Abstract:
A mobile platform for use in a mobile communications network. The mobile platform includes an alphanumeric input device adapted to receive alphanumeric input from a user as an input alphanumeric string; memory; and a processor coupled to the alphanumeric input device and the memory. The processor receives the input alphanumeric string; replaces one or more characters within the input alphanumeric string with its numeric equivalent to generate an output numeric string; and initiates a dialed call using the output numeric string.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    This application is related to the application entitled “System and Method for Remote Dialable Number Conversion” by Jeffrey Mikan, George S. Creigh, &amp; Kenneth D. Heil filed concurrently with the present application.  
         TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0002]    This invention relates to the field of mobile telecommunications, and more specifically, a system for and method of providing a text to dialable number conversion function.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0003]    The world is currently experiencing a telecommunications revolution. The days of everyone communicating solely over land lines, i.e. the public switched telephone network or PSTN, have long past. Mobile telecommunications has established itself as the future of telecommunications. With this evolution in telephony comes a need to change the way that people interact with telephonic devices.  
           [0004]    The standard PSTN terminal, the desktop telephone with the familiar 12 key dial pad, was the paradigm for which initial mobile devices were built. Since the 1980&#39;s cellular telephones have been built around the 12 key dial pad comprising the digits 0-9 and the characters, “*” and “#”. The digits on the dial pad are respectively associated with three or more alphabetic characters. For example, the number 2 is associated with the characters “A”, “B”, and “C”. This is a useful feature for those wishing to provide a simple to remember word for their telephone number. For example, AT&amp;T long distance uses the phone number 1-800-225-5288 which is the equivalent of 1-800-CALL-ATT.  
           [0005]    While it is easy to remember this phrase for reaching AT&amp;T, dialing the number required a user to pay careful attention to the small alpha characters on the keypad in order to enter the telephone number. This is enough of a challenge on a standard desktop phone, but when this must be performed on a small mobile telephone keypad, the task becomes much more difficult.  
           [0006]    As mobile device design shifts away from the desktop paradigm, the keypad is often being replaced or augmented by other text entry methods. For example, many mobile platforms today have a full alphanumeric keypad installed or permit entry of text via pen strokes, e.g. a graffiti entry system on PalmOS mobile devices. Although these modem mobile platforms have the alternate entry means of an alphanumeric keypad or graffiti, users are still required to utilize the 12 digit keypad to painfully, manually convert text based phone numbers to numeric phone numbers.  
           [0007]    The present invention is directed to overcoming the one or more problems identified above.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a mobile platform for use in a mobile communications network is disclosed. The mobile platform includes an alphanumeric input device adapted to receive alphanumeric input from a user as an input alphanumeric string; memory; and a processor coupled to the alphanumeric input device and the memory. The processor receives the input alphanumeric string; replaces one or more characters within the input alphanumeric string with its numeric equivalent to generate an output numeric string; and initiates a dialed call using the output numeric string.  
           [0009]    In accordance with an additional embodiment of the present invention, a method of converting an alphanumeric input string into a numeric input string for dialing a called number is described. The method receives the input alphanumeric string; replaces one or more characters within the input alphanumeric string with its numeric equivalent to generate an output numeric string; and initiates a dialed call using the output numeric string.  
           [0010]    The foregoing summarizes only a few aspects of the invention and is not intended to be reflective of the full scope of the invention as claimed. Additional features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following description, may be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. Moreover, both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 illustrates a mobile telephone system in which embodiments employing the principles of the present invention may be utilized;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile platform embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a messaging server embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a WAP server embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an Internet server embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion routine in accordance with the principles of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in a mobile platform in accordance with the principles of the present invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in a message server in accordance with the principles of the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in a WAP server in accordance with the principles of the present invention;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in an Internet application server in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in a mobile telephony network in accordance with the principles of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0023]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.  
         [0024]    The text to dialable number conversion system according to embodiments of the present invention take an input string of alphanumeric characters and converts the non-numeric characters into numbers, resulting in an output string of purely dialable numbers. The conversion system may be resident on the mobile platform or located on some remote platform, for example, a network switch, message server, WAP application server, or Internet application server. Once the conversion is performed, either locally within the platform or remote, the converted numeric string is utilized to dial the telephone number of a called party.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 1 illustrates a mobile telephone system in which embodiments employing the principles of the present invention may be utilized. A mobile platform  150  communicates via a communication tower  145  to a mobile switching system  105 . The mobile platform  150  may be any wireless device that comprises a text entry method in addition to, or in place of, the traditional 12 key keypad. For example, mobile platform  150  may be, for example: a Kyocera brand PDA/Mobile phone that features graffiti or soft keyboard input; a mobile phone powered by the Windows CE operating system; or a mobile phone powered by the Symbian operating system. While the full mobile switching system  105  is not shown in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the type of cellular switching system is irrelevant to the application of embodiments of the present invention. For example, the switching system  105  might operate under the GSM, CDMA, CDMA2000, or UMTS protocols.  
