Directory features in a distributed telephony system

• US 20060233340A1
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Winslow, Richard A., Tovino, Michael S. W., Okita, Glen K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,670,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/211.20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0015 First party call control architectures

Abstract

A telephony system is presented that enables a phone to access a directory and use the directory in conjunction with other phone functions. The system includes a server with a telephony management software (TMS) unit, a telephony application programming interface (TAPI) unit, and an application unit. The application unit includes a control module, a function module, a filter module, a presentation module, a phone interface module, and a storage interface module. A server sends a signal to a phone regarding the contents of a directory. A server also enables a user to navigate through the directory, filter the directory, and perform call functions on phone numbers associated with directory entries.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a phone to display a directory, the method comprising:

associating the phone with the directory; and

signaling the phone to display information from the directory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory comprises one or more entries.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an entry comprises one of a group consisting of a name, a phone number, a street address, an email address, a cell phone number, a fax number, and a pager number.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a signal; and

determining, responsive to the received signal, a phone number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal comprises information specifying an entry, and wherein the entry comprises the phone number.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining a call function to perform using the phone number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the call function comprises one of a group consisting of Dial, Transfer, Conference, PickUp, Park, and Unpark.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the received signal further comprises information specifying the call function.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the call function to perform using the phone number comprises retrieving the call function from a storage device.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising signaling a switch to perform the call function using the phone number.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein signaling the switch to perform the call function causes one of a group containing an active call, a connected call, and a held call to be affected.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal;

determining, responsive to the received signal, a portion of the directory; and

signaling the phone to display the portion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal comprises information specifying a navigation direction.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the signal comprises information specifying a filter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the directory comprises one or more entries, and wherein an entry comprises one or more fields values, and wherein determining, responsive to the received signal, the portion of the directory comprises determining an entry that satisfies the filter comprises a field value that begins with the filter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the entry that satisfies the filter comprises determining the entry that comprises a field value that begins with the filter.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the entry that comprises the field value that begins with the filter comprises determining the entry that comprises the field value that begins with one of a group consisting of the filter and one or more characters associated with the filter.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the filter comprises one or more characters, and wherein a character comprises one of a group consisting of “

0”

, “

1”

, “

2”

, “

3”

, “

4”

, “

5”

, “

6”

, “

7”

, “

8”

, “

9”

, “

*”

, and “

#”

.

19. An apparatus for a enabling a phone to display a directory, the apparatus comprising:

a presentation module configured to generate a signal that causes the phone to display information from the directory;

a phone interface module configured to send data to and receive data from the phone; and

a control module communicatively coupled to the presentation module and the phone interface module.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a filter module configured to filter the directory, wherein the control module is further communicatively coupled to the filter module.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a function module configured to perform a call function using a phone number, wherein the control module is further communicatively coupled to the function module.