network to establish a connection between the originating telephone and a destination telephone via the desired destination telephone number.  
           [0055]    The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings, in which: 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0056]    [0056]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation of an indirect dialing system, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0057]    [0057]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation of an alternative indirect dialing system, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0058]    Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram illustrating operation of an indirect dialing system  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A first communication device  12 , for example a mobile telephone, may be contacted via a telephone number  14  supplied by a provider of the device, by methods known in the art. Device  12  is herein also termed the destination device or the destination telephone, and is assumed to be coupled to a telecommunication network  28 . Telephone number  14 , also herein termed the destination telephone number, comprises a number in an industry-standard E.164 format, described in the Background of the Invention, and network  28  supports use of numbers in this industry-standard format.  
         [0059]    Preferably, a user  16  of the destination device informs an operator of network  28  of a mapping between the destination telephone number and an identifier  18  of the user. Alternatively, the operator is informed of the mapping by a person other than user  16  who is acquainted with both the destination telephone number and identifier  18  of the user. Identifier  18  may comprise any alphanumerical string associated with user  16 . For example, the string may comprise a license number of a car driven by the user, a social security number of the user, a passport number of the user, a number of a credit card registered to the user, or any other type of number which may be used to identify user  16 . Most preferably, the alphanumerical string is assigned to user  16  by an entity, independent of the user, which is authorized to issue the string. For example, the entity may be an official body such as a vehicle licensing authority which is authorized to issue a string as a car license number, or a ministry of social services which is authorized to issue a social security number. Alternatively, the entity may be a credit card company which is able to issue a credit card number. Other entities which are authorized and/or are able to issue types of numbers will be familiar to those skilled in the art. Typically, each type of string is associated with a corresponding object, for example, the license number is associated with the corresponding license plate, and the passport number is associated with the corresponding passport. It will be appreciated that the license number, the passport number, and other strings used as identifier  18 , may include letters.  
         [0060]    Identifier  18  most preferably also comprises a prefix to the string, the prefix serving to classify the type of identifier being stored. For example, if the identifier is a social security number, the prefix may be SSN or the numerical equivalent of SSN, i.e., 776. It will be appreciated that identifier  18  is in a format different from the industry-standard format of telephone number  14 . Alternatively, one prefix is used as an indicator to network  28  that an indirect dialing method is being invoked, and that the number dialed is not an industry-standard telephone number. The mapping between identifier  18  and telephone number  14  is stored within a lookup table  20  in a memory  22 , the memory being accessible to a communication server  29  comprised in network  28 .  
         [0061]    Lookup table  20  may comprise other mappings between identifiers and destination telephone numbers. For example, user  16  may inform the operator of system  10  of another identifier  24  of the user, so that table  20  comprises a first mapping between identifier  18  and the destination telephone number, and a second mapping between identifier  24  and the destination telephone number. Furthermore, table  20  typically comprises mappings, substantially similar to those described above for user  16 , for other users of system  10 .  
         [0062]    A caller  26  uses a second communication device  30  to communicate with telecommunication network  28 . Typically, device  30  comprises a mobile telephone, a landline telephone, or a voice over Internet (VOIP) connection. to communicate with the network. Device  30  is herein also termed the originating device or originating telephone. Caller  26  wishes to contact user  16  of destination device  12 , and uses originating telephone  30  to dial one of the identifiers of the destination device, herein assumed to be identifier  18 . Network  28  recognizes identifier  18  as a dialed input which is not in the industry-standard format used by the network, for example, by noting the identifier&#39;s prefix, and routes the dialed identifier to server  29 . The server uses memory  22  to look up telephone number  14  using identifier  18  as a pointer within table  20 , and provides the telephone number to network  28 . Network  28  then completes the connection between originating device  30  and destination device  12 , substantially as if caller  26  had dialed telephone number  14 .  
         [0063]    It will be appreciated that in order for caller  26  to communicate efficiently with user  16  via device  12 , caller  26  is preferably conversant with at least one specific identifier associated with the device. Some types of identifiers, such as car license numbers, may be available publicly. Other types of identifiers, such as a social security number, may be restricted in availability, but may be known to caller  26 , for example, by user  16  providing the social security number to the caller.  
         [0064]    It will also be appreciated that certain types of identifiers, such as car license numbers, may need to be further identified so as to avoid ambiguity. For example, a license number may be repeated in more than one state or region of a country. When such ambiguity may occur, most preferably one or more extra characters, corresponding to the state or region in the case of car license numbers, are added to form the identifier. Alternatively or additionally, in the case of ambiguity server  29  recognizes from accessing table  20  that an ambiguity exists. The server then informs caller  26  of the ambiguity, and attempts to clarify the ambiguity by informing the caller of possible choices. For example, if identifier  18  is a car license number without a prefix identifying the state, server  29  may inform caller  26  of multiple entries in table  20 , and ask the caller to choose between states, or between area codes of the ambiguous entries.  
         [0065]    [0065]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation of an alternative indirect dialing system  50 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Apart from the differences described below, the operation of system  50  is generally similar to that of system  10 , so that elements indicated by the same reference numerals in both systems  50  and  10  are generally identical in construction and in operation. Caller  26 , using communication device  30 , is a first driver of a car  52 . User  16 , using communication device  12 , is a second driver of a car  56 . (For clarity, neither caller  26  nor user  16  are shown in FIG. 2). User  16  provides a license number  60  of car  56  to the operator of network  28 , the license number serving as an identifier for communication device  12 . License number  60  and telephone number  14  of communication device  12  are stored as a mapping in lookup table  20  in memory  22 . The first driver (caller  26 ) wishes to call the second driver (user  16 ).  
         [0066]    Car  52  comprises an imaging system  54 , which is able to image and isolate a car license plate  58  of car  56 , and which is able to recover license number  60  from the image. Such systems are well known in the imaging art. In order to call the second driver, the first driver activates imaging system  54 , which images plate  58  and recovers license number  60  from the image.  
         [0067]    System  54  is coupled to communication device  30 . After recovering license number  60 , system  54  activates device  30  and provides the recovered license number to the device. Device  30  in turn dials license number  60 , with appropriate prefixes as necessary, so that the dialed number appears to network  28  as an identifier. Network  28  receives the dialed identifier and routes it to server  29 , which accesses table  20  to determine telephone number  14 . Server  29  provides network  28  with the number in order to place a call to device  12  in car  56 , substantially as described above with reference to system  10 . When the second driver accepts the call in device  12 , devices  12  and  30  are connected by network  28  and the first and second drivers are able to communicate via the devices.  
         [0068]    The description of systems  10  and  50  has assumed that devices  12  and  30  are operative in one communication network  28 . It will be appreciated, however, that communication devices  12  and  30 , in systems  10  and/or  50 , may be operative in separate communication networks which couple together in order for the devices to communicate, by methods known in the art. For example, communication device  12  may comprise a landline telephone operative within a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and communication device  30  may comprise a mobile telephone operative within a cellular network. The scope of the present invention thus comprises communication devices operative in one or more communication networks.  
         [0069]    It will be appreciated that lookup table  20  may be comprised of more than one sub-table, the sub-tables being coupled together so that mappings between identifiers and telephone numbers may be stored, and so that a specific identifier may be used as a pointer to recover the respective telephone number associated with the identifier. Similarly, memory  22  may be comprised of more than one sub-memory which may be localized with respect to network  28  or remote from the network. Furthermore, table  20  may be stored in a centralized form within memory  22 , or in a distributed form within the sub-memories.  
         [0070]    It will thus be appreciated that the preferred embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art.