         [0026]    The mobile switching system  105 , in addition to being in communication with a PSTN (not shown), may be in communication with one or more of the following devices: an SMS (Short Message Service) or Mobitex Message Server  125  via Message Gateway  120 ; a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) Server  115  via WAP Gateway  110 ; or an Internet Application Server  155  via Internet  140  and Firewall  135 . The text to dialable number conversion system may operate solely in the mobile platform  150 , or may be made available in one or more of the Message Server  125 , the WAP Application Server  115 , and/or the Internet Application Server  140 .  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a mobile platform  150  embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention. The mobile platform  150  comprises a communication interface  210  for providing RF communication between the communication tower  145  and the processor with operating system  205 . The operating system controls the operation of the mobile platform, and as it relates to the present invention, accepts user input from the alphanumeric input device  220 . As previously mentioned, the alphanumeric input device  220  may comprise, for example, a soft alphanumeric keypad (one implemented in software), a hardware alphanumeric keypad, or a stroke based entry system. The alphanumeric input device may be remote from the mobile platform and interface via a wired or wireless technology, such as IrDA or Bluetooth.  
         [0028]    The operating system  205  receives the input from the alphanumeric device and provides it to conversion application  215 . Conversion application  215  converts the alphanumeric string to a numeric string based on a set of rules to be discussed in a later portion of the present description. Once converted, the numeric string is returned to the operating system  205  for use in dialing a called party. In some embodiments of the present invention, the conversion may occur after the string has been completely entered, while in other embodiments conversion may occur as the string is entered, i.e,, on the fly conversion. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the converted characters may be displayed on a screen for the user to view.  
         [0029]    In certain embodiments of the present invention, the mobile device may not contain a conversion application, and conversion may be performed remotely.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a Messaging Server embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention. In the Messaging Server  115  of an embodiment of the present invention, the Messaging Server  115  receives an alphanumeric string and returns a numeric string based on the conversion rules. Gateway interface  315  receives the SMS or Mobitex message containing the alphanumeric string along with a request to convert the alphanumeric string to a numeric string. The gateway interface  315  passes this input string via the processor with operating system  305  to the conversion application  215  residing in memory  310 . The conversion application  215  converts the input alphanumeric string to a numeric string and returns this output string to the gateway interface  315  for eventual transmission to the mobile platform.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a WAP server embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention. In the WAP Application server  125  of an embodiment of the present invention, the server  125  receives an alphanumeric string and returns a numeric string based on the conversion rules. Gateway interface  415  receives the WAP message containing the alphanumeric string along with a request to convert the alphanumeric string to a numeric string. The gateway interface  415  passes this input string via the processor with operating system  405  to the conversion application  215  residing in memory  410 . The conversion application  215  converts the input alphanumeric string to a numeric string and returns this output string to the gateway interface  415  for eventual transmission to the mobile platform.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an Internet server embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of a Internet server embodying a text to number conversion according to principles of the present invention. In the Internet Application server  155  of an embodiment of the present invention, the server  155  receives an alphanumeric string and returns a numeric string based on the conversion rules. Gateway interface  515  receives the HTML message containing the alphanumeric string along with a request to convert the alphanumeric string to a numeric string. The gateway interface  515  passes this input string via the processor with operating system  505  to the conversion application  215  residing in memory  510 . The conversion application  215  converts the input alphanumeric string to a numeric string and returns this output string to the gateway interface  515  for eventual transmission to the mobile platform.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion routine  215  in accordance with the principles of the present invention. This is merely an exemplary routing and those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are a vast number of parsing routines to accomplish the same result. At stage  605 , the conversion routine  215  receives the alphanumeric dialed number sequence as an input alphanumeric string. At stage  610 , parsing of the input string begins. At stage  615 , the character in the first position in the string is selected. At stage  625 , the character at the selected position is replaced with its numeric equivalent, according to the following table:  
                                                       Numeric           Character   Equivalent                           A, B, C   2           D, E, F   3           G, H, I   4           J, K, L   5           M, N, O   6           P, Q, R, S   7           T, U, V   8           W, X, Y, Z   9                      
 
         [0034]    At stage  630 , a check is made to see if anymore characters remain in the string. While there are characters in the string, at stage  640  the next character position is selected and flow continues to stage  625 . When the end of the string is reached, at stage  635  the converted numeric string is returned.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in a mobile platform in accordance with the principles of the present invention. At stage  710 , a user enters an alphanumeric number into the keypad of the mobile platform and initiates the send key. In an alternative method, the user may select an alphanumeric string stored within the device and select the send key. This would be if the number was stored in some form of internal directory on the mobile platform. At stage  720 , the operating system initiates a conversion routing, such a conversion routine  215 , to convert the alphanumeric string into a numeric string. At stage  730 , the numeric string is returned and the mobile platform initiates the call using the numeric string.  
