Apparatus, system and method of auto-completing telephone numbers that are being manually dialed

• US 20040052355A1
• Filed: 09/12/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Herman, Awada, Faisal M., Smith, Newton James Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/242,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20040052355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/355.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27463 Predictive input, predictive dialling by comparing the dialled sequence with the content of a telephone directory
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method of auto-completing a pre-stored number being manually dialed by a user to make a phone call are provided. When a first digit of the number is entered, the digit is compared with first digits of pre-stored numbers to determine whether there is a match. If there is a match, the number whose digit matched the digit entered is provided to the user. The user may use the provided number to make the phone call or may continue to enter digits of the number. If there is not a match, the user will have to continue enter the number. When the number is used, it is automatically stored for future use. Instead of entering digits of a number, the user may enter letters of a name. As before, if the first letter entered matches a first letter of a pre-stored name, the name will be provided to the user. If the user indicates that the provided name is the desired name, a number associated with the name will be dialed to complete the phone call.

Claims

1. A method of auto-completing a telephone number being dialed by a user comprising the steps of:

comparing a first digit entered by the user with first digits of pre-stored numbers to determine if there is a match; and

providing to the user, if there is a match, a number that has the matched digit.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein if there is more than one pre-stored number with the matched digit, the first number in a numerical order is provided to the user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein if there is a match and the user enters a succeeding digit, the succeeding digit is compared with the succeeding digit of the numbers that have a match with a previously entered digit to determine if there is a match.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein if there is a match the first number, in a numerical order, that has the matched digit is provided to the user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein if the user indicates that a provided number is the number being dialed, the number is used.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the numbers are stored in a telephone.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the numbers are stored by a telephone service provider, the telephone service provider providing the number with matched digits to the user.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the numbers are stored in a facsimile machine.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein letters of a name are entered instead of digits of a number, a first letter entered is compared with first letters of pre-stored names to determine if there is match and a pre-stored name is provided to the user if there is a match.

10. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for auto-completing a telephone number being dialed by a user comprising:

code means for comparing a first digit entered by the user with first digits of pre-stored numbers to determine if there is a match; and

code means for providing to the user, if there is a match, a number that has the matched digit.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein if there is more than one pre-stored number with the matched digit, the first number in a numerical order is provided to the user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein if there is a match and the user enters a succeeding digit, the succeeding digit is compared with the succeeding digit of the numbers that have a match with a previously entered digit to determine if there is a match.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein if there is a match the first number, in a numerical order, that has the matched digit is provided to the user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein if the user indicates that a provided number is the number being dialed, the number is used.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the numbers are stored by a telephone service provider, the telephone service provider providing the number with matched digits to the user.

16. A system for auto-completing a telephone number being dialed by a user comprising:

at least one storage device for storing code data; and

at least one processor for processing the code data to compare a first digit entered by the user with first digits of pre-stored numbers to determine if there is a match, and to provide to the user, if there is a match, a number that has the matched digit.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein if there is more than one pre-stored number with the matched digit, the first number in a numerical order is provided to the user.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein if there is a match and the user enters a succeeding digit, the succeeding digit is compared with the succeeding digit of the numbers that have a match with a previously entered digit to determine if there is a match.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein if there is a match the first number, in a numerical order, that has the matched digit is provided to the user.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein if the user indicates that a provided number is the number being dialed, the number is used.