         [0036]    Embodiments of the present invention may be utilized where the mobile platform does not locally convert the alphanumeric string into a numeric string prior to dialing, such alternative systems are illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9,  10 , and  11 . Note that in the following alternative embodiments, no special conversion software need be installed in the mobile platform.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in a message server in accordance with the principles of the present invention. At stage  805 , a user enters an alphanumeric dial string into the mobile platform. At stage  810 , the mobile platforms places the alphanumeric string into an SMS or Mobitex message and send that message to the switching platform. At stage  815 , the switching platform sends the message to the message gateway. At stage  820 , the message gateway sends the message to the message server. At stage  825 , the message server runs a conversion routing, such as conversion routine  215 , to convert the alphanumeric string into a numeric string.  
         [0038]    At stage  830 , the message server returns the numeric string which is sent to the message gateway at stage  835 . At stage  835 , the message gateway sends the converted string, in an SMS or Mobitex message, to the switching platform. At stage  845 , the switching platform sends the converted string to the mobile platform. The mobile platform then initiates a dial routine using the numeric string to dial the called party. In an alternative embodiment, the switching platform captures the returned numeric string in the SMS message and initiates the call without the need to return the numeric string to the mobile platform.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in a WAP application server in accordance with the principles of the present invention. At stage  905 , a user enters an alphanumeric dial string into the mobile platform on a WAP WML (Wireless Markup Language) page. At stage  910 , the mobile platforms sends the alphanumeric string and a conversion request to the switching platform. At stage  915 , the switching platform sends the sends the alphanumeric string and a conversion request to the WAP gateway. At stage  920 , the WAP gateway sends the string and request to the WAP application server. At stage  925 , the WAP application server runs a conversion routing, such as conversion routine  215 , to convert the alphanumeric string into a numeric string.  
         [0040]    At stage  930 , the WAP application server returns the numeric string associated with a WTAI (Wireless Telephony Application Interface) dial command which is sent to the WAP gateway at stage  935 . At stage  935 , the WAP gateway sends the WTAI command and numeric string to the switching platform. At stage  945 , the switching platform sends the WTAI command and converted string to the mobile platform. The mobile platform then initiates a dial routine using the numeric string to dial the called party.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in an Internet application server in accordance with the principles of the present invention. At stage  1005 , a user enters an alphanumeric dial string into the mobile platform. At stage  1010 , the mobile platforms places the alphanumeric string into an SMS or Mobitex message and send that message to the switching platform. At stage  1015 , the switching platform sends the message to the Internet gateway. At stage  1020 , the Internet gateway sends the message to the Internet application server via the Internet. At stage  1025 , the Internet application server runs a conversion routine, such as conversion routine  215 , to convert the alphanumeric string into a numeric string.  
         [0042]    At stage  1030 , the Internet application server returns the numeric string which is sent to the Internet gateway at stage  1035 . At stage  1035 , the Internet gateway sends the converted string to the switching platform. At stage  1045 , the switching platform sends the converted string to the mobile platform. The mobile platform then initiates a dial routine using the numeric string to dial the called party. In an alternative embodiment, the switching platform captures the returned numeric string and initiates the call without the need to return the numeric string to the mobile platform.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 11 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary text to number conversion system embodied in a mobile telephony network in accordance with the principles of the present invention. At stage  1110 , the user enters an alphanumeric string into the mobile platform. At stage  1115 , the mobile platform sends the alphanumeric string to the mobile telephony network. At stage  1120 , the mobile telephone network, using a conversion routine such as conversion routine  215 , converts the alphanumeric string into a numeric string. At stage  1125 , the mobile telephony network initiates the call.  
         [0044]    It will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications of an obvious nature may be made, and all such changes and modifications are considered to fall within the scope of the appended claims. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.